HELL is the GRAVE/DEATH; and HADES will be thrown into the Lake of Fire

HELL is the GRAVE/DEATH; and HADES will be thrown into the Lake of Fire

The Hebrew word sheol and the Greek word hades
are both translated into the two English words “hell” and “grave”

The same Hebrew word sheol
is translated “hell” 31 times
and is also translated “grave” 31 times

But are “hell” and “grave” the SAME word-NO

Do they both have the same meaning-NO

Then WHY are they both
the translation of the ONE Hebrew word sheol?

Sheol is translated:
“grave—an excavation
for the internment of a corpse, a place of burial”

AND:

Sheol is translated:
“hell-the abode of condemned souls and devils...
the place of eternal punishment for the wicked after death,
presided over by Satan… a state of separation from God…
a place of evil, misery, discord, or destruction… torment, anguish”

So how can the word “sheol” (and “hades” in the New Testament)
have for a definition and for a translation two words that have
TOTALLY OPPOSITE AND TOTALLY DIFFERENT MEANINGS?

THEY CAN’T AND THEY DON’T!

And many Christians believe
that we are to take Scriptures about hell literally-

that is, until they come across a a verse like:

And if your eye offend thee [cause you to sin],
pluck it out, and cast it from thee:
it is better for you to enter into life with one eye,
rather than having two eyes
TO BE CAST INTO HELL FIRE, (Matt 18:8-9)…"

Here are the words for which "hell"
was inserted as a "translation" into English:

The Hebrew word sheol (31 times)

The Greek word gehenna (12 times)

The Greek word hades (10 times)

The Greek word tartarus (1 time)

If the word "hell"
is the most accurate and correct
English word available to translate,
the Hebrew word sheol,
and the Greek words gehenna, hades, and tartartus-

then these four words must all have the same meaning

But in reality only two of these four words have the same meaning

The Hebrew word sheol
The Greek word hades
are synonymous in meaning

Acts 2:27:
"Because You will not leave My soul in hell [Gk: hades],
neither will You suffer your Holy One to see corruption"

Psalm 16:10:
"For You will not leave My soul in hell [Heb: sheol];
neither will You suffer your Holy One to see corruption"

And so the inspiration of the Spirit of God
proves that the Greek word hades is the right
and proper translation of the Hebrew word sheol

Whatever "hades" means, "sheol" means the same,
and whatever "sheol" means, "hades" also means the same

We know for a fact
that the Hebrew word sheol is translated "hell"
31 times in the KJV of the Bible

But… BUT, we also know for a fact
that the same Hebrew word sheol is translated "grave"
31 times in the KJV Bible

As we go through the 31 Scriptures
in which the KJV uses the word "grave,"
it will become abundantly clear that "grave"
is the proper translation

But when we come to the 31 times
that KJV uses the word "hell"
to translate this same Hebrew word,

it will also become abundantly clear that word, "GRAVE"
should have been used in all of those 31 verses as well

Yes, the "context" will show that "grave"
or its literal meaning of "the UNSEEN"
can be consistently used in all 62 verses
without jeopardizing or violating the context

While it is true that a number of verses
use sheol—the unseen, the grave, in a poetic or figurative sense,
absolutely nowhere is sheol used to represent a place of life,
consciousness, fire, or torture—nowhere, absolutely nowhere


SHEOL—TRANSLATED "GRAVE"

1 "And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him;
but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down
into the grave [Heb: sheol] unto my son mourning
Thus his father wept for him" (Gen 37:35)

Here "grave" (sheol) is used figuratively
Jacob did not literally go into the grave of his son Joseph,
seeing that Joseph was not even "literally" dead at this time

2 "And he [Jacob] said, My son [Benjamin] shall not go down with you;
for his brother [Joseph] is dead [Jacob thought Joseph was dead],
and he is left alone:
If mischief befall him by the way in the which you go,
then shall you bring down my gray hairs with sorrow
to the grave [Heb: sheol]" (Gen 42:38)

Gray hairs can only figuratively "sorrow"
And "hair" does not do well in fire

3 "And if you take this also from me,
and mischief befall him,
you shall bring down my gray hairs
with sorrow to the grave" (Gen 44:29)

Once again, Jacob uses the word "grave" (sheol) figuratively,
and there is no mention of fire

4 "…and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant
our father with sorrow to the grave [Heb: sheol]" (Gen 44:31)

5 "The Lord kills, and makes alive: He brings down to the grave
[Heb: sheol], and brings up" (1 Sam 2:6)

And so, just as surely as God "brings down to the grave,"
He likewise, "brings up [from the grave]"
Therefore, the "grave" [sheol] is not an eternal place
Plus, no mention of "fire" in this place called sheol

6 "Do therefore according to your wisdom, and let not his hoar head
go down to the grave [Heb: sheol] in PEACE" (1 Kings 2:6)

Obviously, this verse tells us that the "grave (sheol)"
is a place of "peace," and that is why David didn’t want
his enemy’s death to be a peaceful one

7 "Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for you are a wise man,
and know what you ought to do to him; but his hoar head
bring you down to the grave [Heb: sheol] with BLOOD" (1 Kings 2:9)

King David is called a "bloody man" in the Scriptures

David liked blood and violence His dying words
are for His son Solomon to be a "hit man" for him,
and to violently destroy David’s long-time enemies
(for which David will have to bitterly repent
in the Great White Throne Judgment)

David wanted Solomon to make their deaths painful and "bloody,"
as even David himself knew that his enemies would merely
"sleep the sleep of death" once they were killed
But again, no "fire" in this "grave"—only "peace,"
even for David’s worst enemies

8 "As a cloud is consumed and vanishes away;
so he that goes down to the grave [Heb:sheol]
shall come up no more" (Job 7:9)

Job was inspired to write
that a person "vanishes away" in sheol No fire there

9 "O that You would hide me in the grave [Heb: sheol]
…If a man die, shall he live again?
All the days of my appointed time will I wait,
till my change come" (Job 14:13-14)

Job knew that he would not stay in sheol forever-No fire there

10 "If I wait, the grave [Heb: sheol] is mine house:
I have made my bed in the darkness"(Job 17:13)

Same words Job used previously

11 "They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment
go down to the grave [Heb: sheol]" (Job 21:13)

Job goes on to say in verses 23-26
that those blessed and those cursed,
"They shall lie down alike in the dust,
and the worms shall cover them"

12 "Drought and heat consume the snow waters:
so does the grave [Heb: sheol]
those which have sinned"(Job 24:19)

"ALL have sinned," and so all "consume" away in the grave
until they return to the dust from where they came

13 "For in death there is NO REMEMBRANCE of Thee:
in the grave [Heb: sheol] who shall give You thanks?" (Psalm 6:5)

King David knew
and was inspired to write that if he were to die,
he knew that there would be no remembrance of God
in the grave- No fire here either

14 "O Lord, You have brought up my soul
from the grave [Heb: sheol]:
You have kept me alive,
that I should not go down to the pit
[this time pit is not translated from sheol]" (Psalm 30:3)

Here King David is likewise speaking figuratively,
as he was not literally killed or put into a grave

15 "Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon you:
let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave
[Heb: sheol]"(Psalm 31:17)

Well, so much for all the supposed cries of anguish in sheol
David knew that sheol was a place of complete "silence"

16 & 17 "Like sheep they are laid in the grave [Heb: sheol];
death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have
dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty
shall consume in the grave [Heb: sheol]
from their dwelling" (Psalm 49:14)

There is "death" in the grave (sheol)

There is not living torture in fire

18 "But God will REDEEM MY SOUL
from the power of the grave [Heb: sheol]:
for he shall receive me Selah" (Psalm 49:15)

Well there you have it!

Souls can be "redeemed from the power of sheol"!
No eternal torture in fire where souls can and will be "REDEEMED"!

It should be self-explanatory as to why the translators
didn’t translate this particular "sheol" into the English word "hell"

They sure didn’t want anyone to know
that souls will be "redeemed from hell"

19 "For my soul is full of troubles:
and my life draws nigh unto the grave [Heb: sheol]" (Psalm 88:3)

King David knew that when he died
he was going to be placed in sheol

20 "What man is he that lives, and shall not see death?
Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave [Heb: sheol]
Selah" (Psalm 89:48)

And so according to this verse of Scripture,
there is not a man who ever lives (that’s all humanity)
that shall not go to sheol when he dies
Everyone goes to the grave; everyone goes to sheol
But it is silent there
No remembrance No pain, suffering, or fire

21 "Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole,
as those that go down into the pit" (Prov 1:12)

This too is speaking of the grave in figurative language

22 "…There are three things that are never satisfied,
yea, four things say, not, it is enough
The grave [Heb: sheol]; and the barren womb;
the earth that is not filled with water;
and the fire that says not, it is enough" (Prov 30:15-16)

The earth is our "grave," and it can hold billions of bodies

23 "Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might;
for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom,
in the grave [Heb: sheol], where you go"(Ecclesiastes 9:10)

The word "device" means "contrivance, intelligence and reason"
And there are none of these in sheol

Neither is there any work, knowledge, or wisdom there

Since there are not any of these faculties of consciousness there,
how can "sheol" be translated "hell" which is supposed to be a place
of eternal torture in fire?

24 "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm:
for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave [Heb: sheol]:
the coats thereof are coats of fire, which have a most vehement flame
Many waters cannot quench LOVE, neither can the floods drown it…"
(Song of Solomon 8:6-7)

I included verse 7 here so that no one would be confused
and think that the "flames of fire" are in "sheol,"
but are rather the "coats of fire and flame" of jealousy

25 "Thy pomp is brought down to the grave [Heb: sheol],
and the noise of your viols [harps]: the worm is spread under you,
and the worms cover you" (Isa 14:11)

This is figurative language once more
Seeing that "pomp," a character flaw, and "harps,"
musical instruments do not literally go anywhere,
but they do cease to exist from the perspective
of the person possessing them

26 "I said in the cutting off of my days,
I shall go to the gates of the grave [Heb: sheol]:
I am deprived of the residue of my years" (Isa 38:10)

If one were to continue living in a place called hell,
he could hardly declare that his days and years would end
If hell is eternal, then he would continue to live forever

27 "For the grave [Heb: sheol] cannot praise Thee,
death can not celebrate Thee: they that go down in to the pit
cannot hope for Thy truth"(Isa 38:18)

Of course "sheol cannot praise Thee,"
seeing that there is no intelligence or reason in sheol,
as we just learned a few Scriptures above

28 "Thus said the Lord God, In the day when he [Pharaoh]
went down to the grave [Heb: sheol] I caused a mourning:
I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof,
and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon
to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field
fainted for him" (Ezek 31:15)

Ezek 31:16-17 again contain the word "sheol" again,
but there it is translated "hell" which we will cover
when we cover all the verses with "hell" in them
But there is no eternal torture by fire in this verse

29 & 30 "I will RANSOM them from the power of the grave [Heb: sheol];
I will REDEEM them from death: O DEATH, I will be your plagues;
O grave [Heb: sheol], I will be your destruction:
repentance shall be hid from mine eyes" (Hosea 13:14)

This verse all by itself destroys the whole eternal torture in fire theory
If sheol is "hell," then this verse plainly tells us that
[1] God will "ransom" those who are in sheol
[2] God will be the plague of DEATH
[3] God tells us that sheol itself is to be "DESTROYED"
And isn’t this exactly what we are told in Revelation 20:14—
"And DEATH and hell [Gk: hades/Heb: sheol]
were cast into the lake of fire This is the second DEATH"

31 "Our BONES are scattered at the grave’s [Heb: sheol] mouth,
as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the earth. (Psalm 141:7)

Once more King David is speaking figuratively in a poetic style
The grave does not literally have a "mouth"

That concludes the 31 places sheol is translated "grave"
Not one of these 34 verses cited uses sheol to mean a place
or condition of conscious torture in literal fire for all eternity

Why then would we suppose that the next 31 verses
that use this exact same word, sheol
would change the meaning to a place of
conscious torture of wicked people in literal fire for all eternity?
How can such a travesty of scholarship, ever be accepted by those
who still possess a functioning mind?




In all the "Torah"—the Law, that is all the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, the word "hell" appears
but once in the King James Bible. Here it is:

1 "For a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn unto the lowest hell [Heb: sheol], and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains" (Deut 32:22)

Well, at last. There it is, "fire" is found with the word sheol,
so surely now we have found Scriptural proof
that sheol sometimes does mean the Christian
"hell of eternal torture in fire," right? WRONG!

This verse says nothing of burning dead people in sheol with fire

The whole chapter is a "Song of Moses" (See verse 1)
God prophesies through Moses’ Song,
His anger over Israel’s lack of faith and the fact
that they will turn to other gods, and for this
God will punish them
He will not, however,
torture them in an eternal fire of a Christian hell

Here is what God will do to them:

"For the Lord shall judge His people…
I KILL, and I make ALIVE: I wound, and I heal:
neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand"
(Deut 32:36a & 39)

Notice that according to God Himself,
the only way that someone He "kills"
can ever live again is if God also "makes alive" again

Do Christians believe
that dead people must be made alive again?
No, of course not

They don’t believe that dead people are even dead,
so why would God ever have to "make alive" again?

It is not Scientifically, Physiologically, or Scripturally
possible to physically DIE and yet be alive

Let’s notice one most profound point in this Song of Moses
which should remove any and all doubt as to whether
Israel is being "tortured in literal fire" in this
"lowest sheol." Verse 25:

"The sword without, and the terror within,
shall destroy both the young man and the virgin,
THE SUCKLING [an infant; a BABY] also with the man of gray hairs"

To be sure, God affirms that sucklings will be in this sheol

Are we to believe that God will TORTURE sucklings in sheol?

Is sheol really a hell of torture in fire as orthodoxy demands?

No, this is nothing more than the "grave"
that we saw in the previous 31 Scriptures
translated from the same Hebrew word sheol

2 The sorrows of hell [Heb: sheol] compassed [surrounded] me
about: the snares of death prevented [confronted] me" (2 Sam. 22:6)

Does anyone believe that David just narrowly escaped
the tortures of an eternal hell of pain in literal fire? No?

I don’t either

But I can clearly see how he felt death and the grave
closing in on him when his enemies were out to kill him

3 It [the wisdom and secrets of God] is as high as heaven;
what can you do? Deeper than hell [Heb: sheol] ;
what can you know" (Job 11:8)

This is poetic language
and has nothing to do with a place of torture in fire

4 Hell [Heb: sheol] is naked before him,
and destruction has no covering" (Job 26:6)

5 The wicked shall be turned [Heb: shub] into hell [Heb: sheol],
and all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17)

This was quoted on tv recently
Boy oh boy, this one seems pretty hard to side step, doesn't it?

"The wicked shall be turned into hell."

Well, maybe not

The translators have tried to do their deceitfulness once more

You see, the word translated "turned"
is the Hebrew word shub and it means "to RETURN,"
(not, "turn" or "turned"), but REturn or REturned

In fact this word is translated "return" or "returned"
almost 100% of the approximately 450 times it is used

Notice how other versions correct this same verse:

"The lawless shall RETURN [Heb: shub] to hades,
All nations forgetful of God"
(Psalm 9:17, Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible)

"The nations shall be TURNED BACK unto sheol,
All nations that are forgetful of God"
(Psalm 9:17, The New American Bible).

"The wicked do TURN BACK to sheol,
All nations forgetting God"
(Psalm 9:17, Young’s Literal Translation)

"The wicked shall RETURN [Heb: shub] to the unseen,
all nations forgetful of God"
(Psalm 9:17 Concordant Literal Old Testament)

Actually "return" is a better translation than "turn back,"
but at least we can see that other translators see
and use the proper meaning of shub,
which of course, The King James did not

The Bible likens death to a "Return"

The soul RETURNS to sheol/hades—the UNSEEN

The spirit RETURNS to God who gave it

And the body RETURNS to the dust of the ground
from whence it came
And so likewise, the wicked nations
will be RETURNED to sheol—
the grave, sheol, the unseen, DEATH

If "sheol" is a Christian hell of torture in fire,
then they would also have to conclude
that these nations also CAME FROM
an eternity of suffering in fire,
and they are not RETURNING to that same place

Anyone see a problem with such unscriptural nonsense?

6 "For you will not leave my soul in hell [Heb: sheol];
neither will You suffer Your Holy One to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10)

Although this is a prophecy concerning the Lord,
it is nonetheless, the words of David concerning himself
and his own salvation from sheol

Notice that David concedes that he
(his soul, the conscious, sentient self)
will die and go to sheol
But David’s prayer is
that God, "will not LEAVE my soul in sheol"

Everyone’s soul goes to sheol at death—
both the sinners and the saints

7 "The sorrows of hell [Heb: sheol] compassed me about:
the snares of death prevented [confronted] me" (Psalm 18:5)

David is not in sheol,
but rather is sorrowful in just contemplating death

8 "Let DEATH seize upon them,
and let them go down quick into hell [Heb: sheol]:
for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them" (Psalm 55:15)

Notice that that one must be "dead" in order to go to sheol

9 "For great is Thy mercy toward me:
and you have delivered my soul
from the lowest [depth of] hell [Heb: sheol]" (Psalm 86:13)

10 "The sorrows of death compassed me,
and the pains of hell [Hb: sheol] got hold upon me:
I found trouble and sorrow" (Ps 116:3)

11 "If I ascend up into heaven, You are there:
if I make my bed in hell [Heb: sheol], behold,
You are there" (Psalm 139:8)

12. "Her feet go down to death;
her steps take hold on hell [Heb: sheol]" (Prov 5:5)

Seems pretty clear that feet and steps are one,
and they go to one place—death and hell [sheol] are all one

13 "Her house is the way to hell [Heb: sheol],
going down to the chambers of death" (Prov 7:27)

Once more, her house with its chambers,
go down to hell/sheol and death

14 "But he knows not that the DEAD are there;
and that her guests are in the depths of hell [Heb: sheol]" (Prov 9:18)

Hell/sheol contains DEAD PEOPLE, not living souls!

15 "Hell [Heb: sheol] and destruction are before the Lord:
how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" (Prov 15:11)

16 "The way of life is above to the wise, that he may
depart [keep away] from hell [Heb: sheol] beneath" (Prov 15:24)

17 "You shall beat him with the rod,
and shall deliver his soul from hell [Heb: sheol]" (Prov 23:14)

18 Hell [Heb: sheol] and destruction are never full;
so the eyes of man are never satisfied" (Prov 27:20)

19 "Therefore hell [Heb: sheol] has enlarged herself,
and opened her mouth with out measure: and their glory,
and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoices,
shall descend into it" (Isa 5:14)

20 Hell [Heb: sheol] from beneath is moved
for you to meet you at the coming;
it stirs up the dead for you, even all the chief ones of the earth;
it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations" (Isa 14:9)

21 "Yet you shall be brought down to hell [Heb: sheol]
to the sides of the pit" (Isa14:15)

22 "Because you have said, We have made a covenant
with DEATH, and with hell [Heb: sheol] are we at agreement;
when the overflowing scourge shall pass through,
it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge,
and under falsehood have we hid ourselves" (Isa 28:15)

23 "And your covenant with DEATH shall be disannulled,
and your agreement with hell [Heb: sheol] shall not stand;
when the overflowing scourge shall pass through,
then you shall be trodden down by it" (Isa 28:18)

Notice in both verses 15 and 18 of Isa 28
that "death and hell" keep company together

Another major proof
that those in sheol are DEAD, not tortured in fire

Sheol is associated with DEATH, not life

24 "And you went to the king with ointment,
and did increase your perfumes,
and did send your messengers far off,
and did debase yourself even unto hell [Heb: sheol]" (Isa 57:9)

25 "I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall;
when I cast him down to hell [Heb: sheol] with them
that descend into the pit and all the trees of Eden,
the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water,
shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth" (Ezek 31:16)

26 "They also went down into hell [Heb: sheol]
with him unto them that be slain with the sword:
and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his
shadow in the midst of the heathen" (Ezek 31:17)

27 "The strong among the mighty
shall speak to him out of the midst of hell [Heb: sheol]
with them that help him: they are gone down,
they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword" (Ezek 32:21)

28 "And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of
the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell [Heb: sheol]
with their weapons of war:
and they have laid their swords
under their heads, but their iniquities
shall be upon their bones, through they were the terror
of the mighty in the land of the living" (Ezk 32:27)

29 "Though they dig into hell [Heb: sheol],
thence shall mine hand take them;
though they climb up to heaven,
thence will I bring them down" (Amos 9:2)

30 "And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord,
and He heard me; out of the BELLY of hell [Heb: sheol] cried I,
and You heard my voice" (Jonah 2:2)

Imagine that! The belly of a FISH is also the "belly of hell"
But for sure there was no literal fire
inside that fish torturing Jonah

31 "Yea also, because he transgresses by wine,
he is a proud man, neither keeps at home,
who enlarges his desire as hell [Heb: sheol] ,
and is as DEATH, and cannot be satisfied,
but gathers unto him all nations,
and heaps unto him all people" (Hab 2:5)

Again we see death and hell keeping company

There is NO CONSCIOUSNESS in
sheol / hades / grave / death

Jonah only figuratively (symbolically) cried out from
"the belly of hell/sheol"
Jonah was not literally in sheol,
as he had not died, although he was very close to it

David in the same way, cried out in his agony
as though he had already been consumed
with death, although he had not

We have now quoted 62 Scriptures
from the Hebrew Old Testament
which contains the word sheol being used-
31 times "grave,"
31 times "hell"

Not ONCE
did we read of "PUNISHMENT,"
"TORTURE IN FIRE," or a place of "EVERLASTING" anything

We have clearly seen that both the righteous
and the unrighteous go to this same condition
and place called sheol

It is spoken of
literally, figuratively, symbolically, and poetically