Re: `Gehenna' is a symbol for complete destruction #2

Pam

Continued from Re: `Gehenna' is a symbol for complete destruction #1 with this part #5 (see #1, #2, #3, #4) of my multi-

[Above (click to enlarge): Valley of Hinnom, Jerusalem (Heb. Ge Hinnom, Gk. geena, Lat. Gehenna), "Gehenna": Wikipedia]

part response to your comment under my post "Main reasons why Jehovah's Witnessism is false" and specifically to:

9. The Watchtower's doctrine of annihilation, denies the Bible's clear teaching of eternal punishment (Mt 25:46; 2Th 1:9; Rev 20:10) of the sins of those who reject God's offer of salvation through the death of His Son Jesus.

Again, your words are bold to distinguish them from my response.

"Gehenna" is a symbol for complete destruction,

Again, the original and primary meaning of the word "destruction" is "ruin", i.e. de-structure:

"destruction - noun 1 the action of destroying or the state of being destroyed. 2 a cause of someone's ruin. - ORIGIN Latin, from destruere `destroy'." (Compact Oxford English Dictionary).

as opposed to the original and primary meaning of the word "annihilation", which is "reduce to nothing":

"Annihilate ... - verb 1 destroy completely. 2 informal defeat completely. - DERIVATIVES annihilation noun annihilator noun. - ORIGIN Latin annihilare `reduce to nothing'." (Compact Oxford English Dictionary).

The primary Greek words rendered "destroy" or "destruction" in the New Testament, in the context of after death, are: apoleia, apollumi and olethros. According to the following New Testament Greek lexicons, the basic meaning of these words is destruction in the sense of ruin, not annihilation.

Apoleia The noun apoleia in the New Testament means, "destruction, waste, loss, perishing," and "ruin," with the special sense of "eternal destruction":

"apoleia ... destruction, waste, loss, perishing ... in special sense of ... the loss of eternal life, perdition ...." (Abbott-Smith, 1937, "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament," p.56).

"apoleia. ... `destruction,' `ruin,' b. `perishing,' c. `loss:' .... Eternal destruction is signified ..." (Kittel & Friedrich, 1985, "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament," p.67).

"apoleia... destroying, utter destruction ... perishing, ruin, destruction ... the destruction which consists in the loss of eternal life, eternal misery, perdition ..." (Thayer, 1901, "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, pp.70-71).

Specifically apoleia does not mean annihilation or extinction, but rather "final loss, not annihilation," "Endless perdition... not annihilation," "loss of well-being, not of being," and "must never be construed as meaning extinction":

"[Rom 9:22] Unto destruction (eis apoleian). Endless perdition... not annihilation." (Robertson, 1931, "Word Pictures in the New Testament," Vol. IV, p.385).

"[Jn 17:12] But the son of perdition (ei me ho huios tes apoleias). ... It means the son marked by final loss, not annihilation ..." (Robertson, Ibid: Vol. V, p.278).

"APOLEIA ... indicating loss of well-being, not of being ... of things, signifying their waste, or ruin ... of persons, signifying their spiritual and eternal perdition" (Vine, 1940, "An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words," Vol. I., p.303).

"apoleia ... to destroy fully. ... the state after death wherein exclusion from salvation is a realized fact ... Apoleia and the verb apollumi ... must never be construed as meaning extinction. ... Neither the body becomes extinct, nor the spirit." (Zodhiates, 1992, "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament," p.246).

Apollumi A verb of apoleia is apollumi, which in the New Testament means, "destroy," "perish," "ruined," "loss of eternal life," "consigned to eternal misery":

apollumi ... to destroy utterly ... to perish ... loss of eternal life ... completion of the process of destruction ... of spiritual destitution and alienation from God ..." (Abbott-Smith, Ibid, p.52).

"'ap-ollumi ... to destroy ... to perish. ... ruin ... to ... give over to eternal misery .... to be lost, ruined, destroyed ... to incur the loss of ... eternal life; to be delivered up to eternal misery ... to be consigned to eternal misery ..." (Thayer, Ibid, pp.64-65).

And again, by apollumi in this context, "Destroy ...is not annihilation, but eternal punishment," "The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being":

"[Mt 10:28] Destroy both soul and body in hell (kai psuchen kai soma apolesai en geennei). Note `soul' here of the eternal spirit, not just life in the body. `Destroy' here is not annihilation, but eternal punishment in Gehenna (the real hell) for which see on 5:22." (Robertson, Ibid: Vol. I, pp.82-83).

"APOLLUMI ... The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being. ... of the loss of well-being in the case of the unsaved hereafter" (Vine, Ibid, Vol. I., p.302).

"apollumi .... To destroy ... perish. ... eternal death, i.e., future punishment ... In all these instances the verb must not be thought of as indicating extinction ..." (Zodhiates, Ibid, pp.230-231).

Olethros The verb olethros is derived from apollumi and therefore also means, "to destroy ... ruin, destruction, death," "eternal destruction," "after death ... misery," "final, eternal and irrevocable ... ruin":

"olethros ... to destroy ... ruin, destruction, death: 1 Th 5:3; 1 Ti 6:9; aionios, II Th 1:9 ..." (Abbott-Smith, Ibid, p.315).

"olethros. ...`corruption,' ... `death,' .... In 2 Th. 1:9 eternal destruction will come on those who reject the gospel ... In 1 Tim. 6:9 .... temptations that will plunge them into complete ruin..." (Kittel & Friedrich, Ibid, p.681).

"olethros ... to destroy .... down, ruin, destruction, death: 1 Th. v. 3; 1 Tim. vi. 9 ... destruction of the flesh ... 1 Co. v. 5 ... after death ... misery ... 2 Th. i. 9 ..." (Thayer, Ibid, p.443).

"OLETHROS ... ruin, destruction ... 1 Cor. 5:5 ... 1 Thess. 5:3 and 2 Thess. 1:9, of the effect of the Divine judgments upon men ... 1 Tim. 6:9 ... the final, eternal and irrevocable character of the ruin." (Vine, Ibid, Vol. I., p.304).

But again, "Destruction ... does not mean here annihilation, but ... an eternity of woe," "Not annihilation, but eternal punishment," "The fundamental thought is not annihilation ... but unavoidable distress and torment":

[2Th 1:9] "Destruction ... does not mean here annihilation, but ... separation from the face of the Lord ... an eternity of woe ... See on Matt. 25:46 " (Robertson, Ibid: Vol. IV, p.44).

[1Tim 6:9] "in destruction and perdition' (eis olethron kai apoleian)" is "Not annihilation, but eternal punishment." (Robertson, Ibid, p.593).

"olethros ... to destroy, kill. Ruin, destruction. ... divine punishment (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Thess. 5:3; 2 Thess. 1:9; 1 Tim. 6:9 .... The fundamental thought is not annihilation ... but unavoidable distress and torment." (Zodhiates, Ibid, p.1036).

So while Gehenna is indeed "a symbol for complete destruction" by "destruction" is not meant annihilation, but rather Gehenna is "a designation for the place of eternal punishment"; it "represents ... the place ... where the wicked would be punished for eternity"; it "denote[s] the place of eternal torment"; and it "became the representative or image of the place of everlasting punishment ... the eternal state of the wicked as forever separated from God .... Thus is represented the punishment of the wicked":

"Hell. ... The place of woe. In this sense it is the rendering of Gr. Geenna. ... the valley of Hinnom became a type of sin and woe ... a designation for the place of eternal punishment ..." (Gehman & Davis, 1944, "The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible," pp.235-236).

"Gehenna. ... represents ... the place ... where the wicked would be punished for eternity" (Myers, 1987, "The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary," pp.478-479).

"... Jews applied the name of this valley-Ge Hinnom, Gehenna ... to denote the place of eternal torment. In this sense the word is used by our Lord." (Peloubet, 1990, "Smith's Bible Dictionary," pp.249-250).

"Gehen'na ... became the representative or image of the place of everlasting punishment ... the eternal state of the wicked as forever separated from God .... Thus is represented the punishment of the wicked." (Unger, 1966, "Unger's Bible Dictionary," pp.394-395).

To be continued in "There is no literal place of fiery torture for lost souls."

Stephen E. Jones
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & TheShroudofTurin

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"apollumi ... [in LXX for 'obdan, etc. (38 words in all)]. 1. Act., (1) to destroy utterly, destroy, kill: Mk 12:4; 9:22; al.; t. psuche, Mt 10:28; al.; (2) to lose utterly: Mt 10:42; al.; metaph., of failing to save, Jo 6:39; 18:9; (3) in pf. intrans., to perish: Mt 10:6. 2. Mid., (1) to perish; (a) of things: Mt 5:29; Jo 6:12; He 1:11 (LXX); al.; (b) of persons: Mt 8:25; al. Metaph., of loss of eternal life, Jo 3:15,16 10:28; 17:12; Ro 2:12; 1 Co 8:11; 15:18; II Pe 3:9. In oi apollumenoi, the perishing, contrasted in 1 Co 1:18; al., with oi sozomenoi, the ` perfective ` force of the verb, wh. `implies the completion of the process of destruction,' is illustrated (v. M, Pr., 114 f.; M, Th., ii, 2:10); (2) to be lost: Lk 15:4; 21:18. Metaph., on the basis of the relation between shepherd and flock, of spiritual destitution and alienation from God: Mt 10:6; 15:24; Lk 19:10 (MM, s.v.; DCG, i, 191 f., ii, 76, 554; Cremer, 451)." (Abbott-Smith, G., 1937, "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament," [1921], T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Third edition, Reprinted, 1956, p.52. My transliteration).

"apoleia, -as, e (< apollumi), [in LXX (Cremer, 797) for etc.; destruction, waste, loss, perishing (in p., of money, v. MM, s.v.) : Mt 26:8; Mk 14:4, Ac 8:20; Ro 9:11; 1 Ti 6:9; II Pe 2:1; in special sense of ... the loss of eternal life, perdition, the antithesis of (soteria: Mt 7:13; Jn 17:12; Phl 1:28; 3:19; II Th 23; He 10:39; II Pe 2:3; 3:7,16; Re 17:8,11 (DB, iii, 744)." (Abbott-Smith, 1937, p.56. My transliteration).

"olethros, -ou, o (< ollumi, to destroy), [in LXX for sheber, etc.;] ruin, destruction, death: 1 Th 5:3; 1 Ti 6:9; aionios, II Th 1:9 (L, txt., olethrios, q.v.) ; eis o. tes sarkos, for physical discipline, to destroy carnal lusts, 1 Co 5:5." (Abbott-Smith, 1937, p.315. My transliteration).

"Hell. ... 2. The place of woe. In this sense it is the rendering of Gr. Geenna. in Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 22:15, 33; Mark 9:47; Luke 12:5, and James 3:6. This word is the Gr. form of Heb. Ge Hinnom, valley of Hinnom, where children were burnt to Molech. From the horrible sins practiced in it, its pollution by .Josiah, and perhaps also because offal was burnt in it, the valley of Hinnom became a type of sin and woe, and the name passed into use as a designation for the place of eternal punishment (Matt. 18:8, 9; Mark 9:43). From the scenes witnessed in the valley, imagery was borrowed to describe the Gehenna of the lost (Matt. 5:22; cf. ch. 13: 42; Mark 9:48). In II Peter 2:4, `to cast down to hell' is the rendering of the verb tartaroo, meaning `to cast down to Tartarus.' The Tartarus of the Romans, the Tartaros of the Greeks, was their place of woe, situated as far below Hades as Hades was below heaven. Gehenna and Tartarus are both the place of punishment for the lost." (Gehman, H.S. & Davis, J.D., 1944, "The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible," [1898], Collins: London, 1924, Revised, pp.235-236).

"apoleia. Rare in secular Greek, this means a. `destruction,' `ruin,' b. `perishing,' c. `loss:' It is common in the LXX in sense b. (cf. Job 26:6). In the NT the curse of Acts 8:20 has an OT ring. Eternal destruction is signified in Mt. 7:13; Rom. 9:22; Phil. 1:28; 2 Th. 2:3; Jn. 17:12; 2 Pet. 2:1; Rev. 17:8, 11." (Kittel, G. & Friedrich, G., eds., 1985, "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in one Volume," Bromiley, G.W., transl., Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, Reprinted, 1988, p.67).

"olethros. This word means a. `corruption,' especially `death,' and b. `that which brings corruption.' It is common in the LXX; the prophets use it often for eschatological `destruction' (Jer. 48:3). The sense is eschatological in two NT instances. In 2 Th. 1:9 eternal destruction will come on those who reject the gospel when Christ is revealed from heaven. In 1 Tim. 6:9 the conscience of those who seek wealth is seared, and they are thus in danger of falling into temptations that will plunge them into complete ruin. The point is rather different in 1 Cor. 5:5, where Paul seems to be saying that physical destruction (i.e., death) will follow when the congregation, with whom Paul will be present in spirit and with the power of the Lord, delivers the incestuous person to Satan (cf. Acts 5:5, 10; also Ignatius Ephesians 13.1 for the divine power at work when the church gathers)." (Kittel & Friedrich, 1985, p.681).

"Gehenna. The word Gehenna represents the nearest biblical approach to the developed doctrine of hell as the place of the damned. Thus the RSV employs the English word `hell' almost exclusively for Gehenna (Gk. geenna). The name comes from the Hebrew expressions ge hinnom, ... `valley of Hinnom,' ...where children were offered to the god Molech during the reigns of such wicked kings of Judah ... In later Jewish thought the name of this place of infamy and horror became associated with the growing belief in the existence of a place where the wicked would be punished for eternity (cf. Isa. 66:24). ... The New Testament use of Gehenna continues the development of the concept of a place of eternal punishment. ... the Gospels characterize Gehenna as a place of `unquenchable fire' (Matt. 5:22; 18:9; Mark 9:43; Jas. 3:6 ...)." (Myers, A.C., ed., 1987, "The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary," Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, Reprinted, 2000, pp.478-479).

"Hin'nom (lamentation), Valley of ... a deep and narrow ravine, with steep, rocky sides, to the south and west of Jerusalem ... the later idolatrous kings. Ahaz and Manasseh made their children `pass through the fire' in this valley, 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6 .... From its ceremonial defilement, and from the detested and abominable fire of Molech, if not from the supposed ever-burning funeral piles, this later Jews applied the name of this valley-Ge Hinnom, Gehenna (land of Hinnom)-to denote the place of eternal torment. In this sense the word is used by our Lord. Matt. 5:29; 10:28; 23:15; Mark 9:43; Luke 12:5." (Peloubet, F.N. & M.A., eds, 1987, "Smith's Bible Dictionary," [1863], Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville TN, Revised, 1990, pp.249-250. Emphasis original).

"[Mt 10:28] Destroy both soul and body in hell (kai psuchen kai soma apolesai en geennei). Note `soul' here of the eternal spirit, not just life in the body. `Destroy' here is not annihilation, but eternal punishment in Gehenna (the real hell) for which see on 5:22." ( Robertson, A.T., 1930, "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume I: The Gospel According to Matthew & The Gospel According to Mark," Broadman Press: Nashville TN, pp.82-83).

"[2Th 1:9] Who (hoitines). Qualitative use, such as. Vanishing in papyri though surviving in Paul (I Cor. 3:17; Rom. 1:25; Gal. 4:26; Phil. 4:3). Shall suffer punishment (diken tisousin). Future active of old verb tino, to pay penalty (diken, right, justice), here only in N.T., but apotino once also to repay Philemon 19. In the papyri dike is used for a case or process in law. This is the regular phrase in classic writers for paying the penalty. Eternal destruction (olethron aionion). Accusative case in apposition with diken (penalty). This phrase does not appear elsewhere in the N.T., but is in IV Macc. 10:15 ton aionion tou turannou olethron the eternal destruction of the tyrant (Antiochus Epiphanes). Destruction (cf. I Thess. 5:3) does not mean here annihilation, but, as Paul proceeds to show, separation from the face of the Lord (apo prosopou tou kuriou) and from the glory of his might (kai apo tes doxes tes ischuos autou), an eternity of woe such as befell Antiochus Epiphanes. Aionios in itself only means age-long and papyri and inscriptions give it in the weakened sense of a Caesar's life (Milligan), but Paul means by age-long the coming age in contrast with this age, as eternal as the New Testament knows how to make it. See on Matt. 25:46 for use of aionios both with zoen, life, and kolasin, punishment." (Robertson, A.T., 1931, "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume IV: The Epistles of Paul," Broadman Press: Nashville TN, p.44).

"[Rom 9:22] Unto destruction (eis apoleian). Endless perdition (Matt. 7:13; II Thess. 2:3; Phil. 3:19), not annihilation." (Robertson, 1931, Vol. IV, p.385).

"[1Tim 6:9] Desire to be rich (boulomenoi ploutein). The will (boulomai) to be rich at any cost and in haste (Prov. 28:20). Some MSS. have `trust in riches' in Mark 10:24.. Possibly Paul still has teachers and preachers in mind. Fall into (empiptousin eis). See on 3:6 for en-eis and 3:7 for pagida (snare). Foolish (anoetous). See Gal. 3:1, 3. Hurtful (blaberas). Old adjective from blapto, to injure, here alone in N.T. Drown (buthizousin). Late word (literary Koine) from buthos (bottom), to drag to the bottom. In N.T. only here and Luke 5:7 (of the boat). Drown in the lusts with the issue `in destruction and perdition' (eis olethron kai apoleian). Not annihilation, but eternal punishment. The combination only here, but for olethros, see I Thess. 5:3; II Thess. 1:9; I Cor. 5:5 and for apoleia, see II Thess. 2:3; Phil. 3:19." (Robertson, 1931, Vol. IV, p.593).

"[Jn 17:12] But the son of perdition (ei me ho huios tes apoleias). The very phrase for antichrist (II Thess. 2:3). Note play on apoleto, perished (second aorist middle indicative of apollumi). It means the son marked by final loss, not annihilation, but meeting one's destiny (Acts 1:25)." (Robertson, A.T., 1932, "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume V: The Fourth Gospel & the Epistle to the Hebrews," Broadman Press: Nashville TN, p.278).

"'ap-ollumi and 'apolluo (['apolluei Jn. xii. 25 T TrWH], impv. apollue Ro. xiv. 15, [cf. B. 45 (39); WH App. p. 168 sq.]); fut. apoleso and (1 Co. i. 19 apolu fr. a pass. in the O. T., where often) apolo (cf. W. 83 (80); [B. 64 (56)]); 1 aor. apolesa; to destroy; Mid., pres. apollumai; [impf. 3 pers. plur. apollunto 1 Co. x. 9 T Tr WH]; fut. apoloumai; 2 aor. apolomen; (2 pf. act. ptcp. apololos); [fr. Hom. down]; to perish. 1. to destroy i. e. to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to, ruin: Mk. i. 24; Lk. iv. 34; xvii. 27, 29; Jude 5; ten sophian render useless, cause its emptiness to be perceived, 1 Co. i. 19 (fr. Sept. of Is. xxix. 14); to kill: Mt. ii. 13; xii. 14; Mk. ix. 22; xi. 18; Jn. x. 10, etc.; contextually, to declare that one must be put to death: Mt. xxvii. 20; metaph. to devote or give over to eternal misery: Mt. x. 28; Jas. iv. 12; contextually, by one's conduct to cause another to lose eternal salvation: Ro. xiv. 15. Mid. to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed; a. of persons; a. properly: Mt. viii. 25; Lk. xiii. 3, 5, 33; Jn. xi. 50; 2 Pet. iii. 6; Jude 11, etc.; apollumai limo, Lk. xv. 17; en machaira Mt. xxvi. 52; kataballomenoi all suk apollumenoi, 2 Co. iv. 9. b. tropically, to incur the loss of true or eternal life; to be delivered up to eternal misery: Jn. iii. 15 [R L br.], 16; x. 28; xvii. 12, (it must be borne in mind, that acc. to John's conception eternal life begins on earth, just as soon as one becomes united to Christ by faith); Ro. ii. 12; 1 Co. viii. 11; xv. 18; 2 Pet. iii. 9. Hence oi sozomenoi they to whom it belongs to partake of salvation, and oi apollumenoi those to whom it belongs to perish or to be consigned to eternal misery, are contrasted by Paul: 1 Co. i. 18; 2 Co. ii. 15; iv. 3; 2 Th. ii. 10 ..." (Thayer, J.H., 1901, "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament," T & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Fourth edition, Reprinted, 1961, pp.64-65. My transliteration).

"apoleia, -as, e, (fr. apollumi q. v.); -1. actively, a destroying, utter destruction as, of vessels, Ro. ix. 22; tou murou, waste, Mk;. xiv. 4 (in Mt. xxvi. 8 without a gen.), (in Polyb. 6. 59, 5 consumption, opp. to teresis); the putting, of a man to death, Acts xxv. 16 Rec.; by meton. a destructive thing, or opinion: in plur. 2 Pet. ii. 2 Rec.: but the correct reading aselgeiais was long ago adopted here. 2. passively, a perishing, ruin, destruction; a. in general: to argurion sou sun soi eie eis ap. let thy money perish with thee, Acts viii. 20; buthizein tina eis olethron k. apoleian, with the included idea of misery, 1 Tim. vi. 9; airesias apolesias destructive opinions, 2 Pet. ii. 1; epagein eautois apolesian, ibid. cf. vs. 3. b. in particular, the destruction which consists in the loss of eternal life, eternal misery, perdition, the lot of those excluded from the kingdom of God: Rev. xvii. 8, 11, cf. xix. 20; Phil. iii. 19; 2 Pet. iii. 16; opp. to e peripoinsis tes psuches, Heb. x. 39; to e zoe, Mt. vii. 13 to soteria, Phil. i. 28. o uios tes apoleias a man doomed to eternal misery (a Hebraism, see uios, 2): 2 Th. ii. 3 (of Antichrist); Jn. xvii. 12 (of Judas, the traitor); emera kriseos k. apoleias ton asebon, 2 Pet. iii. i. (In prof. auth. fr. Polyb. u. s. [but see Aristot. probl. 17, 3, 2, vol. ii. p. 916a, 26; 29, 14, 10 ibid. 952b, 26; Nicom. eth. 4, 1 ibid. 1120a, 2, etc.]; often in the Sept. and O. T. Apocr.)" (Thayer, 1901, pp.70-71. My transliteration).

"olethros, -on, (ollumi to destroy [perh. (olnumi) allied to Lat. vulnus]), fr. Hom. down, ruin, destruction, death: 1 Th. v. 3 ; 1 Tim. vi. 9 ; eis olethron tes sarkos, for the destruction of the flesh, said of the external ills and troubles by which the lusts of the flesh are subdued and destroyed, 1 Co. v. 5 [see paradidomai, 2] ; i. q. the loss of a life of blessedness after death, future misery, aionios (as 4 Macc. x. 15) : 2 Th. i. 9 [where L txt. olethrion, q. v.], cf. Sap. i. 12." (Thayer, 1901, p.443. My transliteration).

"Gehen'na (ge-hen'a; Gr. Geenna, for the Heb. hinnom, the Valley of Hinnom), a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jerusalem, where the Jews offered their children to Moloch (II Kings 23:10; Jer. 7:31; 19:2-6). In later times it served as a receptacle of all sorts of putrefying matter, and all that defiled the holy city, and so became the representative or image of the place of everlasting punishment, especially on account of its ever-burning fires; and to this fact the words of Christ refer when he says `the fire is not quenched.' `The passages of the New Testament show plainly that the word `gehenna' was a popular expression for `hell' of which Jesus and his apostles made use, but it would be erroneous to infer that Jesus and his apostles merely accommodated themselves to the popular expression, without believing in the actual state of the lost.' In the N. T. the word gehenna falls many times from the lips of Christ in most awesome warning of the consequences of sin (Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5). He describes it as a place where `their' worm never dies and their `fire' is never to be quenched. Gehenna is identical in meaning with the `lake of fire' (Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15). Moreover the `second death' and `the lake of fire' are identical terms (Rev. 20:14). These latter Scriptural expressions describe the eternal state of the wicked as forever separated from God and consigned to the special abode of unrepentant angels and men in the eternal state. The term `second' is employed relating to the preceding physical death of the wicked in unbelief and rejection of God (John 8:21-24). ... The words `forever and ever' ('to the ages of the ages') describing the destiny of the lost in Heb. 1:8, also apply to the duration of the throne of God as eternal in the sense of being unending. Thus is represented the punishment of the wicked. Gehenna, moreover, is not to be confused with Hades or Sheol (q.v.), which describe the intermediate state of the wicked previous to the judgment and the eternal state." (Unger, M.F., 1966, "Unger's Bible Dictionary," [1957], Moody Press: Chicago IL, Third edition, Fifteenth printing, 1969, pp.394-395).

"APOLLUMI (apollumi), a strengthened form of ollumi, signifies to destroy utterly; in Middle Voice, to perish. The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being. This is clear from its use, as, e.g., of the marring of wine skins, Luke 5:37; of lost sheep, i.e., lost to the shepherd, metaphorical of spiritual destitution, Luke 15:4, 6, etc.; the lost son, 15:24; of the perishing of food, John 6:27; of gold, 1 Pet. 1:7. So of persons, Matt. 2:13, `destroy;' 8:25, `perish;' 22:7; 27:20; of the loss of well-being in the case of the unsaved hereafter, Matt. 10:28; Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:16 (ver. 15 in some mss.); 10:28; 17:12; Rom. 2:12; 1 Cor. 15:18; 2 Cor 2:15, `are perishing;' 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10; Jas. 4:12; 2 Pet. 3:9." (Vine, W.E., 1940, "An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers," Oliphants: London, 1940, Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. I., p.302).

"APOLEIA (apoleia), akin to A, No. 1, and likewise indicating loss of well-being, not of being, is used (a) of things, signifying their waste, or ruin; of ointment, Matt. 26:8; Mark 14:4; of money, Acts 8:20 (' perish'); (b) of persons, signifying their spiritual and eternal perdition, Matt. 7:13; John 17:12; 2 Thess. 2:3, where `son of perdition' signifies the proper destiny of the person mentioned; metaphorically of men persistent in evil, Rom. 9:22, where `fitted' is in the Middle Voice, indicating that the vessels of wrath fitted themselves for destruction; of the adversaries of the Lord's people, Phil. 1:28 ('perdition'); of professing Christians, really enemies of the Cross of Christ, Phil. 3:19 (R.V., `perdition'); of those who are subjects of foolish and hurtful lusts, 1 Tim. 6:9 (for the preceding word `destruction' see No. 3, below); of professing Hebrew adherents who shrink back into unbelief, Heb. 10:39; of false teachers, 2 Pet. 2:1, 3; of ungodly men, 3:7; of those who wrest the Scriptures, 3:16; of the Beast, the final head of the revived Roman Empire; Rev. 17:8, 11; (c) of impersonal subjects, as heresies, 2 Pet. 2:1, where `destructive heresies' (R.V.; A.V., `damnable') is, lit., ` heresies of destruction ' (marg., `sects of perdition'); in ver. a the most authentic mss. have aselgeiais, `lascivious,' instead of apoleiais." (Vine, 1940, Vol. I., pp.303-304).

"OLETHROS (olethros), ruin, destruction, akin to A, No. 6, always translated `destruction,' is used in 2 Cor. 5:5, of the effect upon the physical condition of an erring believer for the purpose of his spiritual profit; in 1 Thess. 5:3 and 2 Thess. 1:9, of the effect of the Divine judgments upon men at the ushering in of the Day of the Lord and the revelation of the Lord Jesus; in 1 Tim. 6:9, of the consequences of the indulgence of the flesh, referring to physical ruin and possibly that of the whole being, the following word apoleia (see No. 1) stressing the final, eternal and irrevocable character of the ruin." (Vine, 1940, Vol. I., p.304).

"apollumi or apoluo; fut. apoleso, 2d aor. apolomen, perf. apololeka, 2d perf. apolola, mid. fut. apoloumai, from apo (575) an intens., the mid. ollumi (n.f.), to destroy. The force of apo here is away or wholly; therefore, the verb is stronger than the simple ollumi. To destroy, mid. be destroyed, perish. Also from ollumi (n.f.): olethros (3639), rain, destruction. (I) Act. form: (A) To destroy, cause to perish, trans.: (1) Spoken of things figuratively (1 Cor. 1:19, meaning to bring to naught, render void the wisdom of the wise, quoted from Is. 29:14). (2) Of persons, to destroy, put to death, cause to perish. (a) Spoken of physical death (Matt. 2:13; 12:14; 21:41; 22:7; Mark 3:6; 9:22; 11:18; 12:9; Luke 6:9 [TR]; 17:27, 29; 19:47; 20:16; John 10:10; Jude 1:5; Sept.: Gen. 20:4; Dent. 11:4; Esth. 4:9; 9:16); in a judicial sense to sentence to death (Matt. 27:20; James 4:12). (b) Spoken of eternal death, i.e., future punishment, exclusion from the Messiah's kingdom. In this sense it has the same meaning as apothnesko (599), to die (Matt. 10:28; Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; 9:56). This eternal death is called the second death (Rev. 20:14). In Luke 9:25, to `destroy himself' (a.t.) means to subject himself to eternal death, which is the opposite of eternal life (John 6:50, 51, 58). Physical and eternal death are to be distinguished (John 8:21, 24; 11:25, 26; Rom. 7:10; 8:13). (B) To lose, be deprived of, trans. of such things as reward (Mark 9:41); a sheep (Luke 15:4); a drachma or coin (Luke 15:8, 9). See John 6:39; 2 John 1:8; Sept.: Prov. 29:3. To lose one's life or soul (Matt. 10:39; 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; 17:33; John 12:25). (II) Mid. and pass. forms as also 2d perf. apolola. (A) To be destroyed, perish, intrans. Spoken of: (1) Things (Matt. 5:29, 30; 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37; John 6:27; James 1:11; 1 Pet. 1:7). In all these instances the verb must not be thought of as indicating extinction, but only change from one state of being to another. Nothing actually becomes extinct, but everything changes. In Heb. 1:11, `even these heavens will perish ' (a.t.) quoted from Ps. 102:27; Jet. 9:11; 48:8; Ezek. 29:8; 35:7, means that these present heavens will be qualitatively changed as well as the earth (Rev. 21:1). The new, redeemed creation and physically redeemed creatures, especially the presently redeemed men with their redeemed bodies, will have a congruous environment in which to live (Rom. 8:19-23). (2) Persons, to be put to death, to die, perish, relating to physical death (Matt. 8:25; 26:52; Mark 4:38; Luke 8:24; 11:51; 13:33; 15:17; John 18:14; Acts 5:37; 1 Cor. 10:9, 10; 2 Cor. 4:9; 2 Pet. 3:6; Jude 1:11; Sept.: Lev. 23:30; Esth. 9:12). Relating to eternal death (see I, A, 2, b), to perish eternally, i.e., to be deprived of eternal life (Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:15, 16; 10:28; 17:12; Rom. 2:12; 1 Cor. 15:18; 2 Pet. 3:9). Those who perish (hoi apollumenoi, who are perishing) means those who are exposed to eternal death (1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10). (B) To be lost to the owner, such as hair (Luke 21:18), anything (John 6:12). Spoken of those who wander away and are lost, e.g., the prodigal son (Luke 15:24); sheep straying in the desert (Luke 15:4, 6). Metaphorically (Matt. 10:6; 15:24; Sept.: Ps. 119:176; Jer. 50:6; Ezek. 34:4)." (Zodhiates, S., 1992, "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament," AMG Publishers: Chattanooga TN, Third printing, 1994, pp.230-231).

"apoleia; gen. apoleias, fem. noun from apollumi (622), to destroy fully. Used trans. the losing or loss (Matt. 26:8), intrans. perdition, ruin. In the NT, apoleia refers to the state after death wherein exclusion from salvation is a realized fact, wherein man, instead of becoming what he might have been, is lost and ruined. Destruction, either temporal (Acts 25:16, death; Sept.: Deut. 4:26; Esth. 7:4; Prov. 6:15; Is. 34:5), or the second death which is eternal exclusion from Christ's kingdom, equivalent to apothnesko (599), to die (Matt. 7:13; Acts 8:20; Rom. 9:22; Phil. 1:28; 3:19; 1 Tim. 6:9; Heb. 10:39; 2 Pet. 2:1, 3; 3:7, 16; Rev. 17:8, 11). `Heresies of destruction' (a.t.) in 2 Pet. 2:1 means fatally destructive heresies. In John 17:12; 2 Thess. 2:3, `the son of perdition,' an allusion to the Antichrist, means one determined to remain spiritually lost. See huios (5207), son. Destruction or waste (Mark 14:4; Sept.: Lev. 6:3, 4). Apoleia and the verb apollumi (622), to destroy, lose, perish, must never be construed as meaning extinction. One dies physically when his spirit and his body separate. Neither the body becomes extinct, nor the spirit. The body decomposes and ceases to exist in the form it was. Its constituent parts, however, continue to exist in a noncohesive form. The spirit takes a new existence, separate from its previous existence joined with the body." (Zodhiates, 1994, p.246).

"olethros; gen. olethrou, masc. noun, from ollumi (n.f.), to destroy, kill. Ruin, destruction. Used of divine punishment (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Thess. 5:3; 2 Thess. 1:9; 1 Tim. 6:9; Sept.: Prov. 21:7). The verb ollumi (n.f.) does not occur, but its derivative, apollumi (622), to destroy, does. The fundamental thought is not annihilation by any means, but unavoidable distress and torment." (Zodhiates, 1994, p.1036).

Re: `Gehenna' is a symbol for complete destruction #1

Pam

Continuing from "Re: `Hades' is mankind's common grave" with

[Above (click to enlarge): Ancient Jerusalem, showing the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom (Gehenna): Blue Letter Bible]

this the fourth part of my response to your comment under my post "Main reasons why Jehovah's Witnessism is false." Your words are bold to distinguish them from my response.

"Gehenna" is a symbol for complete destruction,

On the meaning of "Gehenna," see New Testament Greek lexicon definitions in my earlier post in this series, Re: neither does the Bible `clearly' show that hell-fire is real.

As for "complete destruction," i.e. annihilation of consciousness at death, this is actually the atheist position, as the atheists Bertrand Russell and Phillip Adams state:

"I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego will survive. I am not young, and I love life. But I should scorn to shiver with terror at the thought of annihilation." (Russell, B., "What I Believe," in "Why I Am Not a Christian, 1957, p.43).

"When I was struggling with the thought of an after-life, at the age of five or six ... the worst discomforts would have been preferable to the thought of annihilation. ... The more I thought about it, the more the idea of everlasting Heaven was a hell in itself. ... For forty years my consciousness and my unconsciousness have agreed on one thing. That death, dammit, is the end. .... There is a release of tension, a welcome relief." (Adams, "Adams vs God," 1985, pp.56-58).

Note that the atheist Phillip Adams would prefer "annihilation" to "everlasting Heaven"!

Again, Jehovah's Witnesses, in their denial of the Bible's clear teaching of conscious punishment after death of the unsaved:

Mt 13:49-50 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mt 25:41. "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Lk 16:23-24 In hell,[Hades] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."

Rev 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

are following the teaching of Watchtower Bible & Tract Society founder, Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916):

"Brother Russell ... in the booklet What Say the Scriptures About Hell? ... stated ... we find no such place of everlasting torture ... we find another `hell' (gehenna-the second death-utter destruction) ...as the final penalty upon all who ... shall yet choose death by choosing a course of opposition to God and righteousness" (WB&TS, 1993, "Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom," p.129).

who could not even read the letters of the Greek alphabet:

"In June 1912, the Reverend J. J. Ross published a pamphlet entitled, Some Facts About the Self-Styled `Pastor' Charles T. Russell .... Russell promptly sued Ross for `defamatory libel' ....the only evidence offered was Russell's own statements, made under oath and during cross examination by Ross's lawyer ... denying Ross's charges, Russell automatically claimed ... working knowledge of ... Greek. .... The cross examination of Russell continued ...

Q: Do you know the Greek alphabet?
A: Oh yes. ...
Q: Would you tell me the names of those on top of the page ...
A: Well, I don't know that I would be able to. ...
Q: Are you familiar with the Greek language?
A: No.

... Russell ... contradicted himself, claiming first to `know' the Greek alphabet ... then finally admitting that he could not read the alphabet at all ... the real character of Russell was revealed, that of a man who had no scruples about lying under oath ..." (Martin & Klann, 1953, "Jehovah of the Watchtower,"pp.20-23).

From Russell through `Judge' Rutherford (1869-1942), down to the present, the Watchtower Society has based its denial of the Bible's clear teaching that Gehenna represents a state of conscious, painful, punishment of the wicked after death, on a verbal fallacy! That is, by claiming Gehenna represents "utter destruction," "complete destruction," "everlasting destruction, annihilation," "a symbol of destruction but not of conscious fiery torment," "a symbol of the totality and thoroughness of that destruction", "a symbol of eternal destruction," "destroyed forever," "everlasting death, or destruction:

"Gehenna The Greek word gehenna is also rendered `hell' in English. It means the condition of death, or complete destruction, from which there is no awakening or resurrection. ... The valley of Hinnom therefore was a place of destruction. It pictured the destruction of the wicked. ... Jesus said: `If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire [gehenna]: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' (Mark 9:47, 48) The unquenchable fire and the worm represent destruction ...." (Rutherford, 1927, "Creation," p.285).

"...Gehenna ... Valley of Hinnom ... Greek form of the Hebrew Ge'i-Hin·om'. ... This valley lay to the west and south of ancient Jerusalem. ... it was used for the idolatrous worship of the pagan god Molech, to which god human sacrifices were offered by fire. ... it came to be the dumping place and incinerator for the filth of Jerusalem. ... the bodies of dead animals were thrown to be consumed in the fires to which sulphur or brimstone was added .... Occasionally the bodies of executed criminals were thrown in .... No living animals or human creatures were pitched into Gehenna to be burned alive or tormented. Hence the place could never symbolize an invisible region where human souls are tormented in literal fire ... for ever and ever. ... Gehenna was used by Jesus and his disciples to symbolize everlasting destruction, annihilation from God's universe, or `second death', an eternal punishment. .... From the literal Gehenna and from its significance the symbol of the `lake burning with fire and sulphur' was drawn ..." (WB&TS, 1950, "New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures," pp.766-767).

"Gehenna ... refers to the valley of Hinnom outside the walls of Jerusalem. ... a huge garbage dump where fires were kept burning ... when Jesus said that persons would be thrown into Gehenna for their bad deeds, what did he mean? Not that they would be tormented forever. Jesus used that valley (Gehenna) of fire and brimstone as a proper symbol of everlasting destruction. ... The `lake of fire' mentioned in Revelation has a similar meaning, not conscious torment, but `second death,' everlasting death or destruction." (WB&TS, 1968, "The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life," pp.43-44).

"... Gehenna ... could appropriately serve as a symbol of destruction but not of conscious fiery torment. ... The apostle Paul, when writing to Christians at Thessalonica, said that those causing them tribulation would `undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord ....' - 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9. ...those whom God judges as undeserving of life will experience, not eternal torment in a literal fire, but `everlasting destruction.' They will not be preserved alive anywhere. The fire of Gehenna is therefore but a symbol of the totality and thoroughness of that destruction." (WB&TS, 1974, "Is This Life All There Is?," pp.115-116).

"GEHENNA ... Symbolic of Complete Destruction. ... Jesus used Gehenna as representative of utter destruction ... the symbolic picture here is not one of torture but, rather, of complete destruction ... God's adverse judgment would not cease until complete destruction was attained. ... ... Gehenna as a symbol corresponds to that of `the lake of fire' in the book of Revelation. ..." (WB&TS, 1988, "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1," pp.905-906).

"The word `hell' is found in many Bible translations. .... What are those words? ... the Greek ge'en·na, which is used as a symbol of eternal destruction." (WB&TS, 1989, "Reasoning from the Scriptures," pp.168-169).

"... Gehenna was Jerusalem's garbage dump. ... Jesus was using Gehenna as a fitting symbol of complete and everlasting destruction. .... Those listening to Jesus could understand that those going to Gehenna, like so much garbage, would be destroyed forever. ... What, then, is `the lake of fire' ...? It has a meaning similar to that of Gehenna. It means not conscious torment but everlasting death, or destruction" (WB&TS, 1989, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," pp.86-88).

"Then `death and Hades' will be hurled into what is called `the lake of fire,' symbolizing complete destruction, as does the term `Gehenna.' (Luke 12:5) ... How comforting it is to learn from the Bible that God does not torture anyone!" (WB&TS, 1995, "Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life," pp.88-89).

"Gehenna got its name from a garbage dump located outside of ancient Jerusalem. Dead bodies and garbage were burned there. .... So Gehenna is a fitting symbol of everlasting destruction." (WB&TS, 2005, "What Does the Bible Really Teach?," p.73).

In the above, the Watchtower fallaciously equates "destruction" with "annihilation." While "destruction" can mean annihilation, e.g. in the The law of conservation of matter, "matter cannot be created/destroyed, although it may be rearranged" (Wikipedia), the original and basic meaning of "destruction" is, as the word itself indicates, de-structure, i.e. ruin: "a cause of ruin ... Latin destructio a pulling down" ("destruction," Collins Essential English Dictionary, 2006). Whereas the original and basic meaning of "annihilation," is "To reduce to nonexistence ... Latin ad- + nihil, to nothing" ("annihilate," Collins Essential English Dictionary, 2006).

Each reference above is hyperlinked to its full quote below (emphasis italics original , emphasis bold mine). To be continued in "Re: `Gehenna' is a symbol for complete destruction #2. "

Stephen E. Jones
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & TheShroudofTurin

---

"When I was struggling with the thought of an after-life, at the age of five or six, Hell didn't come into it: the worst discomforts would have been preferable to the thought of annihilation. In any case, I was uncomfortable enough about the Heaven I couldn't believe in, as much as I tried. ... Lying in bed, the thought of infinite space and time was intolerable, overwhelming; terrifying. The more I thought about it, the more the idea of everlasting Heaven was a hell in itself. The thought of living for billions of years and still to have billions of years to live was, finally, as appalling as oblivion. ... But when you think about it there is simply no alternative. The answer has to be zero. ... For forty years my consciousness and my unconsciousness have agreed on one thing. That death, dammit, is the end. And the soul does struggle against the thought until, finally, it yields and acquiesces. There is a release of tension, a welcome relief." (Adams, P., 1985, "Adams vs God," Nelson: Melbourne Vic, Australia, pp.56-58).

"In June 1912, the Reverend J. J. Ross published a pamphlet entitled, Some Facts About the Self-Styled `Pastor' Charles T. Russell, which minced no words in its denunciation of Russell, his qualifications as a minister, or his moral example as a pastor. Russell promptly sued Ross for `defamatory libel' .... Russell lost his suit against Ross when the High Court of Ontario, in session March 1913, ruled that there were no grounds for libel; and `the case was thrown out of Court by the evidence furnished by "Pastor" Russell himself.' Pastor Russell refused to give any evidence to substantiate his case, and the only evidence offered was Russell's own statements, made under oath and during cross examination by Ross's lawyer, counselor Staunton. By denying Ross's charges, Russell automatically claimed high scholastic ascendancy, recognized theological training (systematic and historical), working knowledge of the dead languages (Greek, Hebrew, etc.), .... The cross examination of Russell continued for five hours. Here is a sample of how the pastor answered.

Q: Do you know the Greek alphabet?
A: Oh yes.
Q: Can you tell me the correct letters if you see them?
A: Some of them. I might make a mistake on some of them.
Q: Would you tell me the names of those on top of the page, page 447, I have got here?
A: Well, I don't know that I would be able to.
Q: You can't tell what those letters are? look at them and see if you know.
A: My way- [He was interrupted at this point and not allowed to explain.]
Q: Are you familiar with the Greek language?
A: No.

It should be noted from this record of the testimony that Russell frequently contradicted himself, claiming first to `know' the Greek alphabet, then claiming under pressure that he might make mistakes in identifying the letters, and then finally admitting that he could not read the alphabet at all when confronted with a copy of it. Here is conclusive evidence; the pastor, under oath, perjured himself beyond question. Can one sincerely trust the teachings of such a man who thought nothing of such evidence? .... The evidence was in; the case was clear; Russell was branded a perjurer by the court's verdict, `No Bill.' As a result of the court's action, Mr. Ross's charges were proven true and the real character of Russell was revealed, that of a man who had no scruples about lying under oath and whose doctrines were admittedly based on no sound educational knowledge of the subject in question."(Martin, W.R. & Klann, N., 1953, "Jehovah of the Watchtower," Bethany House Publishers: Bloomington MN, Reprinted, 1974, pp.20-23).

"I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego will survive. I am not young, and I love life. But I should scorn to shiver with terror at the thought of annihilation. Happiness is none the less true happiness because it must come to an end, nor do thought and love lose their value because they are not everlasting. Many a man has borne himself proudly on the scaffold; surely the same pride should teach us to think truly about man's place in the world." (Russell, B., 1957, "What I Believe," in "Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects," Edwards, P., ed., George Allen & Unwin: London, Fourth Impression, 1961, p.43).

"Gehenna The Greek word gehenna is also rendered `hell' in English. It means the condition of death, or complete destruction, from which there is no awakening or resurrection. Gehenna is a Greek expression, referring to the valley of Hinnom. Just on the south side of Jerusalem is a valley called the valley of Hinnom, or the valley of Gehenna. Therein was a fire kept constantly burning. The offal from the city and the bodies of dead animals and the like were thrown into this fire and destroyed. Under the Jewish law no living creature was permitted to be cast into that fire. The practice was to bring the offal out of the gate of the wall of Jerusalem and cast it over the high embankment into the valley. The bodies of some of these animals lodged on the rocks, and the worms consumed

them. The valley of Hinnom therefore was a place of destruction. It pictured the destruction of the wicked. Speaking to the Jews who would understand his meaning, Jesus said: `If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire [gehenna]: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' (Mark 9:47, 48) The unquenchable fire and the worm represent destruction, and Jesus was telling the Jews that that was what would come upon their nation." (Rutherford, J.F., 1927, "Creation," International Bible Students Association: Brooklyn NY, p.285).

"Matthew 5:22 - `Gehenna' (Geenna, Greek; Gehenna, Latin; ..., Ge'i-Hin·om', Hebrew) The name means `valley of Hinnom", for it is the Greek form of the Hebrew Ge'i-Hin·om'. (Joshua 18:16, LXX) It occurs 12 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and we transliterate it that many times in our translation. (Matthew 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45, 47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6) This valley lay to the west and south of ancient Jerusalem. (Joshua 15:8; 18:16; Jeremiah 19:2,6) Under the later kings of Judah it was used for the idolatrous worship of the pagan god Molech, to which god human sacrifices were offered by fire. (2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31,32; 32:35) To prevent its use again for such religious purposes, faithful King Josiah had the valley polluted, particularly the part called To'pheth, and it came to be the dumping place and incinerator for the filth of Jerusalem. (2 Kings 23:10) Here the bodies of dead animals were thrown to be consumed in the fires to which sulphur or brimstone was added to assist the burning. Occasionally the bodies of executed criminals were thrown in who were thought too vile to have a resurrection from the dead and hence a decent burial and memorial tomb. If such dead bodies landed in the fire they were consumed that way, but if their carcasses landed upon a ledge of the deep ravine their putrefying flesh collected worms or maggots, which did not die until they had consumed the fleshy parts, leaving only the skeletons lying to corrode away. No living animals or human creatures were pitched into Gehenna to be burned alive or tormented. Hence the place could never symbolize an invisible region where human souls are tormented in literal fire and attacked by undying immortal worms for ever and ever. (Isaiah 66:24) Because the dead criminals cast here were denied a decent burial in a memorial tomb, which symbolizes the hope of a resurrection, Gehenna was used by Jesus and his disciples to symbolize everlasting destruction, annihilation from God's universe, or `second death', an eternal punishment. Hence to be sentenced to have one's dead body cast into Gehenna was considered the worst kind of punishment. From the literal Gehenna and from its significance the symbol of the `lake burning with fire and sulphur' was drawn, at Revelation 19:20; 20:10,14,15; 21:8." (WB&TS, 1950, "New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, pp.766-767).

"Perhaps someone may object and say that the Bible does speak of `hell fire.' (Matthew 5:22, AV, Dy) True, some versions use this expression, but in such cases the original Greek word here used for `hell' is Geenna, and not hades. Gehenna occurs twelve times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and refers to the valley of Hinnom outside the walls of Jerusalem. When Jesus was on earth this valley was used as a huge garbage dump where fires were kept burning by adding brimstone (sulfur) to burn up the refuse. Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, Volume I, explains: `It became the common lay-stall [garbage dump] of the city, where the dead bodies of criminals, and the carcasses of animals, and every other kind of filth was cast.' So when Jesus said that persons would be thrown into Gehenna for their bad deeds, what did he mean? Not that they would be tormented forever. Jesus used that valley (Gehenna) of fire and brimstone as a proper symbol of everlasting destruction. That is what his first-century listeners understood it to mean. The `lake of fire' mentioned in Revelation has a similar meaning, not conscious torment, but `second death,' everlasting death or destruction. It is evident that this `lake' is a symbol, because death and hell (hades) are thrown into it. Such things cannot literally be burned, but they can be done away with, or destroyed. - Revelation 20:14; 21:8." (WB&TS, 1968, "The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, pp.43-44).

"In keeping with the Biblical evidence, then, Gehenna or the Valley of Hinnom could appropriately serve as a symbol of destruction but not of conscious fiery torment. ... That the destruction symbolized by Gehenna is a lasting one is shown elsewhere in the Holy Scriptures. The apostle Paul, when writing to Christians at Thessalonica, said that those causing them tribulation would `undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength.' - 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9. Biblical evidence thus makes it plain that those whom God judges as undeserving of life will experience, not eternal torment in a literal fire, but `everlasting destruction.' They will not be preserved alive anywhere. The fire of Gehenna is therefore but a symbol of the totality and thoroughness of that destruction." (WB&TS, 1974, "Is This Life All There Is?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, pp.115-116).

"GEHENNA ... Symbolic of Complete Destruction. It is evident that Jesus used Gehenna as representative of utter destruction resulting from adverse judgment by God, hence with no resurrection to life as a soul being possible. (Mt 10:28; Lu 12:4, 5) The scribes and Pharisees as a wicked class were denounced as `subjects for Gehenna.' (Mt 23:13-15, 33) To avoid such destruction, Jesus' followers were to get rid of anything causing spiritual stumbling, the `cutting off of a hand or foot' and the `tearing out of an eye' figuratively representing their deadening of these body members with reference to sin. - Mt 18:9; Mr 9:43-47; Col 3:5; compare Mt 5:27-30. Jesus also apparently alluded to Isaiah 66:24 in describing Gehenna as a place `where their maggot does not die and the fire is not put out.' (Mr 9:47, 48) That the symbolic picture here is not one of torture but, rather, of complete destruction is evident from the fact that the Isaiah text dealt, not with persons who were alive, but with `the carcasses of the men that were transgressing' against God. If, as the available evidence indicates, the Valley of Hinnom was a place for the disposal of garbage and carcasses, fire, perhaps increased in intensity by the addition of sulfur (compare Isa 30:33), would be the only suitable means to eliminate such refuse. Where the fire did not reach, worms, or maggots, would breed, consuming anything not destroyed by the fire. On this basis, Jesus' words would mean that the destructive effect of God's adverse judgment would not cease until complete destruction was attained. ... The Biblical use of Gehenna as a symbol corresponds to that of `the lake of fire' in the book of Revelation. - Re 20:14, 15 ..." (WB&TS, 1988, "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1: Aaron-Jehoshua," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, pp.905-906).

"Hell Definition: The word `hell' is found in many Bible translations. In the same verses other translations read `the grave,' `the world of the dead,' and so forth. Other Bibles simply transliterate the original-language words that are sometimes rendered `hell'; that is, they express them with the letters of our alphabet but leave the words untranslated. What are those words? The Hebrew she'ohl' and its Greek equivalent hai'des, which refer, not to an individual burial place, but to the common grave of dead mankind; also the Greek ge'en·na, which is used as a symbol of eternal destruction. However, both in Christendom and in many non-Christian religions it is taught that hell is a place inhabited by demons and where the wicked, after death, are punished (and some believe that this is with torment)." (WB&TS, 1989, "Reasoning from the Scriptures," [1985], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, pp.168-169).

"Well, then, what does Gehenna mean? In the Hebrew Scriptures Gehenna is `the valley Hinnom.' Remember, Hinnom was the name of the valley just outside the walls of Jerusalem where the Israelites sacrificed their children in the fire. In time, good King Josiah had this valley made unfit to be used for such a horrible practice. (2 Kings 23:10) It was turned into a huge garbage, or rubbish, dump. ... So during the time Jesus was on earth Gehenna was Jerusalem's garbage dump. Fires were kept burning there by the adding of brimstone (sulfur) to burn up the garbage. ... Knowing about their city's garbage dump, Jerusalem's inhabitants understood what Jesus meant when he told the wicked religious leaders: `Serpents, offspring of vipers, how are you to flee from the judgment of Gehenna?' (Matthew 23:33) Jesus plainly did not mean that those religious leaders would be tormented. Why, when the Israelites were burning their children alive in that valley, God said that to do such a horrible thing had never come up into his heart! So it was clear that Jesus was using Gehenna as a fitting symbol of complete and everlasting destruction. He meant that those wicked religious leaders were not worthy of a resurrection. Those listening to Jesus could understand that those going to Gehenna, like so much garbage, would be destroyed forever. ... What, then, is `the lake of fire' mentioned in the Bible book of Revelation? It has a meaning similar to that of Gehenna. It means not conscious torment but everlasting death, or destruction. Notice how the Bible itself says this at Revelation 20:14: `And death and Hades [hell, King James Version and Douay Version] were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire.' Yes, the lake of fire means `second death,' the death from which there is no resurrection. It is evident that this `lake' is a symbol, because death and hell (Hades) are thrown into it. Death and hell cannot literally be burned. But they can, and will, be done away with, or destroyed." (WB&TS, 1989, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," [1982], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, pp.86-87).

"Brother Russell was well aware that the majority of sensible people did not really believe the doctrine of hellfire. But, as he pointed out, in 1896, in the booklet What Say the Scriptures About Hell?, `since they think that the Bible teaches it, every step they progress in real intelligence and brotherly kindness ... is in most cases a step away from God's Word, which they falsely accuse of this teaching.' To draw such thinking people back to God's Word, he presented in this booklet every text in the King James Version in which the word hell was found, so readers could see for themselves what these said, and then he stated: `Thank God, we find no such place of everlasting torture as the creeds and hymn-books, and many pulpits, erroneously teach. Yet we have found a `hell,' sheol, hades, to which all our race were condemned on account of Adam's sin, and from which all are redeemed by our Lord's death; and that `hell' is the tomb-the death condition. And we find another `hell' (gehenna-the second death-utter destruction) brought to our attention as the final penalty upon all who, after being redeemed and brought to the full knowledge of the truth, and to full ability to obey it, shall yet choose death by choosing a course of opposition to God and righteousness.'" (WB&TS, 1993, "Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, p.129).

"All the dead who are in God's memory have the prospect of release from Hades (Greek, hai'des), or Sheol, mankind's common grave. (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:31) They will have an opportunity to demonstrate by their deeds whether they will serve God. Then `death and Hades' will be hurled into what is called `the lake of fire,' symbolizing complete destruction, as does the term `Gehenna.' (Luke 12:5) The common grave of mankind itself will have been emptied and will cease to exist when the resurrection is completed. How comforting it is to learn from the Bible that God does not torture anyone!-Jeremiah 7:30, 31." (WB&TS, 1995, "Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life," [1984], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, pp.88-89).

"The Bible says that some of the dead are in `Gehenna.' (Luke 12:5) Gehenna got its name from a garbage dump located outside of ancient Jerusalem. Dead bodies and garbage were burned there. The dead whose bodies were thrown there were considered by the Jews to be unworthy of a burial and a resurrection. So Gehenna is a fitting symbol of everlasting destruction." (WB&TS, 2005, "What Does the Bible Really Teach?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.73).

Re: `Hades' is mankind's common grave

Pam

Continuing from "neither does the Bible `clearly' show that hell-fire is real," with this the third part of my response to your

[Above: "Fallen angels in Hell" (i.e. Hades), by John Martin, "Hades," Wikipedia]

comment under my post "Main reasons why Jehovah's Witnessism is false." Your words are bold to distinguish them from my response.

The King James Bible confused many generations by translating Hades, Gehenna and Tartarus all the same, when they are three different things.

This claim by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, of the "mistranslation of sheol and hades by the King James translators is the basis for much of the argumentation in the Witness rejection of the doctrine of eternal punishment." (Gruss, 1970, p.162). But it is fallacious in that if it were true, it would mean that only English-speaking Christianity would be "confused" about "Hades, Gehenna and Tartarus,"and only after 1611 (when the King James Version was first published). And even then, English-speaking Christianity would no longer be confused after 1901 (i.e. 107 years ago), when "the American Standard Version appeared which left "the words [sheol and hades] untranslated" (Gruss, 1970, p.162), i.e. it "transliterated she'ohl' in all 65 of its appearances" and "hai'des ... in all ten of its occurrences," ("Insight on the Scriptures," 1988, p.1086), as did "the Revised Standard Version" of 1952 and does "many modern translations" (Ibid., p.1015). The Watchtower Society apparently has not used this argument based on the KJV since 1979 (Watchtower, August 15, 1979, p.16), which shows it never had any permanent validity.

In fact it never had any validity, period, because Christian theologians base their theology on the original Hebrew and Greek text of the Bible, not on any English translation. Moreover, as we shall see, "Hades, Gehenna and Tartarus," while not exactly "the same" are not "three" completely "different things," because in the New Testament they all share in common a meaning of conscious, painful, punishment after death.

"Hades" is mankind's common grave,

This has been the Society's claim since at least 1950 through to the present:

"Hades'... is the equivalent of the Hebrew word She·ol' ... the common grave of mankind ... mankind rests in the unseen place ... the words contain no thought or hint of pleasure or of pain ..." ("New World Translation," 1950, p.772).

"Since hell means mankind's common grave or the pit of burial, it could not at the same time mean a place of fiery torture ..." ("Let God Be True," 1952, pp.89-90).

"... the place of the dead, mankind's common grave. In Hebrew it was termed Sheol. It was called Hades in Greek. ... the meaning of the original-language terms is not a hot place of suffering but is the grave of the unconscious dead." ("Happiness-How to Find It," 1980, p.117).

"... hell, grave and pit mean one and the same thing. And if hell means the common grave of mankind, it could not at the same time mean a place of fiery torture ... Sheol and Hades refer not to a place of torment but to the common grave of mankind." ("You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," 1989a, pp.82-83).

"Since, as we have seen, Hades refers to mankind's grave, and not to a place of torment," (Ibid., 1989b, pp.88-89).

"Where do the dead go? To Sheol ... the common grave of mankind. Our dead loved ones are not conscious of anything. They are not suffering ...." ("Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life," 1995, pp.82-83).

"Sheol, or Hades ... is the common grave of dead mankind ... where most of mankind sleep in death." ("What Does the Bible Really Teach?," 2005, p.212).

"... Jesus will unlock the gates of Hades and thus release all those being held in mankind's common grave..." ("Come Be My Follower," 2007, p.22).

But here are the definitions of "Hades" in New Testament Greek-English lexicons, none of which include "grave" as a meaning of Hades:

"hades ... the god of the underworld. ... abode of Hades, the underworld; in NT, the abode of departed spirits ... Lk 16:23; Ac 2:27, 31 ..." (Abbott-Smith, 1937, p.9).

"hades... name of god of the underworld), the underworld as the place of the dead Ac 2:27, 31 ...." (Arndt & Gingrich, 1957, p.16).

"hades ... A. ... in Later Judaism. a. ... Sheol, the realm of the dead ... the place of temporary sojourn prior to resurrection (cf. Is. 26:19). b. In this place the good were ... separated from the bad ... Lk. 16:23, 26). ... B. ... in the NT. ...a. There is no soul-sleep. ... The stay is limited (Rev. 20:13). ... believers are in paradise (Lk. 16:9, 23ff.), or with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8), or under the altar (Rev. 7:9). ... Hades is sometimes just the abode of the wicked (Lk. 16:23; Rev. 20:13-14). 2. ... believers are secure from Hades (Mt. 16:18) and go to be with Christ (Lk. 23:43). ... Christ preaches in Hades (1 Pet. 3:19ff.) ...." (Kittel & Friedrich, 1985, p.22).

"'Aides ... Hades ... the god of the lower regions ... Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead ...the common receptacle of disembodied spirits: Lk. xvi. 23 ... Hades as a power is personified, 1 Co. xv. 55 ... be thrust down into the depth of misery and disgrace: Mt. xi. 23 ..." (Thayer, 1901, p.11).

and two of which actually deny "grave" is a valid meaning of Hades, i.e. "Hades ... has been unhappily rendered ... `the grave,' ... It never denotes the grave" and " the A.V. wrongly renders `grave' ...... Unfortunately ... the OT ... words have been translated in the KJV as ... the `grave' ... Hades never denotes the physical grave ...It never denotes the grave :

"HADES ... region of departed spirits ... It corresponds to `Sheol' in the O.T. In the AV of the O.T. and N.T., it has been unhappily rendered `Hell,' e.g., Psa. 16:10; or `the grave,' e.g.; Gen. 37:35; or `the pit,' Num. 16:30, 33; in the N.T. the Revisers ... in the O.T. ... usually they have `Sheol' in the text and `the grave' in the margin. It never denotes the grave ... For the condition, see Luke 16:23-31. ... in Rev. 6:8 it is ... the temporary destiny of the doomed ... and is to be cast into the lake of fire, ver. 14. ... In 1 Cor. 15:55 ... the A.V. wrongly renders `grave' ..." (Vine, 1940, pp.II:187-188).

"'ades hades .... the region of departed spirits ... the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) ... two compartments in Hades, distinct from and yet near one another. ... Hades ... expresses the general concept of the ... abode into which the spirits of men are ushered immediately after death. ... Hades ... is cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14), while the reign of the just becomes paradise (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7) ... Unfortunately, both the OT and NT words have been translated in the KJV as `hell' (Ps. 16:10) or the `grave' (Gen. 37:35) or the `pit' (Num. 16:30, 33). Hades never denotes the physical grave ..." (Zodhiates, 1992, pp.81-82).

The first of the above two quotes is also an example of the Watchtower Society's dishonesty, in that it only partially quoted

[Above: Scanned excerpt of "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1: Aaron-Jehoshua," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, 1988, p.1086]

the original (see below) that, "In the A.V" (KJV) "Sheol" was "unhappily rendered `Hell.'" That is, the Watchtower truncated

[Above: Scanned excerpt of "Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words," 1940, Reprinted, 1969, Vol. 2, p.187. I have checked the 1996 single-volume edition of "Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words," and section "HADES" at page 517 is identical to the above.]

Vine's words "e.g., Psa. 16:10; or `the grave,' ..." without ellipses and replaced them with a period that isn't there in the original:

"Concerning this use of `hell' to translate these original words from the Hebrew and Greek, Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981, Vol. 2, p. 187) says: `HADES . . . It corresponds to `Sheol' in the O.T. [Old Testament]. In the A.V. of the O.T. [Old Testament] and N.T. [New Testament], it has been unhappily rendered `Hell.'" ("Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1: Aaron-Jehoshua," p.1086)

thereby failing to disclose to its readers that the full quote (compare the two images above), says that "the grave" is as much a wrong translation of Sheol as "Hell" is!

Jehovah's Witnesses are therefore condemned out of the Watchtower's own mouth, in that they "cling to [an] organization... that teach[es] falsehood" and are "associated with a religion that had not been honest with" them:

"Christians may wish to give Jehovah's Witnesses a piece of their own advice by referring them to these words on page 46 of Is This Life All There Is?:

God, who is himself "the God of truth" and who hates lies, will not look with favor on persons who cling to organizations that teach falsehood ... And, really, would you want to be even associated with a religion that had not been honest with you?

(Reed, 1993, pp.137-138. My emphasis).

Each reference above is hyperlinked to its full quote below (emphasis original italics, emphasis bold mine). Continued in "Re: `Gehenna' is a symbol for complete destruction."

Stephen E. Jones
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & TheShroudofTurin

---

"hades, -ou, o, [in LXX chiefly for she'ol ...] 1. in Hom., Hades (Pluto), the god of the underworld. 2. the abode of Hades, the underworld; in NT, the abode of departed spirits, Hades: en t. a., Lk 16:23; Ac 2:27, 31; pulai adou, Mt 16:18; kleis tou a., Re 1:18; metaph., eos a., Mt 11:23; Lk 10:16; personified, Re 6:8; 20:13,14 (Cremer, 67, 610; MM, VGT, s.v.). (Abbott-Smith, G., 1937, "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament," [1921], T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Third edition, Reprinted, 1956, p.9. My transliteration).

"hades, ou, o (w. var. spellings Hem. + ; inscr.; PGM 1, 345; 12, 241; LXX, Philo; Jos., Ant. 6, 332; Test. 12 Patr.; Sib. Or.). 1. Hades (orig. proper noun, name of god of the underworld), the underworld as the place of the dead Ac 2:27, 31 (Ps 15[16]:10; Eccl 9:10; PGM 1, 179; 16, 8; Philo, Mos. 1, 195; Jos., Bell. 1, 596, Ant. 6, 332). In the depths, contrasted w. heaven Mt 11:23; Lk 10:15 (cf. Is 14:11, 15); 16:23. Accessible by gates (but the pl. is also used [e.g. Hom., X., Ael. Aristid. 47, 20 K. = 23 p. 450 D.] when only one gate is meant), hence pulai adou (since Il. 5, 646; Is 38:10; Wsd 16:13; 3 Macc 5:51; PsSol 16, 2) Mt 16:18 (s. on petra lb and pule 1); locked exo tas kleis tou thanatou kai tou adou Rv 1:18 (the genitives are either obj. [Suppl. Epigr. Gr. VIII 574, 3 [III An] to tas kleidas exonti ton kath' `Aidou] or poss.; in the latter case death and Hades are personif.; s. 2). odines tou adou (Ps 17:6 [18:5]) Pol 1:2 (cf. Ac 2:24, where D, Latins, Pesh. also read adou for thanatou). eis adou (sc. domous, Hom. +; Bar 3:11, 19; Tob 3:10) Ac 2:31 v.l.; 1 CI 4:12; 51:4 (Iambl., Vi. Pyth. 30, 179 en adou keisthai ton krisin). 2. personif., w. thanatos (cf. Is 28:15; Job 38:17) Rv 6: 8; 20:13f; 1 Cor 15:55 v.l.-GBeer, D. bibl. Hades: HJHoltzmann Festschr. '02, 1-30; (Stade-) ABertholet, Bibl. Theol. II '11, 397f; ERohde, Psyche4 I 54ff; 309ff; ADieterich, Nekyia '93; Bousset, Rel. 3 285f; 293ff; Billerb. IV 1016-29; JoachJeremias, TW I 146-50; AHeidel, The Gilgamesh Epic and OT Parallels2, '49, 173-91; LESullivan, Theological Studies (Woodstock, Md.) 10, '49, 62ff. S. also s.v. pneuma 2 and 4c. M-1VI. B. 1485." (Arndt, W.F. & Gingrich, F.W., 1957, "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature," University of Chicago Press: Chicago IL, Fourth edition, 1952, Revised, p.16. My transliteration).

"The mistranslation of sheol and hades by the King James translators is the basis for much of the argumentation in the Witness rejection of the doctrine of eternal punishment. Actually, over half of the chapter dealing with hell in the book Let God Be True, [Ibid., pp.88-99] is built on the mistranslation of these two words and the misunderstanding of orthodoxy. The best way to clear up this problem, and most of the Witnesses' other arguments from Scripture, is to accept the readings of the American Standard Version which leave the words untranslated." (Gruss, E.C., 1970, "Apostles of Denial: An Examination and Expose of the History Doctrines and Claims of the Jehovah's Witnesses," Presbyterian & Reformed: Phillipsburg NJ, Eleventh printing, 1986, p.162).

"hades [Hades] A. hades in Later Judaism. a. Used for the Hebrew Sheol, the realm of the dead, this term came to denote the place of temporary sojourn prior to resurrection (cf. Is. 26:19). b. In this place the good were then seen to be separated from the bad (Eth. En. 22; cf. Lk. 16:23, 26). c. The good were finally thought to be already in bliss (Lk. 16:9, 23ff.). B. hades in the NT. 1. The Link with Judaism. The NT view is close to that of Judaism (cf. Lk. 16). a. There is no soul-sleep. b. One goes down into Hades (Mt. 11:23; 12:40). c. The stay is limited (Rev. 20:13). Sometimes all the dead seem to be in Hades (Acts 2:27), but elsewhere believers are in paradise (Lk. 16:9, 23ff.), or with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8), or under the altar (Rev. 7:9). Hence Hades is sometimes just the abode of the wicked (Lk. 16:23; Rev. 20:13-14). 2. The Early Christian Reconstruction. Faith in the risen Lord gives assurance that believers are secure from Hades (Mt. 16:18) and go to be with Christ (Lk. 23:43). Jesus is the Lord of Hades (Mt. 16:18; Acts 2:31). The descent shows this. Distinctive here is that Christ preaches in Hades (1 Pet. 3:19ff.) and that he has the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 1:18)." (Kittel, G. & Friedrich, G., eds., 1985, "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in one Volume," Bromiley, G.W., transl., Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, Reprinted, 1988, p.22).

"Is This Life All There Is? 1974 Simply, clearly, and persuasively this book presents the Watchtower Society's teaching on death and the condition of the dead. It argues that `the human soul is the entire man' (p. 41) and therefore does not live on after death. The spirit `is only a life-force that has no conscious existence apart from a body' (p. 51). So, according to Jehovah's Witnesses, man at death ceases to exist. No part of man survives death. The wicked receive no punishment after death. And even the righteous have no continuity of existence but are `re-created' in the resurrection from a pattern kept in God's memory (p. 172). For a refutation of these teachings and their biblical arguments, please see my book Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse (Baker Book House, 1986). Christians may wish to give Jehovah's Witnesses a piece of their own advice by referring them to these words on page 46 of Is This Life All There Is?: `God, who is himself "the God of truth" and who hates lies, will not look with favor on persons who cling to organizations that teach falsehood.... And, really, would you want to be even associated with a religion that had not been honest with you?'" ( Reed, D.A., 1993, "Jehovah's Witness Literature: A Critical Guide to Watchtower Publications," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, pp.137-138).

"'Aides, 'ades, -ov, o, (for the older 'Aide, which Hom. uses, and this fr. a priv. and idein, not to be seen, [cf. Lob. Path. Element. ii. 6 sq.]) ; in the classics 1. a prop. name, Hades, Pluto, the god of the lower regions; so in Hom. always. 2. an appellative, Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead [cf. Theocr. idyll. 2,159 schol. ton tou 'adou krouei pulen tout' estin apothaneitai]. In the Sept. the Hebr. she'ol is almost always rendered by this word (once by thanatos, 2 S. xxii. 6) ; it denotes, therefore, in bibl. Grk. Orcus, the infernal regions, a dark (Job x. 21) and dismal place (but cf. geenna and paradeisos) in the very depths of the earth (Job xi. 8 ; Is. lvii. 9 ; Am. ix. 2, etc.; see abussos), the common receptacle of disembodied spirits: Lk. xvi. 23; eis 'adou sc. domon, Acts ii. 27, 31, acc. to a very common ellipsis, cf. W. 592 (550) [B. 171 (149)] ; (but L T Tr WH in vs. 27 and T WH in both verses read eis 'aden; so Sept. Ps. xv. (xvi.) 10) ; pulai 'adou, Mt. xvi. 18 (puloroi 'adou, Job xxxviii. 17 ; see pule) ; kleis tou 'adou, Rev. i. 18; Hades as a power is personified, 1 Co. xv. 55 (where L T Tr WH read thanate for R G 'ade [cf. Acts ii. 24 Tr mrg.]); Rev. vi. 8; xx. 13 sq. Metaph. 'eos 'adou [katabainein or] katabibazesthai to [go or] be thrust down into the depth of misery and disgrace: Mt. xi. 23 [here L Tr WH katabainein] ; Lk. x. 15 [here Tr mrg. WH txt. katabainein]. [See esp. Boettcher, De Inferis, s. v. 'Aides in Grk. index. On the existence and locality of Hades cf. Greswell on the Parables, App. ch. x. vol. v. pt. ii. pp. 261-406 ; on the doctrinal significance of the word see the BB.DD. and E. R. Craven in Lange on Rev. pp. 364-377.] " (Thayer, J.H., 1901, "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm's Wilke's Clovis Novi Testamenti Translated Revised and Enlarged," T & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Fourth edition, Reprinted, 1961, p.11. My transliteration).

"HADES ('ades) the region of departed spirits of the lost (but including the blessed dead in periods preceding the Ascension of Christ). It has been thought by some that the word etymologically meant the unseen (from a, negative, and eido, to see), but this derivation is questionable; a more probable derivation is from hado, signifying all-receiving. It corresponds to `Sheol' in the O.T. In the AV of the O.T. and N.T., it has been unhappily rendered `Hell,' e.g., Psa. 16:10; or ` the grave,' e.g.; Gen. 37:35; or `the pit,' Num. 16:30, 33; in the N.T. the Revisers have always used the rendering `Hades;' in the O.T. they have not been uniform in the translation, e.g., in Isa. 14:15, `hell' (marg., `Sheol'); usually they have `Sheol' in the text and `the grave' in the margin. It never denotes the grave, nor is it the permanent region of the lost; in point of time it is, for such, intermediate between decease and the doom of Gehenna. For the condition, see Luke 16:23-31. The word is used four times in the Gospels, and always by the Lord, Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; it is used with reference to the soul of Christ, Acts 2:27, 31; Christ declares that He has the keys of it, Rev. 1:18; in Rev. 6:8 it is personified, with the signification of the temporary destiny of the doomed; it is to give up those who are therein, 20:13, and is to be cast into the lake of fire, ver. 14. Note: In 1 Cor. 15:55 the most authentic mss. have thanatos, death, in the 2nd part of the verse, instead of Hades, which the A.V. wrongly renders `grave' ('hell,' in the marg.)." (Vine, W.E., 1940, "An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers," Oliphants: London, Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. II., pp.187-188).

"Matthew 11:23 - `Hades' (ades, Greek; ... She·ol', Hebrew; Shioul', Syriac; in·fer'nus, Latin). This word we have transliterated from the Greek into the English for the ten times it occurs. (Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31; Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14) It literally means `the unseen place'. Peter's use of it at Acts 2:27, 31 shows it is the equivalent of the Hebrew word She·ol', which occurs 65 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and is applied to the common grave of mankind. With good reason that, for according to the root words from which it may be derived She·ol' means either `the hollow place' or `resting-place'. In the common grave mankind rests in the unseen place or place hollowed out for their burial. The corresponding Latin word in·fer'nus (sometimes in'fe·rus) means `that which lies beneath; the lower region', and it well applies to the grave. It is thus a fit equivalent of the Greek and Hebrew terms. In the inspired Scriptures these words are always associated with death and the dead, never with life and the living. For instance, Revelation 20:13: `Death and Ha'des gave up those dead in them.' In themselves the words contain no thought or hint of pleasure or of pain; which fact befits the Bible description of the dead." (WB&TS, 1950, "New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.772).

"Even in the foreign languages the various translators do not agree among themselves in translating the Hebrew word sheol and its Greek equivalent ha'des. But the very fact that the King James Version renders the one Hebrew word sheol three different ways shows that hell, grave and pit mean one and the same thing. Since hell means mankind's common grave or the pit of burial, it could not at the same time mean a place of fiery torture or a place of two compartments, one of bliss and one of fiery torment." (WB&TS 1952, "Let God Be True," [1946], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, pp.89-90).

"The immediate future for a person after death is in the grave. The languages in which the Bible was written had words for the place of the dead, mankind's common grave. In Hebrew it was termed Sheol. It was called Hades in Greek. These words have been translated in some Bibles by terms such as `grave,' `pit' or `hell.' Regardless of how they are rendered, the meaning of the original-language terms is not a hot place of suffering but is the grave of the unconscious dead. We read: `All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol [hell, Douay Version; the grave, Authorized Version], the place to which you are going.' - Ecclesiastes 9:10. The apostle Peter assures us that upon death even Jesus went to the grave, to Sheol, Hades or hell. - Acts 2:31; compare Psalm 16:10." (WB&TS, 1980, "Happiness-How to Find It," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.117).

"The King James Version of 1611 always uses the word `hell' to translate three distinct Greek words, Hades, Gehenna and Tartarus. Modern translations often differentiate between these words, but not consistently so, as does the New World Translation. Hades, transliterated from the Greek, literally means `the unseen place.' Peter's use of it, as noted at Acts 2:27, shows that it is equivalent to the Hebrew word Sheol (the common grave of mankind), whereas Gehenna, descriptive of the Valley of Hinnom to the southwest of Jerusalem, denotes everlasting destruction. Tartarus occurs but once, at 2 Peter 2:4, and applies only to the fallen angelic spirits." (WB&TS, 1979, "Bible Translations-Does It Matter Which One?," The Watchtower, August 15, p.16).

"The King James Version translates hai'des as `hell' in these texts, but the Revised Standard Version renders it `Hades,' with the exception of Matthew 16:18, where `powers of death' is used, though the footnote reads `gates of Hades.' `Hades' rather than `hell' is used in many modern translations." (WB&TS, 1988, "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1: Aaron-Jehoshua," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, p.1015).

"HELL A word used in the King James Version (as well as in the Catholic Douay Version and most older translations) to translate the Hebrew she'ohl' and the Greek hai'des. In the King James Version the word `hell' is rendered from she'ohl' 31 times and from hai'des 10 times. This version is not consistent, however, since she'ohl' is also translated 31 times `grave' and 3 times `pit.' In the Douay Version she'ohl' is rendered `hell' 64 times, `pit' once, and `death' once. In 1885, with the publication of the complete English Revised Version, the original word she'ohl' was in many places transliterated into the English text of the Hebrew Scriptures, though, in most occurrences, `grave' and `pit' were used, and `hell' is found some 14 times. This was a point on which the American committee disagreed with the British revisers, and so, when producing the American Standard Version (1901) they transliterated she'ohl' in all 65 of its appearances. Both versions transliterated hai'des in the Christian Greek Scriptures in all ten of its occurrences, though the Greek word Ge'en·na (English, `Gehenna') is rendered `hell' throughout, as is true of many other modern translations. Concerning this use of `hell' to translate these original words from the Hebrew and Greek, Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981, Vol. 2, p. 187) says: `HADES ... It corresponds to `Sheol' in the O.T. [Old Testament]. In the A.V. of the O.T. [Old Testament] and N.T. [New Testament], it has been unhappily rendered `Hell.' Collier's Encyclopedia (1986, Vol. 12, p. 28) says concerning `Hell': `First it stands for the Hebrew Sheol of the Old Testament and the Greek Hades of the Septuagint and New Testament. Since Sheol in Old Testament times referred simply to the abode of the dead and suggested no moral distinctions, the word `hell,' as understood today, is not a happy translation." (WB&TS, 1988, p.1086. Ellipses original).

"Webster's Dictionary says that the English word `hell' is equal to the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word Hades. In German Bibles Hoelle is the word used instead of `hell'; in Portuguese the word used is inferno, in Spanish infierno, and in French Enfer. The English translators of the Authorized Version, or King James Version, translated Sheol 31 times as `hell,' 31 times as `grave,' and 3 times as `pit.' The Catholic Douay Version translated Sheol 64 times as `hell.' In the Christian Greek Scriptures (commonly called the `New Testament'), the King James Version translated Hades as `hell' each of the 10 times it occurs.-Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31; Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14. ... The question is: What kind of place is Sheol, or Hades? The fact that the King James Version translates the one Hebrew word Sheol three different ways shows that hell, grave and pit mean one and the same thing. And if hell means the common grave of mankind, it could not at the same time mean a place of fiery torture. Well, then, do Sheol and Hades mean the grave, or do they mean a place of torture? ... Before answering this question, let us make clear that the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word Hades mean the same thing. This is shown by looking at Psalm 16:10 in the Hebrew Scriptures and Acts 2:31 in the Christian Greek Scriptures, which verses you can see on the next page. Notice that in quoting from Psalm 16:10 where Sheol occurs, Acts 2:31 uses Hades. Notice, too, that Jesus Christ was in Hades, or hell. Are we to believe that God tormented Christ in a hell of fire? Of course not! Jesus was simply in his grave ... In all the places where Sheol occurs in the Bible it is never associated with life, activity or torment. Rather, it is often linked with death and inactivity. For example, think about Ecclesiastes 9:10, which reads: `All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol [grave, King James Version; hell, Douay Version], the place to which you are going.' So the answer becomes very clear. Sheol and Hades refer not to a place of torment but to the common grave of mankind. (Psalm 139:8)" (WB&TS, 1989a, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," [1982], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, pp.82-83).

"What, then, did Jesus mean when he said in one of his illustrations: `The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell [Hades] he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom'? (Luke 16:19-31, King James Version) Since, as we have seen, Hades refers to mankind's grave, and not to a place of torment, it is plain that Jesus was here telling an illustration or a story. As further evidence that this is not a literal account but is an illustration, consider this: Is hell literally within speaking distance of heaven so that such a real conversation could be carried on? Moreover, if the rich man were in a literal burning lake, how could Abraham send Lazarus to cool his tongue with just a drop of water on the tip of his finger? What, then, was Jesus illustrating? ... The rich man in the illustration stood for the self-important religious leaders who rejected Jesus and later killed him. Lazarus pictured the common people who accepted God's Son. The death of the rich man and of Lazarus represented a change in their condition. This change took place when Jesus fed the neglected Lazarus-like people spiritually, so that they thus came into the favor of the Greater Abraham, Jehovah God. At the same time, the false religious leaders `died' with respect to having God's favor. Being cast off, they suffered torments when Christ's followers exposed their evil works. (Acts 7:51-57) So this illustration does not teach that some dead persons are tormented in a literal fiery hell." (WB&TS, 1989b, pp.88-89).

"Jehovah clearly explained what death would mean for the sinner Adam. God said: `In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.' (Genesis 3:19) Adam would return where? To the ground, to the dust from which he had been created. At death Adam would simply cease to exist! ... In this regard, human death does not differ from that of the animals. They too are souls, and the same spirit, or life force, energizes them. (Genesis 1:24) At Ecclesiastes 3:19, 20, the wise man Solomon tells us: `As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit, so that [in death] there is no superiority of the man over the beast ... They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust.' Man was superior to the beasts in that he was created in God's image, reflecting the qualities of Jehovah. (Genesis 1:26, 27) Yet, at death humans and animals alike return to the dust. ... Solomon further explained what death means, saying: `The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.' Yes, the dead know absolutely nothing. In view of this, Solomon urged: `All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol, the place to which you are going.' (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) Where do the dead go? To Sheol (Hebrew, she'ohl'), the common grave of mankind. Our dead loved ones are not conscious of anything. They are not suffering, and they cannot affect us in any way." (WB&TS, 1995, "Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life," [1984], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, pp.82-83).

"What Are Sheol and Hades? IN ITS original languages, the Bible uses the Hebrew word she'ohl' and its Greek equivalent hai'des more than 70 times. Both words are related to death. Some Bible translations render them as `grave,' `hell,' or `pit.' However, in most languages there are no words that convey the precise sense of these Hebrew and Greek words. The New World Translation therefore uses the words `Sheol' and `Hades.' What do these words really mean? Let us note how they are used in different Bible passages. Ecclesiastes 9:10 states: `There is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol, the place to which you are going.' Does this mean that Sheol refers to a specific, or individual, grave site where we may have buried a loved one? No. When the Bible refers to a specific burial place, or grave, it uses other Hebrew and Greek words, not she'ohl' and hai'des. (Genesis 23:7-9; Matthew 28:1) Also, the Bible does not use the word `Sheol' for a grave where several individuals are buried together, such as a family grave or a mass grave.-Genesis 49:30, 31. To what kind of place, then, does `Sheol' refer? God's Word indicates that `Sheol,' or `Hades,' refers to something much more than even a large mass grave. For instance, Isaiah 5:14 notes that Sheol is `spacious and has opened its mouth wide beyond bounds.' Although Sheol has already swallowed, so to speak, countless dead people, it always seems to hunger for more. (Proverbs 30:15, 16) Unlike any literal burial site, which can hold only a limited number of the dead, `Sheol and the place of destruction themselves do not get satisfied.' (Proverbs 27:20) Sheol never becomes full. It has no limits. Sheol, or Hades, is thus not a literal place in a specific location. Rather, it is the common grave of dead mankind, the figurative location where most of mankind sleep in death." (WB&TS, 2005, "What Does the Bible Really Teach?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.212).

"Jehovah has entrusted his Son with `the keys of death and of Hades,' granting him the power to resurrect. (Revelation 1:17, 18) With those keys, the glorified Jesus will unlock the gates of Hades and thus release all those being held in mankind's common grave.-John 5:28, 29." (WB&TS, 2007, "Come Be My Follower," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.22).

"'ades hades .... In Homer and Hesiod the word is spelled Haides meaning obscure, dark, invisible. Hades, the region of departed spirits of the lost (Luke 16:23). It corresponds to Sheol in the OT which occurs 59 times. In the NT, Hades occurs only 10 times. It is found nowhere in John's gospel, the epistles of Paul, the Epistle to the Hebrews, or the General Epistles. Three of the occurrences are on Christ's lips (Matt. 11:23 [with Luke 10:15]; 16:18; Luke 16:23). In two of these, the words are obviously used in a figurative sense: in the case of Capernaum to express an absolute overthrow, a humiliation as deep as the former loftiness and pride had been great; in the case of the Church, to express a security which shall be proof against death and destruction. The third occurrence, in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), is of a different kind and has even been taken to put our Lord's confirmation on the Jewish idea of two compartments in Hades, distinct from and yet near one another. In Acts 2:27, 31, the word Hades occurs in a quotation from Ps. 16:10 in an application of OT faith in the advent of Christ, His death, and His resurrection. Therefore, it has again the meaning of the world of the departed into which Christ passed like other men, but only to transform its nature from a place accommodating both believers and unbelievers to one for unbelievers only (Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 1 Cor. 15:55; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14). In all the NT passages except Matt. 11:23; Luke 10:15, Hades is associated with death. It expresses the general concept of the invisible world or abode into which the spirits of men are ushered immediately after death. The prevalent idea connected with it in its association with death are those of privation, detention, and just recompense. The thought of the relative reward of good is subordinate, if expressed at all, to the retribution of evil and to the penal character pertaining to Hades as the minister of death. In none of the passages in which the word itself occurs have we any disclosures or even hints of purgatorial fires, purifying processes, or extended operations of grace. The state of human beings in Hades is immediate and irreversible after death, although it does not constitute the eternal state, for Hades itself later becomes the exclusive place for unbelievers. It is cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14), while the reign of the just becomes paradise (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7) which is ultimately absorbed into the final heaven (Rev. 21:1). Our Lord conclusively teaches in the story of the rich man and Lazarus that there is no possibility of repentance after death. It is in this light that 1 Pet. 3:18-20 should be viewed (cf. phulake ... prison). Unfortunately, both the OT and NT words have been translated in the KJV as `hell' (Ps. 16:10) or the `grave' (Gen. 37:35) or the `pit' (Num. 16:30, 33). Hades never denotes the physical grave nor is it the permanent region of the lost. It is the intermediate state between death and the ultimate hell, Gehenna (Geenna ...). Christ declares that He has the keys of Hades (Rev. 1:18). In Rev. 6:8 it is personified with the meaning of the temporary destiny of the doomed; it is to give up those who are in it (Rev. 20:13), and is to be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14)." (Zodhiates, S. , 1992, "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament," AMG Publishers: Chattanooga TN, Reprinted, 1994, pp.81-82).