GEHENNA, a place of fiery torture?

[onewithhim]

Jesus warned his disciples against suffering the judgment of Gehenna. Was he referring to a burning hell of everlasting torture? (Matthew 5:22)

The Greek word Ge'en na corresponds to the Hebrew geh veneh-Hin nom,---Valley of the sons of Hinnom. It became a garbage dump for Jerusalem, serving as an incinerator where fires were kept burning to dispose of rubbish, and anything thrown into this dump would be completely destroyed, turned into ashes.

Many Bible translators haven rendered Ge' en na as "hell." (Matthew 5:22, KJV) Why is this? (Since Gehenna and hell are two different things.) Because they associated the pagan-inspired notion of an afterlife of fiery judgment for the wicked with the physical fire in the valley outside Jerusalem. Jesus, though, did not associate Gehenna with torture. He knew that the thought of burning people alive is repugnant to Jehovah. He referred to the use made of Gehenna in the days of the prophet Jeremiah. God said: "They have built the high places of Topheth which is in the valley of the sons of Hinnom in order to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart." Burning people was not something that God can countenance, and He can't to this day. A good point is that the idea of torture for the dead conflicts with God's loving personality as well as with the Bible's clear teaching that "the dead are conscious of nothing." (Ecclesiastes 9:5,10)

Jesus used the term "Gehenna" to symbolize the utter destruction that would come from God's judgment on the wicked. So...."Gehenna" means, similarly, the lake of fire in Revelation. Both symbolize eternal destruction from which there is no resurrection. (Luke 12:4,5; Revelation 20:14,15.

Doesn't this sound more merciful than people being tortured in a never-ending fire? The fire symbolizes complete annihilation, just like what the fires in Gehenna did to trash and bodies of criminals.

[myth-one.com]

You just underestimate the power of the One who will give that fire.

Not at all, symbolic fire from God and much more force than literal fire.

I can't find the word "symbolic" in the scriptures.

Symbolic: a word frequently applied to parts of the Bible by those who cannot understand those parts of the Bible in any other way.

[Capbook]

You just underestimate the power of the One who will give that fire.

Not at all, symbolic fire from God and much more force than literal fire.

This is the same fire or lake of fire prepared by God for the devil and his angels. And again the verse does not say it is a symbolic fire.

Mat 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Get away from me, you who are accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!

[Bible_Student]

The Bible mentions two places where the Devil and his rebellious angels will be cast out:

1) the abyss where they will be for about 1000 years (Rev. 220:2,3; Luke 8:30,31)
2) Gehenna or the lake of fire at the end (Rev. 20:10; Mat. 25:41)

A good mental exercise to come to understand what these "places" really are, is to ask yourself what is the difference between the first and the last.

[myth-one.com]

To me the lake of fire is real fire and not symbolic.

But "real" literal fire has no effect on spirits; if Satan is thrown into the lake of fire as punishment it must be SYMBOLIC

The devil cannot be killed because he is a spirit. The fire and brimstone are not for him, but are there to kill humans which shall be cast into hell and suffer their second death.

It is the devil who will be tormented day and night for eternity, not the mythical souls of nonbelievers! This cannot be physical torture since the devil's spiritual body does not feel pain. It is the torment of knowing he failed, being defeated, seeing lowly humans being upgraded to take his place, never being given another opportunity, separation from the Kingdom of God, etc. He has rebelled, been defeated, and lost his freedom and authority for eternity.

The fire is real, not symbolic.

The second death of human nonbelievers cast into the literal lake of fire is literal, quick, and permanent.

[onewithhim]

To make sense of this, please refer to the OP. Comments are welcome.

[Capbook]

To me the lake of fire is real fire and not symbolic.

But "real" literal fire has no effect on spirits; if Satan is thrown into the lake of fire as punishment it must be SYMBOLIC

The devil cannot be killed because he is a spirit. The fire and brimstone are not for him, but are there to kill humans which shall be cast into hell and suffer their second death.

It is the devil who will be tormented day and night for eternity, not the mythical souls of nonbelievers! This cannot be physical torture since the devil's spiritual body does not feel pain. It is the torment of knowing he failed, being defeated, seeing lowly humans being upgraded to take his place, never being given another opportunity, separation from the Kingdom of God, etc. He has rebelled, been defeated, and lost his freedom and authority for eternity.

The fire is real, not symbolic.

The second death of human nonbelievers cast into the literal lake of fire is literal, quick, and permanent.

If the devil cannot be killed so you underestimate Jesus who said this text?
Who you understand is referred to in Ezk 28:18?

Mat 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Get away from me, you who are accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!

[JehovahsWitness]

Who you understand is referred to in Ezk 28:18?

EZEKIEL 28: 2 & 18

2 “Son of man, tell the leader of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ... 18 Because of your great guilt and your dishonest trading, you have profaned your sanctuaries. I will cause a fire to break out in your midst, and it will consume you. I will reduce you to ashes on the earth before all those looking at you.

[Capbook]

Who you understand is referred to in Ezk 28:18?

EZEKIEL 28: 2 & 18

2 “Son of man, tell the leader of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ... 18 Because of your great guilt and your dishonest trading, you have profaned your sanctuaries. I will cause a fire to break out in your midst, and it will consume you. I will reduce you to ashes on the earth before all those looking at you.

Do the King of Tyrus been in Eden? Is he also an anointed cherub?

Ezek 28:12-14
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
KJV

[JehovahsWitness]

Who you understand is referred to in Ezk 28:18?

EZEKIEL 28: 2 & 18

2 “Son of man, tell the leader of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ... 18 Because of your great guilt and your dishonest trading, you have profaned your sanctuaries. I will cause a fire to break out in your midst, and it will consume you. I will reduce you to ashes on the earth before all those looking at you.

Do the King of Tyrus been in Eden? Is he also an anointed cherub?

Does God himself in verse two say who he is speaking to? Are you calling God a liar?

[Capbook]

Who you understand is referred to in Ezk 28:18?

EZEKIEL 28: 2 & 18

2 “Son of man, tell the leader of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ... 18 Because of your great guilt and your dishonest trading, you have profaned your sanctuaries. I will cause a fire to break out in your midst, and it will consume you. I will reduce you to ashes on the earth before all those looking at you.

Do the King of Tyrus been in Eden? Is he also an anointed cherub?

Does God himself in verse two say who he is speaking to? Are you calling God a liar?

As you are fond of symbols, is it not a symbol to Lucifer just like Isa 14?