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.

[JehovahsWitness]

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

ARE you suggesting the King of Tyre did not actually exist ? Was he a historical figure or not?

[Capbook]

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

ARE you suggesting the King of Tyre did not actually exist ? Was he a historical figure or not?

Can you give me a verse that he's been at Eden?

[JehovahsWitness]

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

ARE you suggesting the King of Tyre did not actually exist ? Was he a historical figure or not?

Can you give me a verse that he's been at Eden?

Who do you mean when you say "he"?

[Capbook]

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

ARE you suggesting the King of Tyre did not actually exist ? Was he a historical figure or not?

Can you give me a verse that he's been at Eden?

Who do you mean when you say "he"?




RELATED POSTS

Who is Lucifer in the bible?
viewtopic.php?p=1154914#p1154914

Can you give me a verse that the king of Tyre has been at Eden. Could he be a symbol to Lucifer just like Isa 14?

[JehovahsWitness]

Could he [The King of Tyre] be a symbol to Lucifer just like Isa 14?

If you are asking: Even though the original words were addressed to the historical person who was a King, and the the words were originally applied to that one, could he (the King of Tyre) also be a biblical "type" (symbol) for the rebellions angel that became SATAN the Devil? Then yes .





RELATED POSTS

Who is Lucifer in the bible?
viewtopic.php?p=1154914#p1154914

Who did Ezekiel say would destroy Tyre forever?
viewtopic.php?p=824428#p824428

[Capbook]

Could he [The King of Tyre] be a symbol to Lucifer just like Isa 14?

If you are asking: Even though the original words were addressed to the historical person who was a King, and the the words were originally applied to that one, could he (the King of Tyre) also be a biblical "type" (symbol) for the rebellions angel that became SATAN the Devil?

I just tried to return to your use of symbol of fire, though fire is literal fire that devoured Nadab and Abihu and died.

Lev 10:2
2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.
KJV

[onewithhim]

[Replying to Capbook in post #66]

There is literal fire in the Scriptures AND there is symbolic fire. We have to have the Holy Spirit to determine which we are talking about. Which fire is meant in this verse? Symbolic or literal? "Know therefore today that it is the LORD your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire." (Deuteronomy 9:3, NASB) Was God literally fire?

[Capbook]

[Replying to Capbook in post #66]

There is literal fire in the Scriptures AND there is symbolic fire. We have to have the Holy Spirit to determine which we are talking about. Which fire is meant in this verse? Symbolic or literal? "Know therefore today that it is the LORD your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire." (Deuteronomy 9:3, NASB) Was God literally fire?

Yes, but I believe all fire that punished the ungodly is literal fire. It will burned, devour, turn to ashes and causes death to them.

[JehovahsWitness]

Yes, but I believe all fire that punished the ungodly is literal fire.

You may believe that but the bible makes no such statement. Fire in scripture can be either literal or figurative and there is no statement in scripture that ffire reserved for the wicked must be literal.


JW



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Is the word SYMBOLIC in the bible?
viewtopic.php?p=1153763#p1153763

Revelation: Literal or Symbolic?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 95#p890395

How does one determine what is or is not literal?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 95#p890395

Is there metonym in scripture?
viewtopic.php?p=998339#p998339

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

THE BIBLE , HERMENEUTICS* and ... BIBLICAL LITERALISM

* bible interpretation

[myth-one.com]

Yes, but I believe all fire that punished the ungodly is literal fire.

You may believe that but the bible makes no such statement. Fire in scripture can be either literal or figurative and there is no statement in scripture that ffire reserved for the wicked must be literal.


JW

I agree with Capbook.

Revelation 22:19
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

With Revelation 22:19 in mind, what word or words would you risk replacing the biblical "lake of fire" phrase with in the Holy Bible to make it a literally true statement?