Four chambers of Hell

[placebofactor]

The teaching of hell in many churches is rapidly declining; Someone wrote, “Hell disappeared, and no one noticed.” When Lucifer fell, according to Revelation 12, one-third of the angelic host was taken with him. A third were swept away, and of them, many that fell are loose upon the earth today, but not all!

Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides (remains) on him.”

From this verse we can understand there are two paths; the first is the way of the Lord Jesus, and the second, is any and every other way. There are two crowds: The few who find life and those who choose destruction. There are also two destinies, life and destruction.

Joel 3:14, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”

Hell:
In a general sense hell may be referred to as the “nether world”, or the underworld where the lost go. But the scriptures reveal there are four parts of the underworld, Tartarus, the Abyss, Hades, and Gehenna.
Let’s begin with Tartarus and the Abyss. The only mention of the word is found in,

2 Peter 2:4, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell (Tartarus), and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.”

From this verse, we may glean that certain angels sinned against God and were cast down to Tartarus, Greek is, (tattaroo) which means “Cast down into Tartarus.”
Jude 6, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he (God) has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”

The Bible teaches that Tartarus is a place where certain fallen angels have been cast, and delivered “Into the chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.”
Who are these angels? They are a certain order who served the LORD, but then sinned against Him. They then followed Lucifer to the newly created earth. Tartarus is a permanent place of confinement for these particular fallen spirits who are to be held until the Great White Throne judgment.

The Abyss.
In Luke 8:26-33, we read about a man in the region of Gadarenes, possessed of many devils. Jesus sees this man, and from the man’s mouth, the devils cry out to the Lord, “What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? The Lord commands them to come out of the man, then asks them by what name are they called. They replied, “Legion: because many devils were entered into the man. And they besought him that he (Jesus) would not command them to go into the deep.”

The Lord acknowledged their request and sent them, out of the man, into a herd of swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake and were drowned. The phrase, Verse 31, “Go out into the deep,” is also, “go out into the Abyss.” This word deep is also found in Revelation 9:1-12. What they describe is the 5th trumpet judgment, and we have the Abyss referred to three times, and the word “pit” used five different times.

Abyss is the same word Luke 8:31 uses, it’s the place where these fallen demon spirits were cast. The word “pit” is a word used for, a well, or a shaft. It has been translated literally, as “The shaft of the Abyss.”
It’s also referred to in Revelation 11:7, “And when they (God’s two witnesses) shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit (shaft) shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.” Also,

Revelation 13:8, “The beast that thou saw was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder; whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”

So, the shaft of the Abyss is a place of temporary confinement for fallen angels, or demons, who will be released at the 5th trumpet judgment for five months to torment those who dwell on the earth in the coming Tribulation. See also, Revelation 13:4-5; “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months (3 ½ Years).”

We can see how closely the Beast and Satan are identified with one another because the Beast is said to have also ascended out of the bottomless pit (Hades).
The final mention is in, Revelation 20:1-3, “And I (John) saw and angel come down from heaven, having he key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”

Hades:
The third part of the underworld, Hades. In the King James Bible, two different Greek words Hades and Gehenna are usually translated, “Hell.” Luke 16:23-24, gives us a clear description of what Hades is like. “And in hell he (the rich man) lift up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus (the poor man) in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

It’s obvious here, that the rich man is in a conscious state of torment because he asked Lazarus to come and dip his finger in water and put it on his tongue. Thayer’s Greek to English Lexicon defines Hades as, ‘the invisible, or unseen.” Thayer’s says, “Thus it (Hades) refers to the common receptacle of disembodied spirits,” which means a spirit without a physical body. So, the word reveals to us that upon death, the spirit of a man is separated from the body. The spirit will go either to be with the Lord or to Hades. Hades is used ten times in the New Testament, the first in,

Matthew 11:23, Jesus said of the people in Capernaum, “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell (Hades): for it the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it (Sodom) would have remained until this day.”

In 2 Peter 2:9, the word Hades is not used, but Peter clearly describes what’s going on there. 2 Peter 2:9, “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”

Let’s examine two key words in this verse, the first is “reserved” meaning “kept.” “Reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment.” It’s a present tense verb, and means, “being held captive continuously.” To say it another way, “Those who have died without Jesus Christ, their souls are now in Hades, being kept, or held captive continuously.”

This puts to bed the teaching of soul sleep. When a person dies the literal body does sleep; it goes into the grave, but the soul goes immediately into the presence of the Lord Jesus, or immediately to Hades.

Revelation 1:18, “I (Jesus) am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (Hades) and of death.” Jesus is the sovereign ruler, and He alone has the keys of Hades and of death. In Revelation 6:8, we read about the 4th horseman of the Apocalypse:

“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell (Hades) followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

When the rider on the pale horse is loosed, a 4th of the earth’s population shall die, and Hades is there to swallow up their souls as they await judgment. Revelation 20:13-15, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (hades) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Again, we see that Hades is a temporary place of confinement for the souls of the lost. Revelation 20 reveals that, from Adam until the end of time, the bodies of the dead will be resurrected. When the Great White throne judgment takes place, the earth will give up the bodies of the lost, and Hades will give up their souls. Both the body and souls of the lost will be judged, and both shall be cast forever into the lake of fire, meaning Gehenna. The place can be compared to a local jail where criminals are held temporarily, and Gehenna is the final place for the judged, these lost shall forever be separated from the LORD.

1 Corinthians 15:55 which follows the great resurrection and rapture chapters reads, “O death, where is thy sting: O grave (Hades), where is thy victory?”
For us who follow the Lord Jesus, death no longer has a sting, and Hades is no longer a victory for Satan.

Gehenna, also called the “lake of fire.”

The 4th part of the underworld is referred to as Gehenna, or “the valley of Hinnom, or the valley of the sons of Hinnom; or, the “second death;” or, “lake of burning Sulphur,” or, “the place of everlasting punishment.”

The following words were directed to the children of Israel, 2 Kings 23:10, “Topheth (place of burning), which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.” Molech or Moloch signifies “king,” or “their king.” Moses warned the people under the penalty of death, not to dedicate their children to Moloch, by making them pass through the fire in honor of this pagan god. Also, the LORD threatened to pour out his wrath against such offenders.

In allusion to this, the fire kept up in the valley, was in honor of the god Moloch. The Jews frequently offered their children to be burned alive. Hinnom coincided in character with hell and the perpetual fires that were kept burning there to consume the filth of the city, added another similarity to those evils attributed to the place of torment.

Gehenna is used twelve times in the New Testament, and eleven, came from the Lord himself. Matthew 23:33, Jesus is speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, “You serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell (Gehenna.)”

Gehenna is also the final place of punishment for the unsaved. Hades and death will give up their dead, and the dead will then be cast into the lake of fire. This is always placed at the end of the world after,
Revelation 20-:13-15, “And the sea gave up the dead---; and death and hell delivered up the dead ---- and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 19:20 tells us the first two inhabitants of Gehenna will be the Antichrist and the False Prophet, this before the 1000 Year reign of Christ begins. In Gehenna, the body, as well as the soul is tormented.

Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them (men) which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him (Jesus Christ) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).”
So, Gehenna is a place of conscious torment. Mark 9:45-46, “And if thy foot offend thee (makes you sin) cut it off: it is better for you to enter halt (lame) into life, than having two feet to cast into Hell (Gehenna) into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm (sin) dieth not, and the fire in not quenched (put out).”

Again, it’s called, Revelation 20:14, “the second death.” In Jude 13, “The blackness of darkness forever.” 2 Thessalonians 1:9, “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.”

Matthew 8:12, “The children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Luke 12:47-48, “That servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given (in this life), of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

Unfortunately, in this modern world the fear of the LORD, the fear of the second death has faded for the most part from church teaching. The current trend in our churches is to omit any teaching of Hell because it’s now seen as some kind of medieval myth.

Let me close with a quote from Robert Murray McCheyne:
“Life is like a stream made up of human beings pouring on and rushing over the brink into eternity. There is no blessing on the Christless dead. They rush into an undone eternity, unpardoned, unholy. You may put their body in a splendid coffin; you may print their name in silver on the lid; you may bring the well-attired company of mourners to the funeral in suits of solemn black; you may lay the coffin slowly in the grave; you may spread the greenest sod above it; you may train the sweetest flowers to grow over it; you may cut a white stone and engrave a gentle epitaph to their memory; BUT, it is still the funeral of a damned soul. You cannot write blessed where God has written “cursed.” He that believeth shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned.”
All we have to do is put faith and trust in the Lord Jesus. He will take care of our position with the Father and in the Kingdom. The Lord himself is the propitiation, the satisfaction for our sins, and that the Father in heaven is well satisfied.

[onewithhim]

What does it mean that "their worm dieth not"? Are there worms of any description in "hell," as you see it, that don't die?

It's a reference to Isaiah 66:24. In that verse, the dead bodies of those that fight against Yahweh will burn forever and be infested with immortal maggots as a sign to future generations.

Exactly. They will be forever dead. (But I don't thing maggots are immortal ) Here we have a metaphor.

[JehovahsWitness]

Caiaphas called Jesus a Liar, ...

So? Nobody is denying the religious elite slandered Jesus , the point is there us no basis to conclude the humble earthworm or grub is a symbol of evil.

...Worm is a metaphor for a sinner, a bad man.

The Messiah was not called a worm because he was viewed as immoral/evil but because he was viewed as insignifiant and lowly. There are creatures like goats and snakes which are scripturally associated with evil, but the humble worm or grub, perhaps due or its lack of physical prowess and negligiable intelligence, is not one of them.

[placebofactor]

Caiaphas called Jesus a Liar, ...

So? Nobody is denying the religious elite slandered Jesus , the point is there us no basis to conclude the humble earthworm or grub is a symbol of evil.

...Worm is a metaphor for a sinner, a bad man.

The Messiah was not called a worm because he was viewed as immoral/evil but because he was viewed as insignifiant and lowly. There are creatures like goats and snakes which are scripturally associated with evil, but the humble worm or grub, perhaps due or its lack of physical prowess and negligiable intelligence, is not one of them.



JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

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Caiaphas called Jesus a Liar, when he claimed, "I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days." The priest saw him as an enemy to the Temple.

Also, because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and the Christ." He was being accused of pretending to be the Son of God and Israel's Messiah. In Mark 14:63, The high priest tore his clothes and accused Jesus in verse 64 of blasphemy.

Blasphemy speaks of those who are evil-speaking, slanderers, and revilers.

...Worm is a metaphor for a sinner, a bad man.

The Messiah was not called a worm because he was viewed as immoral/evil but because he was viewed as insignifiant and lowly. There are creatures like goats and snakes which are scripturally associated with evil, but the humble worm or grub, perhaps due or its lack of physical prowess and negligiable intelligence, is not one of them.

A worm is a miniature serpent, little worms are little people with big sins. Their worm (sin) dieth not and the fire shall not be quenched." Man with his sin will be in hell with their sin, without God, FOREVER!!!!!

The woman at the well referred to herself as a dog: Jesus as a Lamb: Herod was called a fox: Evil people are called beasts: Kingdoms are referred to as gold, silver, bronze, and iron, also lions, rams, bears, Leopards, and rams. Men who die with their sins are like a man dying and being filled with worms, because they are filled with their sins. Why, because their father is the devil, a serpent.

As I stated before, as long as you study out of the N.W.T. you will never get it. Of course, that's my humble opinion.

[JehovahsWitness]

A worm is a miniature serpent, little worms are little people with big sins.

I'm not really interested in your personal human thinking; if you have any scripture to support your interpretation, fine, otherwise its just opinion, to which you are welcome.



JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

[2timothy316]

A worm is a miniature serpent, little worms are little people with big sins.

I'm not really interested in your personal human thinking; if you have any scripture to support your interpretation, fine, otherwise its just opinion, to which you are welcome.



JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

Here is what a search with AI returned.

A "baseless interpretation of the Bible" refers to an interpretation of biblical text that lacks substantial evidence or logical reasoning, often relying on personal opinions, biases, or selective reading of verses without considering the broader context, historical background, and literary style of the text, essentially pulling meaning out of thin air rather than deriving it from the actual scripture.
https://www.google.com/search?newwindow ... =890&dpr=1

Seriously, I didn't write any of that.

[placebofactor]

A worm is a miniature serpent, little worms are little people with big sins.

I'm not really interested in your personal human thinking; if you have any scripture to support your interpretation, fine, otherwise its just opinion, to which you are welcome.



JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

Here is what a search with AI returned.

A "baseless interpretation of the Bible" refers to an interpretation of biblical text that lacks substantial evidence or logical reasoning, often relying on personal opinions, biases, or selective reading of verses without considering the broader context, historical background, and literary style of the text, essentially pulling meaning out of thin air rather than deriving it from the actual scripture.
https://www.google.com/search?newwindow ... =890&dpr=1

Seriously, I didn't write any of that.

To Jehovah's Witness: You can interpret the following any way you want, but here's the evidence, it comes directly from the scriptures.
In many cases, a worm is used as a metaphor for sin. The results will be the lake of fire.

Job 17:14, “I have corruption, thou art my father: to the worm, thou art my mother, and my sister.”

Job 25:6, “How much less man, that is a worm? And the son of man, which is a worm?”

Psalms 22:6, “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”

Isaiah 41:14, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel;”

Isaiah 66:24, “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”

Micah 716-17, “The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, and ears shall be deaf. They (the nations) shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee. The Lord is comparing the nations of the earth to worms (sinners)

The Lord has warned us of offenses against others and given us an intense warning about offenses against oneself. If a man sins with his eyes or with his hands, he will have no part in the Kingdom of God. The destination is eternal hellfire.

Mark 9:44, “Where their worm (the man with his sin) dies not, and the fire is not quenched.” The man will remain with his sin in the lake of fire, in torment for all eternity. "The fire will not be quenched. See Lazarus and the rich man.
Mark 9:48, “Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not Quenched.”

[JehovahsWitness]

...
Job 17:14, “I have corruption, thou art my father: to the worm, thou art my mother, and my sister.”

1. Job was NOT evil and worthy if eternal damnation and he did not view himself as such. Rather than speak of himself as worthy of eternal damnation , Job expressed his hope in Chap 14 of a resurrection. (Compare Job 19:25)

Although far from perfect Job is noted for his integrity and called a servant of God.

2. If Job's mother and sister were worms (evil) then THEY be sent to suffer eternal torture rather than job.

Rather than being a comment on the morals of his relatives , the context indicates Job was using family as a metaphor for the death where his body would rot and decay and worms would literally consume his flesh.

Notice verse 13

13If I look for Sheol [The grave] as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness, 14and say to corruption [decay], ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm , ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’

So the grave his new home, darkness his bed, corruption [decay] his Father and the worms his mother and sister. There is no suggestion of evil or immortality in these verses.


CONCLUSION: Job 17 cannot be used to suggest worms are a metaphor for evil if the context is taken into account but rather in this verse a metaphor for the inevitable physical decay of the bidy after death.

[JehovahsWitness]

Job 25:6, “How much less man, that is a worm? And the son of man, which is a worm?”

CAN WE USE BILDADS WORDS TO SAY WORMS ARE SYMBOLS OF EVIL?





3. Having pronounced nothing in God' s creation pleasing to Him*, Bildad uses the worm not to illustrate the quality (evil) but to show how much LOWER humans are to God's other creation.

JOB 25

So how can mortal man be righteous before God, Or how can one born of a woman be innocent? 5 Even the moon is not bright And the stars are not pure in his eyes, 6 How much less so mortal man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm!”

So although here Bildad is indeed speaking about morals, the WORM is introduced with the expression "how much more so" not to say a worm is more evil than star but that a worm is so much lower than a star. In short if something as glorious as a star cannot meet with God's favor, something so much lower has no hope to*.

CONCLUSION Rather than a worm being a symbol of evil, scriptures like Job 25 verse 6 indicate it to be symbolic of a lowly position.

[ * ] NOTE we must remeber that Jehovah was to later say that Job's companions did not speak the truth.

[JehovahsWitness]

Psalms 22:6, “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”

The promised Messiah was to be despised for many reasons but there is no suggestion the WORM in Psalms 22:6 is symbolic of evil. Note WHY the book of Proverbs says some are "despised". ..

PROVERBS 18:20

The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many “friends.” - New Living Translation

The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. - King James Bible

So just as a WORM is a rather lowly creature without defense , so would the coming Messiah be viewed by ungodly men As unworthy,of respect because of his humble origins and lowly life. Note the following ....

ISAIAH 53:2b, 3

And when we see him, his appearance does not draw us to him. 3 He was despised and was avoided by men, A man who was meant for pains and was familiar with sickness. It was as if his face were hidden from us. He was despised, and we held him as of no account.

CONCLUSION The Messiah was not called a "worm" because he was viewed as immoral/evil but because he was viewed as insignifiant and lowly. There are creatures like goats and snakes which are scripturally associated with evil, but the humble worm or grub, perhaps due or its lack of physical prowess and negligiable intelligence, is not one of them.

[JehovahsWitness]

DOES THE CONTEXT OF ISAIAH 41 v14 INDICATE GOD CLAIMED THE NATION LE ISRAËL A WORM BECAUSE THEY WERE WICKED?

No. Far from it. Isaiah CHAPTER 41 is a tender declaration of love to the faithful rependent exiled nation that Jehovah would call them back to their Homeland and take care of them.

ISAIAH 41

For I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand, The One saying to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I will help you.’ 14 Do not be afraid, you worm* Jacob, You men of Israel, I will help you,” declares Jehovah, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel.

It is unthinkable for God say he will help the wicked . So WORM here is being used not as a symbol of wickedness but of that which is defenseless and lowly.



JEHOVAH'S WITNESS