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by Will Kinney

The word Hell in the King James Bible

The Doctrine of Hell in the King James Bible

Hell or Hades or Sheol or the Grave?

The doctrine of Hell is getting a lot cooler in the modern versions.

In fact, a lot of theologically important words in the Holy Bible are being toned down or even lost entirely. As examples, here is a partial list of the frequency of certain words comparing the King James Bible Old Testament, with the NKJV, the NASB, ESV and the NIV Old Testament.

TRUTH KJB – 118 times; NKJV – about same; NASB – 92; ESV – 44;  NIV – 41

GRACE KJB -38 times; NKJV – 20; NASB – 9; ESV – 7; NIV – 8

MERCY, MERCIFUL KJB – 288 times; NKJV -same; NASB – 51; ESV – 132;  NIV – 85

SOUL KJB – 478 times; NKJV – same; NASB – 255; NIV – 110

LUCIFER KJB – 1 time; NKJV – 1 time; NASB – 0; ESV – 0;  NIV – 0

JEHOVAH KJB – 7 times; NKJV – 0; NASB – 0; ESV – 0;  NIV – 0

HELL KJB – 31 times; NKJV – 19; NASB – 0; ESV – 0;  NIV – 0

Examples of other words in the whole Bible, both testaments.

DOCTRINE KJB – 56 times; NKJV – 42; NASB – 14; ESV – 13;  NIV – 7

SAINTS  KJB – 98 times; NKJV – 98; NASB – 68; ESV – 82; NIV 2011 – 0

FORNICATION KJB – 44 times; NKJV – 21; NASB – 8; ESV – 0; NIV – 0

DAMNATION, DAMNED KJB – 9 times; NKJV – 0; NASB – 0; ESV – 0; NIV – 0

HELL (whole Bible) KJB – 53 times; NKJV – 32; NASB -13; ESV – 14; NIV – 13

HUMAN – The word “human” is the gender-neutral, New Age, Evolutionary Buzz-word.

How many times does it appear?

In the King James Bible, Geneva Bible, ASV 1901 – ZERO times.

In the NKJV – 15 times

(a few examples)

Leviticus 5:3 – Or if he touches HUMAN uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.

John 16:21 – A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a HUMAN being has been born into the world.

Romans 6:19  – I speak in HUMAN  terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

1 Corinthians 2:4 – And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of HUMAN  wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

1 Corinthians 4:3 – But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a HUMAN  court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.

Hebrews 12:9 – Furthermore, we have had HUMAN  fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

NASB – 39 times

ESV – 65 times

Holman Christian Standard – 141 times

NIV – 214 times

Examples from Genesis 6 – “When HUMAN beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of HUMANS were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with HUMANS forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

Dan Wallace’s NET version – 233 times

One Bible Critic, named Reese Currie, posts at his site this ignorant criticism of the KJB saying –

“Luke 16:23 KJV: And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

NKJV: “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

The Greek word is hades, which means, “the abode of the dead.” Here, the NKJV transliterates the Greek word hades to differentiate “Hades,” the abode of the dead, from “Gehenna,” the lake of fire. It is much more accurate to do so, since Hades is going to be thrown into the lake of fire in Revelation 20:14. The wording is Jesus’ wording and I have no issues with it. The NKJV is more accurate.” (End of his comments)

First, all this Bible Rummager and unbeliever in the inerrancy of ANY Bible is giving us, is his own personal opinion. Many others disagree with him.

And secondly, the word Gehenna is never translated as the “lake of fire” and he cannot prove from Scripture his assertion that Gehenna and the lake of fire are the same thing. He just made that up and gave us his opinion. That’s all he did, and his personal opinion cannot be backed up from the Bible.

Hell in the Modern Versions – hades, geenna and tartaros  = A very mixed up and inconsistent mess

The words still translated as hell in the N.T. of these modern versions (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV) are geenna 12 times (Matthew 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5 and James 3:6) and tartaros 1 time (2 Pet. 2:4).

The 2001 – 2011 ESVs still translate hades as “hell” in Matthew 16:18 “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The NIV editions of 1973 and 1984 translated hades as “hell” in Luke 16:23 “in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments”, but the 2011 “new” New International Version now has “hades”.

The  ISV (International Standard Version) has translated hades as “hell” in Matthew 16:18 “the gates of hell”.

Petterson’s 2002 The Message has translated hades as “hell” in Matthew 16:18, Luke 16:23, Revelation 6:8, and Revelation 20:13 and 14.

Dan Wallace’s NET version 2006 is a study in confusion. He has “gehenna” as hell and “tartaros” as hell, but when it comes to “hades” most of the time he has the transliteration “hades” but in Luke 16:23 he goes with “hell” saying – “And in HELL, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side.”

And then he twice “translates” a word that is not hell as hell. He does this in Galatians 1:8 and 9 –

“But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to HELL! As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to HELL!”

The Catholic Connection

It is interesting to compare and contrast the ever changing Catholic bible versions.  The other Greek word that is often translated as “hell” in the King James Bible and many others is hades.  In the older Catholic Douay-Rheims version, every time the KJB has hades as “hell”, so did this older Catholic bible – See Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27,31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8 and 20:13 and 14.

But the New Jerusalem bible (catholic) of 1985 has translated the Greek word hades as “hell” in Matthew 11:23 and Luke 10:15, as “the underworld” in Mat. 16:18, and as Hades in Mat. 11:23; Luke 16:23, Acts 2:27,31, and in Rev.1:18; 6:8 and 20:13,14.  So we see that all these modern versions are consistently inconsistent.

This particular study will focus on the word Hell and how it is being air conditioned by degrees in many modern versions. There are many who criticize the King James Bible as being wrong for translating certain Hebrew and Greek words as Hell.

In the King James Old Testament the Hebrew word Sheol is variously translated as HELL – 31 times; THE GRAVE – 31 times, and as THE PIT – 3 times.

The modern versions disagree among themselves and have little room in which to criticize the KJB.

The NKJV transliterates this same word as Sheol 18 times, but then translates it as HELL 19 times, rather than the 31 times as in the KJB. It also has translated the word as the GRAVE and the PIT.

The NIV never translates it as hell or even as Sheol, but instead has the GRAVE 55 times, DEATH 6 times, the DEPTHS 2 times, the DEPTHS OF THE GRAVE 2 times, and as THE REALM OF DEATH once.

The NASB and the ESV on the other hand, transliterate rather than translate this word every single time as SHEOL. How many Christians know what Sheol is? It strikes fear in the heart, doesn’t it?

What we see here is that the very scholars who criticize the King James Bible for translating the word at times as HELL can’t seem to agree even among themselves as to what the word means in various contexts.

Let’s look at a few examples.

Psalm 9:17

King James Bible – “The wicked shall be turned into HELL, and all the nations that forget God.”

NIV – “The wicked RETURN TO THE GRAVE, all the nations that forget God.”

There are two big problems with the NIV rendering here. First, you can only RETURN TO someplace you have already been before. Does the NIV teach reincarnation? You can teach it using the NIV, but you cannot get the doctrine of reincarnation from the King James Bible.

Second, most everyone, the wicked and the righteous, go to the grave. So what else is new? The context is the fate of the wicked, and it is not the same as that of the righteous. The NIV rendering is silly at best, and diabolical at worst.

NASB, ESV 2001 – “The wicked will RETURN TO SHEOL, even all the nations who forget God.”

The NASB, ESV have two similar problems. How do people return to someplace if they have not been there before? Also what in the world is Sheol? Many criticize the KJB for being hard to understand, but how many of them know what Sheol is?

And again there is no distinction between the wicked and the righteous in the NASB rendering. The liberal RSV has: “The wicked shall depart to Sheol”, the ESV 2011 is similar with “the wicked shall RETURN to Sheol” and the Catholic New Jerusalem bible of 1985 has: “May the wicked turn away to Sheol.”

The Jewish translations differ among themselves as well. The 1917 JPS (Jewish Publication Society) says: “The wicked shall return to THE NETHER-WORLD, even all the nations that forget God.”  The Jewish Family Bible 1864 – “Wicked ones shall return unto the GRAVE, and all nations that forget God.”

The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 and the 1936 The Holy Scriptures, Hebrew Publishing Company, say: “The wicked shall be turned into HELL” and the Complete Jewish Bible 1998 says: “The wicked will return to SH’OL, all the nations that forget God.”

Psalms 9:17 – “The wicked shall be turned into HELL”

The NKJV – “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” = the KJB here. Also agreeing with the King James Bible are Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Douay-Rheims Bible of 1610, the Bill Bible 1671, The Longman Version 1841, The Boothroyd Bible 1853, the Lesser Bible 1853, The Revised English Bible 1877, The Sharpe Bible 1883,  the Douay of 1950 (Though the 1970 St. Joseph NAB says “to the NETHER WORLD” and the New Jerusalem bible 1985 says “turn away to SHEOL”)  The Word of Yah 1993, the KJV 21st Century Version 1994, the Third Millennium Bible 1998, God’s First Truth 1999, The Revised Geneva Bible 2005, the Bond Slave Version 2009, the Catholic Public Domain Version of 2009, The Work of God’s Children Illustrated Bible 2011 and A Conservative Bible 2011 – “The wicked shall be turned into HELL, and all the nations that forget God.”, The Revised Douay-Rheims Bible 2012, the BRG Bible 2012.

In 1395 Wycliffe wrote: “Synneris be turned togidere in to HELLE; alle folkis, that foryeten God.”

And the 2002 Message paraphrases it in this way: “The wicked bought a one-way ticket to HELL.”

This online Hebrew Interlinear Old Testament – “shall be turned The wicked into HELL, all the nations that forget God.”

Jewish Virtual Library The Tanakh [Full Text] 1998

“The wicked shall be TURNED INTO HELL, and all the nations that forget God.”

Foreign Language Bibles

The Portuguese de Almeida of 1681, and the Portuguese La Biblia Sagrada and the 2000 O Livro all read exactly like the KJB saying: “Os ímpios seräo lançados no INFERNO, e todas as naçöes que se esquecem de Deus.” , as does the French Ostervald of 1996 – “Les méchants reculeront jusqu’aux ENFERS, et toutes les nations qui oublient Dieu.”, the Italian Diodati of 1649 – ” Andranno in volta NELL’INFERNO.” and the Conferenza Episcopale Italiana Bible – “ornino gli empi negli INFERI”, and the Spanish Cipriano de Valera of 1602, 1865, 1909 and the 2010 Reina-Valera Gomez Bible – “Los malos serán trasladados al INFIERNO.”, The Romanian Fidela Bible 2014 – “Cei stricaţi vor fi întorşi în iad împreună cu toate naţiunile care uită pe Dumnezeu.” = “the wicked shall be turned into HELL, and all the nations that forget God.”

Likewise Baptist Bible commentator John Gill states: “The wicked shall be turned into hell,…. Some render it, “shall return to the grave”, to the earth, the original dust from whence they came; but this is common to all men, to the righteous as well as the wicked; rather lwav here signifies the place of torment, commonly called HELL, where devils and damned spirits are; hither the souls of the wicked go immediately upon their departure from their bodies, Luke 16:23; and after the judgment is over, they will be remanded thither in soul and body; and their damnation is called the destruction of soul and body in HELL;… this is true of all the wicked, the beast and false prophet, who shall be cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, Revelation 19:20″

The Hebrew word Sheol communicates nothing to us in the English language. There are many different views among the scholars themselves as to what this word signifies and it seems to vary with different contexts. Many Hebrew and Greek words have multiple meanings which change their sense according to the context and scholars argue over them all the time.

The 1987 Amplified Bible (Lockman Foundation) translates Psalms 9:17 as: “The wicked shall be turned back [headlong into premature death] into Sheol (the place of the departed spirits of the wicked), even all the nations that forget or are forgetful of God.”  But we know from the New Testament that the place of the departed spirits of the wicked is called HELL!

The 2012 ISV (International Standard Version) translates Psalms 9:17 differently than most, saying: “The wicked will turn back TO WHERE THE DEAD ARE.”

There are times when the word simply means the GRAVE, as in Genesis 42:38 where Jacob says: “My son shall not go down with you (into Egypt)…if mischief befall him…then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to THE GRAVE.”

At other times the word means HELL, as the place of the dead in the heart of the earth. Scripture tells us in both the Old and New Testaments that there are compartments or degrees of hell. Both Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 86 speak of THE LOWEST HELL.

In Deuteronomy 32:22 God says: “For a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn unto the lowest hell”, and in Psalm 86:13 David says to God: “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from THE LOWEST HELL.”

Shoel as HELL in the Old Testament

Among the various Bible versions that sometimes translate the Hebrew word sheol as “hell” are the following: Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishop’s Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1599, Douay-Rheims 1610, the Bill Bible 1671, Webster’s 1833 translation, Living Oracles 1835, The Longman Version 1841, the Lesser Bible 1853,  The Boothroyd Bible 1853,  The Revised English Bible 1877, The Sharpe Bible 1883, the Revised Version 1881, The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907, the Jewish 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company translation by Alexander Harkavy into English, Luther’s German Bible 1545, Brenton’s translation of the Septuagint 1851, the Spanish Reina Valera  1569, 1602, 1909, the Italian Diodati 1602, the Portuguese de Almeida 1681, Portuguese O Livro of 2000, Rotherham’s Emphasized  Bible 1902,  the Douay 1950, the Bible in Basic English 1961 (2 Sam.22:6; Psalm 18:5), New Life Version 1969 (Pro. 5:5, 7:27, 19:18, 15:24,23:14), God’s Word Translation 1995, the KJV 21st Century Version 1994, New Living Translation, the NKJV 1982, Third Millennium Bible 1998, and the 2002 version called The Message in 2 Samuel 22:6; Job 26:6, Psalm 9:17, 16:10, 18:5, 31:17, 49:14, 55:15, 88:3, 89:68, 116:3, 141:7, Proverbs 5:5, 7:27, 9:18, 15:24, 27:20, and Isaiah 57:9!!!

Other Bible translations that have HELL in places like Deuteronomy 32:22 – “For a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn unto THE LOWEST HELL” are The Jewish Family Bible 1864 – “shall burn unto the lowest HELL”, The Word of Yah 1993, God’s First Truth 1999, J.P. Green’s ‘literal’ 2005, The Apostolic Bible 2006, Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010, Jubilee Bible 2010 – “For it is a fire that consumes unto HELL and would root out all my increase.” (Job 31:12; Psalm 88:11; Proverbs 15:11; 17:20), Conservative Bible 2011, The Work of God’s Children Illustrated Bible 2011, Names of God Bible 2011 – “My anger has started a fire that will burn to the depths of HELL.” (12 times in O.T. See Ps. 139:8; Job 11:8; Ps. 49:14,15; 83:13; 139:8; Pro. 5:5 “Her steps lead straight to HELL”, Pro. 9:18; 15:24; 27:20 – “HELL and decay are never satisfied”, the Biblos Interlinear Bible 2011 – “the lowest HELL”, The Revised Douay-Rheims Bible 2012, The New Brenton Translation 2012 – “shall burn unto the lowest HELL”, The Biblos Bible 2013,  the Modern English Version 2014 – “Yet you shall be brought down to HELL, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:9,15; 28:15; 28:18)

Hades or HELL in the New Testament

In the New Testament the same confusion among the various bible versions is seen in the manner in which they translate or not the word Hades. There are many Bible critics who tell us the King James Bible is in error for translating the word Hades as Hell. Yet, as we shall see, the “scholars” are in total disagreement among themselves regarding this.

Luke 16:19-31 is the classic case showing the division that existed in hell before the resurrection of Christ from the dead. There we see the beggar Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom being comforted and in contrast we see the rich man IN HELL being tormented. There was a great gulf fixed between the two sections dividing the righteous from the wicked.

The Greek word used here is hades – αδης. The King James Bible translated it as hell, while the NKJV and NASB have Hades.

A simple visit to the “Oxford Compact English Dictionary” would clear it up for all but the most rabid of ”scholars”! “Hades” is a proper noun for A MYTH!

The NIV is interesting in that it has variously translated this same word as “Hades -5 times, depths – 2 times, grave – 1 time; and as Hell only once and that is here in Luke 16:23!

Oh, but wait.  Apparently that one time as “hell” in Luke 16:23 in the NIVs of 1973 and 1984 was one time too many.  Now the late$t NIV revi$ion of 2011 has come out and they have now decided that this should “Hades”.

The ESV likewise translates Luke 16:23 as “and in HADES, being in torment”, yet they have inconsistently translated this same word as HELL in Matthew 16:18 – “the gates of HELL shall not prevail against it.”

Hell itself is not the final state of the wicked. After the great white throne judgment we are told in Revelation 20:14 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

Those who complain about this word being translated as “hell” should check out some other bible versions to see what others, who have just as much education as they do, have done with these passages.

Hades  – αδης –  as HELL in the New Testament

Even today in the modern Greek language, the word αδης (hades) means HELL.  I have a hard copy of Divry’s Modern English-Greek and Greek-English Dictionary.  If you look up the word “hell” is says αδης, and if you go to the Greek to English side of the dictionary and look up αδης it defines it as HELL; Hades.  Hades is a transliteration and Hell is a translation into English of what the word means.

Online Greek Dictionary

Type in the word άδης and the first definition is “hell”

άδης

hell (proper) – in various religions, the place where sinners are said to go after death.

underworld – world of the dead

hades (noun)

inferno (noun)

Not only does the King James Bible translate the Greek word hades (αδης) as “hell” but so do the following Bible versions: Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishop’s Bible 1568, Geneva Bible 1599, The Beza New Testament 1599, The Bill Bible 1671, John Wesley’s N.T. 1755, Worsley Version 1770, Thomas Haweis N.T. 1795, The Clarke N.T. 1795, The Revised Translation 1815, Webster’s 1833 translation, The Longman Version 1841, The Hewett N.T. 1850, The Commonly Received Version 1851, The Revised N.T. 1862, The Alford N.T. 1870, the Smith Bible 1876, The Revised English Bible 1877, The Sharpe Bible 1883, The Clarke N.T. 1913, the Douay 1950, The Basic English Bible 1965, The New Life Version 1969,  the New Living Translation 1996 (Mat. 16:18), Today’s English Version 1992 (Mat.11:23, Luke 10:15), Good News Bible 1992 (Mat. 11:23; Luke 10:15), Bible in Basic English 1961 (Mat. 11:23; 16:18, Luke 10:15, 16:23, Acts 2:27,31, and the 4 in Revelation), Living Bible 1971- “His soul went INTO HELL”, Contemporary English Version 1995 – “He went TO HELL and was suffering terribly”, God’s Word Translation 1995 – “He went TO HELL, where he was constantly tortured”, (Mat. 11:23, 16:18, Luke 10:15, 16:23, Rev.1:18, 6:8, 20:13-14), KJV 21st Century 1994, Third Millennium Bible 1998, and The Message of 2002 (Mat. 16:18, Luke 10:15, 16:23, Rev. 1:18, 6:6, 20:13-14), ESV 2011 (Matthew 16:18) Dan Wallace’s NET version 2006 in Luke 16:23, New Heart English Bible 2010 – “In HELL he lifted up his eyes, being in torment”, and the  Names of God Bible 2012 – “He went to HELL, where he was constantly tortured.”

Other English Bibles that have the word HELL in places like Luke 16:23 – “and in HELL he lift up his eyes, being in torments” are The Word of Yah 1993, Lawrie Translation 1998, God’s First Truth 1999, Last Days Bible 1999, The Evidence Bible 2003, Bond Slave Version 2009, The Public Domain Version 2009, The Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010, The Work of God’s Children Illustrated Bible 2011, Conservative Bible 2010 – “And he reopened his eyes in Hell, being in torment there”

Many foreign language Bible translate the Greek word hades as HELL.  These include Luther’s German Bible 1545 (Luke 16:23) -“in der Hölle”, the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1569, Cipriano de Valera 1602 – “en EL INFIERNO, alzó sus ojos, estando en tormentos, y ve a Abraham lejos, y a Lázaro en su seno.”,  Reina Valera 1909, and 2004 Reina Valera Gomez Bible (infierno), the NIV Spanish edition Nueva Versión Internacional 1999 – “ En EL INFIERNO, en medio de sus torments” = “in HELL, in the midst of his torments”, the Portuguese de Almeida 1681 “E no INFERNO, ergueu os olhos estando em tormentos” – “and in HELL, he lift up his eyes, being in torments””, the Italian Diodati of 1649 and the New Diodati of 1991 and the 2006 La Biblia della Gioia –  “essendo tra i tormenti nell’INFERNO”, the French Martin 1744 and the French Ostervald of 1996 – “Et étant en ENFER.”, the Maori Bible – “A i te reinga ka titiro ake ia, i a ia e whakamamaetia ana” = “and in HELL he looked up in torments”, the Chinese Union Traditional Bible – 他 在 陰 間 受 痛 苦 – “IN HELL”, the Hungarian Karoli Bible – “És a pokolban felemelé az õ szemeit” = “IN HELL he lift up his eyes”, the Polish Updated Gdansk Bible 2013 – “A będąc w piekle i cierpiąc męki” = “and being IN HELL and suffering torment”, the Romanian Cornilescu Bible – “ Pe cînd era el în Locuinţa morţilor, în chinuri” = “while he was IN HELL in torment”, the 2006 Russian Slovo Zhizny Bible – “В аду, где богач терпел мучения” = “the rich man, IN HELL, being in torment”, the Afrikaans Bible 1953 – “En toe hy in die doderyk sy oë ophef” = “And IN HELL he lift up his eyes, being in torment”, the Danish Bible Det Gamle Testamente 1931 – “Og da han slog sine Øjne op i Dødsriget” = “IN HELL he lift up his eyes”, the Czech Kralicka Bible – “Potom v pekle pozdvih očí svých” = “IN HELL he lift up his eyes in torments”, the Swahili N.T. – “Huyo tajiri, alikuwa na mateso makali huko kuzimu” = “Rich man, he was IN HELL torments”, the Ukranian N.T. – “І в пеклї зняв він очі свої, бувши в муках” = “IN HELL he lift up his eyes being in torment”.

Wordsmyth Dictionary defines Hades as:

  1. in Greek mythology, the underworld inhabited by the dead, or the god who rules there; Pluto. 2. in the New Testament, the state or home of the dead. 3. the place of punishment for the wicked after death; HELL.

The American Heritage Dictionary 2000 defines Hades as:

  1. Greek Mythology a. The god of the netherworld and dispenser of earthly riches. b. This netherworld kingdom, the abode of the shades of the dead. 2. also hades HELL.

Notice that the first definitions given refer to Hades as myth, or merely as the place of the dead, without any reference to suffering or torment. For a preacher to say: “Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ or you will go to Hades” seems to lack the visceral impact of “or you will go to Hell.” What do you think?

The American Heritage dictionary defines hell as: 1. Hell – The abode of condemned souls and devils in some religions; the place of eternal punishment for the wicked after death. b. A state of separation from God; exclusion from God’s presence. 2. The abode of the dead, identified with the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades; the underworld.

The New KJV is not the same as the King James Bible. Here are some examples:

Matthew 16:18

KJV: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of HELL shall not prevail against it.”

NKJV: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of HADES shall not prevail against it.” Luke 16:23

KJV: “And in HELL he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

NKJV: “And being in torments in HADES, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

The New KJV is inconsistent in the Old Testament in that it does render the word sheol as “hell” 19 times, yet it transliterates this same word as Shoel 18 times to match the NASB rendering. The word Hell is removed in 2 Samuel 22:6, Job 11:8, 26:6, Psalm 16:10, 18:5, 86:13, 116:3, Isaiah 5:14, 14:15, 28:15,18, 57:9, Jonah 2:2, Matt. 11:23, 16:18, Luke 10:15, 16:23, Acts 2:27, 31, Rev. 1:18, 6:8, 20:13,14.

Some Bible critics, mockers and others who would try in vain to do away with the doctrine of hell appeal to the book of Jonah where Jonah prays to God from the whale’s belly saying: “out of the belly of HELL cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”  “See”, they say, “Jonah wasn’t literally in HELL, so no such place really exists. It is just a figure of speech.”

Well, in part, they are right. It is a figure of speech here.  Most older and more correct Bibles have the word “hell” here, like Wycliffe, Coverdale, Great Bible, Matthew’s Bible, the Bishops’ Bible, the Geneva Bible and even the Douay Rheims bible.  Newer versions like the RSV, NKJV, ESV, NASB have “Sheol” while the NIV has “the grave”, but Jonah was not literally in Sheol (the realm of the dead) nor in a literal grave.

The story of Jonah (real history, not an allegory) is a type or prophetic picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jonah the “type” is figurative, but in the anti-type or the fulfilled reality, the language is literal.  Jonah pre-figured the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The Lord Himself tells us in Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Jesus Christ did literally die, spent three days and nights in the heart of the earth and was then literally raised from the dead.  “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in HELL, neither his flesh did see corruption.  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”  Acts 2:31-32.

It seems that our Lord visited both sections of this realm of the dead. He told the dying thief on the cross who believed in Him – “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:43 It appears that the section referred to as “Abraham’s bosom” is the region of the Old Testament saints who had faith in God, and was also referred to as “paradise”.

But it appears from Scripture that our Lord also visited the section called “hell”, but we are not told how long He stayed there.  This seems to be alluded to in 1 Peter 3:18-20 where we read: “For  Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”

It does appear that our Lord did go to the “prison” side called Hell where he perhaps announced His victory over death and hell. Bible commentators have lots of different opinions about where He went and what He did when he got there, but as I presently understand the Scriptures, I think this explanation makes sense.

Hell | Is ‘Hell’ Missing from Your “Bible”? | Soul Sleep Exposed | Fake Bibles Exposed

A PLACE CALLED HELL

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Apostasy

“Warn them from Me”: The 3 Things Paul did to Protect God’s People [podcast]

The 3 Things Paul did to Protect God’s People [podcast]


Jesus and His holy apostles often rebuked and exposed false leaders and false doctrine (Matthew 23; Acts 13:10; 20:29-31; Galatians 5:11-12; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 2 Peter 2; 2 John 7-11; Revelation 2:6, 15, etc.). Therefore we know that part of following Jesus includes doing the same. In fact, the body of Christ is mandated to do just that (Romans 16:17-18; Philippians 1:17; Jude 3-4).

PWT = Preach, WARN, Teach

“Whom we PREACH, WARNING every man, and TEACHING every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” Colossians 1:28

Did you catch what the apostle Paul did to prepare the church to meet Christ?

  • Preach
  • WARN
  • Teach

Any man not guarding, not protecting Christ’s flock, by warning of false teachers and false doctrine, is himself a wolf!

Simply put, it doesn’t matter what you think: The LORD has commanded that Satan’s ministers, his human emissaries, be exposed. Time to shut up and obey! (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)

Lest someone think that warning is a cover for slander, let’s address that.

There is a difference between warning and slander. Warning is to be distinguished from slander. William Penn said it correctly when he recorded these words of wisdom:

“Believe nothing against another but on good authority; and never report what may hurt another, unless it be a greater hurt to some other to conceal it.” ~William Penn

The love of God in us will compel us to warn. Firstly this is done in obedience to the LORD and for the protection and care of those being warned. Warning is divinely mandated in order to protect His beloved sheep.

2 Corinthians 5:9-11, 14-21

“Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11  Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. … 14 For the love of Christ constraineth (compels) us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

“The Apostle had arrived at the deliberate conclusion and judgment that the ‘all’ who realized what Christ had done for them (and he among them) must live with as much devotion toward Him as others toward themselves. A new world had been opened by Christ’s resurrection. All things had become new. Let us live in daily touch with that world of faith and glory, refusing to be judged by the old standards. It is clear that the reconciliation of the world is as complete as God can make it, but it is for us to urge men to fall in with and accept God’s proposals.” FB Meyer

“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we the more earnestly persuade men to seek his favour; and as God knoweth this, so, I trust, ye know it in your own consciences.” John Wesley

It’s a blessing to be humbled, to be brought low. Sometimes we need to be embarrassed (Proverbs 6:23). There’s a place for it. Paul openly rebuked Peter publicly (Galatians 2). That wound worked to the glory of God and the eternal good of Peter.

“For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:” Romans 6:23 

Keep in mind that each one of us are at times in need of being admonished, corrected, or even rebuked…. it’s “the way of life” as long as we are in this world and it’s out of the love of our God and for our own eternal good.

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Revelation 3:19

Did God command us to warn the wicked?

Ezekiel 3:7 “Warn them from me.”

“So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and WARN THEM FROM ME.” Ezekiel 33:7

What would you think of the father who lived on a busy street and refused to warn his children to stay away from that street?

“Whom we PREACH, WARNing every man, and TEACHing every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” Colossians 1:28

Were Jesus, His prophets, and apostles trying to harm the body of Christ when they often warned of and exposed wolves and their false teachings by name? No, he sought to get the cancer out of the body of Christ so it couldn’t spread (Romans 16:17-18, etc.). Beware of the wolf defenders who refuse to believe the wolves they follow are antichrist enemies of the LORD (2 John 10-11).

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isaiah 58:1

Most warnings in God’s Word are to the backslidden – those who after being Christ’s, have departed from the faith – and also the counterfeits who have a mere form of godliness.

Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Isaiah 59

“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3  For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4  None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.”

“Thy prophets (leaders) have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered (uncovered) thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity (bondage); but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” Lamentation 2:14

God instructed us to “mark” false leaders. Jesus is the Great Shepherd of the sheep and intends for them to be protected from being lured away (Hebrews 13:20; Romans 16:17-18).

“Christians do not judge the world. Christians must judge those who SAY they live for Christ. Wolves will not spare the flock where pretenders go unchallenged/unjudged.” Robert Lorne

Paul had the heart of the Savior as we should. He cried “with tears” for three years day and night over the protection of Jesus’ sheep and said He gave them all the counsel of God, not just some of it, to protect them (Acts 20:20-32).

Ignoring and deciding we are going to selectively pick out what we want to preach and reject the rest that WE don’t like is anything but the cross. This reveals the heart of a self-serving tare. A person truly in the cross says LORD, “NOT my will but thine be done,” and not “I’ll decide for myself what I’m going to preach” (Luke 22:42).

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.” Ephesians 5:11

After promising that we are His and we shall be persecuted as He was, then our LORD informs us that He is going to expose darkness and that we are to be a part of this process as we stand and speak His His light of truth into the darkness of our day. And to fear not anyone except Him (v 26-28).

“Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:26-28 

Jesus instructed us to know that He will bring all darkness, every dark deed and evil doer into the light (v26), and told us to shout it, to expose it to all from the housetops (v27), and to do so fearlessly as concerns mere sinful men – the guilty ones who will persecute you for exposing them (v28).

How are we to warn them? what is to be our disposition in warning others as the LORD commanded? One thing we should keep in mind is that God wants us dealing biblically – with the desire to restore – and without personal wrath (Galatians 6:1-2).

“For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1:20

It’s a scary thing to NOT warn the wicked….

“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to WARN the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Ezekiel 3:18

“And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 22-23

Read these 2 verses closely. Notice how if you die in sin – no matter what your past relationship with God was – you are going to hell irrevocably. Enduring to the end of your life on earth with Christ, in an abiding relationship, is essential to eternal glory. Summation: The LORD judges people on their spiritual state at the moment of death. Share. Repent now heretic. 

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Articles

Overcoming that Old Serpent, Called the Devil, and Satan [podcast]



“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:9

“That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” never left the garden of God’s creation and he won’t till Jesus slam dunks him into the bottomless pit (Genesis 3; Revelation 12; 20). He must be overcome “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Revelation 12:11). God is able. Satan 

“He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” Ecclesiastes 10:8

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:1-7

In the scope of past, present, and future history – HIS-story – nothing is over till Jesus wins!

“For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. … 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:25-26, 57

The Cross

Personally I was not blessed to begin seeing our LORD’s victory in my personal life until Jesus’ cross message began to seep into my heart, thoughts and mind.

The record of Holy Scripture assures us that our LORD Jesus conquered sin, death, hell, and Satan (1 John 3:8). But how? He overcome by the cross.

Jesus conquered sin and death by dying.

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” Hebrews 2:14

If this is the first time you are hearing this truth, don’t be ashamed. It’s new to all of us due to the original Gospel message of the cross has been lost among most who claim Christ. | The Cross 

Camping out on the message of the cross will assure you are quickened to “seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” (1 Chronicles 16:11) Keeping thine eyes and heart upon His cross message will hasten you to Him, to His cross, to the death of self that Christ might raise you upward in His holy power and glory.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn (grain, seed) of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26  If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” John 12:24-26

The cross truly is a “Let go and let God” economy, experience – crying, declaring “Jesus You MUST increase but I MUST decrease!”

As the apostle Paul discovered, you are NOT sufficient and yet His grace is sufficient for your life in Him.

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

PRAYER: Father, please grant me eye salve to see Your holy truth and the many wolves that now are disguised in sheep’s clothing and leading many to hell. Help me, Jesus! Knowing my utter poverty of spirit, I this moment turn afresh to You fully, asking You to have mercy on me and wash away all my sins. Grant the eyes of my heart discernment as only You can, as I walk closely with You. I choose this day to deny my own self-will and desires and ask You to consume me with Your wisdom, power, and grace. LORD Jesus, please bless me to know You intimately. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Apostasy

“Shall I not visit for these things?” [podcast]


Widespread Corruption – Evidence of God’s Judgment on a Nation

IMPORTANT: Read Matthew 24 and Luke 21 this week. Jesus foretold this would all be happening right before He returns! Jesus is coming. Get ready.

A cursory introduction to Jeremiah 5-7. God’s people were in rebellion to Him and reaping what they’d been sowing (Galatians 6:7-8). Read, pour prayerfully over these chapters this week beloved. This message is designed to launch the God fearing saint to pour over this passage as they examine their hearts, their lives before Him honestly.

“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. 26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. 27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. 28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. 29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” Jeremiah 5:25-31

Judgment on America for the Rebellion of those who Falsely Claim to be Saved

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Revelation 6:9-10

The LORD blesses those who are with Him. Anyone who forsakes Him will be forsaken by Him.

“The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and IF ye seek him, he will be found of you; but IF ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” 2 Chronicles 15:2

The word “if” in God’s Word denotes a choice that will be made.

The LORD is not with you if you are not with Him – doing life on HIS stated terms. That’s exactly why He gave you His recorded Word in tangible form. Read John 14-16.

Notice “IF ye seek him” and not if you go to church or just claim to be His. Are you seeking His holy face “continually”?

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” Joel 2:12-13

“O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.” Hosea 14:1-2

Notice here in the verse below how setting, allowing wicked things into our eye gates leads to turning aside, departing from Christ, backsliding. Notice how the psalmist views backsliding as a plague. And it sure is. Millions irrevocably occupy the bowels of eternal damnation right this moment and forever who made one bad decision which led to their backsliding. It’s time to read God as if our eternal souls depended on it – because they do. safeguardyoursoul.com

“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” Psalms 101:3

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please break me, make me to be poor in spirit and pure in heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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