Just one more thing; as my apologies who think that what is being said is ludicrous.
Honestly think for a moment that Gehenna was a place always on fire back in the days when Jesus walked around. Dead bodies, and trash were throw in there; even people alive? Possibly people would throw them into “hell”.
Gehenna is an earthly picture of what it is like to be in hell; but the thing is people only have a part of the lake of fire: which are said to be those whom had no faith, even lacking love.
They are never said to be done away with forever as some people may suggest or may try to insinuate.
Hell though what is that? A place where everyone went from Adam to Jesus; Everyone had to go to hell. But why? Because the price of sin had not yet be paid for. Since the sin of Adam: all people became spiritually dead; they, Adam and Eve lost connection with being right there with God in the Garden.
Have you ever considered when Jonah had been three days in the belly of the whale?
That would be a hell of an experience, and recently seen an interview of a man who supposedly got swallowed by a whale then was let go.
Anyway. since the sin being paid for by the Messiah, Jesus had to go the same route as everyone else. He was able to see the thief in paradise I suppose as bodiless souls because of the resurrection not happening yet.
Jesus also was said to go the preach some message to the people who were in Prison, which was also a second section to the first; with a separation between Paradise and Prison.
Now this place held the bodiless souls of believers and those in prison who were condemned and even a lower part where angels which were reserved for judgment.
Therefore after three days God rose Jesus up from the dead (the realm of the dead - hell - Sheol). I believe during this time, after Jesus resurrection perhaps those who had faith from long ago were brought out of Paradise into the new Heavenly Jerusalem which was a promise in which this kingdom would have no end.
Considering all this information; it all boils down to what you are gonna believe about Revelation, which is your very own choice and it does affect the way you look at things in the end.
My choice is to believe in a good God; who will resurrect all people. Believer, non-believer; both are raised from the dead; and God set up the heavenly Kingdom with the inside with those who love God and love others and to have faith in trusting the Father whom sent Jesus. My choice is also to believe that Jesus and his apostles were never lying to the audience they had wrote too.
Because of these thing if Jesus lies about coming again and then never shows up; then the devil is still around, his demons, people are still going to hell, hell is not done away with as the John admits in Revelation 20. And if the Apostles also lied to the people they saw and spoke too…
What is the use in believing them if that is the case is the point I am at now. How can you trust liars?
Do you see how this affects your view? Or even one’s own faith (because we can have our own faith shaken as it is)?
It also breaks down people’s hope though as well; and don’t get me wrong I don’t mind what a person may believe. You wanna believe Jesus is coming go ahead. You wanna believe people are going to hell, go ahead.
These things aren’t a salvation issue in which requires knowing God and the one whom God had sent which leads to salvation to a renewed mind and heart by and through the Messiah, and his Gospel.
So what will you choose to believe?
My choice is on the total victory of Jesus Christ and defeating the devil, hell/Sheol, the devils demons, the false prophet, the beast, and his overcoming of Sin, and paying for all sin for all people, and conquering death.
Just one more thought I would like to share; is the question naturally is “if Jesus Christ has come back already, what is your hope?”
The reason the common question comes about is because it is true. What hope is there if Jesus has already come back?
The reality is my hope is not in Jesus returning anymore because I believe him and that generation experienced great terrors upon killing the Son of God, and those looking and waiting during those times, of persecution and the destruction of their heaven and earth; those looking for a new heavenly home anyway; looking to Jesus come. I believe he came and got them during these terrible times. Right before everything literally went up in flames .
They don’t get enough credit as believers who were first people to ever hear about Jesus in that time; though they perhaps heard from the Old Testament of his coming which would bring forth even more of a reality to that Jewish audience that the great and dreadful day of the Lord would come upon them.
Jesus came on a white horse and brought forth the sword with war breaking between those who only sought an earthly kingdom and those who sought an heavenly kingdom. Pestilence and death also came forward, and before Jesus all that awaited people was to go into the realm of the dead to wait resurrection when Sin had been paid for.
Really consider these things, because it brings for the reality of the times of the first Christian’s who experienced seeing the messiah, even those who saw his resurrection. You personally are blessed by believing and never having seen.
And hell is simply the realm of the dead. Everyone went there when they died, even Jesus even if people believe that is blasphemous. Jesus was the begotten of the Father and the first begotten of the dead being raised again.
Sorry for the tangent I haven’t talked about these things in awhile and they are highly important for those who are desirous to consider and ponder on these things and really think about who that Bible was written too, before one ever received their own first bible.
The hope to have is being a child of God, being able to go to be with the family of believers after this because of faith and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and what he had done for all the world.
To know you are loved and cared for, and that we can forgive our enemies, and do good to those who do you wrong, and to learn to love God and to love others while all the hope is residing in the Son of God; which his blood covers all sins, is capable of making you right with God and you can have peace with him. Having a relationship with the Father, and fellowship with the Son by reading about his life and what others had spoke about him, believing and trusting God is there to help you by the spirit.
It takes faith.
God bless.
