Its clearly states in the bible there is a heaven and hell. But in there bible completely different. I read my bible and compare the scriptures with the watchtower, they completely reword it. If there wasn't a hell then there shouldn't be a war between heaven and hell in the end.
2007-03-16 23:29:53 · 23 answers · asked by Anthony H 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Anthony,
You have experienced what is called a revelation. You came to the realization that what the watchtower said about Hell doesn't agree with what the Bible says. Now let me point out that the watchtower is written by man. The Bible is God's Holy Word.
My advice to you is to share this new knowledge w/ others and do not be discouraged by jw's or be snared by there advice either. I am an ex-witness. I am a Born Again Christian now and I have seen the jw religion for what it really is, a lie. Great question!
2007-03-19 03:05:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
In your question you have used a double negative which means your question actually says Why do Jehovah's Witnesses believe in hell? as the negatives cross eachother out. For best answer, Keiichi has all the bases covered, except maybe one: Matthew 11:11 shows that the greatest one in heaven is greater than John the Baptist and yet, we know that he will be resurrected so it must be that he will live on the earth rather than heaven, as will Job and Noah and Abraham and Abel and many others. Jehovah's Witnesses publish many different Bible translations and anyone who studies with them may use any translation they choose. The truth is in God's word--no matter what translation you use. It is up to each one of us to search for it ourselves and not to lean on anyone else's opinion. They will not die for you--why would you let them live for you???
2007-03-17 13:32:24 · answer #2 · answered by Sparkle1 6 · 8⤊ 1⤋
The misunderstanding of "hell" is in the translation.
In addition to the link cnaw provided, here is some more info:
Concerning this use of “hell” to translate these original words from the Hebrew and Greek, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981, Vol. 2, p. 187) says: “HADES . . . It corresponds to ‘Sheol’ in the O.T. [Old Testament]. In the A.V. of the O.T. [Old Testament] and N.T. [New Testament], it has been unhappily rendered ‘Hell.’”
Collier’s Encyclopedia (1986, Vol. 12, p. 28) says concerning “Hell”: “First it stands for the Hebrew Sheol of the Old Testament and the Greek Hades of the Septuagint and New Testament. Since Sheol in Old Testament times referred simply to the abode of the dead and suggested no moral distinctions, the word ‘hell,’ as understood today, is not a happy translation.”
It is, in fact, because of the way that the word “hell” is understood today that it is such an unsatisfactory translation of these original Bible words. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, unabridged, under “Hell” says: “fr[om] . . . helan to conceal.” The word “hell” thus originally conveyed no thought of heat or torment but simply of a ‘covered over or concealed place.’ In the old English dialect the expression “helling potatoes” meant, not to roast them, but simply to place the potatoes in the ground or in a cellar.
The meaning given today to the word “hell” is that portrayed in Dante’s Divine Comedy and Milton’s Paradise Lost, which meaning is completely foreign to the original definition of the word.
Also, the war you speak of is not going to be between heaven and hell. It is the war of God...when he destroys all the wicked people on the earth and Satan and his demons will be abyssed for 1000 years.
2007-03-17 07:52:11 · answer #3 · answered by Badriya 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Psalm 146:4 - "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish."
Some are taught in church that Hell is a place of suffering where evil souls go and Heaven is where good people go.
This is not a bible teaching:
Did Abraham die and went to a ever-burning hell? Surely idol worshippers would not be in heaven. Yet, Abraham was with his forefathers, Scripture says.
Joshua 24:2 - "Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor; and they served other deities," Genesis 15:15. "And you shall go to your fathers".
King David was a righteous king he must of gone to heaven? NO?
Acts 2:34 - For David did not ascend into the heavens.
When Lazarus died Jesus spoke to Martha that he was in Heaven? NO?
John 11:11 - Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Besides Jesus there must of been some one righteous enough to go to heaven? NO?
John 3:13 - No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
When Jesus kingdom arrives he promised the good will go to heaven. NO?
Matthew 5:5 - Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Surely people who are holy as saints and priests will rule with Jesus in heaven? NO?
Revelation 5:10 - You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
finally, the second death (from Rev 21:8) is a location for bad people to suffer in a fiery place. NO?
Rev 20:14 - And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
-The Second death is a judgment not a location. Jesus is promising that those who are not wicked will be resurrected and never die again. (Rev 20:15)
Verdict: Death is Hell. It's the grave where we are like in a sleep like state but have no conscience thought. Waiting to be brought back to life if we have followed Jesus teachings.
2007-03-17 07:24:29 · answer #4 · answered by keiichi 6 · 7⤊ 1⤋
anthony, you are partially correct that the bible teaches about heaven and hell.
but if you did your research, you would find out that the original hebrew and greek armaic texts that the bible was written in uses the words sheol and hades which should translate to "grave"
the teaching of hell fire is not from the bible, although it does speak symbollically of the lake of fire and of gehenna wich are topics for another question.
read the article that glib_wis... linked for you.
and the ones from the J-Dubs, the one whose avatar is the tetragrammaton. what better place to get an answer from the witnesses than the witnesses themselves?
2007-03-18 14:44:42 · answer #5 · answered by blondie 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Jehovah's Witnesses actually *DO* believe in hell, as the term is actually used in the bible. The bible teaches that "hell" is *NOT* a fiery place of torment, but is actually the common grave of mankind.
There is no suffering in "hell", or the grave. Sometime after the resurrection, death and "hell" will themselves be destroyed.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all
(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]
(Revelation 20:14) And death and Hades ["hell"] were hurled into the lake of fire
2007-03-17 08:41:38 · answer #6 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 8⤊ 2⤋
Brother/Sister, Peace Be Upon you. Anyway Old Heaven & Earth will pass away but GOD's Words will Never. Does your Question that you asked really important to you, when i say the world is coming to an end, Jesus is coming back real soon, Just do what is in the Bible says, and not listen to other Authors that wrote against God words. Althought i do not know are you a believer of Jesus but i can tell you if you are not you better pray the Siners Pray to be safe. Cause When Jesus comes back you can go Heaven, if you are not safe then its HELL for sure.
2007-03-17 06:54:13 · answer #7 · answered by Andrea 3 · 1⤊ 5⤋
I wish people would stop saying we are a cult. we are a real religion. a cult worships man. people who know nothing about Jehovah Witnesses will go around and tell lies about us instead of finding out the truth. they are mislead by the devil. we do believe in hell, it is the common grave, the coffin that we go into when we die unless we are cremated. learn what Jehovah Witnesses are all about before you tell lies about us at www.watchtower.org. also we follow the bible, not the watchtower as some keep saying. the watchtower is a magazine that we read on sundays. we pray for the ones that are mislead by the devil
2007-03-17 12:17:51 · answer #8 · answered by lover of Jehovah and Jesus 7 · 7⤊ 3⤋
Interesting.
Well according to Article 47 of the Constitution of One Heaven between God and Lucifer, the Treaty of Lucifer clearly states that Hell no longer exists.
Maybe, the Jehovah Witnesses have always known the war would end.
Of course to die hard religious people, who love to curse, to hate and judge, such a concept as divine compassion is an unspeakable and terrible thing to contemplate.
That is why they deny the word of God today, NOW.
Instead, they hide in words 2000 years old and say that divine revelation ceased all those centuries ago.
It is sad really. On the one hand they claim to love God and Jesus and yet on the other they openly refuse to hear his voice when he/she speaks.
2007-03-17 06:32:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
how could any god be so cruel as to subject any being no matter how "evil" to eternal torment?
i will let the other knowledgable people here give you the details and the background on the language and meaning of the passage you must be referring to, but you will find that the bible refers to the common grave of mankind, and speaks the theme of the resurrection where both the righteous and the unrighteous will be resurrected and have an opportunity for eternal life.
2007-03-17 06:35:20 · answer #10 · answered by shredded_lettuce 4 · 3⤊ 2⤋