So basically JW's are saying the grave is hell, so more less that is where they will end up when you die you are in a grave right? Now i know when i die i'll be in a grave, but my spirit will be in heaven.
2007-03-28 13:25:48 · 9 answers · asked by Anthony H 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It seems useful to mention that the bible does NOT teach that a "soul" is some immortal otherworldly entity that exists apart from a physical body. Instead, in the bible "a soul" is simply "a life"; at death a person's "soul" or "life" returns to Jehovah in that life originates from God, and all future prospects for a resurrection of that life rest with Jehovah God.
(Job 12:9-10) The hand of Jehovah itself has done this, In whose hand is the soul of everyone alive And the spirit of all flesh of man
(Ezekiel 18:4) The soul that is sinning - it itself will die.
(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]
(Acts 3:23) Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.
The bible teaches that after Armageddon, there will be a resurrection of nearly all humans who have ever died, to a restored paradise earth. The graves will be emptied!
(John 5:26-29) For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted also to the Son to have life in himself. ...the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out
(Acts 24:15) There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
Now, regarding the so-called "hell", it is interesting to reflect on the fact that the Old-English word "hell" merely meant "underground". Some rural folks still refer to the practice of "helling potatoes" which refers to the fact that they are buried, and has nothing to do with cooking. Re-read Scriptures that use the term "hell" and note that the vast majority make perfect sense when the word "underground" is substituted.
In some bibles, a few occurrences of "hell" cannot be replaced with "underground" because there are actually three different Greek words that various English bible translations commonly translate as "hell", including the King James Version. Those terms are "Tartarus", "Hades", and "Gehenna".
Tartarus
The bible never uses the term "Tartarus" in connection with humans, but only in connection with demonic former angels. Since only spirit creatures are involved, "Tartarus" seems to be a CONDITION rather than a PLACE. The word “Tartarus” is also used in pre-Christian heathen mythologies. In Homer’s Iliad this mythological Tartarus is represented as an underground prison ‘as far below Hades as earth is below heaven.’ In it were imprisoned the lesser gods, noteworthy in that the bible and other ancient literature consistently uses the term "Tartarus" exclusively in connection with superhuman creatures.
(2 Peter 2:4) God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment
Hades
The term "Hades" is not a fiery place of torture, but rather the common grave of mankind (the state of being dead). The bible plainly teaches that Jesus himself was in "Hades" after his impalement but before his resurrection. Also, the bible teaches that "death and Hades" will be destroyed forever after God resurrects everyone (and "empties" Hades.
(Acts 2:22-33) Jesus the Nazarene... fastened to a stake by the hand of lawless men and did away with. But God resurrected him... David says respecting [Jesus], ‘...you [Father] will not leave my soul in HADES... [David] was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath that he would seat one from the fruitage of his loins upon his throne, he saw beforehand and spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he forsaken in HADES nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God resurrected, of which fact we are all witnesses. Therefore because he was exalted to the right hand of God
(Revelation 20:13-14) Death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. And death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire.
Gehenna
The bible term "Gehenna" refers to death without hope of resurrection. Interestingly, the bible term "Hades" ("hell") is destroyed in Gehenna once that grave has been emptied by resurrections. The grave will no longer be needed since humans will then live forever! The term "Gehenna" is synonymous with other bible terms such as the "second death [different from first death allowing resurrection]" and with the "[metaphorical] lake of fire [which destroys the dead one's remembrance]".
(Matthew 10:28) And do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be in fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
(Revelation 20:13-14) Death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. And death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire.
2007-03-29 03:08:54 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hell is the Grave it is mistranslated from hades in greek or Sheol in hebrew which means the grave. When you die you don't go to heaven or hell you just die until the resurrection when Jesus comes back then the believers will get a new earth(Revelation 21) and the wicked just die(malachi4) explains this. I am not JW but Church of God Seventh
2007-03-28 20:39:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
What spirit will be in heaven? Your spirit of life? The same spirit of life that the Bibles says we share with all life form, including the lower form animals?
The Bible says your soul dies with the body, as was evident in that when the Jews performed their sacrifices at the Temple, they were to slit the throat of the animal to allow its soul to pour out on the ground. The same thing happened when the ultimate sacrifice for our sins was made when the Lamb of God, Christ was sacrificed.
Speaking of which, i assume you must be greater than Christ, since he had to lay in his grave, until his resurrection, before he could ascend the heaven. You must lead a really pious life to get something that not even Christ got.
On a final note, long before the JWs came into existence, Biblical scholars, including Jewish scholars, were agreeing the there are no words in the oldest texts that translated as hell or hell fire. Also, when there is a bombing in Israel, they make it a point to scrape up every bit of the ";soul" of the victims for burial. Even if it means tearing up streets and sidewalks.
Apparently you also have no use for God's Creation, or want to take part in the process of rebuilding it back into a paradise. Does God know that you care so little for his creation that you want to get off it?
2007-03-28 22:16:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Where is the Question??? Yes we do believe that the idea of hell as a place of torment is a misconception and unBiblical. As for the comments of you and one of the first answerers. We do not believe only the "Good Witnesses" go to heaven. Yes it is true we feel it will be a total of 144000. So what about the rest of the people??? Those who wish to follow God will be reserected to a paradise Earth. Think about it, Jehovah creates a perfect paradise with the intent that Mankind fill it with Perfect offspring. Adam and Eve muk things up, does it make sense that God would scrap all his plans becuase of what they did??? As for who goes to heaven and who does not. We do not believe it is Only Witnesses. No One is promissed reserection. It is a matter of those who do/will serve God,ie, play by the rules. As for who goes to heaven and who stays here, the way I see it that is God's business.
2007-03-30 05:26:01 · answer #4 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Since im a jehovah witness, we believe when you die, your spirts will be in god's memory. You won't be following around people in earth or sitting on the clouds. You will be just in a very deep sleep and we do believe in angels but there's only a limit of them that get accpted to go there but that doesn't mean he doesn't love us any less. When the great day comes he will come and resurrect us so we live forever in paradise on earth. We will get a second chance a living life the way god wanted it when he first put adam and eve on earth before satan was sent down to earth in 1914 and that's when the whole world changed. (please do not go yelling at me and saying negative things, i was just being honsent)
2007-03-28 21:19:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The JW's are a cult and are mind controlled. what happened to their prophecy that the world was coming to a end in 1914?
2007-03-28 20:42:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
They don't understand that Jesus taught in a literal hell of great torment and anguish.
"So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth". - Jesus (Matt. 13:49)
Jesus called it a literal place of REAL torment.
The truth about hell: http://www.av1611.org/hell.html
Scriptures about hell: http://www.rapturealert.com/ishellarealplace.html
2007-03-28 20:31:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
JWs believe there is NO hell. when we die... we die... period! i was raised one... but left long long ago!
2007-03-28 20:31:55 · answer #8 · answered by airgemm 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
JW scare me...I mean you have to be wicked good to get into their heavan:) And then only like 1% of us are getting ther anyway....not great odds.
2007-03-28 20:29:27 · answer #9 · answered by ste.phunny 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋