What is Jesus talking about in Mark 9;43-50 Hell Gehenna?

Question

I am better understanding the parables now. But is he talking in parables in mark 9:43-48? God sent adam and eve back to the dust, so why does jesus talk of a fire that cant be put out. I see some symbolism to it but would like to know what you think. Also what do you get out of 9:49,50?

Answer 1

He was speaking of a place of eternal torment - th Lake of Fire. This is the destination of every sinner who has rejected the salvation God offers through his Son Jesus Christ:

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
Revelation 20:10

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Revelation 20:11-15

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Revelation 21:1-8

"God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you."
II Thessalonians 1:6-10

Answer 2

Some commentators endeavor to link such fiery characteristic of Gehenna with the burning of human sacrifices that was carried on prior to Josiah’s reign and, on this basis, hold that Gehenna was used by Jesus as a symbol of everlasting torment. However, since God expressed repugnance for such practice, saying that it was “a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart” (Jer 7:31; 32:35), it seems most unlikely that God’s Son, in discussing divine judgment, would make such idolatrous practice the basis for the symbolic meaning of Gehenna. It may be noted that God prophetically decreed that the Valley of Hinnom would serve as a place for mass disposal of dead bodies rather than for the torture of live victims.

Answer 3

Let me show you how I do research on the subject of Gehenna.

Strong's Number: 1067
gevenna of Hebrew origin (01516) and (02011)

Geenna
Noun Feminine

Hell is the place of the future punishment call "Gehenna" or "Gehenna of fire". This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=1067&version=kjv


It is then based upon a couple of Hebrew words. ( Since Greek and Hebrew are linked, they are not always stated as being linked, so I will research the meaning of the two Hebrew references )

Strong's Number: 01516
ayg probably from the same root as (01466) (abbreviated)
valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Hebrew/heb.cgi?number=1516&version=kjv

Strong's Number: 02011
Hinnom
Hinnom = "lamentation"

1. a valley (deep and narrow ravine) with steep, rocky sides located southwest of Jerusalem, separating Mount Zion to the north from the hill of evil counsel' and the sloping rocky plateau of the 'plain of Rephaim' to the south
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Hebrew/heb.cgi?number=2011&version=kjv

So with the bare meanings of the words, the word translated as 'Hell' in those passages do NOT literally mean what we tend to conceive as "Hell" . But the observant Christian will look to what Jesus was saying about it, i.e. "where the fire never goes out" as the fire does go out, and "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched " where it could be demonstrated that the literal Gehenna did have fires that went out, and where the worms could be killed. So Jesus was drawing a comparison from the very observable Hell, very present in the minds of those alive at the time, and the one where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."
In other words, the Gehenna was a good example in metaphor to the Hell where " their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. "

Answer 4

Gehenna was a garbage dump outside the wall of Jerusalem.
There was a continual fire there to burn the garbage.
Jesus seized on it to give an illustration.
If someone lost something in that valley, it was gone for ever.
Jesus wanted to teach that our actions and beliefs can make it that when we die, we will be gone forever ....no hope of resurrection.