JW, i noticed this scripture sited earlier Rev 14:10-11 about hell being a place of torment...?

Question

in front of jesus no less. can you explain this from a witness point of view. i am generally interested. thank you

NWT
REV. 14:10-11
10 he will also drink of the wine of the anger of God that is poured out undiluted into the cup of his wrath, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and day and night they have no rest, those who worship the wild beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses believe the bible to teach that most of mankind's dead are simply in a sleep-like state of non-existence, awaiting resurrection after Armageddon. Once dead, a person exists only in the perfect memory of Almighty God, and the lesser memories of others.

(John 11:11,14,23-25) [Jesus] said to them: “Lazarus our friend has gone to rest, but I am journeying there to awaken him from sleep.” ...Jesus said to them outspokenly: “Lazarus has died... Jesus said to [Martha]: “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life

(Acts 24:15) There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.


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 (once the grave is "empty"), 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


The bible plainly teaches that a "soul" can die. In both Hebrew and Greek, original language words translated "soul" simply mean "a life", with no implication regarding some immortal otherworldly entity. Each deceased life is in Jehovah God's remembrance (with the potential for future resurrection), but the dead do not exist anywhere but memories until and unless the life is resurrected.

(Ezekiel 18:4) The soul that is sinning - it itself will die.

(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"]

(Genesis 2:17) But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”

(Genesis 17:14) And an uncircumcised male who will not get the flesh of his foreskin circumcised, even that soul must be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

(Judges 16:30) And Samson proceeded to say: “Let my soul die with the Philistines.” Then he bent himself with power, and the house went falling upon the axis lords and upon all the people that were in it, so that the dead that he put to death in his own death came to be more than those he had put to death during his lifetime.

(Job 33:22) And his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those inflicting death.

(Psalm 78:50) He did not hold back their soul from death itself; And their life he handed over even to the pestilence.

(Isaiah 53:12) he poured out his soul to the very death

(Acts 3:23) Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’

(Revelation 16:3) And the second one poured out his bowl into the sea. And it became blood as of a dead man, and every living soul died, yes, the things in the sea.


For the vast majority of mankind, their eternal hope is unending peaceful productive life in perfect human bodies in a restored paradise earth.

(Psalm 37:10,11,29) And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. 11 But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. ...The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it.


Bible students may recall this is exactly the life that Adam and Eve enjoyed before they introduced sinful imperfection and the issue of universal sovereignty. It is Christ Jesus who settles the issue and redeems mankind for all time.

(Genesis 2:15-17) Jehovah God proceeded to take the man and settle him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to take care of it. 16 And Jehovah God also laid this command upon the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. 17 But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.” [note that abstaining from that one fruit would mean the man would never die]

(Romans 5:12,14) Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men ...death ruled as king from Adam

(1 Corinthians 15:22) For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive


Learn more related to "hell":
http://watchtower.org/e/20020715/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20020601/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_07.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20010901/article_02.htm

Learn more related to "soul":
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19970515/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050501/article_02.htm

Learn more related to humankind's future:
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_05.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_10.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_09.htm

Answer 2

And he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and day and night they have no rest, those who worship the wild beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”—Revelation 14:10b, 11.

Some have viewed the mention here of fire and sulfur (“fire and brimstone,” King James Version) as a proof of the existence of a hellfire. But a brief look at a similar prophecy shows the real import of these words in this context. Back in the days of Isaiah, Jehovah warned the nation of Edom that they would be punished because of their enmity toward Israel. He said: “Her torrents must be changed into pitch, and her dust into sulphur; and her land must become as burning pitch. By night or by day it will not be extinguished; to time indefinite its smoke will keep ascending. From generation to generation she will be parched; forever and ever no one will be passing across her.”—Isaiah 34:9, 10.

Was Edom hurled into some mythical hellfire to burn forever? Of course not. Rather, the nation completely disappeared from the world scene as if she had been totally consumed with fire and sulfur. The final result of the punishment was not everlasting torment but “emptiness . . . wasteness . . . nothing.” (Isaiah 34:11, 12) The smoke ‘ascending to time indefinite’ vividly illustrates this. When a house burns down, smoke keeps coming from the ashes for some time after the flames have died down, providing onlookers with evidence that there has been a destructive conflagration. Even today God’s people remember the lesson to be learned from the destruction of Edom. In this way ‘the smoke of her burning’ is still ascending in a symbolic way.

Answer 3

The Watchtower Society does not allow for any literal interpretation of Bible references to a place of everlasting torment. They insist it is symbolic of annihilation. Granted, lots of statements about hell cannot be literal. Yet JWs show a strange refusal to consider even the possibility that hell is much more than the grave.

If they just took Jesus' many warnings about hell and weighed them up, they would see he was using the strongest possible language to warn of a horrendous situation after physical death. He even said of Judas Iscariot "It would have been better if that man had not been born". What nonsense if Judas became unconscious after he committed suicide and will never get a resurrection! No punishment there at all. JWs are just not facing up to the full implications of the Bible.

Answer 4

well, it is not literal. There is a parallel prophecy in Isaiah 34:9, 10 speaking of Edom, it says, "torrents must be changed into pitch, and her dust into sulpher..." Edom had disappeared because it was DESTROYED. What happens when you burn something in a fire? It turns into aches, right? So when it speaks of fire and sulfer it is saying that it is of "emptiness... wasteness... nothing." (Isaiah 34:11, 12) Hope i could help

Answer 5

It's referring to the lost people left behind during the tribulation. These are the things that will happen to the lost souls. Or those who have already died and had never accepted Christ as their Savior. (NOT 4 ALL 2 CALL)

Answer 6

Is not the hard part of understanding revelation knowing what is literal and what is not ?

Answer 7

whow that's really full on .I have never come across that before make me know why i want to go to the nicer place and that one is up to me and how i live my life my way or gods way i choose gods way :-)

Answer 8

Rarely the NWT gets a scripture right...this is one of those rare occasions.

Answer 9

I believe I see someone put there phone number here for ALL to call you!!!!!

Answer 10

Gods anger will b given to all those who arent christians. and they will be tourcherd while God and the angels are watching
4 EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!