"Mansion in Heaven" Christian ForumVoted Best Answer
Sep 05, 2014 - 07:27 PM
I also do not believe that the bible is talking about people becoming worms or like worms in hell. Please don’t quote me on this, but if I recall correctly, worm in the bible denotes weakness and complete helplessness and something that is despised and trodden down under foot.
I would just like to touch on Mark Chapter 9, Verses 42-48.
It begins by saying that whosoever shall offend one of these little ones, and Jesus is bringing in a child as an example. The word offend is the Greek word SCANDALON. It is where we get out word scandal from, except in Greek it had to do with a stick. That stick was used to prop up a box and it was used like a trap spring so that when an animal would run underneath the box they would pull the stick and the box would fall down and they would trap somebody.
Jesus says that whosoever shall trap one of these little ones that believes in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. That is pretty serious! In literature, this is called a hyperbole. He says that if your hand offends you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands and to go into hell. This would be Gehenna, the Valley of Henon.
The Valley of Henon was just to the south of Jerusalem. It was the Valley that they used to offer their children up in sacrifice in the old days but at this time when Jesus came they were using it as the garbage dump. People just came and dumped their garbage into the Valley and it was constantly burning.
This is the valley Geh of Henon, Gehenna. Jesus said that it is better for him to be maimed than to go into Gehenna into the fire that never shall never be quenched. He continues on saying “Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.” He is using this place and the fire as an example and saying that even a worm will not die in this fire.
All these are quotes from Isaiah 66:24, and please don’t let anybody fool you. There are church denominations today that are built around the doctrine to say that if you do wind up in hell you will only feel it for a few seconds and you will be annihilated and that it is not eternal. That is just the opposite of what the Bible says, even Jesus here.
Verse 45 says “And if thy foot offends you, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life lame than having two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.
Now please keep in mind that these are quotes from Isaiah Chapter 66. If you get a chance and the time to do so, and you want to read some literature, read Isaiah Chapter 66 because it details for us what it's like for people in hell.
Some evening when you don’t have anything to do, read Isaiah Chapter 66, how they are burning continuously and they feel it continuously.
Here is something that is important to know. “Where their worm dieth not” is actually a Jewish phrase. They use to use insects and worms to test poisonous or dangerous materials. However the worm would respond would basically tell you what materials you are dealing with. Now imagine putting a worm into a fire. It is not going to fare very well. In fact, that worms going to be toast! But Jesus says that in hell, even the worm would not die. He is trying to get a point across to them!
What scripture is speaking about and what Jesus was referring to is that when a worm is applied to hell, and the worm does not die, it means nobody dies there. Living matter lasts eternally! And if your eye offends thee, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes and you are cast into hell fire: Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. Again, Jesus is showing us the seriousness of sin.
Something even as small as a worm will not die in hell. That sort of eliminates the JW’s teaching about annihilation. Hell is eternal, just as Heaven is eternal.
Source:
Add New Comment