allow suffering?
all the chaos, sorrow and tragedy in this world we live in?
My assumption is that you've come to this web page seeking answers... hoping for some clue... any additional piece of information that will help you understand 'WHAT the HELL is GOING ON?!' If so, I encourage you to read on. (this entire page is probably about 15 minutes of reading, and by the way, you don't have to be a Christian to benefit from this info.)
With statistics showing that in the past decade or two --- the sharp and severe increase in natural disasters (not to mention general moral decline and widespread varieties of insanity), such as devastating tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, tornadoes...the list goes on and on -- you're sitting up and taking note.
If you never have before, you may now be seriously wondering about biblical prophecy. You think of the terms: "the Last Days" or "Armageddon". Depending on your stance, these trigger emotions of either fear or indifference. Often one's reasoning is: "But these things are nothing new...there have always been wars...there have always been natural disasters". True, BUT...the frequency and magnitude of what we're witnessing, the sheer scope of what is possible in these times, is such that man has never seen before. One (and there are many) statistical fact is that more people have died in wars in the past century than all wars combined in the history of mankind.
The main reason the thought of Armageddon triggers such fear is because people generally don't fully understand it and focus on the horrific images, completely ignoring the promises made, which is where hope stems from. So many people don't really know what "the Last Days" are, what Armageddon is or what the term, 'The end of the world!' actually means. It has usually been interpreted as the end of the earth itself, when in fact, the bible clearly states, many times, that the earth will exist forever. The "world" referred to in scripture in regards to the Last Days means "this system of things" and it is very clear as to when to be on the look out for such things. This page addresses such issues. The Bible can be an intimidating book for most people, which is one reason it often sits untouched, unread. To make the task simpler, what I've done here is compiled specific prophecies directly regarding these times, along with the basics of a belief system.
I was raised in Catholicism, yet I am not committed to any particular religious group, so this is NOT an attempt to "convert" anyone in any way. I, myself, am still learning more of what is true, though have found the truth concerning the most important aspects of faith. No one can convince anyone to believe or think something he doesn't want to believe or is unable to see. What I have learned has brought me to a place of much greater understanding of the world around me, and with that understanding comes much comfort which helps appease some of the fear. The hours I've spent on this site have been in the effort to benefit and possibly enlighten the inquisitive searcher, just as I have been...
as you travel down
your own
winding path,
please...
give these things
some
"simmering thought"...
I doubt many people would disagree with me when I state that we are living in a pretty frightening world. For centuries people ask "Why?" "Why such suffering?" "Where is God?" "When will it all stop?" "Why?" "Why?" "WHY?" The answers can be found, but you have to know where to look. The information I've compiled on this page is both frightening and comforting. I believe it's vital for people to understand, which is why I've spent countless hours on this. I hope you find it as beneficial as I do.
I've discovered that many people aren�t curious enough or simply don't care about their belief systems to want to analyze what the true or false aspects of them are. They grew up with a religion, were taught about its guidelines, the traditions, etc., and just assume that since it�s what they were taught, that it�s "the way it is". Obviously, the fact that there are SO many religions and belief systems throughout the world, including atheism, clearly illustrates that just because we were "taught" it, doesn�t validate its truth.
An important fact I've learned through study and research, is that corruption in Christianity itself began shortly after Christ�s death, and that includes some versions/translations of Christian bibles. From that initial corruption, through the ages, we've come to a point where people go "spirituality shopping". Some of us feel "to each his own", and some say that whatever an individual believes is their own personal "truth". You then have those who believe very strongly that their religion is "the" religion. All ways of thinking can�t be correct because, whether or not we know what the truth is, there can still only be ONE truth.
For nearly 30 years I�ve been paying attention to the goings-on in this whacky world of ours and am still searching for the answers to some of my questions concerning what is true, though the most vital questions have been answered, leaving no doubt. I've learned enough to know that some things can�t be refuted. One thing I know for certain is that so much of what we�ve heard through our life times, regarding religious beliefs and practices, is bogus and nonsensical. Most people would see it too, if they only took the time and opened their minds to scrutinize these things, using common-sense, acute judgement. As an example, one of the most basic controversial beliefs is whether or not God, an Almighty Creator, even exists.
There are those who believe solely in the theory of evolution. In examining it, one of the things that seems so obvious to me, yet apparently not to everyone, is that if man evolved from ape to human, when did that evolution stop? We still have apes and we still have humans, but for as long as man can remember, there has been no living being "in-between". Evolution, in its truest definition, wouldn�t just stop, and the "link" would never be "missing". The conclusion I arrived at which I believe makes the most sense is: the discoveries of these human transitional fossils may be evidence of the evolutionary process DURING creation, likened to the evolutionary steps within ANY creative process. I envision it as God Himself supplying the canvas and the paint, but giving Michael the paintbrush while watching carefully over his shoulder, guiding and teaching him, creating it all as a team
The extremely simplistic version of God's creation of the heavens and earth, through Michael (Jesus), doesn't include the details; it only includes the order and the general time frame (in the Bible, one "day" to God typically equals one thousand years). However long it actually took is not really significant in respect to understanding the essential message of the Bible, but is often used as one of the "excuses" to disregard the Bible, as a whole.
A NOTE: All paragraphs written in green font are my own thoughts, not that of any religion or from any book. These thoughts stem from what I�ve learned from years of studying the bible and what I�ve come to believe is the truest interpretation of several of its most important messages. So many things can seem contradictory in "The Great Book", and I still find myself doubting a few things� but I am still studying, trying to put those doubts in their proper place. One thing I have learned and don�t question is the Bible's most basic message because it is consistent throughout�the reason we're in the mess we're in and God's plan to end the miss. Bound within its cover we find the message of God�s kingdom coming, precisely what that kingdome is, the promises of what comes with it, and how we will know when it is close at hand.
Considering the fact that the books of the bible, from beginning to end, were written by about 40 writers over the course of more than 1,600 years, it is amazing that this basic message never falters, unlike the teachings of books/bibles of other religious groups (those I'm aware of, that is). What I�ve compiled below is all related to that basic message, not the "rules" or "guidelines" of how to live righteously.
With all that said, what�s compiled here are scriptures copied from the Christian Bible (a version that I believe has been translated, as completely and accurately as is humanly possible, from the original text without omission of chapters, punctuation, etc.).
Note: I apologize that I am not yet able to add links within the page for you to jump directly to these headings. They are simply listed in order:
* God's Name
* Mankind Screwed Up
* The End of the "World"
* Signs of the Last Days
* Removing the Wicked
* Promise of Everlasting Life
* Death, Heaven, Hellfire
* Prayer
God�s Name
The reason I am addressing this subject is because, like many of you, for most of my life it never entered my mind to even question God's name. I always thought it was "God", but think about it.... "God" is not a name, it�s just a title, like Mr. or Mrs. Once this was brought to my attention, I wanted to know more. In reading the information in the next few paragraghs, it became clear. In respect of accurate translation, all scriptures on this page contain God's name in all places it appears in the original books. I am explaining this so as not to confuse you or put you off since most Christian religions don't acknowledge this important fact. (I personally like "Jah", yet never use it. Everything�s habit, or lack of, with me.)
You may be surprised by this factual info gleaned from various sources, such as encyclopedias, religious publications and dictionaries; the first being that even Indiana Jones mentions it in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:
You may wonder why Jews are strictly forbidden to pronounce God�s name. The Texas Catholic Herald, October 18, 1968, observes: "Although the Jews commonly considered �Yahweh� the personal name of the God of Israel, a kind of superstitious fear prevented them from pronouncing it, and so, when it appeared in their sacred books, it was read as �Adonai.�" This is a superstitious fear, which prevented the Jews from pronouncing the Divine Name. It has also had a profound influence upon Christendom. Seldom, if ever, will one hear the name of God used in Christian churches. In fact, many Bible translators have left the Divine Name out of their Bible translations, substituting His Name with the titles "Lord" and "God".
In the Hebrew portion of the Scriptures the name of God is spelled out in four Hebrew letters, called the Tetragrammaton. These four Hebrew letters are the equivalent of our four English letters YHWH, or YHVH, or JHVH. The exact pronunciation of this Divine Name has been lost, so for many centuries the popular English pronunciation has been "Jehovah." The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 8, 1910 edition, page 329, notes: "Jehovah, the proper name of God in the Old Testament." However, within the last century, Bible scholars have preferred the pronunciation "Yahweh," generally agreeing that this is closer to the way the Name was pronounced in the original Hebrew. Most people do not speak Hebrew today, they speak other languages. Therefore, when we speak English, for example, it is appropriate to use the English pronunciation of the Divine Name, which is "Jehovah." This form faithfully preserves the sounds of the four letters of the Tetragrammaton. More than being the Creator, he is the Purposer. It is believed that the name Jehovah means "He causes to become."
The various words that describe God�Lord, Almighty, the Creator�are correct. They are used in the Bible. However, there is a word that the Bible uses more often than any. It is God�s personal name, and that name should remind us of all the things we know about him. That name, which today is commonly pronounced Jehovah, or Yahweh, occurs in the original text of the Bible far more often than does any other word for God. The Comprehensive Concordance of the New World Translation of the Holy Scripture (which can be read online---yes, the whole Bible in full---and can go directly to any specific scripture) takes 43 columns to list each time the word "God" or "God�s" is used in the Bible, but 77 columns to list each time "Jehovah" or "Jehovah�s" appears. This name appears 749 times in the complete Bible book of Psalms. If your translation of the Bible uses "LORD" in these passages, be assured that in the original Hebrew, God�s name appears in each of them. The commonly accepted English form "Jehovah" appears 6,973 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and 237 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures.
"Jah" is a shorter poetic form for "Jehovah." Thus, The Random House Dictionary of the English Language says that "Hallelujah" is from the Hebrew for "Praise (ye) Jehovah." So God is worshiped in heaven with the cry: "Praise Jehovah!"
Exodus 20:7
"You must not take up the name of Jehovah (Yahweh, Jah) your God in a worthless way, for Jehovah will not leave the one unpunished who takes up his name in a worthless way"
Exodus 3:15 The New English Bible.
You must tell the Israelites this, that it is Jehovah the God of their forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, who has sent you to them. This is my name forever; this is my title in every generation.
Exodus 3:15 (New World Translation, the bible I use, believing in its integrity and accuracy)
15 Then God said once more to Moses: "This is what you are to say to the sons of Israel, �Jehovah the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.� This is my name to time indefinite, and this is the memorial of me to generation after generation.
Mankind screwed up:
Whether a person interprets the stories in Genesis literally, as the actual way things happened, or figuratively just to teach the point, the message is still the same: God started us off with everything� health, everlasting life, paradise, everything. Satan�s desire to be "like God", wanting the adulation, wanting to "win over" man, he then deceived man. The temptation of eating from that tree of the knowledge of good and bad (wanting to decide for ourselves what is good and bad, rather than God), the disobedience and desire to be our own boss, is what put us in this mess today. "Man" screwed up, and just like a parent with his children, man and the angels (the women I study with disagree that the angels are a part of the lesson) needed to be taught a very serious lesson, of which we are now in the "final exam" stages� man� WE� can�t do it our way� just look at the results (and the worst is yet to come). We have to learn, the hard way, that God�s way is the only way that will ever work� He�s "the BOSS"� not the angels, not Satan, and certainly not mankind.
What exactly is what people call "the end of the World"?
(it�s NOT the earth, and not all of mankind, but the present system of things that will come to its end):
Psalm 104:5
5 He has founded the earth upon its established places;
It will not be made to totter to time indefinite, or forever.
Ecclesiastes 1:4
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming; but the earth is standing even to time indefinite.
Matthew 28:20
20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things."
Galatians 1:4
4 He gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from the present wicked system of things according to the will of our God and Father
Revelation 11:18
18 But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time for the dead to be judged, and to give [their] reward to your slaves the prophets and to the holy ones and to those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth."
Signs of the Last Days and the Impending Armageddon:
2 Peter 3:3-10
3 For you know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires 4 and saying: "Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep [in death], all things are continuing exactly as from creation�s beginning."
5 For, according to their wish, this fact escapes their notice, that there were heavens from of old and an earth standing compactly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God; 6 and by those [means] the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water. 7 But by the same word the heavens and the earth that are now are stored up for fire and are being reserved to the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men. 8 However, let this one fact not be escaping your notice, beloved ones, that one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. 9 Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance. 10 Yet Jehovah�s day will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a hissing noise, but the elements being intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be discovered.
Matthew 24:3-44
3 While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: "Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?"
4 And in answer Jesus said to them: "Look out that nobody misleads you; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, �I am the Christ,� and will mislead many. 6 you are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet.
7 "For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. 8 All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.
9 "Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. 10 Then, also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and mislead many; 12 and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off. 13 But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. 14 And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.
15 "Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let the reader use discernment,) 16 then let those in Ju�de�a begin fleeing to the mountains. 17 Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house; 18 and let the man in the field not return to the house to pick up his outer garment. 19 Woe to the pregnant women and those suckling a baby in those days! 20 Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime, nor on the sabbath day; 21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world�s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.
23 "Then if anyone says to you, �Look! Here is the Christ,� or, �There!� do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. 25 Look! I have forewarned you. 26 Therefore, if people say to you, �Look! He is in the wilderness,� do not go out; �Look! He is in the inner chambers,� do not believe it. 27 For just as the lightning comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity.
32 "Now learn from the fig tree as an illustration this point: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and it puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 Likewise also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near at the doors. 34 Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.
36 "Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned; 41 two women will be grinding at the hand mill: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned. 42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
43 "But know one thing, that if the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 On this account you too prove yourselves ready, because at an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming.
Luke 21:34-36
34 "But pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you 35 as a snare. For it will come in upon all those dwelling upon the face of all the earth. 36 Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that you may succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur, and in standing before the Son of man."
2 Timothy 3:1-5
3 But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up [with pride], lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away.
Removing the old and wicked to make way for the new system of things:
Psalm 37:10-11
10 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.
Psalm 145:20
20 Jehovah is guarding all those loving him,
But all the wicked ones he will annihilate.
Proverbs 2:21-22
21 For the upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. 22 As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.
Promise of Everlasting Life in Paradise ON EARTH:
John 5:28-29
28 Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.
John 11:11-14
11 He said these things, and after this he said to them: "Laz'arus our friend has gone to rest, but I am journeying there to awaken him from sleep." 12 Therefore the disciples said to him: "Lord, if he has gone to rest, he will get well." 13 Jesus had spoken, however, about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 At that time, therefore, Jesus said to them outspokenly: "Laz'arus has died
Psalm 13:3
3 Do look [upon me]; answer me, O Jehovah my God.
Do make my eyes shine, that I may not fall asleep in death,
Isaiah 26:19
19 "Your dead ones will live. A corpse of mine�they will rise up. Awake and cry out joyfully, you residents in the dust! For your dew is as the dew of mallows, and the earth itself will let even those impotent in death drop [in birth].
John 3:14-17
14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone believing in him may have everlasting life.
16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent forth his Son into the world, not for him to judge the world, but for the world to be saved through him.
2 Peter 3:13
13 But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.
Psalm 37:27-29
27 Turn away from what is bad and do what is good,
And so reside to time indefinite.
28 For Jehovah is a lover of justice,
And he will not leave his loyal ones. [`A�yin]
To time indefinite they will certainly be guarded;
But as for the offspring of the wicked ones, they will indeed be cut off.
29 The righteous themselves will possess the earth,
And they will reside forever upon it.
Isaiah 65:17
17 "For here I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.
Isaiah 65:21-22
21 And they will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat [their] fruitage. 22 They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating. For like the days of a tree will the days of my people be; and the work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full.
Isaiah 25:8
8 He will actually swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces. And the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for Jehovah himself has spoken [it].
Revelation 21:1-7
21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: "Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away."
5 And the One seated on the throne said: "Look! I am making all things new." Also, he says: "Write, because these words are faithful and true." 6 And he said to me: "They have come to pass! I am the Al�pha and the O�me�ga, the beginning and the end. To anyone thirsting I will give from the fountain of the water of life free. 7 Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I shall be his God and he will be my son.
Psalm 67:6
6 The earth itself will certainly give its produce;
God, our God, will bless us.
Psalm 72:16
16 There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth;
On the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.
His fruit will be as in Leb�a�non,
And those who are from the city will blossom like the vegetation of the earth.
Isaiah 9:5-7
. 6 For there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite.
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, 20 idolatry, practice of spiritism, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, 21 envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these. As to these things I am forewarning YOU, the same way as I did forewarn YOU, that those who practice such things will not inherit God's kingdom.
John 6:40
40 For this is the will of my Father that everyone that beholds the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him at the last day."
Death, Heaven, Hellfire and things related:
Please keep in mind these basic facts I�ve learned and are further explained below:
Hell basically means "first death" or "grave", simply the realm of where the dead lie. The "first death" is when we die now, the first time around, and once we do, we are totally unaware and unconscious (Jesus explained it as being like sleep), and will be resurrected at some point after Armageddon (which is a battle in heaven: Jesus and his angels vs. Satan and his demons; not on earth). It has nothing to do with fire or hellfire; it�s not to do with ending up in the heavenly realm (except for a very select few). The imagery we�ve been mistakenly taught about "hellfire" comes from the word "Gehenna", the fiery pit that actually existed outside Jerusalem (the Valley of Hinnom). It signifies the "second death", which is complete destruction forever.
In Revelation, the Bible states that after Armageddon, there will be those in the heavenly realm to help govern "the great crowd"--those who are destined to live again on paradise earth having been restored. This will be a period of 1000 years, during which time Satan and his demons will be quarantined in the abyss of Tartarus, enabling that paradise to be all that God has promised. At the end of that millenium, he and his demons will be released to tempt mankind for one last time. At that point, after 1000 years of utopian living, every human being living will have again have a choice: God�s way or the selfish ways of Satan. Those who choose Satan over God will then die - forever. This second death is described, metaphorically, as Gehenna, the fiery pit. Just as something is completely destroyed by fire in Gehenna, so it will be with the second death; there will no longer be the possibility of resurrection nor another chance to "make good", and those people who choose Satan's way will be gone, along with him--permanently (Job 1:6,7; Rev.12:7-10). Death itself will be no more�forever.
True meaning of "Hell" confused by failure of translators to distinguish between original language words.
"Much confusion and misunderstanding has been cause through the early translators of the Bible persistently rendering the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades and Gehenna by the word hell. The simple transliteration of these words by the translators of the revised editions of the Bible has not sufficed to appreciably clear up this confusion and misconception." --- The Encyclopedia Americana (New York; 1942), Vol. 14, p. 81.
"HADES" � It corresponds to �Sheol� in the O.T. [Old Testament]. In the A.V. [Authorized Version] of the O.T. and N.T. [New Testament], it has been unhappily rendered �Hell�." --- An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (London; 1962), W.E. Vine, Vol.II, p. 187.
"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." --- Collier�s Encyclopedia (United States; 1965), Vol. 12, p.27.
Sheol (Hebrew) = Hades (Greek) = hell (not the meaning we were taught!)= grave = death = sleep = pit = memorial tomb = hope = resurrection
"GEHENNA� It became the common lay-stall of the city, where the dead bodies of criminals, and the carcasses of animals, and every other kind of filth was cast." --- Smith�s Dictionary of the Bible (Boston; 1889), Vol. 1, p. 879.
Gehenna (Greek) = fiery pit = lake of fire = second death = complete destruction
Matthew 10:28
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 Ge�hen�na.
John 18:33-36
15 "My kingdom is no part of this world. If my kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not from this source."
Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10
5 For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. 10 All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in She�ol, the place to which you are going.
Psalm 146:4
4 His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground;
In that day his thoughts do perish.
John 3:12-13
12 If I have told you earthly things and yet you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man.
Revelation 20:14-15
14 And death and Ha�des were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. 15 Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life (everlasting) was hurled into the lake of fire.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54
50 However, this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit God�s kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Look! I tell you a sacred secret: We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, during the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised up incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this which is corruptible must put on incorruption, and this which is mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when [this which is corruptible puts on incorruption and] this which is mortal puts on immortality, then the saying will take place that is written: "Death is swallowed up forever."
2 Peter 2:4
4 Certainly if God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tar�ta�rus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment
Tartarus (Greek) = lower hell (for angels)
"The verb tartaroo, translated �cast down to hell� in 2 Peter 2:4, [AV] signifies to consign to Tartarus, which is neither Sheol nor Hades nor Hell." --- An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (London; 1962), W.E. Vine, Vol. II, p. 213.
Prayer:
It�s made clear that when we pray to God, we do it only through Jesus Christ� not through or to Mary� not through or to a saint� but through Jesus only:
1 Timothy 2:1-6
2 I therefore exhort, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, offerings of thanks, be made concerning all sorts of men, 2 concerning kings and all those who are in high station; in order that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with full godly devotion and seriousness. 3 This is fine and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God, 4 whose will is that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all�[this is] what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times.
Matthew 6:5-15
5 "Also, when you pray, you must not be as the hypocrites; because they like to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the broad ways to be visible to men. Truly I say to you, They are having their reward in full. 6 You, however, when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. 7 But when praying, do not say the same things over and over again, just as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. 8 So, do not make yourselves like them, for God your Father knows what things you are needing before ever you ask him.
9 "You must pray, then, this way:
"�Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. 10 Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth. 11 Give us today our bread for this day; 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.�
14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
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...for anyone who has found this site helpful and desires to learn much more about what the bible contains, there are efficient ways to go about it. There are many religions and bible study groups to be found just about anywhere, but the group I've been studying with for many years is the only one I feel comfortable mentioning, and I'll explain why. (And even if you don't want a personal bible study, their site has a plethora of useful information on all sorts of timely subjects, from health to technology to world news to religion.)
Since 1976, when I was 18 years old and newly aware of the times we were living in, I initially felt alone in that belief. About two years later, my first encounter with others that also believed we are living in the Last Days were two Jehovah's Witnesses who came knocking. My mother put a major scare in me when she exclaimed, "Don't you realize they're a CULT?!" That put an immediate halt to my interest in studying with them.
Another year or two passed when I discovered "The Worldwide Church of God". I learned a tremendous amount of valuable information through their publications, but after being told, by one of their ministers, that I couldn't indefinitely attend meetings unless I formally committed to the religion, I knew that wasn't right for me.
Many years later, having never lost sight of the "last days" we're living in, I kept thinking I should be putting more effort into my spiritual life and relationship with God. Having rid myself of the false notion my mother influenced me with as a young woman, the next time two Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on my door, I welcomed them. Contrary to popular belief, JWs as a group, are not a cult, they are not "weird", they do not ask for money, and generally live as normally as any average person you know. Those who are able to come to your door, or call you on the phone, are doing it for the sole purpose of helping you understand the Christian Bible. They give freely to you their valuable time, many of them with lives as chaotic as anyone else. They do this because they hope you will come to enough of an understanding to become worthy of that promised gift of everlasting life here on earth; they are doing it for God and they are doing it for you. (I am still trying to figure out exactly what those requirements of worthiness are; although I've learned much, I am still confused about certain issues...and so I will continue to study and research, pursuing what is true.)
In all these years I have associated with JWs (nearing 20 years now), I am still studying (and enjoying a lot of pleasurable, casual conversation), without ANY pressure to convert or commit to anything, which is good, because I am a doubtful and indecisive person (I just pray it doesn't cost me on judgement day, when it finally arrives!) I've met a lot of people I respect and am grateful for, having become dear friends. Now, with all that said, if it interests you, then perhaps the next time they come knocking, you'll welcome these giving people knowing there's nothing to fear...or, if you don't want to wait, you can always request them to come knocking...
"Watchtower"
Either way, I wholeheartedly encourage you to check out their amazing website on which you can also read any or all of the entire Bible, scripture by scripture!
Sincerely,
Donna Marie
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