However, the plain statements of Messiah Yahshua and His servants the prophets-- who spake and wrote by His Spirit which was in them-- prove otherwise:
See Mark 9:42-50 where we are told that it would be BETTER to be thrown alive with a millstone around your neck into the depths of the sea than to offend a little one that believes.
Here we are also told that it would be better to cut off any part of your body that causes offense so that you may enter into Life, rather than continue to let it offend and enter HELLFIRE: WHERE THEIR WORM DIETH NOT, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED...
This last phrase is a thrice-repeated reference to Isaiah 66:23,24:
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh.
Assuming these bodies were dead, why would the LORD have worms continually feed upon the dead bodies-- surely at some point the worms would finally eat the last bit of rotten flesh and afterwords perish!
No, it is not some eternal flesh eating worm that is referred to in Isaiah 66:24. First of all notice that the terminology used is "THEIR worm", indicating that each individual has its own particular worm that shall not die.
These scriptures below show the nature of the worm that IS actually referred to:
...yea the stars are not pure in His sight. How much less MAN, that IS a worm? and the son of man which is a worm? Job 25:6
...but I am a worm and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. Psalm 22:6
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee saith the LORD... Isaiah 41:14
The only logical and Scriptural conclusion in consideration of these verses is that "THEIR worm that shall not die" is the SOUL of each individual damned person.
Likewise, THEIR fire that shall not be quenched is the spirit of man: even as our God IS a consuming Fire and He is a Spirit, so we being made in His image, our spirits are likened to fire as seen in the verses below:
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. Proverbs 20:27 [the word candle traces back to a Chaldean root meaning Fire!]
My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue Psalm 39:3
+
...there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding... I am full of matter, the spirit of my belly constraineth me as wine which hath no vent, it is ready to burst like new bottles. Job 32:8,18...
...His Word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones... Jeremiah 20:9
The clearest Scriptural depiction of Eternal Torment is given us in Revelation 14: 10, 11:
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and (the damned) shall be tormented in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of THEIR torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: AND THEY have no rest day nor night...
Those who accuse our Loving Father of cruelty and injustice are belittling His extreme worthiness-- He above else alone deserves the whole-hearted worship of all creation. His infinite goodness being manifested to all who have breath WILL turn whosoever will to Him and the eternal Life He freely gives.
Those who refuse this Life because of their selfish wickedness, are left to the awful fate they have chosen and deserve: by refusing to be that which is eternally good in the Life of the Most High, they are left to be that which is eternally evil; a continual abhorring unto all flesh, having no rest day nor night as the smoke of their torment ascends up forever.
The Judge of all the earth SHALL do right! Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie shall not enter His city. Revelation 22:15
...the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18
It is the brilliance of Yah to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2
In times past, the writers of Scripture wrote from an earthly perspective on the state of the dead:
Return, O Yahweh, deliver my soul: oh save me for Thy mercies sake. For in death there is no remembrance of Thee: in the grave who shall give Thee thanks? Psalm 6:4,5
(notice: David here did not write anything in error, as remembrance is a function of the brain, there surely IS no remembrance of Yah by a dead person's brain. David, from his earthly perspective questioned whether anyone could give thanks after their body had died.)
Hezekiah and other writers of Scripture expressed similar thoughts:
For the grave cannot praise Thee, death cannot celebrate Thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth. Isaiah 38:18
Wilt Thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise Thee? Selah. Shall Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or Thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark? and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? Psalm 88:10,11
The dead praise not Yahweh, neither any that go down into silence. Psalm 115:17
...a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have the any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun... for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:4,5
Perhaps there are other Scriptures in the Old Testament describing the state of the dead , but they all are written from the perspective of earthly men, except for this verse in Ecclesiastes where Solomon describes what happens at death:
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 12:7
So from this one verse we know that not all of man remains in the grave.
When Yahshua entered his time of ministry, he elaborated greatly as to the full perspective on the state of the dead:
...as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying I am (present tense-- not I was, but I am) the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. Matthew 22:31-33
Why was the multitude astonished? Because Yahshua was saying that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive in Yah and that he is still their God, when all the people had heard for all their lives was the earthly perspective of the previous writers of Scripture.
How could Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still be alive in Yah? By means of their spirits which had returned to Him at death!
The parallel accounts in Mark and Luke bring this out even moreso:
And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Therefore ye do greatly err. Mark 12:26,27
(Here Yahshua is saying that they rise, though only the spirits of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had actually gone back to Yah, for their bodies were still in the grave. From this the spirit is seen to be the most essential component of man in which his existence continues even after his earthly life has ceased.)
Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him. Luke 20:37,38
(All live unto Him! death does not separate the righteous from the Most High andYahshua considered this one verse from Exodus as proof of ongoing existence after death, yet many believers still today are clinging to the earthly perspective of man, thinking their departed loved ones are asleep in the grave!)
Yahshua also taught on the state of the dead in the account of a certain rich man and a certain beggar named Lazarus:
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Luke 16:22,23
(No sleeping in the grave, but judgement after death! the spirit of rich man tormented and the spirit of Lazarus comforted in Abraham's bosom. Some would dismiss this as a parable-- as though a parable doesn't always relate the truth ?!!-- but Yahshua named the particular individual Lazarus in this teaching: he named no individuals in any of his parables.)
The Gospel of John also sheds more light on the subject, as Yahshua promises eternal life to those who believe on him:
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever. 6:58
It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives life), the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. 6:63
Verily, verily, I say unto you: if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 8:51
(though these promises apply primarily to believers in the gospel era, they of course extend to the righteous of prior ages who looked forward to the Atonement in faith. The body of faithful believers may still die, but they live on in the spirit from the time of death until the resurrection of the body, and on through eternity thereafter.)
The Apostle Paul showed forth the same teaching in his epistles:
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of Yah, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed upon we shall not be found naked.
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Now he that hath wrought for us the self same thing is Yah, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from Yahweh. (For we walk by faith, not by sight.)
We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with Yahweh. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him.
For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things in body according to that he hath done, whether good or bad.
Knowing therefore the terror of Yahweh, we persuade men... 2Corinthians 5:1-11
(Notice again how Paul makes the spirit synonomous with the self: when we are absent from the body in death, only our spirit ascends to be present with Yah.)
Furthermore Paul testified:
For to me, to live is Messiah, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour; yet what I shall choose I wot not.
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Messiah, which is far better. Phillipians 1:21-23
(Though Messiah abides in us wonderfully during our earthly life, Paul says to depart to be with Messiah is FAR BETTER! Again, only the spirit departs from the body at death and returns to Yah, so Paul is saying here that he will enjoy Messiah even more when he (his spirit) departs from the distractions of the body, soul and earthly existence!)
Here below are some excerpts from Ephesians, edited so as to highlight the revelation of life in the spirit that is a joyful facet of the mystery of Messiah:
Blessed be the Almighty and Father of our Sovereign Messiah Yahshua, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Messiah...Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one ALL things in Messiah... that the Almighty of our Sovereign Messiah Yahshua, the Father of brilliance, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Messiah, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at His own right hand in the heavenly places... and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Messiah Yahshua... which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit... and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in Yah... Ephesians 1:3,9,10,17-20,2:6,3:10
(Notice the bold text: in our spirits even now we experience rest in the presence of Messiah, seated together with him in heaven, how much moreso when our spirits are freed from the body, soul, and this world! And what a wonderful truth that is, which was hidden from people of ages past!)
Further evidence of this truth is given also in the Book of Revelation:
...four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation... 5:8,9
(these elders are human spirits redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and then present before the Throne of Yah when John was taken to heaven in the spirit)
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Yahshua... 19:11
(here is an ascended human spirit (not a resurrected body since the Resurrection is still yet to take place) in the heavenly service of Yah instructing John not to worship him)
And I, John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which KEEP (not kept, but KEEP) the sayings of this book: worship Yah. 22:8,9
(Again, an ascended human spirit serving Yah in the heavenly realm, way before the First Resurrection takes place.)
In summation, all of the above verses describe our spirits as believers in Messiah:
They are quickened by the words of Yahshua,
When our spirits are at home in our bodies, WE are said to be absent from Yahweh, but we are willing rather that our spirits be absent from the body that WE may be present with Yahweh.
We have a desire for our spirit to depart from our body that WE may be with Messiah, which is far better than for our spirits to continue to dwell in our earthly bodies.
May all believers therefore rejoice in the FAR BETTER prospect of fully dwelling with Messiah forever, and may we walk worthy of that promise by serving Yah faithfully.
(the following paragraphs were compiled by a person calling himself Watchman)
Josephus's discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades:
1. NOW as to Hades, wherein the souls of the righteous and unrighteous are detained, it is necessary to speak of it. Hades is a place in the world not regularly finished; a subterraneous region, wherein the light of this world does not shine; from which circumstance, that in this region the light does not shine, it cannot be but there must be in it perpetual darkness. This region is allotted as a place of custody for souls, in which angels are appointed as guardians to them, who distribute to them temporary punishments, agreeable to every one's behavior and manners.
2. In this region there is a certain place set apart, as a lake of unquenchable fire, whereinto we suppose no one hath hitherto been cast; but it is prepared for a day afore-determined by God, in which one righteous sentence shall deservedly be passed upon all men; when the unjust, and those that have been disobedient to God, and have given honor to such idols as have been the vain operations of the hands of men as to God himself, shall be adjudged to this everlasting punishment, as having been the causes of defilement; while the just shall obtain an incorruptible and never-fading kingdom. These are now indeed confined in Hades, but not in the same place wherein the unjust are confined.
3. For there is one descent into this region, at whose gate we believe there stands an archangel with an host; which gate when those pass through that are conducted down by the angels appointed over souls, they do not go the same way; but the just are guided to the right hand, and are led with hymns, sung by the angels appointed over that place, unto a region of light, in which the just have dwelt from the beginning of the world; not constrained by necessity, but ever enjoying the prospect of the good things they see, and rejoice in the expectation of those new enjoyments which will be peculiar to every one of them, and esteeming those things beyond what we have here; with whom there is no place of toil, no burning heat, no piercing cold, nor are any briers there; but the countenance of the righteous and of the just, which they see, always smiles them, while they wait for that rest and eternal new life in heaven, which is to succeed this region. This place we call The Bosom of Abraham.
4. But as to the unjust, they are dragged by force to the left hand by the angels allotted for punishment, no longer going with a good-will, but as prisoners driven by violence; to whom are sent the angels appointed over them to reproach them and threaten them with their terrible looks, and to thrust them still downwards. Now those angels that are set over these souls drag them into the neighborhood of hell itself; who, when they are hard by it, continually hear the noise of it, and do not stand clear of the hot vapor itself; but when they have a near view of this spectacle, as of a terrible and exceeding great prospect of fire, they are struck with a fearful expectation of a future judgment, and in effect punished thereby: and not only so, but where they see the place [or choir] of the fathers and of the just, even hereby are they punished; for a chaos deep and large is fixed between them; insomuch that a just man that hath compassion upon them cannot be admitted, nor can one that is unjust, if he were bold enough to attempt it, pass over it.
5. This is the discourse concerning Hades, wherein the souls of all men are confined until a proper season, which God hath determined, when he will make a resurrection of all men from the dead, not procuring a transmigration of souls from one body to another, but raising again those very bodies, which you Greeks, seeing to be dissolved, do not believe [their resurrection]. But learn not to disbelieve it; for while you believe that the soul is created, and yet is made immortal by God, according to the doctrine of Plato, and this in time, be not incredulous; but believe that God is able, when he hath raised to life that body which was made as a compound of the same elements, to make it immortal; for it must never be said of God, that he is able to do some things, and unable to do others. We have therefore believed that the body will be raised again; for although it be dissolved, it is not perished; for the earth receives its remains, and preserves them; and while they are like seed, and are mixed among the more fruitful soil, they flourish, and what is sown is indeed sown bare grain, but at the mighty sound of God the Creator, it will sprout up, and be raised in a clothed and glorious condition, though not before it has been dissolved, and mixed [with the earth]. So that we have not rashly believed the resurrection of the body; for although it be dissolved for a time on account of the original transgression, it exists still, and is cast into the earth as into a potter's furnace, in order to be formed again, not in order to rise again such as it was before, but in a state of purity, and so as never to he destroyed any more. And to every body shall its own soul be restored. And when it hath clothed itself with that body, it will not be subject to misery, but, being itself pure, it will continue with its pure body, and rejoice with it, with which it having walked righteously now in this world, and never having had it as a snare, it will receive it again with great gladness. But as for the unjust, they will receive their bodies not changed, not freed from diseases or distempers, nor made glorious, but with the same diseases wherein they died; and such as they were in their unbelief, the same shall they be when they shall be faithfully judged.
6. For all men, the just as well as the unjust, shall be brought before God the word: for to him hath the Father committed all judgment : and he, in order to fulfill the will of his Father, shall come as Judge, whom we call Christ. For Minos and Rhadamanthus are not the judges, as you Greeks do suppose, but he whom God and the Father hath glorified: CONCERNING WHOM WE HAVE ELSEWHERE GIVEN A MORE PARTICULAR ACCOUNT, FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO SEEK AFTER TRUTH. This person, exercising the righteous judgment of the Father towards all men, hath prepared a just sentence for every one, according to his works; at whose judgment-seat when all men, and angels, and demons shall stand, they will send forth one voice, and say, JUST IS THY JUDGEMENT; the rejoinder to which will bring a just sentence upon both parties, by giving justly to those that have done well an everlasting fruition; but allotting to the lovers of wicked works eternal punishment. To these belong the unquenchable fire, and that without end, and a certain fiery worm, never dying, and not destroying the body, but continuing its eruption out of the body with never-ceasing grief: neither will sleep give ease to these men, nor will the night afford them comfort; death will not free them from their punishment, nor will the interceding prayers of their kindred profit them; for the just are no longer seen by them, nor are they thought worthy of remembrance. But the just shall remember only their righteous actions, whereby they have attained the heavenly kingdom, in which there is no sleep, no sorrow, no corruption, no care, no night, no day measured by time, no sun driven in his course along the circle of heaven by necessity, and measuring out the bounds and conversions of the seasons, for the better illumination of the life of men; no moon decreasing and increasing, or introducing a variety of seasons, nor will she then moisten the earth; no burning sun, no Bear turning round [the pole], no Orion to rise, no wandering of innumerable stars. The earth will not then be difficult to be passed over, nor will it he hard to find out the court of paradise, nor will there be any fearful roaring of the sea, forbidding the passengers to walk on it; even that will be made easily passable to the just, though it will not be void of moisture. Heaven will not then be uninhabitable by men, and it will not be impossible to discover the way of ascending thither. The earth will not be uncultivated, nor require too much labor of men, but will bring forth its fruits of its own accord, and will be well adorned with them. There will be no more generations of wild beasts, nor will the substance of the rest of the animals shoot out any more; for it will not produce men, but the number of the righteous will continue, and never fail, together with righteous angels, and spirits [of God], and with his word, as a choir of righteous men and women that never grow old, and continue in an incorruptible state, singing hymns to God, who hath advanced them to that happiness, by the means of a regular institution of life; with whom the whole creation also will lift up a perpetual hymn from corruption, to incorruption, as glorified by a splendid and pure spirit. It will not then be restrained by a bond of necessity, but with a lively freedom shall offer up a voluntary hymn, and shall praise him that made them, together with the angels, and spirits, and men now freed from all bondage.
7. And now, if you Gentiles will be persuaded by these motives, and leave your vain imaginations about your pedigrees, and gaining of riches, and philosophy, and will not spend your time about subtleties of words, and thereby lead your minds into error, and if you will apply your ears to the hearing of the inspired prophets, the interpreters both of God and of his word, and will believe in God, you shall both be partakers of these things, and obtain the good things that are to come; you shall see the ascent unto the immense heaven plainly, and that kingdom which is there. For what God hath now concealed in silence [will be then made manifest,] what neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him.
8. In whatsoever ways I shall find you, in them shall I judge you entirely: so cries the END of all things. And he who hath at first lived a virtuous lift, but towards the latter end falls into vice, these labors by him before endured shall be altogether vain and unprofitable, even as in a play, brought to an ill catastrophe. Whosoever shall have lived wickedly and luxuriously may repent; however, there will be need of much time to conquer an evil habit, and even after repentance his whole life must be guarded with great care and diligence, after the manner of a body, which, after it hath been a long time afflicted with a distemper, requires a stricter diet and method of living; for though it may be possible, perhaps, to break off the chain of our irregular affections at once, yet our amendment cannot be secured without the grace of God, the prayers of good men, the help of the brethren, and our own sincere repentance and constant care. It is a good thing not to sin at all; it is also good, having sinned, to repent; as it is best to have health always, but it is a good thing to recover from a distemper. To God be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen.
The body of 2 Esdras was written by a Jewish man and is dated ranging from 30bc-218ad but most scholars believe it was written in 97ad. The introduction and ending are believed to be interpolated by an unknown Christian writer. This book is not from Greek manuscripts but from Latin, Syriac, 2 independant versions in Arabic, Ethiopian, and Armenian. Even though the Catholic Bible contains many books of the Apocrypha they reject this book. I can see why too, it really stresses how everyone must obey the laws of YHWH. I'll post the verses being referred to below. For those of you that might be interested in reading this book it is available on line in various translations at the following link.
Chapter 7 75 I answered and said, "If I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, show this also to your servant: whether after death, as soon as everyone of us yields up the soul, we shall be kept in rest until those times come when you will renew the creation, or whether we shall be tormented at once?"
76 He answered me and said, "I will show you that also, but do not include yourself with those who have shown scorn, or number yourself among those who are tormented.
77 For you have a treasure of works stored up with the Most High, but it will not be shown to you until the last times.
78 Now concerning death, the teaching is: When the decisive decree has gone out from the Most High that a person shall die, as the spirit leaves the body to return again to him who gave it, first of all it adores the glory of the Most High.
79 If it is one of those who have shown scorn and have not kept the way of the Most High, who have despised his law and hated those who fear God--
80 such spirits shall not enter into habitations, but shall immediately wander about in torments, always grieving and sad, in seven ways.
81 The first way, because they have scorned the law of the Most High.
82 The second way, because they cannot now make a good repentance so that they may live.
83 The third way, they shall see the reward laid up for those who have trusted the covenants of the Most High.
84 The fourth way, they shall consider the torment laid up for themselves in the last days.
85 The fifth way, they shall see how the habitations of the others are guarded by angels in profound quiet.
86 The sixth way, they shall see how some of them will cross over into torments.
87 The seventh way, which is worse than all the ways that have been mentioned, because they shall utterly waste away in confusion and be consumed with shame, and shall wither with fear at seeing the glory of the Most High in whose presence they sinned while they were alive, and in whose presence they are to be judged in the last times.
88 "Now this is the order of those who have kept the ways of the Most High, when they shall be separated from their mortal body.
89 During the time that they lived in it, they laboriously served the Most High, and withstood danger every hour so that they might keep the law of the Lawgiver perfectly.
90 Therefore this is the teaching concerning them:
91 First of all, they shall see with great joy the glory of him who receives them, for they shall have rest in seven orders.
92 The first order, because they have striven with great effort to overcome the evil thought that was formed with them, so that it might not lead them astray from life into death.
93 The second order, because they see the perplexity in which the souls of the ungodly wander and the punishment that awaits them.
94 The third order, they see the witness that he who formed them bears concerning them, that throughout their life they kept the law with which they were entrusted.
95 The fourth order, they understand the rest that they now enjoy, being gathered into their chambers and guarded by angels in profound quiet, and the glory waiting for them in the last days.
96 The fifth order, they rejoice that they have now escaped what is corruptible and shall inherit what is to come; and besides they see the straits and toilx from which they have been delivered, and the spacious liberty that they are to receive and enjoy in immortality.
97 The sixth order, when it is shown them how their face is to shine like the sun, and how they are to be made like the light of the stars, being incorruptible from then on.
98 The seventh order, which is greater than all that have been mentioned, because they shall rejoice with boldness, and shall be confident without confusion, and shall be glad without fear, for they press forward to see the face of him whom they served in life and from whom they are to receive their reward when glorified.
99 This is the order of the souls of the righteous, as henceforth is announced; and the previously mentioned are the ways of torment that those who would not give heed shall suffer hereafter."
100 Then I answered and said, "Will time therefore be given to the souls, after they have been separated from the bodies, to see what you have described to me?"
101 He said to me, "They shall have freedom for seven days, so that during these seven days they may see the things of which you have been told, and afterwards they shall be gathered in their habitations."
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As I stated above, most scholars agree on the year 97ad. This would make it written around the same time as the gospel of John 85-90ad, 1 John 85-90ad, 2 John 90ad, 3 John 90ad, and Revelation 95-96ad.
Also, this book does not say that the soul is immortal but that it is aware of future judgement for 7 days and then is gathered in their habitations. It speaks of chambers in which they will rest awaiting judgement. This goes right along with teachings from a more ancient source called The Book of Enoch.
The book of Enoch has been preserved through both an Ethopic version (known as 1 Enoch) and a Slavonic version (known as 2 Enoch, Slavonic Enoch, or The Book of the Secrets of Enoch). Enoch was originally cherished by both Jews and Christians. It was at one time in our Bibles until it ran into disfavor with powerful theologians over it's discourse on fallen angels. People don't want to think this possible. Yet we still have a hint of it left in Genesis 6:1-7 and in Jude verse 6. Also the book of Enoch is refered to and directly quoted from in the book of Jude showing that Messiah Yahushua and His disciples knew of this book. The Enochian writings are believed to be written in the 2nd century bc. This also shows that jewish people long before the time of Messiah had the same understanding of the dead. 1 Enoch goes into great detail of the different chambers that souls are sent to when they die awaiting the judgement. I'll post the chapter we are discussing and you can read this book in it's entirety at the following link:
Chapter 22
1 And thence I went to another place, and he mountain [and] of hard rock.
2 And there was in it four hollow places, deep and wide and very smooth. How smooth are the hollow places and deep and dark to look at.
3 Then Raphael answered, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said unto me: 'These hollow places have been created for this very purpose, that the spirits of the souls of the dead should
4 assemble therein, yea that all the souls of the children of men should assemble here. And these places have been made to receive them till the day of their judgement and till their appointed period [till the period appointed], till the great judgement (comes) upon them.' I saw (the spirit of) a dead man making suit,
5 and his voice went forth to heaven and made suit. And I asked Raphael the angel who was
6 with me, and I said unto him: 'This spirit which maketh suit, whose is it, whose voice goeth forth and maketh suit to heaven ?'
7 And he answered me saying: 'This is the spirit which went forth from Abel, whom his brother Cain slew, and he makes his suit against him till his seed is destroyed from the face of the earth, and his seed is annihilated from amongst the seed of men.'
8 The I asked regarding it, and regarding all the hollow places: 'Why is one separated from the other?'
9 And he answered me and said unto me: 'These three have been made that the spirits of the dead might be separated. And such a division has been make (for) the spirits of the righteous, in which there is the bright spring of water.
10 And such has been made for sinners when they die and are buried in the earth and judgement has not been executed on them in their lifetime.
11 Here their spirits shall be set apart in this great pain till the great day of judgement and punishment and torment of those who curse for ever and retribution for their spirits.
12 There He shall bind them for ever. And such a division has been made for the spirits of those who make their suit, who make disclosures concerning their destruction, when they were slain in the days
13 of the sinners. Such has been made for the spirits of men who were not righteous but sinners, who were complete in transgression, and of the transgressors they shall be companions: but their spirits shall not be slain in the day of judgement nor shall they be raised from thence.'
14 Then I blessed the Lord of glory and said: 'Blessed be my Lord, the Lord of righteousness, who ruleth for ever.'
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Take a glance back at both 2 Esdras and The Book of Enoch. Notice that in one it says they will be gathered into their habitations and in the other it says they will be assembled. The word in Hebrew for gathered or assembled is the same in all of the Tanakh passages I'll be posting. All will be from the New King James Version unless otherwise posted.
It's Strong's #622.
0622 'acaph {aw-saf'} a primitive root; TWOT - 140; v
AV - together 51, gather 86, assemble 15, rereward 5, misc 51; 200
1) to gather, receive, remove, gather in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to gather, collect
1a2) to gather (an individual into company of others)
1a3) to bring up the rear
1a4) to gather and take away, remove, withdraw
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to assemble, be gathered
1b2) (pass of Qal 1a2)
1b2a) to be gathered to one's fathers
1b2b) to be brought in or into (association with others)
1b3) (pass of Qal 1a4)
1b3a) to be taken away, removed, perish
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to gather (harvest)
1c2) to take in, receive into
1c3) rearguard, rearward (subst)
1d) (Pual) to be gathered
1e) (Hithpael) to gather oneself or themselves
Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
v
Genesis 25:17 These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 35:29 So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Genesis 49:29 Then he charged them and said to them: "I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
Genesis 49:33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
Numbers 20:24 "Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah.
Numbers 20:26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there."
Numbers 27:13 And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered.
Deuteronomy 32:50 and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people;
Judges 2:10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know YHWH nor the work which He had done for Israel.
2 Kings 22:20 Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place.""' So they brought back word to the king.
Now some would say that this is simply saying that they died, that they were buried, or they were buried in the same tomb together. However, notice in the first four Genesis verses posted, they all say they died then gathered to their people. It clearly states that it is two separate events.
Genesis 35:29 plainly lists four separate events associated with death. We know that Jacob wasn't buried until weeks after his death and he was gathered to his people on the day he died. So, it can't possibly be speaking of the burial itself.
Aaron and Moses were brothers. Aaron died and was buried on Mt. Hor (Numbers 33:38) and Moses was buried in the Valley of Moab opposite Beth Peor (Deuteronomy 34:6). Yet it says they were both gathered to their people. Therefore, it can't be that they were buried in a family tomb. I believe this gathering to be that which is referred to in 2 Esdras and Enoch.
Also, take a look at Judges 2:10 it is taking a turn. It is talking about a previous generation being gathered together but the present one does not know YHWH. Let's take a look at a few passages that tell about those who are not of YHWH.
Job 27:19-23 19. The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he [is] not.
20. Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
21. The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
22. For [God] shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. 23. [Men] shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place. Version: KJV
Jeremiah 8:2 They shall spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served and after which they have walked, which they have sought and which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered nor buried; they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth.
Jeremiah 25:33 "And at that day the slain of YHWH shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.
Those who are wicked that do not walk according to the commands of YHWH will not be gathered. I used the KJV for the Job passage because it showed that the word (Men) in verse 23 is added. This passage in Job sounds very much like the writings of Josephus of the dead who no longer go along peacably.
Isaiah 57:1-2 1. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth [it] to heart: and merciful men [are] taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come]. 2. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, [each one] walking [in] his uprightness. Version: KJV
Once again I chose the KJV to show the words which are added. How can one die yet be walking upright?
Job 14:7-22 7"For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease.
8Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground,
9Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant.
10But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he?
11As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up,
12So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep.
13"Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes.
15You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands.
16For now You number my steps, But do not watch over my sin.
17My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You cover my iniquity.
18"But as a mountain falls and crumbles away, And as a rock is moved from its place;
19As water wears away stones, And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth; So You destroy the hope of man.
20You prevail forever against him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.
21His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.
22But his flesh will be in pain over it, And his soul will mourn over it."
Now keep in mind that the book of Job is believed to be the oldest book in the Bible. How is it that he states that someone is dead, his sons come to honor and he doesn't know it, yet his body is being destroyed and he mourns for himself?
1 Peter 3:18-20 18. Because Messiah also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to Elohim; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
19. in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison,
20. that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of Elohim waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: Version: ASV
I ask you, how could Messiah have preached to the souls that have been in prison since before the time of the flood if he was unconscience during his entombment?
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 2. I know a man in Meshiach, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not; Elohim knoweth), such a one caught up even to the third heaven.
3. And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; Elohim knoweth),
4. how that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Version: ASV
We read about this 3rd heaven in The Book of the Secrets of Enoch. If you would like to read this book in it's entirety it is available on line at the following link.
Chapter 8
Of the assumption of Enoch to the third heaven
1And those men took me thence, and led me up on to the third heaven, and placed me there; and I looked downwards, and saw the produce of these places, such as has never been known for goodness.
2And I saw all the sweet-flowering trees and beheld their fruits, which were sweet-smelling, and all the foods borne by them bubbling with fragrant exhalation.
3And in the midst of the trees that of life, in that place whereon the Lord rests, when he goes up into paradise; and this tree is of ineffable goodness and fragrance, and adorned more than every existing thing; and on all sides it is in form gold-looking and vermilion and fire-like and covers all, and it has produce from all fruits.
4Its root is in the garden at the earth’s end.
5And paradise is between corruptibility and incorruptibility.
6And two springs come out which send forth honey and milk, and their springs send forth oil and wine, and they separate into four parts, and go round with quiet course, and go down into the PARADISE OF EDEN, between corruptibility and incorruptibility.
7And thence they go forth along the earth, and have a revolution to their circle even as other elements.
8And here there is no unfruitful tree, and every place is blessed.
9And there are three hundred angels very bright, who keep the garden, and with incessant sweet singing and never-silent voices serve the Lord throughout all days and hours.
10And I said: How very sweet is this place, and those men said to me:
Chapter 9
The showing to Enoch of the place of the righteous and compassionate
1This place, O Enoch, is prepared for the righteous, who endure all manner of offence from those that exasperate their souls, who avert their eyes from iniquity, and make righteous judgment, and give bread to the hungering, and cover the naked with clothing, and raise up the fallen, and help injured orphans, and who walk without fault before the face of the Lord, and serve him alone, and for them is prepared this place for eternal inheritance.
Chapter 10
Here they showed Enoch the terrible place and various tortures
1And those two men led me up on to the Northern side, and showed me there a very terrible place, and there were all manner of tortures in that place: cruel darkness and unillumined gloom, and there is no light there, but murky fire constantly flaming aloft, and there is a fiery river coming forth, and that whole place is everywhere fire, and everywhere there is frost and ice, thirst and shivering, while the bonds are very cruel, and the angels fearful and merciless, bearing angry weapons, merciless torture, and I said:
2Woe, woe, how very terrible is this place.
3And those men said to me: This place, O Enoch, is prepared for those who dishonour God, who on earth practice sin against nature, which is child-corruption after the sodomitic fashion, magic-making, enchantments and devilish witchcrafts, and who boast of their wicked deeds, stealing, lies, calumnies, envy, rancour, fornication, murder, and who, accursed, steal the souls of men, who, seeing the poor take away their goods and themselves wax rich, injuring them for other men’s goods; who being able to satisfy the empty, made the hungering to die; being able to clothe, stripped the naked; and who knew not their creator, and bowed to the soulless and lifeless gods, who cannot see nor hear, vain gods, who also built hewn images and bow down to unclean handiwork, for all these is prepared this place among these, for eternal inheritance.
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Paradise is the pleasant part of Hades (the abode of the dead). It is in the 3rd heaven. When we get a proper understanding of the word, we see how clearly these verses all fit together. We know that people can not pass to and from the separation chambers but Messiah Yahushua is either the exception to the rule being that he went to paradise the day of his impalement on the stake and while in the grave preached to the souls in prison or he preached to those in prison from paradise.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Version: KJV
In the above passage the word used for hell is Strong's #1067. This is speaking of the future judgement that takes place after the milliniel reign when the wicked shall be thrown into the lake of fire. At this point their body and soul will both be destroyed.
Strong's Concordance
Result of search for "1067":
1067 geena gheh'-en-nah of Hebrew origin (1516 and 2011); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:--hell.
Brown -Driver-Briggs
1067 geenna {gheh'-en-nah} of Hebrew origin 01516 and 02011; TDNT - 1:657,113; n f
AV - hell 9, hell fire + 3588 + 4442 3; 12
1) 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.
Let's take a look at the different meanings used in scripture for the word hell. In the Old Testament the word used is Sheol #7585.
Strong's Concordance
Result of search for "7585":
7585 sh'owl sheh-ole' or shol {sheh-ole'}; from 7592 ; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates:--grave, hell, pit.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
07585 sh@'owl {sheh-ole'} or sh@ol {sheh-ole'} from 07592 ; TWOT - 2303c; n f
AV - grave 31, hell 31, pit 3; 65
1) sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit
1a) the underworld
1b) Sheol - the OT designation for the abode of the dead
1b1) place of no return
1b2) without praise of God
1b3) wicked sent there for punishment
1b4) righteous not abandoned to it
1b5) of the place of exile (fig)
1b6) of extreme degradation in sin
In the book of Jonah he compares his being in the belly of the great fish as in being in Sheol.
Jonah 2:1-9 1. Then Jonah prayed unto YHWH his Elohim out of the fish's belly.
2. And he said, I called by reason of mine affliction unto YHWH, And he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried I, (And) thou heardest my voice.
3. For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me; All thy waves and thy billows passed over me.
4. And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes; Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; The deep was round about me; The weeds were wrapped about my head.
6. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with its bars (closed) upon me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O YHWH my Elohim.
7. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered YHWH; And my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy temple.
8. They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.
9. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of YHWH. Version: ASV
In verse 6 he discusses what his thoughts of Sheol are. He says he is in the bottom of the mountains with the earth and it's bars. Sounds very much like a prison.
1 Peter 3:18-19 18. For Messiah also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to Elohim, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Version: KJV
Matthew 16:18 And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Version: ASV
Note that in Jonah 2:5 he says that the waters encompassed him even to his soul and in verse 7 he says his soul fainted within him. For his soul to faint within his body shows the separateness of the two.
We also see this word Sheol used in Psalm 16:10 which is quoted in Acts 2:27.
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Version: ASV
Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades, Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption. Version: ASV
We get the full understanding of Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:27 when we read on to Acts 2:31.
Acts 2:31 having foreseen, he did speak concerning the rising again of the Messiah, that his soul was not left to hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. Version: YLT
Verse 31 tells us that YHWH did not leave Yahushua's soul in Hades nor did he allow his body to decay. These are 2 different things that take place after death. The soul goes to Hades and the body to the grave.
In the New Testament the Greek equivelant for the Hebrew word Sheol is the word Hades #86.
Strong's Concordance
Result of search for "86":
86 haides hah'-dace from 1 (as negative particle) and 1492; properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:--grave, hell.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
86 hades {hah'-dace} from (as negative particle) and 1492; TDNT - 1:146,22; n pr loc
AV - hell 10, grave 1; 11
1) name Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions
2) Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead
3) later use of this word: the grave, death, hell
"In Biblical Greek it is associated with Orcus, the infernal regions,a dark and dismal place in the very depths of the earth, the common receptacle of disembodied spirits. Usually Hades is just the abode of the wicked, Lu. 16:23, Rev. 20:13,14; a very uncomfortable place. TDNT."
Luke 16:23 And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Version: ASV
In Luke 16:23 the richman is in Hades. He is not in Ghehennah as the churches would have you believe. He is in the place between death and final judgement.
Revelation 20:13-14 13. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14. And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, (even) the lake of fire. Version: ASV
Revelation 20:13-14 tells us that both death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire. This will happen after judgement in the very end. In the story of Lazarus and the richman the man has not yet stood judgement and his brothers are still living.
THE AKHMIM FRAGMENT OF THe APOCALYPSE OF PETER
translation by M.R. James
1 Many of them shall be false prophets, and shall teach ways and diverse doctrines of perdition.
2 And they shall become sons of perdition.
3 And then shall God come unto my faithful ones that hunger and thirst and are afflicted and prove their souls in this life, and shall judge the sons of iniquity.
4 And the Lord added and said: Let us go unto the mountain (and) pray.
5 And going with him, we the twelve disciples besought him that he would show us one of our righteous brethren that had departed out of the world, that we might see what manner of men they are in their form, and take courage, and encourage also the men that should hear us.
6 And as we prayed, suddenly there appeared two men standing before the Lord (perhaps add, to the east) upon whom we were not able to look.
7 For there issued from their countenance a ray as of the sun, and their raiment was shining so as the eye of man never saw the like: for no mouth is able to declare nor heart to conceive the glory wherewith they were clad and the beauty of their countenance.
8 Whom when we saw we were astonied, for their bodies were whiter than any snow and redder than any rose.
9 And the redness of them was mingled with the whiteness, and, in a word, I am not able to declare their beauty.
10 For their hair was curling and flourishing (flowery), and fell comely about their countenance and their shoulders like a garland woven of nard and various flowers, or like a rainbow in the air: such was their comeliness.
11 We, then, seeing the beauty of them were astonied at them, for they appeared suddenly.
12 And I drew near to the Lord and said: Who are these?
13 He saith to me: These are your (our) righteous brethren whose appearance ye did desire to see.
14 And I said unto him: And where are all the righteous? or of what sort is the world wherein they are, and possess this glory?
15 And the Lord showed me a very great region outside this world exceeding bright with light, and the air of that place illuminated with the beams of the sun, and the earth of itself flowering with blossoms that fade not, and full of spices and plants, fair-flowering and incorruptible, and bearing blessed fruit.
16 And so great was the blossom that the odour thereof was borne thence even unto us.
17 And the dwellers in that place were clad with the raiment of shining angels, and their raiment was like unto their land.
18 And angels ran round about them there.
19 And the glory of them that dwelt there was all equal, and with one voice they praised the Lord God, rejoicing in that place.
20 The Lord saith unto us: This is the place of your leaders (or, high priests), the righteous men.
21 And I saw also another place over against that one, very squalid; and it was a place of punishment, and they that were punished and the angels that punished them had their raiment dark, according to the air of the place.
22 And some there were there hanging by their tongues; and these were they that blasphemed the way of righteousness, and under them was laid fire flaming and tormenting them.
23 And there was a great lake full of flaming mire, wherein were certain men that turned away from righteousness; and angels, tormentors, were set over them.
24 And there were also others, women, hanged by their hair above that mire which boiled up; and these were they that adorned themselves for adultery. And the men that were joined with them in the defilement of adultery were hanging by their feet, and had their heads hidden in the mire, and said: We believed not that we should come unto this place.
25 And I saw the murderers and them that were consenting to them cast into a strait place full of evil, creeping things, and smitten by those beasts, and so turning themselves about in that torment. And upon them were set worms like clouds of darkness. And the souls of them that were murdered stood and looked upon the torment of those murderers and said: O God, righteous is thy judgement.
26 And hard by that place I saw another strait place wherein the discharge and the stench of them that were in torment ran down, and there was as it were a lake there. And there sat women up to their necks in that liquor, and over against them many children which were born out of due time sat crying: and from them went forth rays of fire and smote the women in the eyes: and these were they that conceived out of wedlock and caused abortion.
27 And other men and women were being burned up to their middle and cast down in a dark place and scourged by evil spirits, and having their entrails devoured by worms that rested not. And these were they that had persecuted the righteous and delivered them up.
28 And near to them again were women and men gnawing their lips and in torment, and having iron heated in the fire set against their eyes. And these were they that did blaspheme and speak evil of the way of righteousness.
29 And over against these were yet others, men and women, gnawing their tongues and having flaming fire in their mouths. And these were the false witnesses.
30 And in another place were gravel-stones sharper than swords or any spit, heated with fire, and men and women clad in filthy rags rolled upon them in torment. [This is suggested by the LXX of two passages in Job: xli. 30, his bed is of sharp spits; viii. 17, on an heap of stones doth he rest, and shall live in the midst of gravel-stones.] And these were they that were rich and trusted in their riches, and had no pity upon orphans and widows but neglected the commandments of God.
31 And in another great lake full of foul matter (pus) and blood and boiling mire stood men and women up to their knees And these were they that lent money and demanded usury upon usury.
32 And other men and women being cast down from a great rock (precipice) fell (came) to the bottom, and again were driven by them that were set over them, to go up upon the rock, and thence were cast down to the bottom and had no rest from this torment. And these were they that did defile their bodies behaving as women: and the women that were with them were they that lay with one another as a man with a woman.
33 And beside that rock was a place full of much fire, and there stood men which with their own hands had made images for themselves instead of God, [And beside them other men and women] having rods of fire and smiting one another and never resting from this manner of torment....
34 And yet others near unto them, men and women, burning and turning themselves about and roasted as in a pan. And these were they that forsook the way of God.
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To sum up this article, eternal torment for the wicked is a teaching that Jesus and those who followed him fully endorsed. Despite the fact that so many believers have rejected this truth (particularly many among so-called Messianics "the best thing going" in Christianity), the Truth of the matter was confirmed beyond question in the Quran, the final Revelation of the Most High given unto men.
Let all who teach against the Truth of eternal torment for the wicked therefore tremble, consider, and repent.
Great Peace to the believers in believing !