Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast
it from you. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should
perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
Matthew 5:30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast
it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should
perish, and not your whole body be cast into Gehenna.
We find in the above scriptures the first instances of the Greek word Gehenna. The word "gehenna" is a transliteration from the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ge-hinnom, meaning "valley of Hinnom." The reference is to an actual valley that exists to this day mostly south of Jerusalem. It became notorious because of the idolatrous human sacrifices that were offered to the false God, Molech. (2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:2-6) The WebBible Encyclopedia states:
This valley afterwards became the common receptacle for all the refuse of the city. Here the dead bodies of animals and of criminals, and all kinds of filth, were cast and consumed by fire kept always burning. It thus in process of time became the image of the place of everlasting destruction. In this sense it is used by our Lord in Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5.
http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/gehenna.html
However, Jewish tradition began to associate Gehenna with the Hellenistic philosophies and mythology. Thus, the Jewish idea of sheol became similar to Hellenistic mythology, as having various compartments for the supposed spirits or souls of the departed. By the time Jesus came to the earth, this philosophy was especially taught by the Pharisees, as well as some other Jewish sects. Thus the Jewish Gehenna came to be thought of as having "seven compartments."
The following is glenned from a website on "Hebrew Glossary":
According to a tannaitic statement, the doors of Gehenna close behind apostates, informers, promoters of sin and tyrants, for many generations (Tosefta Sanhedrin 13:5). According to the Zohar, sinners are punished in Gehenna for twelve months, half of the time in fire and half in snow. Among those who do not face Gehenna, a talmudic passage includes the very poor and the diseased. Some add, Any man who is afflicted with a shrew for a wife is likewise exempted from future Gehenna (Eruvin 41b).
http://headcoverings-by-devorah.com/HebglossG.html
Likewise, after the foretold apostasy, Christians adopted a similar Hellenistic viewpoint of Gehenna, and attributed such meanings to Jesus' references to Gehenna. But did Jesus actually say anything about any one suffering for eternity in Gehenna? A study of all the instances in which Jesus used this word indicates that he did not. Indeed, he used it as a symbol of destruction, not eternal suffering. -- Matthew 10:28.
It should be apparent that Jesus is not speaking of hades/sheol in Matthew 5:22,29,30, but that he
is speaking of symbolically of the fires in the valley of Hinnom. He says
not one word about anyone suffering for all eternity. Nor is he speaking to
the world in general, but rather he speaks to his disciples, who were being
regenerated through their faith.
Jesus here speaks figuratively of the human body being thrown into the
Valley of Hinnom to be burned up. Jewish tradition as well as Christian tradition claims that it is the spirit or the soul that goes to hell to roasted for all eternity, not the body. However, Jesus says nothing about the fires of this
valley representing a place of torture or suffering after death. If he is
speaking of suffering after death, the logical conclusion one would draw
from what Jesus said would be that the human body -- not an alleged spirit or immortal soul -- would be suffering after
death.
So far as we know, no one claims that the human body of a sinner is cast into
a place of eternal suffering when a person dies. The body returns to the dust, yet some try to
use this passage to support their eternal suffering theory. These words of
the
Master should readily be recognized as highly symbolic. To make Jesus' words concerning Gehenna applicable to the eternal roasting theory, some have distorted what Jesus says to make it seem apply to the final judgment, after the resurrection of the body, so that then the body is thrown into Gehenna.
Actually, Jesus is speaking figuratively of a possibility of his followers withdrawing themselves from him to such an extent through affection for other things that they might lose out on life itself. No one supposes that
he had any intention of teaching that in order to escape eternal torture it
would be necessary for one literally to pluck out an eye, or cut off a hand.
Rather, he is using these as symbols of those things which might seem very
precious to us as Christians; but, if they should stand in the way of our
gaining eternal life in the kingdom, it would be better to give them up as
mere temporal advantages in order to make sure of the eternal glories.
In the illustration, Jesus uses Gehenna as a symbol of the utter loss that
would be experienced by those who, after tasting of "the good word of God,"
and being "partakers of the Holy Spirit," and of "the powers of the world to
come," should through unfaithfulness, do despite to the grace of God.
(Hebrews 6:4, 5) But no suggestion of eternal suffering is in any way
implied by the lesson.
Matthew 7:19 Every tree that doesn't grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown
into the fire.
Certainly, there is nothing here about hell, nor about anyone suffering for
all eternity. The idea has to added to and read into what Jesus said.
Again, Jesus is not speaking of a literal tree, nor of literal fruit that
grows on a tree, nor is he speaking of literal fire. Jesus is talking about
false prophets (Matthew 7:15) and that we recognize these by their fruits.
(Matthew 7:16) He speaks of good trees and corrupt trees, and shows that the
corrupt tree is cut down and thrown into a fire. Are we to think that God is
causing literal trees to suffer for an eternity?
If the tree is a good tree, in harmony with God and his Son, Jesus, it will
bring forth good fruit. "Fruit" is used as a symbol of the qualities of
character one develops through the holy spirit. (Galatians 5:22,23;
Ephesians 5:9) Conversely, a corrupt tree is illustrated by "works of the
flesh" -- these do not inherit God's Kingdom: Galatians 5:19-21.
The fire into which a corrupt tree is thrown is the fire of God's jealousy
for righteousness. They are cast off from God's favor. Thus we read:
"Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day
of Yahweh's wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his
jealousy; for he will make an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who
dwell in the land." (Zephaniah 1:18) "'Therefore wait for me,' says Yahweh,
'until the day that I rise up to the prey, for my determination is to gather
the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour on them my
indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth will be devoured
with the fire of my jealousy.'" (Zephaniah 3:18) "For you must not bow
yourself to another god; for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, he is a jealous
God." (Exodus 34:14) "With foreign gods they moved him [Yahweh] to jealousy;
and with idols they provoked him to anger; they sacrificed to demons, not
God." (Deuteronomy 32:16,17) "Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Surely in
the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the nations."
(Ezekiel 36:5) "In my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken."
(Ezekiel 38:19) "And Judah did evil in the sight of Yahweh, and they
provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all
that their fathers had done." (1 Kings 14:22) "When Yahweh heard it, his
anger was kindled; and the fire of Yahweh burnt among them." (Numbers 11:1)
"And my anger will be spent, and I will make my fury rest on them, and I
will be eased. And they will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in my zeal, in
my fulfilling my fury on them." -- Ezekiel 5:13.
We know that there were many "false prophets" among the Jewish people. In
the first century, many of these prophets were foretelling victory against
the Romans armies. Of this Peter states: "there also arose false prophets
among the people." (2 Peter 2:1) He further states: "as among you also there
will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies,
denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift
destruction." Thus, among Christians also, there came forth "false
teachers". These, Peter says, bring on themselves, not eternal suffering,
but swift destruction.
For those Christians who have the heavenly gift, partakers of the holy
spirit, the powers of the age to come, and who then turn away, they cannot
be called to repentance, as though to sacrifice Christ over again. (Hebrews
6:4-6) Such ones have appropriated for themselves the benefit of Christ's
sacrifice, and then trodden underfoot the Son of God, and counted the blood
of the covenant by which he had been sanctified as nothing (Romans 10:29),
and thus for such "there remains no more a sacrifice for sins." (Hebrews
10:26) There is no second ransom given. Such who fall into this category
receive, not just destruction, but "eternal destruction", for they had
already been "reckoned" as "alive" in Christ, having the merit of the ransom
sacrifice imputed to them, and then have rejected that which had sanctified
them.
However, most who are false prophets as Jesus spoke of, do not fall into
this category, but they are cast off as far as having the kingdom
inheritance, and this is more specifically what Jesus is talking about.
Those being called are called for the purpose of receiving the kingdom, to
be heirs, and joint-heirs, in that kingdom. Many, however, have claimed to
be begotten again in Christ, who have not really been so, and yet who preach
all kinds of false doctrines. These are cast off from any inheritance in the
Kingdom. It is these that Jesus seems to be speaking of, for he goes on to
say:
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will
tell me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy by your name, by your
name cast out demons, and by your name do many mighty works?' Then I will
tell them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity
[illegally].' -- Matthew 7:21-23.
While these are raised for judgment in the last day (John 12:47,48), they
fail to be of the kingdom class who will with Jesus rule in the kingdom and
do the judging of the world. -- Daniel 7:22;27; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Obadiah
21; Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29,30; Romans 8:16-21; 2 Timothy 2:11,12;
Revelation 3:21; 5:9,10; 20:4,6; 22:17; Genesis 12:3; 22:16-18; Galatians
3:7-9,16,29; Hebrews 6:13-20; Acts 3:19-25.
See our study:
The Day of Judgment
Having been raised for judgment rather than for life (John 5:28,29), they
inquire of Jesus why they do not have a share in the Kingdom, since they had
done so many wonderful and powerful works in his name. Jesus tells them to
depart from him, because he never recognized them or their works, since
their works were without his authority. Thus they are cast off from having
any share in the kingdom rulership. Jesus says nothing, however, about their
final eventuality. No doubt many of them will "believe in that day" and
attain to life everlasting. -- 2 Thessalonians 1:10.
Matthew 8:11 - I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will
sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of
Heaven,
Matthew 8:12 but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the
outer darkness. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
Contrary to the thoughts of many, Jesus is not saying that Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob will be in heaven. The expression "Kingdom of
Heaven"
does not mean "in heaven", but it is so designated to emphasize that
it is not a man made government, but is of heavenly origin, a
kingdom
that is established by "the God of heaven." - Daniel 2:44
Daniel 2 likens God's kingdom to a stone that grows until it fills
the whole earth. And Isaiah refers several times to the blessings of
that kingdom as being on the earth, not in heaven. (Isaiah 2:2-4;
11:9; 25:6-8)
Nevertheless, there will be those who will rule as joint-heirs with
Christ in the heavens and there will be those who will rule as
princes in all the earth. (Romans 8:17; Revelation 14:1; Psalm
45:16;
Isaiah 32:1) Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the ancient worthies
will be the chief ministers of that Kingdom in the world of mankind,
and all mankind will be invited to come into harmony with the
Kingdom
of heaven, that God's will may be done in this, as an earthly
class, as it is done in the heavenly class.
However, it appears that this reclining with Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob
refers to those who become the seed of Abraham in this age -- it is
not referring to being in heaven; they recline in a reckoned sense
with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob since they are reckoned as being
translated to the kingdom of Jesus. (Colossians 1:13) The Jews of
whom Jesus was speaking, however, although the natural seed of
Abraham, has been cast aside, so as not to receive the inheritance
with the seed of faith. (Galatians 4:22-31) This inheritance covers
both earthly and heavenly rewards, but this is not what is being
discussed in Matthew 8:11. Jesus is speaking of the cast off
condition of Israel as opposed to the favor shown the Gentiles, who
are being invited into the Kingdom, thus to recline with Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob in receiving the promises of an inheritance as the
seed of Abraham, while the "sons of the kingdom" according to the
flesh have found themselves outside these blessings, and indeed they
received the curses of the Law as foretold, resulting in the
destruction of Jersualem. Of course, the problems that have come
upon
the natural "sons of the kingdom" in their cast off condition has
caused them great weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Brother Russell explains this a little differently:
"Coming From East and West" in *The Watch Tower*, January/February,
1889, page 5.
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbv5/r1095.htm
Matthew 10:28 - "Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna."
Jesus is not here saying that the soul cannot die, as he goes on to say: "but fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna," using the fiery valley outside the walls of Jerusalem as a symbol of destruction. To have this mean eternal torture while one's body is dead, one has to change "destroy" to "torture", and also change body to "spirit" or something else.
Jesus is certainly not contradicting the entire body of scripture in this regard, which over and over states that the soul dies, can be destroyed, speaks of dead souls, etc. The body is not the soul, but it is a component of the soul. The soul is made up the body and the spirit (or breath) of life from God. (Genesis 2:7) When one dies the soul dies [ceases to be a living sentiency] and the original life process is reversed. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) With the life-giving source departed from the body, the soul [sentiency] ceases to exist.
For those who are not familiar with the Biblical teaching that the soul dies and is not immortal, we give the following: Using the King James Version with marginal references: The soul dies: Job 36:14 (margin); Psalm 56:13; 78:50; 116:8; Ezekiel 18:4, 20; James 5:20. The dead soul is not alive: Psalm 22:29; 30:3; 33:18, 19; Isaiah 55:3; Ezekiel 13:19; 18:27. The dead soul ceases: Psalm 49:8. The wicked soul is destroyed: Psalm 35:17; 40:14; Proverbs 6:32; Ezekiel 22:27; Matthew 10:28; Acts 3:23; James 4:12. The wicked soul is consumed: Isaiah 10:18. The wicked soul is devoured: Ezekiel 22:25. The wicked soul perishes: Matthew 16:25, 26 (the Greek word for soul is here translated life). The wicked soul is cut off: Leviticus 22:3; Numbers 15:30.
There are many more scriptures in the Hebrew that show that the soul is not immortal; this cannot be seen in most translations, however, since the word for soul is often substituted by "creature", "body", etc. On the other hand, there is not one scripture in the entire Bible says anything about the inherit immortality of the soul, or that the soul continues to live after the body dies.
However, getting back to Jesus' statement: The above scripture does not apply to everyone, but only to the believers. Those who put faith in Jesus are counted as alive in God's sight in view of the resurrection [not immortal soul] promises. This is shown in Luke 20:34-38, where in speaking of the resurrection, Jesus says: "For he is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to him." -- See also: Romans 4:5,22-25; 5:1,18; 6:11.
Further, and again speaking of the day when the righteous will be raised, Jesus said (John 6:54): "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." If a believer, after having this life reckoned to him through faith in the blood of Jesus, and partaking of the holy spirit -- powers of the age to come, turns away from this faith, he will lose the life he had obtained through that faith, for there is no longer any more sacrifice for sins left. (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26) Such a person would go into the second death, for which there is no ransom sacrifice provided. Thus Jesus, in speaking to his disciples, said the above statement as a warning. No human can take away our life -- soul -- that has been made alive in God's sight. Only God himself can do this by destroying our soul as new creatures.
Something else we might note here: Gehenna is not a symbol of the eternal roasting theory, for Jesus speaks not only of the soul being thrown into this valley, but also of fleshly bodies. In a different setting Jesus speaks similarly of the fleshly body being thrown into the fires of Gehenna. -- Matthew 5:29,30.
Some try to say that the destruction of the body is physical death, but the destruction of the soul is spiritual death. It should be apparent, however, that if "kill" in respects to the body means actual destruction -- ceasing to exist, then also "kill" and "destroy" used in respects to the soul being spoken of also means actual destruction -- ceasing to exist. We have yet to see an explanation of exactly how the concept of "spiritual death" as held by dualists would fit the death of the soul in Gehenna, since it is usually claimed that mankind fell under the sentence of spiritual death in Adam.
It has also been claimed that the death of the body is the first death (physical death), and that the death of the soul is the second death (spiritual death). This raises the question as to whether mankind has received the condemnation of the second death from Adam. Was mankind already under a condemnation of physical death (the alleged first death) before Adam sinned, so that, when Adam sinned a second death was attached to the condemnation already upon man? There is nothing in the scriptures about such.
Scripturally, the first death is the death in Adam, for which reason Bible Students usually refer to this death as "Adamic death," which death Jesus provided a ransom for. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6) The second death actually belongs to the age to come, when those who, after receiving the full knowledge of truth, willfully desire sin will be thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15) There is no more ransom, so this death will mean eternal destruction, just as it means eternal destruction for the Adamic death and hades, which are also thrown into the lake of fire. However, in this age, there are those who become sons of God who are reckoned alive and who also partake the powers of the age to come. (Hebrews 6:4,5) If these, after having been sanctified by the blood of the convenant, willfully practice sin, they have have no more sacrifice for sins. (Hebrews 10:26-29) They had already used up, so to speak, the merit of Jesus' sacrifice on their behalf. They cannot return to the condemnation in Adam, thus they come under a new condemnation, a more severe punishment, the condemnation of the age to come, that is, the second death.
Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot,
take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness; there is where the
weeping and grinding of teeth will be.'
This is part of the parable concerning the wedding feast. One came into the
feast without a wedding garment, and the king tells the servants to throw
him into outer darkness. Nothing is said about him being thrown into hell,
or into an eternity of suffering. He is thrown into outer darkness - he is
not in the light of the truth, where he does suffer weeping and gnashing of
teeth.
We are all familiar with weeping, as the poet has expressed it:
"Now the world is full of suffering,
Sounds of woe fall on our ears."
It is the "gnashing of teeth" or "grinding of teeth" that seems to be the
unusual feature. What in this expression, looked at with deliberation,
indicates eternal suffering? True, it is not a common expression in our day,
but we can readily see
that it signifies chagrin, disappointment. We have the same phrase used
elsewhere in the Scriptures, not as representing a future torment either,
but by men in the present life. For instance, when Stephen, the first
Christian
martyr, preached to his opponents, we read - "When they heard these things
they were cut to the heart,
and they gnashed at him with their teeth." (Acts 7:54) The expression,
"gnashed at him with their teeth," is evidently no more of a figurative expression than the associated one, "they
were cut to the heart." The meaning is
evident: they were angered, vexed, chagrinned, and manifested their feelings
outwardly. We should not attach any other than this correct
meaning to the words of our text, and any other analogous statement.
Regardless, there is nothing in this scripture about anyone suffering for
eternity in hell.
A study on this is found online at:
http://tinyurl.com/53unr
