From Newsgroup: alt.bible

A review: Hell

Torture from a God of love?? (1 John 4:8) No wonder why there is so
many non-believers. Neither them, nor I, would want to worship such a
sadistic god.

Satan must be laughing that he pulled the wool over the churches'
eyes, and made them accept a torturer God. But he didn't pull a fast
one on JW's. They are wise to his tricks and correct his false
teachings.

Hell comes from the OT word "sheol":

"Grave. When lowercased, referring to an individual grave; when
capitalized, the common grave of mankind, equivalent to the Hebrew
oSheolo and the Greek oHades.o It is described in the Bible as a
symbolic place or condition wherein all activity and consciousness
cease.uGe 47:30; Ec 9:10; Ac 2:31." (Watchtower Library Glossery)

Yes, "hell" in the Bible means the "grave":

"Strong's Ref. # 7585

Romanized Sh'owl
Pronounced sheh-ole'

or Sh'ol {sheh-ole'}; from HSN7592; Hades or the world of the dead (as
if a subterranean retreat), Sheol, including its accessories and
inmates:

KJV--grave, hell, pit"

Notice these 3 translations for the OT word "sheol", hell

-- New King James
Genesis 37:35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort
him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, "For I shall go down
into the grave [sheol, hell] to my son in mourning.'' Thus his father
wept for him.
[brackets mine]

American Standard
Genesis 37:35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to
comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will
go down to Sheol to my son mourning. And his father wept for him.

DRA
And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father
in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down
to my son into hell, [sheol, grave] mourning. And whilst he continued
weeping,
[brackets mine]


"AI Overview
Sheol is the Hebrew word for the underworld or the common grave of
humanity. In the Hebrew Bible, it is depicted as a dark, silent, and
shadowy subterranean realm where the dead go, regardless of their
moral standing in life."

Thus hell means the grave, not a hot place of punishment and sadist
torture.

" Wisdom for Family Happiness
What can husbands, wives, parents, and children do to enjoy a happy
family?
Find Out "
See jw.org (5/17/2026)
zebrabible@proton.me

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From Newsgroup: alt.bible

The Reality And Nature Of Eternal Punishment

1. The Place of Punishment is Distinct from the Grave

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in the lake of fire." (Matthew 10:28 ESV)

The lake of fire is a place where both soul and body are destroyed. The grave receives only the physical body, but the lake of fire involves the destruction of both soul and body. Therefore, the lake of fire cannot mean simply the physical grave or a state of unconsciousness where all activity ceases.

"The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God." (Psalm 9:17 ESV)

The wicked are assigned to Sheol as a specific punishment for forgetting God. If Sheol meant nothing more than the common grave of mankind which all people enter regardless of their moral standing, this statement would have no meaning. The righteous and the wicked alike go to the physical grave, but the Scriptures speak of Sheol here as a distinctive destination for the ungodly.

2. The Nature of the Lake of Fire is a Place of Conscious Torment

"And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to the lake of fire, to the unquenchable fire." (Mark 9:43 ESV)

The fire of the lake of fire is described by Christ as unquenchable. A fire that cannot be quenched is not a symbol of non-existence or total cessation of consciousness. It is a place of active, ongoing retribution.

"And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Revelation 20:10 ESV)

The punishment of the lake of fire involves conscious torment. The scripture explicitly states that those cast into it will be tormented day and night forever and ever. This describes continuous, conscious experience, which is the direct opposite of a condition where all activity and consciousness cease.

"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:46 ESV)

The punishment of the wicked is co-extensive with the life of the righteous. The same Greek word is used to describe the duration of both life and punishment. If the life of the righteous is a conscious, everlasting existence, then the punishment of the wicked must also be a conscious, everlasting existence.

3. The Holiness and Love of God Demand Perfect Justice

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into the lake of fire and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment" (2 Peter 2:4 ESV)

God is a God of absolute holiness who does not spare those who sin. His perfect justice requires that sin be punished according to its true gravity.

"God is love." (1 John 4:8 ESV)

The love of God does not contradict His absolute justice. Because God is love, He hates sin, which destroys and defiles His creation. True love requires the execution of justice against wickedness. The existence of a place of punishment does not make God a torturer, but demonstrates that He is a holy Judge who upholds righteousness.

Propositions

First. The lake of fire is entirely distinct from the physical grave and represents a specific place of judgment for the ungodly

Second. The punishment of the lake of fire involves conscious torment that is eternal in duration

Third. The eternal punishment of the wicked is perfectly consistent with the character of God as a God of both perfect love and absolute justice
--
Jesus is God

https://www.christrose.news/Jesus-God

Good News rCa

Christ's death on a cross paid the debt we owe God for our sins (Colossians 2:14). The proof is God raised Him from the dead (Romans 1:4).

This means God can now remain right, while forgiving our sins (Romans 3:26) and delivering us from His coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10). It's a free gift for those who believe in Christ (Romans 6:23).

If you believe, call on the Lord to save you (Romans 10:9-13).

https://christrose.news/salvation
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