Reasoning with Jehovah's Witnesses |
8. The Nature of Hell |
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8. The Nature of HellJehovah's Witnesses believe that: a. Since there is no afterlife immediately following death, it is impossible for one to experience either blessing or torment in Hades.13 b. Eternal nonexistence is the eventuality of those who are cast into gehenna, or the lake of fire.14
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Q1. Is it possible to experience either blessing or torment in Hades? Luke 16:23-"in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment" Luke 16:24-"'I am in agony in this flame'"
Q2. What is the eventuality of those who are cast into gehenna, or the lake of fire? Is 66:24-Then they shall go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind. Dan 12:2-And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace [and] everlasting contempt. Matt 3:12-"And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt 8:11-12-"And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline [at the] table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt 8:29-And behold, they [demons] cried out, saying, "What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have You come here to torment [Gr. to torture] us before the time?" Matt 13:42-"The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place [Gr. there] there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt 13:49-50-"So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt 18:8-"it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire." Matt 22:13-"Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt 25:46-"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Mark 5:7-and crying out with a loud voice, he [demons] said, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!" Mark 9:43-"it is better for you to enter life crippled, than having your two hands, to go into hell [Gr. gehenna], into the unquenchable fire" Luke 3:17-"but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Luke 10:12-"I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city." Luke 12:5-"fear the One who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell [Gr. gehenna]" Heb 10:27-29-a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot... Rev 14:9-11-If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have NO REST day and night Rev 19:20-these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire Rev 20:10-And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever [Gr. they will be tormented day and night unto the ages of the ages] Rev 22:14-15-the city...outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and...
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Summary: a. It is possible for one to experience torment in Hades. b. Eternal, conscious torment is the eventuality of those who are cast into gehenna, or the lake of fire.
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Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah's Witnesses: Ez 18:4,20-The soul who sins will die. See THE NATURE OF DEATH, Q1 Eccl 9:3-10-UNDER THE SUN...For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward...UNDER THE SUN...UNDER THE SUN...UNDER THE SUN...there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. See THE NATURE OF DEATH, Q1
Endnotes: 13. Reasoning from the Scriptures, p. 103; Make Sure of All Things, p. 231 14. Make Sure of All Things, p. 146 |
