Bible gives indications that Sheol {Hell}
Is in the Earth. What about Lake of Fire?
It is claims like this that appear to give Christians a deserved reputation for ignorance and superstition when compared to the settled facts of science that have contributed so much to modern innovation. Yet, as I have shown in several preceding posts (Science of Lies) science is not settled nor so obvious as even the definition of science states. Science only hypothesizes making no claim to settled fact despite what the news media and politicians may claim. Let us add appropriate Bible hermeneutics to the mix to give us additional insight into these two biblical concepts.
Christ had much to say about one’s fate after death. The entire Bible is one large warning that this life is temporary and then the judgment (He 9:27). The Old Testament is graphic in its imagery of the wicked {sinful} person building a pit for others but falling into it himself (Ps 7:14-16). Nor does this apply simply to individuals; it also applies to governments guided by sinners that do the same (Ps 9:15-16). Elihu, in rebuking Job for his blasphemy of God, equates going down into the pit {שַׁחַת} with death (Job 33:29-30). Korah had gathered a group to rebel against the authority of Moses, and thus against the authority of God. God demonstrated miraculously His will for Moses and against the rebellious. Moses said that if Korah and his associates die a usual death then God has not spoken; but, if they die a death never before mentioned then it is from God. Korah and all who were with him went alive down into Sheol (Nu 16:26-33). Can anyone truly accept any of this as true?
I have three assumptions when I approach any Bible study. The Scriptures were inerrant in their original manuscripts; however, none of those exist today. Yet, there are literally thousands of copies of complete or partial manuscripts that agree in every major detail in both the Hebrew {Old Testament} and the Greek {Old and New Testaments}. No other ancient manuscript has such a compilation of sources material attesting to its veracity. The Bible is the breathed out word from God and thus is the only source of absolute truth (2Ti 3:16-17). My third assumption is the Four Laws of Logic: Law of Logical Inference which rests on the triad of Law of Identity; Law of Excluded Middle; and Law of Non-Contradiction. A corollary is that one starts reading the Bible in one’s vernacular language with the aim to grow in grace by studying from the original languages. Not everyone needs to be an expert, I am not, but one must get beyond the translators biases in order to apprehend the meaning intended by the original authors, men, and of God. Now, to continue our discussion we must understand Sheol.
Sheol: Hebrew understanding of Afterlife
An actual place of both Hell and Paradise
Christ spoke of the different fates of two men in His discussion of the Rich Man and Lazarus, not the brother of Martha and Mary (Lk 16:19-31). Christ, being God, was intimately familiar with Sheol. It is immaterial if His discussion was simply a parable or an actual event. Christ always couched His teachings in actual events easily understood by everyone. The rich man was religious but lost and when he died he went to what today we would call Hell or Hades but which was known in Christ’s day as the pit or simply as Sheol. Lazarus also went to Sheol but he went to the Paradise side as depicted in the above graphic. Each was aware of the other and could converse, at least in Christ’s rendition, but no one could pass from one to the other. There was torment in Hell but comfort in Paradise. And, there was no release from one’s fate after the moment of death. Now, due to certain Christian teachings many believe that Christ led those in Paradise to Heaven when He went to Heaven and presented Himself before the Father at the Mercy Seat (Jo 20:17; Ep 4:8-10). Thus, current Christian belief is that only Hell remains in the center of the earth.
Medieval Catholic mythology believed
Hell was Satan’s kingdom to torment the lost
During the medieval period when Catholicism grew out of Gnostic Christianity Hell became the domain of Satan much like Greco-Roman mythology had a god in charge of the underworld. From this assumption grew the idea of a red Satan with horns and hoofs {Demonic Pan} and his minions of grotesque demons. However, none of this is in the Bible. During this current creation fallen angels that become uncontrollable are bound in the abyss or Tartarus, a place distinct from Hell (Mt 8:29; 2Pe 2:4). In fact, even Satan will be bound in the abyss during much of the Millennial Kingdom until released to again lead sinful people in rebellion against Christ (Re 20:1-3, 7-8). Thus, Satan is not in charge of Hell, he lives in continually fear of his already pronounced judgement of the Lake of Fire.
Hell is a component of this current creation being associated with the depths of the earth. Those in Hell are not in bodily form but in spirit only. What are the characteristics of a spirit form? No one knows! Man can only perceive with his five physical senses and science deals only with what is measurable and repeatable; thus, spiritual is beyond the ken of man. I doubt that the spiritual has three dimensions meaning that it does not take up space as we understand space. Yet, spiritual must be subject to energies since it appears to have some energy aspects. One thing I can saw with certainty is that Hell is a component of this creation and when this creation is removed, Hell is also emptied; thus, the White Throne judgment (Re 20:11-15).
However, the Lake of Fire does exist and has existed ever since Lucifer first sinned (Mt 25:41). We know it exists now because the Antichrist and False Prophets are the first to enter it during this current creation; after the Great Tribulation and during the Millennial Kingdom (Re 19:20). They are still there when Satan, and his minions, are thrown into the Lake of Fire after the end of this creation (2Pe 3:11-13; Re 20:9-10). Then, all those who stood at the White Throne judgment will be consigned to the Lake of Fire for eternity (Re 20:14-15). This is the Second Death; and it is permanent. The Lake of Fire exists for eternity, even during the New Heavens and Earth; however, it must exist outside of this and the new creation because in the New Earth creation there will be no sin, only the shining righteousness of Christ illuminating everyone from the New Jerusalem. This, it must exist outside of this creation in its own dimension, unlike Hell which is a pale example.
Earth’s Magnetosphere and Sun’s Heliosphere
Keep Satan and his minions and lost souls on earth
I theorize that one reason for the earth’s magnetosphere and the sun’s heliosphere is to keep sinful spiritual forces consigned to earth, Satan and his demons (Re 12:7-12). I also believe that these same forces also keep the lost contained in Hell. Man little understands the forces of magnetism, gravity and electricity and their interactions. It was not until man launched satellites to collect data directly from space that earth’s magnetosphere was discovered and the Voyager satellites are still exploring the limits and extent of the Sun’s heliosphere. Man is struggling to accept that earth’s weather is directly and mainly controlled by the sun’s various forms of energy and material ejectate. It is these forces that created the great gulf that separated Hell from Paradise and keep the lost souls in Hell.
Thus, science can verify aspects of the Bible substantiating belief while lost man must pervert science into scientism to keep his deception that God does not exist. Yet, at death, their deceptions are removed and they are stuck with terror at the absolute reality they can no longer deny. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ez 33:11). God desires all people everywhere to be saved (1Ti 2:3-4). God is not tempted with evil nor does He tempt or try people with evil (Ja 1:13-14). Each of us are enticed by our own lusts because each person born in sin has rejected God’s truth and substituted a myth in its place (Ro 1:18-25; Ja 1:14-16). It is God who saves some according to His own good graces (Ro 9:19-24). Those who are saved will receive new bodies like Christ’s (1Co 15:42-49) while those who are lost will never receive new bodies but remain less than people in spirit form while the fiery seraphim search in vain for any speck of God’s righteousness in order to release those who did not want God in their lives. God gave them up to their own request, and its consequences (Ro 1:18-32). Each person has consigned themselves to Hell and then the Lake of Fire. It is only through God’s grace that any people are saved and that not of themselves lest we too should boast, in sin (Ep 2:8-10).