The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language, and the New Testament in the Greek. Beginning with the Old Testament, we find that the word “hell” is in every case a translation of the Hebrew word “sheol”, which occurs altogether 66 times and is translated in three different ways in our Common Version: 32 times “grave”, 31 times “hell”, and 3 times “pit”. It should have been translated “pit”, or “grave”, or “tomb”, in every instance.

The first occurrence of the word “sheol” is in connection with the patriarch Jacob and his twelve sons. His two youngest sons, nobler than their brethren, were most beloved by Jacob. Joseph, his favourite, clothed in his handsome coat of many colours, was sent to his brethren, who were pasturing the sheep at a distance from home, to take them delicacies and bring back word of their welfare. The brethren, moved with envy, first thought to kill him, but subsequently sold him to the Ishmaelites, who in turn sold him to the Egyptians, in whose land under God’s providential care he later became ruler next to the king. Meantime the brethren took the peculiar coat of many colours, bedraggled it in the blood of a goat and in the dust, and sent it home to Jacob, inquiring if he recognized it. He answered, “Alas, it is Joseph’s coat; wild beasts have devoured him! I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning.” (Gen. 37:35).

What did he mean? Did he mean by Sheol a place of fire and torment? Did he believe that Joseph, his best son, had gone there, and that he, Jacob, also expected to go to that place? No, we answer. He meant that evidently Joseph was dead, and that he would mourn for his favourite son the remainder of his life, until he also should go into the state of death, into Sheol, into hell.

The second occurrence of the word “sheol” is a little further on in the same narrative. The brethren had been to Egypt to buy corn, because of famine in Canaan. It was necessary that they should go for more, but they explained to Jacob that the Governor, whom they knew not was Joseph, had required of them that if they came again they must bring with them Benjamin, their brother, the one whom Jacob now specially loved. Jacob protested, but finding that there was no escape he finally told them to take Benjamin, but declared also that if they did not bring the lad back safe they would bring down his own gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, Sheol. (Gen. 42:38). Jacob evidently meant not that he would go to a place of eternal torment if Benjamin did not return, but that a failure to bring Benjamin back would hasten his death through sorrow.

Can any right-minded person have any doubt as to the meaning of Sheol in these instances, the first two occurrences in the Bible? No! there is no doubt, nor reason for any. And the word has the same meaning exactly in its every occurrence throughout the Scriptures.

Job, one of the most prominent characters of the Old Testament, one especially mentioned as a favourite with God, made a most eloquent prayer that he might go to hell, to Sheol, to the tomb. And no wonder, poor man; for surely in his case was fulfilled the statement, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous!” (Ps. 34:19). Unwilling to suicide, he craved relief from his sorrows and troubles in death. Refresh your memory respecting his troubles. The Almighty, while approving him, permitted the Adversary to vex him sorely, to the extent of taking away every earthly possession except the mere thread of life itself. His children, gathered for a birthday party, were killed by a cyclone; later his flocks and herds and property in general were destroyed. Finally his health gave way, and he broke out in boils from head to foot. (Job 1:6–22).

To add to his sorrows his friends and neighbours, instead of consoling him, turned against him and declared that he had been acting the part of a hypocrite, and that God was now exposing him — showing His disapproval. In vain Job protested, spoke of his innocence and appealed to the LORD, until subsequently the LORD gave His verdict in favour of Job against the friends. But as though all these trials and difficulties were not enough for the poor man, to cap the climax his wife exclaimed: “You are accursed of God and should die!” Then poor Job poured forth his prayer for death, saying: “Oh, that Thou wouldst hide me in Sheol until Thy wrath be past!” (Job 14:13).

Does anyone of sane mind think that poor Job, after passing through all these afflictions, was in these words praying to God to cast him into a place of eternal torment, to be the sport of devils? No; such a supposition would be irrational. Very evidently Job meant that, if God were willing, he would be glad to die, to go into Sheol, the tomb, the state of death.

But Job had a hope for the future — he was not desirous of being annihilated; hence his prayer is: “Oh, that Thou wouldst hide me in Sheol [hell, the tomb] until Thy wrath be past.” The “wrath” here mentioned is elsewhere called the “curse”. Back in Eden, when our first parents were perfect, by disobedience they brought upon themselves the divine sentence or “curse” or “wrath” — the death sentence, which includes all mental, moral, and physical degeneracy known to our race, and which has been afflicting us as a whole for now more than 6000 years. Job was looking beyond the period of the permission of this “curse” or “wrath” to a time future, when the “curse” would be removed, and instead of it a “blessing” would come to every member of the race, himself included. As a Prophet he recorded his hope of a coming Redeemer: “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand in the latter day upon the earth.” (Job 19:25).

Through this Redeemer’s work he realized that the “curse” would be abolished, and his prayer to be hid in Sheol, the grave, the tomb, was merely until the “curse”, the “wrath”, would be over — until the great blessing time, the Millennial Reign, should begin. His prayer continuing shows his hope of a resurrection: “that Thou wouldst appoint me a set time and remember me.” Then particularly referring to the resurrection, he says: “Thou shalt call and I will answer Thee, for Thou wilt have regard unto the work of Thy hands.” (Job 14:15).

One of Solomon’s inspired proverbs which is quoted so very often, says: “Do with thy might what thy hand findeth to do.” But rarely is the remainder of the quotation added, namely: “because there is neither wisdom nor knowledge nor device in Sheol [the grave, the state of death, which is non-existence] whither thou goest.” (Eccl. 9:10). How reasonable is this statement, rightly understood — there is no wisdom nor knowledge nor work in the hell to which the good and the bad, all mankind, have been going for the past 6000 years plus! The dead are really dead, extinct, non-existent, except as God has provided for them a resurrection from the dead, a re-awakening to again become sentient beings. The very moment of their awakening will seem to each to be the next moment to the one in which they (each and every one) died; for there is no wisdom or knowledge in the tomb, in Sheol. How wonderful the goodness and mercy of God will appear to the great mass of our race when they are awakened from the sleep of death and learn for the first time of the goodness of God, that instead of having provided devils and torture, He has provided through His Son an opening of the prison doors of the tomb and a setting at liberty of the captives of death, providing also for their future uplift out of sin and degradation under the favourable conditions of the “times of restitution of all things”, the time in which God’s will: “will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

“Sheol” is in the Greek: “hades”, the exact equivalent; that is, it too has the meaning of the state of death, to be in the tomb, to have ceased to exist. For instance, in Psalm 16:10 we read: “Thou wilt not leave my soul in Sheol,” hell, the tomb, and we find St. Peter quoting this on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:27–31): “Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades”, hell, the grave. St. Peter proceeds to explain that David spoke this not respecting his own soul, but the soul of Jesus, and thus foretold our Lord’s resurrection from the dead on the third day. How simple, how plain the entire matter is from this the Scriptural standpoint!

Another illustration is this: the prophet Hosea declares: “I will ransom them from the power of Sheol [the grave, hell], I will redeem them from death: O Death where is thy sting? O Sheol [grave, hell], I will be thy destruction.” The Apostle Paul quotes this passage in his great discourse on the resurrection, saying: “O Death where is thy sting? O Hades [grave], where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:55). What could be simpler, plainer? All that we need is to get the smoke of the Dark Ages out of the eyes of our understanding, and to allow the true light from the inspired Word of God to speak to us plainly and be its own interpreter.

It should be mentioned at this time that, many decades ago, someone pointed out the following:

“As for the translators of the Revised Version they seem to have been too honest to use the word hell as a translation for Sheol, or Hades, but not honest enough to tell the people the truth on the subject. Hence you will find that in the Revised Version no translation at all is given, but the Hebrew word Sheol in the Old Testament and the Greek word Hades in the New Testament are used instead of the word hell when grave is not used. The translators evidently anticipated what occurred; namely, that the public, knowing nothing about Greek and Hebrew, would esteem this as an attempt to do away with hell, whereas the real animus of the translators was to perpetuate it. The translators knew that the people would say that hell was just as hot and just as real, although now called Sheol and Hades. They knew that the public (the vast masses of the people of Christendom) would never suspect that the wool was being pulled over the eyes of their understanding to hinder them from seeing the plain teaching of God’s Word, that Sheol and Hades mean the grave or tomb or death state: non-existence — nothing more, nothing less.”

Therefore, consider now this:

The doctrinal teaching and preaching of the churches of Christendom is that: there is a place called Hell where all condemned souls are going, to be tormented for all eternity.

Yet, in Rev. 20:13–14 we read: “… and death and hell [Hades] delivered up the dead which were in them … and [then] death and hell [Hades] were cast into the lake of fire [symbolic of total destruction]. This is the second death.”

Yes, that is the declaration of the Word of God: the reign of death and the grave will come to an end, both will be no more! The prophet Hosea is pointing forward to this when he says: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave [Sheol]; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave [Sheol], I will be thy destruction.” (Hosea 13:14). Jesus himself and the Apostles speak of this as well!

So, the Word of God declares that Churchianity’s doctrinal teaching on this subject is a lie! There is no eternal torment of souls after people die: there is death of the being, which is, of course, the real meaning of the sentence upon Adam: to be cut off from life.

Consider also this:

The doctrinal teaching and preaching of the churches of Christendom is that: man has a soul and that the soul is immortal, viz, that it cannot die. This would mean that from Adam until now: tens of billions of people have died, their souls have gone to “hell”, and they are being tormented in there ever since, and for all eternity, which, of course, we just established is totally unscriptural! Not only that, but to proclaim by doctrinal teachings and preachings such terrible and horrible things about the God of the Bible is outright blasphemy!

This is what the Word of God tells us: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7).

Man became a soul, a sentient being, a being which could feel, touch, see, hear, and express itself intelligently. The Apostle Paul declares very strictly: “The first man Adam was made a living soul”, and: “The first man is of the earth, earthy.” (1 Cor. 15:45–47).

On this very basis, the Word of God also declares (teaches): “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17). Also: “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world [the world of mankind].” (1 John 4:14).

The Apostle Paul expresses it in these words: “Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Jesus Christ] the free gift came upon all men [the free gift, viz, God’s Plan of Salvation for Adam and all his posterity] unto justification of life.” Also: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (Rom. 5:18; 1 Cor. 15:22).

All this is also meant by the words in Matth. 18:11 where the Lord Jesus said: “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost”, namely, that life lost by Adam (and, as a consequence, lost to all his posterity as well). It is that lost life which Jesus Christ came to buy back, and which he will regenerate in due time — during “the times of restitution of all things” of which “God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21).

Oh yes, between the man-made doctrines of Christendom (as taught and preached in the churches, on radio, on television, and in thousands of books), and the divine doctrines of God as declared in His holy Word: there is a vast difference, even in every particular!

Oh yes, there is a vast difference between sending tens of billions into hell for an eternity of torture — and giving eternal life to a regenerated Adamic race!

Oh yes, there is a vast difference between the God preached in and by Christendom, and the God of the Bible, for which reason their justice, designs, actions, claims and pronouncements have nothing to do with the true application of divine justice, divine wisdom and divine love.

Oh yes, God’s absolute justice had to condemn Adam’s violation of the divine law, but the divine wisdom also put into place a development by which (in due time, according to God’s “times and seasons”) Adam and all his posterity will receive and experience the utmost of divine grace and love: a SALVATION, during “the times of restitution of all things”. (Acts 3:19–21).

This divine wisdom and love has already been manifested in part by sending “his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him [in due time, during “the times of restitution of all things”] should not perish, but have everlasting life”. (John 3:16). It is for this very reason, that God’s “only begotten Son” submitted himself to God’s Plan of Salvation for Adam and all his posterity, to become “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world [Adam’s world]”, and who will come (in due time, in God’s designed “times and seasons”) as “the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). Then, under the reign of Christ during “the times of restitution of all things”: “the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Is. 26:9), viz, all the redeemed human race!

Oh yes, the time will come — and is not far off anymore — when God’s will: shall “be done on earth, as it is [done] in heaven” (Matth. 6:9–10), viz, in the true Kingdom of God, at which time all people will finally also say: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him [in a far corner of our heart we had a hope for such a God as we now see does exist], and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Is. 25:9).

In order that all the people on earth may be able to say this, God’s wisdom, power and love has also made provisions that: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain [a mountain in the Scriptures is a symbolic expression for a kingdom]: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Is. 11:9)

And at that time: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.” (Is. 11:6–8)

Also at that time shall come to pass: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. [This is a holy highway of knowledge and information, so plain and clear that even fools can grasp and understand all of it]. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast [no lion-like, no beast-like human being] shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed [all mankind] shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD [Adam and all his posterity] shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads [will turn their hearts to God’s appointed spiritual Government: Christ and his associates]: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Is. 35:5–10).

The Apostle Paul adds to all this: “Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Christ] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” (Rom. 5:18).

And: “For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [Christ; viz, the man Christ Jesus] came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:21–22).

In Rom. 5:21, the Apostle Paul therefore declares also this: “As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

And what about Rev. 21:4, which declares the ultimate grace of God, the final outcome of the applied love of God: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes [not literally, of course]; and there shall be no more death [Adamic death], neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Verse 5 then adds: “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”

And of the “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Rev. 17:14; 19:16) it is said that: “With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth [not the literal earth, but the symbolic earth: the organized societies of the earth] with the rod of his mouth [with the judgment pronounced upon the systems of these societies on the earth], and with the breath of his lips [with hard, direct truth of God] shall he slay the wicked [those who knowingly do wrong — any act of unrighteousness]. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins” — in the service (“the girdle”) of righteousness, and true faithfulness to all the Plans and Purposes of God (Is. 11:4–5).

The foregoing Scriptures are only a few of many, many more which amplify the true Gospel, “The Good News”, which is stated in the very simple words recorded in Luke 2:10–11, and declared by the angel of the LORD: “… behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

The Prophet Isaiah is referring to this future Saviour in these words: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David [the antitypical throne of David], and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Is. 9:6–7).

Some explanations to this last Scripture:

“Unto us is born” — While seemingly applicable to the people of Israel, this is actually applicable also to the whole human race; he was: “The Son of Man”.

“Mighty God” — Yes, this one is indeed a “mighty God”, who himself testifies: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matth. 28:18). The Apostle Peter declares: “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” (1 Pet. 3:22). The Apostle Paul declares that God has set him (Christ): “… at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet …” (Eph. 1:20–22).

“The everlasting Father” — Yes, indeed, he will become the life-giver of the whole human race — to Adam and all his posterity — by having provided the “ransom for all”.

The antitypical throne and kingdom of David — is the true heir of the typical throne and kingdom of King David, namely: Christ, in the true Kingdom of God, beginning with “the times of restitution of all things”, soon to be established.