Now we will deal with Gehenna and the Lake of Fire to demonstrate where people become victims of mass confusion.

Gehenna: Strong's # 1067 of Hebrew origin [HSN1516 and HSN2011]; valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem KJV--hell.

This Gehenna was also used as a landfill where all trash would be dumped and burned. That fire would literally carry on and on and on as trash was continually dumped there. Gehenna and the Lake Of Fire are the only two references that have anything to do with burning and fire. Take that above fact with how the Scriptures speak about these two places.

Mattithyahu 5:22, 5:29-30, 10:28, 18:19, 23:15, 23:33, (Equivalents found in Mk, Lk, Jn), James 3:6 all translate Gehenna as "hell". The true understanding of this would have been seen easily if the translators would have left the names alone.

We must first understand how exactly the state of the wicked was presented from beginning to end in the Scriptures, not middle to beginning or ending to middle,etc. First let us realize that the Tanach never mentioned anything about the wicked burning forever and ever in a physical locale. Second, souls are not inherently immortal as demonstrated in previous articles. One must keep this in mind when approaching this issue. It is the confused idea that souls are immortal that creates a further snowball effect of more confusion concerning the present and future state of the dead. Heres what the Tanach says concerning the future state of the wicked:

Gen. 17:14, Ex. 12:15, Ex. 31:14, Lev. 7:20, Lev. 17:4, Lev. 18:29, Num. 15:30-31, Ps. 1, Ps. 9:5, Ps. 37:28

Here are prophetic scriptures dealing with what happens to the wicked in the end. I will not bother to post all the various scriptures that equate Elohims anger with fire and how that fire relates to a purging of chaff (wickedness, sin, filth, etc) I'm hoping everyone is already aware of this fact. Notice how in various places Elohims presence is associated with fire (ultimate holiness, purity, sin not being able to be anywhere near Him). He is a consuming fire!

Ps. 103:8-9, Ps. 145:8-9, Is.66, Jer.4, Jer. 17:4, Jer. 31:40, Joel 2, Nahum 1:6-10, Mic. 7:18, Mal. 4:1-3 (and many more)

Psalms 37:20. But the wicked shall perish, And the enemies of YHWH shall be as the fat of lambs: They shall consume; In smoke shall they consume away.

Psalms 68:20 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: As wax melteth before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Psalms 104:35. Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. And let the wicked be no more. Bless YHWH, O my soul. Praise ye YHWH.

Psalms 112:10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; He shall gnash with his teeth [familiar words are they not?], and melt away: The desire of the wicked shall perish.

Psalms 145:20. YHWH preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy.

Proverbs 2:21-22 For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.

Isaiah 47:14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: it shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before. [This is being described as not being a normal flame, this indeed is the fiery indignation of Elohim Himself which no man can put out. Its a fire that can't and won't be quenched by man.]

In Jeremiah17:27 we have another mention of a fire not being able to be quenched. It is obvious that the fire has devoured Jerusalem and gone out. It is also very clear that man could do nothing about it therefore it would not be quenched by any means until it has accomplished its mission.

Isaiah 33:14-15 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath seized the godless ones: Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire? who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from taking a bribe, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from looking upon evil:

This is why no flesh can dwell with Him and live. We must be made into a glorified creature made white by the blood so that we be completely pure before Him (not just spiritually) physically. For now its not possible as we are in unclean bodies subject to various circumstances that make us unclean. Since we are growing toward perfection it is also that we become stained with sins. In the future are garments will be permanently made white with righteousness, holiness, purity, etc. This is why the sinner will be consumed out of the way by His presence.

Notice whats stated in the Tanach concerning death:

Isaiah 25:8 He has swallowed up death for ever; and Adonaay Yahweh will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off all the earth: for Yahweh hath spoken it.

The above sounds very familiar to things stated in Revelation concerning death. This statement does not contradict the actions of death and Hades (the grave) being thrown into the Lake of Fire. This statement helps clarify what is being mean by the phrase "Lake of Fire". This shows that the Lake of Fire is simply dealing with elimination as fire is always portrayed as an eliminating force in Scriptures.

This is but a small sample of the witness of the Tanach. This would be the concept that would have been ingrained in the minds of the Jews. They have had no concept presented to them of people burning forever in a physical locale but the wicked perishing as they are consumed by Elohims wrath. The wicked would be eternally cut off.

Lets now see what the Brit Chadesha (New Testament) is trying to teach us concerning the future state of the wicked.

In the synoptic Yahshua states these things about Gehenna:

People in danger of going there by calling someone a fool Matt. 5:22

Better to lose a part of the body that offends than to keep it in Gehenna Matt. 5:29-30, 18:19

Pharisees made a proselyte twofold more a child of Gehenna Matt. 23:15

Hypocrites have no way of escaping the judgment of Gehenna Matt. 23:33

A uncontrolled tongue is set on the fires of Gehenna James 3:6

Keep in mind what Gehenna was; a place for dumping and destroying waste for good. The effects of that fire would be eternal and everlasting on the trash there. The trash would only take so long to burn, however the effects would continue on even to this day that trash then suffers from the burning that took place. The Scriptures almost always present a physical to spiritual parallel on everything. The future state of the wicked is compared to a trash dump where the trash was eliminated by an ever going fire.

Lets look at a very important Scripture dealing with Gehenna.

Matthew 10:28 And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Not only can Elohim destroy the body as men can but He can destroy the soul too. Any human has the ability to destroy the body, putting it to death through the damage they inflict. However no human can keep a person from coming back to life or staying dead. This is because Elohim holds the breath of life in His hands only, which gives Him the ability to put back that breath in a dead body, raising it back to life. Elohim has the sole prerogative to restrict that person from ever being alive again thus destroying both the body and soul (breath), that makes up the one individual life. This is exactly what Hes going to do in the end resulting in eternal death.

Now let us take a look at the "Lake Of Fire". This phrase is only used four times and that is in the book of Revelation only. Lets look at whats said concerning this place.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshiped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone: [From what we have been given we see that this will be just as what happened to Sodom & Gomorrah. The effects not the actually burning will be forever.]

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 20:14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

So we have the beast (a government/kingdom), the false prophet, Satan, death, Hades/Sheol, and the wicked all being cast into the Lake of Fire. The theme throughout Scriptures has been about the eliminating of all of these things in the future. The issue of Satan being tormented forever and ever will be dealt with in the next article.

Summary: If you noticed with Gehenna the physical parallel was a trash dump in which all things would be eventually destroyed. How long will it take for souls to be destroyed is unknown. Different trash burns at different rates and so it may be with souls based on what they have done. (Add Scriptures concerning works for judgment)

With the Lake of Fire we see that it is dealing with elimination. Notice how death and the grave will be no more in eternity (Scripture). Satan will be no more in eternity to bother mankind. So too will sinners and sin be eliminated and no more.

If one follows the theme of the Scriptures they will begin to see that the future state of the enemies of Elohim and his anointed Yahshua HaMashiach will be eliminated. In the Tanach it is repeated numerous times that the wicked will be destroyed as well as death. One cannot destroy something that continues to exist. All agree that death will be destroyed (eliminated). Elohim says the same thing will be the condition of the wicked.

The next article will cover the issue of everlasting fire and being tormented forever and ever.