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speculation. Thé whole question is what does the Bible say about Hell? But while, we are dependent entirely upon the Bible, the Bible clearly reveals all that we need to know. The Bible tells us a great deal about heaven, and it tells us still more about hell, and it is an interesting fact that the Lord Jesus Himself, whqse author ity many are ready to accept who do not accept the authority of the rest of the Bible, is the one who tells us the most about hell, and the most clearly about hell. Indeed, all that I am going to show you tonight is what the Lord Jesus Himself says on this subject. I. Hell and Hades A re Not the Same. , First of all, in order to .clear the’ way for the study of what Jesus says on this subject, let me call your attention to the fact that Hell and Hades are not the same. There are numerous places in the Author ized Version where we find the word “Hell” but where that word does not occur in the Revised Version, and where the word “Hades” is substituted for the word “Hell.” The Revised Version is right at that point, as every Greek scholar knows. Hades is not Hell. “Hades is the Greek equivalent of the Old Testament Hebrew word “Sheol.” This Hebrew word “Sheol” is frequently translated in the Authorized Version of the Old Testament by the En glish word “Grave.” It ought never to be so translated, as it never means “Grave.” I have taken the pains to look up every y passage where this Hebrew word is used and in not a single instance does it mean “Grave.” There is an entirely different Hebrew word which can properly be trans lated in that way. “Sheol,” or New Testa ment “Hades,” means the place of departed spirits. Sheol (or Hades) before the coming, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord, was the place where all the spirits of the dead, good and bad, went. Before the ascension of Christ, in Hades was Paradise, the place of the blessed dead, and Tartaros, the place of the wicked dead. At His ascension Christ emptied the Paradise of Hades, and took
ridiculous. So majorities cannot always be right. And, therefore, we cannot' settle •this question by asking what the majority believe. We cannot settle the question by reason ing as to what such a being as God must do, for how can finite and foolish man judge what an infinitely holy and infinitely wise God would do? Man never appears more foolish than when he tries to reason out what an infinite God must do. All these arguments about hell by reasoning what God must, or must not, do are stupid. A child of seven cannot reason infallibly as to what a wise and good man of fifty will do, much less can puny creatures of the dust (such as you and I are, such as the most learned philosophers and theologians are) reason infallibly as to what .an infinitely wise and infinitely holy God must do. It is, however, far easier to believe in a literal hell, and an everlasting hell, from the standpoint of pure reasoning today than it was three years and a half ago. Never theless, we cannot settle the question as to whether there is a literal hell by reasoning even today as to what such a being as God must do. There is only one way to settle this question right; that is by going to the Bible, and finding out what it says, and taking our stand firmly and unhesitatingly upon that. We have seen the last three Sunday nights that the Bible is beyond an honest question God’s word, so whatever the Bible says on this subject or any other subject, is true and is sure. Especially is it true that we must go to the Bible and find what it says in the matter of future punishment and future blessedness. ALL WE KNOW ABOUT THE FUTURE IS WHAT THE BIBLE TELLS US. All reasoning about the future out side of what the Bible tells us is pure guessing, it is a waste of time. We know nothing about heaven but what the . Bible tells us, and we know nothing about hell but what the Bible tells us. On a subject like this one ounce of God’s revela tion is worth a thousand tons of man’s
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