Part 2 of my study on Hell and the Lake of Fire- Part 2

Part 2 of New Testament study: Hell and the Lake of Fire! What are they? What aren't they?  
Luke 12:4-5 (KJV)

4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

The word Hell here is taken from the greek word "Gehenna" which again is not a spiritual underworld of torment but rather a type of what literal Ghenna (Valley of the son of Hinnom) was-a burning garbage refuse outside earthly Jerusalem-. The future Gehenna will be a consuming Lake of Fire in earth outside of Heavenly Jerusalem after the second resurrection which will burn unbelievers until they are completely destroyed. This passage is clearly describing a further judgment and has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld. The person's body, not their disembodied soul or spirit, will be cast into the fire of Gehenna. This is true to the context noting verse 4 about not fearing those who can kill the body only but fear him who can cast that body into Gehenna after killing it.

Luke 16:19-31 (KJV)

19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Note that both Lazarus and the rich man have their bodies in this parable, the rich man asks if Lazarus can dip his finger so that his (rich man) tongue can be cooled. This is proof that thisnpassage is a parable and not literal. Why do I say this? Because these two men have their bodies in the afterlife. We know from scripture that we don't get our bodies until the resurrection at the last day. Had last day already happened when Jesus told this story? Of course not! It still hasn't happened. Also we know from Hebrews 11:8-16 that Abraham died in faith and is not alive and that he hasn't received the promises which is the Heavenly country which he now desires (this desiring is figurative as of course Abraham is asleep until that day when his body resurrects. Many take this parable literally but how is that when the rich man, supposedly being in hell can see Abraham supposedly being in Heaven. There will be no way unbelievers can see Heaven during their judgment of Gehenna (Lake of Fire). Note that Jesus. The parable teaches that there is no chance of repentance after death. Jesus said that "neither will they be persuaded, though one rise from the dead". This statement by Jehoshua in reference to Abraham in third person proves that this parable is talking about the resurrection of bodies, one who enjoyed the temporal riches of this life (rich man) and one who didn't (Lazarus). We know that the resurrection of bodies is after the second coming of Jehoshua. When this parable was taught, Jehoshua was still doing his earthly ministry and the second coming still awaits. So this proves that this passage is not literal but a parable of the future judgment awaiting the just and unjust. There will be no rescue for the unjust once the judgment at the Lake of Fire begins. The unjust will be completely destroyed. The righteous will be comforted by the Jehoshua and Jehovah for eternity in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Abraham's bosom was a reference to death as used by the pharisees.  For Lazarus in this passage to go warn the rich man's family of Hell Fire Judgment, he would have to rise from the dead. So clearly, this again proves that this is a parable as Lazarus is dead (in the parable) and awaiting the resurrection. If this passage was literal then Lazarus would have his body and be risen from the dead already and there would no need for Jehoshua to make that statement if people were already in Heaven. Notice Jehoshua didn't say "neither will they be persuaded, though one come from Heaven". This confirms that once the righteous die they go to the grave not Heaven until the resurrection. 

Read the below passage regarding Abraham and his state of being after death, reinforcing that Luke 16:19-31 is a parable. 

Hebrews 11:8-16 KJV

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Romans 6:20-23 (KJV)

20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Notice what this passage says concerning the wages of sin. It is death not unending torment. Death= thanatos (greek) which means (literally or figuratively) death, deadly,  (be) death. Look at the contrast for those who are saved. They get the free gift of eternal life from Jehovah.  Eternal life is only for believers in Jehoshua. Unrepentant sinners get death. For sinners to burn in unending torment would mean they have eternal life which contradicts Jehovah's word per the above passage. Eternal=Aionios (greek) which means perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well):- eternal for ever, everlasting, world began.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9King James Version (KJV)

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Verse 9 talks about the coming judgment of unbelievers. Note the words "everlasting destruction". This doesn't mean everlasting unending torment but rather that their destruction will be everlasting and that they won't be able to come back to life, their annihilation will be complete and last forever. Death=olethros (greek) which means to destroy (a prolonged form); ruin, I.e. death, punishment:-destruction. 

So death in the greek means ruin, punishment, to destroy. Let me ask you this: when you received punishment from your parents was it unending or did it end at some point? Obviously it ended, that's what punishment denotes, a time period of judgment. If your parents were still exercising their punishment to you from something a long time ago, then the correct term to describe it would be "punishing" which is continous rather than "punishment" which has a finite ending. Also, look at a city in ruins and notice that the punishment it suffered in order to be in a state of ruins is not continous but had a finite ending. The whole concept of ruins means that the particular city was destroyed either by nature or war or abandonment. The means by which the city came to ruins is no longer present and had a definite ending. So will be the case of the unbeliever,  they will be as ruins meaning "to no longer exist" just like sodom and Gomorrha no longer exist but were eternally destroyed. They had received fire for their destruction and as a result no longer exist and lay in ruins. We are told in scripture that Sodom and Gomorrha will be the example of what will happen to unbelievers at the judgment. That being the case, that proves that Hell Fire is one of permanent destruction not unending torment. Sodom and Gomorrha are no longer burning and either are their inhabitants but they were destroyed. The unbelievers in Sodom are still awaiting the second resurrection for their final judgment which will be a more grand version of their earthly destruction. In Sodom and Gomorrha they were destroyed by fire and sent to the grave not having consciousness.  In the Lake of Fire they will be destroyed and cease to exist in an eternal grave where they will, no longer have consciousness.

2 Peter 2:1-9 (KJV)

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
Verse 4- the greek word for Hell here is "tartaroo" which means (the deepest abyss of hades-grave) to incarcerate in eternal torment:- cast down to hell-grave. This denotes a past and future event of Satan and his angels being cast into the abyss (presently) and bound and chained during the thousand year reign of Jehoshua (future) with the Saints (likely in Heaven). We know Satan and his angels are not in chains yet as they are actively deceiving the world. After the Second Advent of Jehoshua and the destruction of unbelievers who are living on earth, scripture says Satan will be bound for a thousand years. Where is he bound? In the bottomless pit (abyss). Is that in some spiritual underworld of torment? Let's look at Revelation 12:9-13 for the location of where Satan and his angels were cast down:

 Revelation 12:9-13 (KJV)

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

This passage correlates with 2nd Peter 2:4. Satan and his angels were cast down to "Hell" (abyss) which in this case denotes the earth, they are currently exhibiting their wrath against the woman (the church) and deceiving the nations because they, know their time is short. Revelation 20:1-4 describes the second part of 2 Peter 2:4 about the binding of Satan.

 Revelation 20:1-4 (KJV)

20 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The above passage describes the binding of Satan and his angels also fufilling the second part of 2 Peter 2:4.

So, we see the word "Hell" in this case means the abyss which is here on earth as noted in Revelation 12. The teaching that "Hell" in this case means a spiritual underworld is a ancient greek Mythology teaching. 

  Jude 5-7  (KJV)

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

We see in verse 5 and 6, the correlation of the angels being cast out of Heaven to the earth with 2 Peter:4. They are reserved for judgment in everlasting chains. They will be chained right before the millennium and then the judgment of the great day will be the Lake of Fire. Their everlasting chains means that they are unbreakable and the fact that they are awaiting (reserved for) the day of judgment in these chains, means that the chains (figurative) themselves will be a temporary binding until the day of judgment (Lake of Fire).

Verse 7 says that Sodom and Gomorrha are the example of the type of judgment awaiting all who live ungodly. Was this judgment of Sodom and Gomorrha unending torment or finite destruction?  Obviously it is finite destruction as Sodom and Gomorrha is no longer burning and was forever destroyed. They were turned to ashes.

Back to 2nd Peter 2:1-9

Verse 6 says that Sodom and Gomorrha was turned to ashes condemned unto destruction. The second verse states that this is the example of judgment awaiting all ungodly people. What's the example? Unending torment in a spiritual underworld or finite once and for all destruction here in earth (the Lake of Fire)? Going by scripture here in verse 6 the answer is finite destruction in the Lake of Fire which is here on earth as a type of "Valley of the son of Hinnom". The earth will be one big Lake of Fire after the unbelieving dead arw resurrected. 

Verse 9 states the unjust are reserved (second resurrection) for punishment which denotes a finite period of time of judgment. Punishing would be a continuous and unending time of judgment.

 Revelation 14:9-11 (KJV)

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

The third angel message proclaims Hell Fire Judgment (Lake of Fire) on all who worship the  beast, his image and take his mark. Verse 11 describes the nature of this Hell fire. 

Verse 11 where it states "ascendeth up for ever and ever" is an allusion to the eternal destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha (see Jude 7). For ever in this text doesn't necessarily mean unending but could also mean a indefinite period of time, the limits of which are determined by the nature of the person, thing or circumstance to which it is applied. 

Let's see Isaiah 34:1-10 for the destruction of Edom that was described as not being quenched and their smoke ascending forever.

Isaiah 34:1-10 (KJV)

34 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.

2 For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.

6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the Lordhath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.

7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

8 For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

So we clearly see that the description of Edom being destroyed with unquenchable smoke and fire is figurative as Edom is no longer around. This passage in Isaiah confirms that language such as unquenchable fire and smoke ascending forever is figurative and not to be taken literally. This should also be applied to Revelation 14:9-11. The fire is unquenchable as long as the person lives and until he is consumed. The biblical usage of this type of language intends to convey the idea- not that the fire eill never go out, but that it cannot be put out by any other means than completely consuming what it is burning until there is nothing left.

 Revelation 20:7-10 (KJV)

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

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

The same language in Isaiah regarding "for ever" torment of fire is used here in Revelation 20:7-10. It is metaphorical for final destruction. (Isaiah 27:1 and Hebrews 2:14, Ezekiel 28:18-reduced to ashes). The Antimessiah will be destroyed permanetley (2 Thessalonians 2:8) This Lake of Fire spoken of is here on earth. It is the judgment of unbelievers after the second resurrection.

 Revelation 20:11-15 (KJV)

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This casting will be into the Lake of Fire (Gehenna) here on this very earth where the wicked will be consumed and destroyed. This fire will also cleanse the earth and Jehovah will restore itnto it's Edenic beauty hence the New Earth.

Matthew 10:28 (KJV)

28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

So, here both soul and body are refrenced together as one unit. What goes to Hell? our bodies do, not disembodied souls. What happens to our bodies/souls? They are destroyed in Hell=Gehenna (greek) which is an end time type of the valley of the son of Hinnom, a burning garbage refuse outside Jerusalem. The end time Gehenna will be a world wide Lake of Fire outside the Heavenly Jerusalem. This destruction is one of permanency not unending as it doesn't state that but it says destroy=final ruin.  It is also on earth as Gehenna was/is on earth not in a spiritual underworld of torment.

New Testament study on Hell and the Lake of Fire! Part 1

Part 1 of my New Testament Study on Hell and the Lake of Fire!  What are they?  What aren't they? 

 Matthew 23:15 (KJV)

15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

So the word for Hell here in the greek is "Gehenna" which means valley of (the son of) Hinnom; gehenna or (Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem,  used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:-hell.

There is nothing about Gehenna that is described as a spiritual underworld of torment. Rather, it was a literal place outside Jerusalem where garbage, dead animals and dead bodies of criminals were burned. When Jesus speaks in this case of Gehenna (Hell), he is speaking figuratively in the sense of geography. The fire that will consume the wicked after the day of judgment, will not just be contained in the literal valley of the son of Hinnom outside modern Jerusalem but will be outside the Holy City Jerusalem after it is brought down to earth from Heaven. This Lake of Fire will be a consuming fire in the literal and figurative valley of the son of Hinnom (the whole earth will be a Lake of Fire-Gehenna- Valley of the son of Hinnom) This Lake of Fire is the punishment of unbelievers after their resurrection (second resurrection) which follows the millennium. The literal Valley of the son of Hinnom was outside modern Jerusalem. It was a type of the coming "valley of the son of Hinnom"-Gehenna-Lake of Fire, which will be outside the Holy City Jerusalem which comes down from Heaven. The coming "valley of the son of Hinnom" will be located on the whole earth as one big Lake of Fire to consume all unbelievers after thw White Throne judgment. 

So, we see that Gehenna has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment but it is a consuming fire of destruction that will be on the earth after the White throne judgment of unbelievers. 

Ditto for the below scripture:

 Matthew 23:33 (KJV)

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Damnation is final judgment which we know from Revelation takes place in Gehenna also known as the Lake of Fire. The word for Hell in the above scripture is translated from the greek word "Gehenna". From the above description we then know that Hell in this passage does not refer to a spiritual underworld of torment, but actually the consuming fire of judgment which will take place right here on earth after the judgment of unbelievers. This consuming fire will be one big Lake of Fire that spreads over all the earth until it destroys in finality all the wicked and at the same time purifies the earth from sin. After this Jehovah will restore the earth to it's edenic beauty hence the term New Heaven and New Earth.

Notice what Jehoshua says to the scribes and Pharisees asking them "how can ye escape the damnation of Gehenna?" So Gehenna is a judgment of damnation and not necessarily a spiritual underworld of torment. Again, from the meaning we have looked at in the greek concerning "Gehenna" we see that it is described as the valley of the son of Hinnom and not a spiritual underworld. The judgment spoken of here by Jehoshua is a future type of the valley of the son of Hinnom which will be consuming fire here on earth. The valley of the son of Hinnom "Gehenna" sits outside earthly Jerusalem, the future judgment of Gehenna will be a worldwide valley (Lake) of Fire outside the Heavenly Jerusalem after it comes down to earth and the unbelievers are resurrected.  So the future judgment of Gehenna is at the same time, in the literal valley of the son of Hinnom and all over the earth. The valley of the son of Hinnom is just a small type of what Gehenna will be at the judgment. The valley of the son of Hinnom is just used as an miniature example of the future judgment of Gehenna which will be worldwide and it will be a spiritual judgment for destruction of the wicked. The valley of the son of Hinnom was used for garbage refuse, burning of dead animal bodies and dead criminals. The end time judgment of Gehenna will be for those who rejected Jehoshua Messiah. Just as there was a consuming fire in the biblical times "Gehenna" that destroyed the dead bodies of animals and criminals, the fire that burns in the future judgment of "Gehenna" will be a consuming one that destroys the wicked once and for all. The future Gehenna will be world wide not just constrained to a specific valley. What the two Gehenna's have is that they are both outside of their respective Jerusalems. The biblical times Gehenna was/is outside earthly Jerusalem and the furture judgment of Gehenna is outside Heavenly Jerusalem. 

 Matthew 18:7-9 (KJV)

7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Hell in this passage is translated from the greek word "Gehenna". As stated previously, Gehenna is the valley of the son of Hinnom which was a burning garbage refuse outside Jerusalem in biblical times. Jesus here is speaking of the future Gehenna which will not only be directly outside the Holy City Jerusalem but all over the earth as one big burning Lake of Fire. Gehenna in biblical times was a type of future Hell fire. 

Biblical times Gehenna was a garbage refuse outside of modern Jerusalem where dead animal bodies were burned and the bodies of criminals as well.

End times Gehenna will be a Lake of Fire outside of the Holy City Jerusalem which will burn and consume once and for all, those who rejected Jehoshua and took the mark of the beast. This Lake of Fire will be spread the breadth of the earth. The biblical times Gehenna was a type of fire that was strictly contained to the Valley of the son of Hinnom outside modern Jerusalem. The biblical times Gehenna was used to burn garbage,  dead animals and dead criminals. The end times Gehenna will be used to burn and destroy all unbelievers. Gehenna will destroy all unbelievers once and for all. Again, Gehenna has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment but is simply an "end times" type of the valley of the son of Hinnom version of Gehenna which was/is located outside modern Jerusalem. Nothing burns anymore in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. The "end times Gehenna" as a type of the "biblical times Gehenna" will also be here on earth but unlike it's "biblical times type" the future Gehenna will be a world wide Lake of Fire instead of being restricted to a valley. 

 Matthew 24:45-51 (KJV)

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This passage speaks of end time judgment which is burning in Gehenna (The Lake of Fire on the earth). There is nothing here about a spiritual underworld.

 Matthew 25:41 (KJV)

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

This everlasting fire is here on the earth in the Lake of Fire "Gehenna" outside the Heavenly Jerusalem not in a spiritual underworld of torment. 

 Matthew 25:31-46 (KJV)

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Again, this everlasting punishment is here on earth "Gehenna" in the form of one big Lake of Fire. This punishment has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment. Punishment (Gr. Kol'-as-is)- from Greek "kolazo"; to curtail. Everlasting punishment-the Greek shows a lopping off or cutting off of the wicked,  not an endless agony of horrors in hellfire. Punishment is a condition of being punished,  not an active infliction.  Destruction is everlasting. This punishment has an ending which is once the wicked are completely consumed. The wicked do not have everlasting life but they persih (utterly destroyed, meaning no more consciousness). This everlasting fire of Gehenna (here on earth) has to be final destruction rather than unending torment, as the earth will be needed so that Jehovah can restore it to it's edenic beauty for his people to dwell in. The fire of Gehenna has a twofold effect, final destruction of unbelievers and the cleansing of the earth so that it can be restored to a eternal paradise.


Matthew 5:21-30 (KJV)

21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Hell in this passage is translated from the greek word "Gehenna" which is a Lake of Fire here on earth after the second resurrection. It is not referring to a spiritual underworld of torment. Notice that Jehoshua says "thy whole body should be cast into hell." He didn't say a disembodied soul or spirit creature but he said "body". This is a warning to those who live in sin, that if they don't repent their whole body (after being raised to life in the second resurrection) will be cast into Gehenna (here on earth as one big Lake of Fire). Again this passage has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment of disembodied souls but rather a final destruction of fire here on earth for unbelievers. Remember, Gehenna (Hebrew origin) is described in the Greek dictionary as located in the valley of the son of Hinnom outside Jerusalem. This means that Gehenna is an earthly place not a spiritual underworld.

Hell and the Lake of Fire! Old Testament view of Hell

Hell and the Lake of Fire! Old Testament view of Hell first,  New Testament view of Hell and Lake of Fire to follow. 

What are they? What aren't they? 

The common and popular teaching of Hell, is that it is a spiritual underworld of torment where the unbelieving deceased go to await their final judgment at the White Throne. The Lake of Fire is taught as a place where Hell will be cast into and also all unbelievers after the White throne judgment. The Lake of Fire is taught as an unending place of torment, a literal separate place from the earth.

Those are the commonly held beliefs about Hell and the Lake of Fire by most of Christendom as well as Catholicism. What does the Bible teach on the subject of Hell and the Lake of Fire? You may be suprised!

The questions to be asked are:
What is Hell?
What is the Lake of Fire?
Is the judgment of these unending or final?

The word Hell has been attributed in culture as a ghoulish underworld of unending torment and suffering for bad people. The word in the mainstream Christian world has the same connotation however substitute bad unbelievers for bad people. Unlike popular belief the word "Hell" in the Bible is never described as a spiritual underworld.  The word Hell in the Bible is often referred to as the "grave". Let's look at the definition of Hell in the Hebrew and Greek from Strong’s. 

Hebrew word for Hell= "sh'owl" sheh-ole-or shol sheh-ole transliterated "Sheowl" which means Hades or world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including it's accessories and inmates: grave, hell, pit.

Greek  word for Hell= "haides" which means properly, unseen, I.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:-grave, hell.

Another Greek word for Hell= "geena" gheh'-en-nah- of Hebrew origin; valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem,  uaed (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:-hell.

 Psalm 9:17 (KJV)

17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

The meaning of Hell in this passage is simply the grave as the Hebrew word Sheowl is used in this text. It is not describing a spiritual underworld. 

The Restoration Study Bible translates the verse as such:

Psalm 9:17
"The wicked shall be turned into the grave, and all, the nations that forget Elohim."

 Psalm 16:10 (KJV)

10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Again, the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which means the grave. King David here is comforted knowing his soul (his body) will not be left in the grave as his hope is the resurrection of the last day. It would be pretty ridiculous to think that David was talking about a spiritual underworld of torment. Remember, David was a man after God's own heart so if he is talking about being sent to a spiritual underworld of torment rather than the grave, then we don't have much hope for ourselves. The second part of this refers to Jehoshua as he didn't see the corruption of death as he was raised in the third day after being buried. We know that the Father would never send his Son to a evil spiritual underworld upon his death at the cross, so again this corruption is in reference to his body in the grave "Hell" (Sheowl). 

Note the Hebrew word for soul here is "nephesh" which means properly, a breathing creature, I.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):-any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature. 

When scripture speaks of the soul, it doesn't mean a disembodied spirit floating around but it is an actual living being which includes body and spirit.  Once a person dies, they become a dead soul (body). This process of death is the spirit (breath of God, life force) leaving the body and going back to Jehovah. The body returns to the dust and becomes a dead soul. The process of birth is the opposite as Jehovah breathes the spirit of life into the nostrils of the body (dust from the ground) which then constitute a living soul (animated body). By the very definition,  a soul cannot survive without a body. Spirit + Body = Soul.

Part 2

Without either the spirt or body, the soul cannot exist. The existence of the soul depends entirely on the spirit and the body coming together. This coming together of spirit and body happens twice in our existence. At birth and at the resurrection (first or second). Each time, it starts with Jehovah breathing his life force (spirit) into the body which comes from the dust. This creates a living being also described as a "living soul". Once the life force (spirit) leaves our body at death we are no longer a living being (living soul) but we are a dead body (a dead soul).

Realizing the above about what a soul constitutes is important, because it confirms further that when Hell is spoken of with the words sheowl and hades itnis actually talking about the literal grave not a spiritual underworld as we cease to have consciousness at death as our soul dies. Our soul (living soul/being with a body or dead soul when body returns to the dust) will not live again until we get our bodies resurrected at the last day for believers. 

 Proverbs 15:24 (KJV)

24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

Again the word used for Hell here in this passage is "sheowl" which means the grave. This departing from the grave beneath is in reference to the resurrection of the just at the last day. This is not talking about a spiritual underworld of torment but simply the grave as we have noted due to the meaning of sheowl. 

Proverbs 23:14 (KJV)

14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

The word for Hell here is "Sheowl" which again means the grave. This proverb is talking the discipline of children so that they don't go to the grave prematurely due to death, which would be expedient if the child was rebellious as the consequences of rebellion often lead to early death. 

 Proverbs 15:11 (KJV)

11 Hell and destruction are before theLord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

Again, the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which means the grave not a spiritual underworld of torment. 

So,  we get the point here that when the word "Hell" is used in the old testament it is simply talking about the literal grave not a spiritual underworld. Translators would be better served to render the word Hell in these old testament passages as the "grave". That's why I like the Restoration Study Bible as they do this. It gives readers of the Bible a more proper understanding of what the passages mean. The RSB is based on the old and New Testament versions of the King James. They restore The  Father and The Son's name as well as restore meanings of certain words such as the example above. 

 Deuteronomy 32:22-24 (KJV)

22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Again the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which in this case means "pit". Again the word Hell in this passage doesn't mean a spiritual underworld of torment. 

The RSB (which is based on the KJV) reading of this scripture is more correct

Deuteronomy 32:22

"For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest pit, and shall consume the earth with her increase,  and set on fire the foundations of the mountains."

Let me ask this question,  if the word Hell used in the KJV was talking about a spiritual underworld, then why does it state that this fire will consume the earth?  It wouldn't make sense to say that if the word Hell here in this text means a spiritual underworld.  It would make sense however if the word Hell simply means "pit". For Jehovah's fire (anger) extwnds to the pit of earth (literal grave and earth below that) to consuming the earth and the foundations of the mountains. The entire reference here of Jehovah's fire (anger) is that it consumes the earth from the lowest pit of the earth to the foundations of the mountains. No mention at all of a spiritual underworld.

Isaiah 14:9 (KJV)

9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

Again the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which means the "grave". This passage here is not talking about a spiritual underworld of torment. Read Revelation 20:13 for a corresponding passage to the above scripture in Isaiah.  This passage here is talking about a future resurrection from the grave of dead ones including those who were Kings of the earth and chief ones.  We know this because the first part of this passage  says "for three to meet thee at thy coming". This scripture is reference to the resurrection of the unjust (second resurrection). The grave from beneath is moved literally as the dead rise to meet their judgment at the White Throne. 

 Revelation 20:13 (KJV)

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

So what is beneath the earth? Is it a spiritual underworld or the grave? We'll common sense along with scripture clearly says it's the grave, which goes in line with the resurrection of the unjust dead leaving their literal graves to meet their judgment. So again, nothing here is talking about a spiritual underworld but rather the grave which is literally beneath the earth's surface  and it is literally moved as the dead bodies of unbelievers rise to face their judgment. 

 Isaiah 14:15 (KJV)

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Again the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which correctly translated is the "grave". This passage is talking about Lucifer being cast into the "grave". Remember, Lucifer will be cast into the bottomless pit (abyss) see Revelation 20:1-3. 

 Revelation 20:1-3 (KJV)

20 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

The word "Pit" here in the greek is rendered "abussos" which means depthless, i.e. (specially) (infernal) abyss, deep, (bottomless) pit. 

This pit and grave spoken of in Revelation 20:1-3 and Isaiah 14:9 have nothing to do with a spiritual underworld but rather the literal earth. Satan will be sealed and locked up here on/in earth (pit and grave) during the millennium until loosed for a final deception. Remember, pit is often described in the Bible as being literally beneath the earth's surface as is the grave.

 Isaiah 28:15 (KJV)

15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

Here is a more correct renderering of this verse from the Restoration Study Bible (which is based on the KJV translation)

Isaiah 28:15
"Because ye have said,  We have made a covenant with death, and with the grave are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through,  it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:"

The word Hell in the KJV in Hebrew is "sheowl" which means the "grave". It makes sense to link death with the grave as they go hand in hand. Again, this passage has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment. The word Sheowl means grave and pit not a spiritual underworld of torment.

Exposing the False Pre Tribulation Rapture teaching!

Lazarus of Bethany and his death and resurrection. The second coming of Jehoshua at the Last Day.

John 11:23-24

"Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Note that Martha understood that the resurrection of the dead would take place at the last day. Jesus did not correct her regarding this as Martha had a correct understanding of the resurrection of the dead and it's timing.

It is clear, plain and precise...the dead in Christ SHALL rise first.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17

"14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first:

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and thus we shall always be with the Lord."

So if the Dead in Christ rise before those who are alive and if Martha understood that the resurrection of the dead was at the last day then that means the catching away of the Church is also at the last day totally contradicting and refuting the Pre Tribulation rapture teaching.

This timing of the catching away of the Church being at the last day makes sense biblically in light of many other scriptures including the parable of the wheat and the tares growing together until the harvest which is at the end of the age.

Matthew 13:24-30

"24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

The above parable makes it clear that the saved and unsaved will exist together until the harvest at the end of the age (The Last Day) again contradicting the Pre Tribulation secret rapture of the Church teaching. It is extremely important to have a proper understanding of the Lord's return and the resurrection of his people (the dead in Jehoshua first and then those believers who are alive). People will say understanding this is not essential but I would submit to you that everything in scripture is super important and it is essential to gain a correct interpretation of the word of God. This is especially true in light of the times we are living in and Revelation 1:3 says "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near."

The danger of the Pre Tribulation rapture teaching is that when the antichrist (papacy) establishes his authority with the false prophet (America) and his false Mystery Babylonian religion (Roman Catholicism with it's harlot daughters which are Protestantism, Evangelicalism and other world religions such as Bahai Faith, Islam, Mormons,  Jehovah Witnesses,  Buddism, Hinduism, New Age), many of the adherents to this teaching will be deceived. Why is this? Because they will not think that the antichrist and false prophet are exactly that. They will still be waiting for the secret rapture of the Church as that teaching states that Christians won't see the revealing of the antichrist which contradicts

2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 : 1-3

"1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,"

Those who stubbornly hold on to the Pre Tribulation secret rapture teaching are in danger of falling under the God sent strong delusion noted later on in chapter 2 of Thessalonians verse 11 and 12

"And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

What is the strong delusion? According to verse 9 and 10 of the same passage in 2nd Thessalonians here it is "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved."

Also, those who hold on to the invisible pre tribulation return of Christ are perfect candidates to accept the mark of the beast (Sunday worship enforcement) as they will not be able to identify what constitutes the Mark of the Beast when it comes, as they will still be waiting for the secret rapture as this teaching states that the Church will not see the Mark of the Beast being implemented (enforcement of Sunday worship) into the the world as they will be long gone. Those that teach and hold to a Pre Tribulation secret rapture better read this verse in Revelation 14:9-12
"9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

If you receive the Mark of the Beast by accepting and following the command of Sunday observance then it is over for you, there is no repentance from that. You will have your part in the Lake of Fire as a coward according to:

 Revelation 21:8 
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

This will be a consuming fire that will destroy unbelievers once and for all.

Revelation 18:4
" And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues."

Leave Babylon ASAP! Investigate if your Church is part of the ecumenical movement and if so, RUN and don't look back lest you be like Lot's wife!

The Godhead-What does the Bible teach? Part 2

 See the below scripture often used by Trinitarian's to prove that God the Father and His Son are one and the same being.

John 17:21-22 (KJV)

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

It's very important to catch the context of this verse. If Jesus is saying, as Trinitarian's claim, that He and His Father are literally one being then that means we as His Church are also literally one being. However, we know that's not true, as we being Christians are distinct from each other in personhood and being. We are not of the same substance. So what is Jesus saying here that we as the Church may be one. He is clearly talking about one in spirit which in this context means mind (mental disposition). So, it stands to reason that Jesus also means this (being one in spirit not in being) when saying "as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee". Clearly in this context, Jesus is not saying that Him and His Father are one in being and substance but rather one in Spirit (mind, mental disposition). This is further confirmed when Jesus says " that they also may be one in us". It's only common sense that Jesus is talking about His Church being one in Him and His Father in regards to Spirit (mind, mental disposition) not literal being or substance. We know that our literal beings are not in the beings of Jesus and His Father yet Trinitarian's will try to say that this is what the above passage means concerning the Father and Son all the while ignoring the context in relation to the mention of the Church. 

Verse 22 confirms that the context of this passage refers to being one in Spirit not one in literal being or substance. Jesus says "that they may be one, even as we are one". So let me ask you this,  are we as brothers and sisters in each other as literal beings? Of course not, only someone foolish would say otherwise as nature proves that we aren't. We would all look like simese twins if that were the case. We are also not of the same substance as we are all uniquely designed with our own DNA. We have the same source that we come from which is God, just as His Son comes from Him being the Only begotten. Jehovah and Jehoshua come from the same source but are different and distinct beings and substances. So obviously, Jesus could only be talking about being one in Spirit with each other concerning brothers and sisters in Christ. If that's the case with the brethren then that also must be the case with Jesus and His Father as he says "that they may be one, even as we are one." So, if Jesus is desiring the Church to be one with each other in Spirit (mind, mental disposition) as He and His Father already are then this whole passage has nothing to do with Jesus and His Father being literally the same being and substance but simply being on in Spirit. This debunks the Trinitarian understanding of this scripture. 

Remember, that the Trinity doctrine is nothing more than a vain philosophy of men coined by Tertullian in 185 AD and brought as a stepping stone doctrine to the Roman Church at the council of Nicaea in 325 AD where it still wasn't fully developed or introduced but accepted by the Non Christian Roman emperor Constantine who was a pagan sun worshiper. The pagan Mithras religion had it's own Three in one Trinity false god so this idea of the Christian Godhead being a Trinity appealed to him and also his pagan constituency. The goal was to unite his empire by selling them a God that would appeal to both pagans and Christians. It wasn't until 381 AD at the council of Constantinople that the Trinity doctrine was made creed and introduced as a fully developed doctrine. 

What does the Bible say about vain philosophies? 

Colossians 2:8 (KJV)

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

As noted earlier, Athanasius was heavily influenced by pagan philosophies being stationed in Alexandria, Egypt. Constantine and Theodosius both pagans had a big hand in the Trinity doctrine being established. Clearly the Trinity is a vain philosophy of man and is not based in the Bible. See below for a brief history of the formation of the Christian version of the Trinity doctrine. Article is from Ucg.org,  don't agree with all their doctrine but use this as a short history lesson concerning the Trinity.

From Ucg.org website:

"The Surprising Origins of the Trinity Doctrine

Few understand how the Trinity doctrine came to be accepted - several centuries after the Bible was completed! Yet its roots go back much farther in history.

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32

Most people assume that everything that bears the label “Christian” must have originated with Jesus Christ and His early followers. But this is definitely not the case. All we have to do is look at the words of Jesus Christ and His apostles to see that this is clearly not true.

The historical record shows that, just as Jesus and the New Testament writers foretold, various heretical ideas and teachers rose up from within the early Church and infiltrated it from without. Christ Himself warned His followers: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name . . . and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5).

You can read many similar warnings in other passages (such as Matthew 24:11; Acts 20:29-30; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Timothy 4:2-4;2 Peter 2:1-2; 1 John 2:18-26; 1 John 4:1-3).

Barely two decades after Christ’s death and resurrection, the apostle Paul wrote that many believers were already “turning away . . . to a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6). He wrote that he was forced to contend with “false apostles, deceitful workers” who were fraudulently “transforming themselves into apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13). One of the major problems he had to deal with was “false brethren” (2 Corinthians 11:26).

By late in the first century, as we see from 3 John 9-10, conditions had grown so dire that false ministers openly refused to receive representatives of the apostle John and were excommunicating true Christians from the Church!

Of this troubling period Edward Gibbon, the famed historian, wrote in his classic workThe History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire of a “dark cloud that hangs over the first age of the church” (1821, Vol. 2, p. 111).

It wasn’t long before true servants of God became a marginalized and scattered minority among those calling themselves Christian. A very different religion, now compromised with many concepts and practices rooted in ancient paganism (such mixing of religious beliefs being known assyncretism, common in the Roman Empire at the time), took hold and transformed the faith founded by Jesus Christ.

Historian Jesse Hurlbut says of this time of transformation: “We name the last generation of the first century, from 68 to 100 A.D., ‘The Age of Shadows,’ partly because the gloom of persecution was over the church, but more especially because of all the periods in the [church’s] history, it is the one about which we know the least. We have no longer the clear light of the Book of Acts to guide us; and no author of that age has filled the blank in the history . . .

“For fifty years after St. Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul” ( The Story of the Christian Church, 1970, p. 33).

This “very different” church would grow in power and influence, and within a few short centuries would come to dominate even the mighty Roman Empire!

By the second century, faithful members of the Church, Christ’s “little flock” (Luke 12:32), had largely been scattered by waves of deadly persecution. They held firmly to the biblical truth about Jesus Christ and God the Father, though they were persecuted by the Roman authorities as well as those who professed Christianity but were in reality teaching “another Jesus” and a “different gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6-9).

Different ideas about Christ’s divinity lead to conflict

This was the setting in which the doctrine of the Trinity emerged. In those early decades after Jesus Christ’s ministry, death and resurrection, and spanning the next few centuries, various ideas sprang up as to His exact nature. Was He man? Was He God? Was He God appearing as a man? Was He an illusion? Was He a mere man who became God? Was He created by God the Father, or did He exist eternally with the Father?

All of these ideas had their proponents. The unity of belief of the original Church was lost as new beliefs, many borrowed or adapted from pagan religions, replaced the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

Let us be clear that when it comes to the intellectual and theological debates in those early centuries that led to the formulation of the Trinity, the true Church was largely absent from the scene, having been driven underground. (See the chapter “The Rise of a Counterfeit Christianity ” in our free booklet The Church Jesus Built for an overview of this critical period.).

For this reason, in that stormy period we often see debates not between truth and error, but between one error and a different error— a fact seldom recognized by many modern scholars yet critical for our understanding.

A classic example of this was the dispute over the nature of Christ that led the Roman emperor Constantine the Great to convene the Council of Nicaea (in modern-day western Turkey) in A.D. 325.

Constantine, although held by many to be the first “Christian” Roman Emperor, was actually a sun-worshiper who was only baptized on his deathbed. During his reign he had his eldest son and his wife murdered. He was also vehemently anti-Semitic, referring in one of his edicts to “the detestable Jewish crowd” and “the customs of these most wicked men”—customs that were in fact rooted in the Bible and practiced by Jesus and the apostles.

As emperor in a period of great tumult within the Roman Empire, Constantine was challenged with keeping the empire unified. He recognized the value of religion in uniting his empire. This was, in fact, one of his primary motivations in accepting and sanctioning the “Christian” religion (which, by this time, had drifted far from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles and was Christian in name only).

But now Constantine faced a new challenge. Religion researcher Karen Armstrong explains in A History of God that “one of the first problems that had to be solved was the doctrine of God . . . a new danger arose from within which split Christians into bitterly warring camps” (1993, p. 106).

Debate over the nature of God at the Council of Nicaea

Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 as much for political reasons—for unity in the empire—as religious ones. The primary issue at that time came to be known as the Arian controversy.

“In the hope of securing for his throne the support of the growing body of Christians he had shown them considerable favor and it was to his interest to have the church vigorous and united. The Arian controversy was threatening its unity and menacing its strength. He therefore undertook to put an end to the trouble. It was suggested to him, perhaps by the Spanish bishop Hosius, who was influential at court, that if a synod were to meet representing the whole church both east and west, it might be possible to restore harmony.

“Constantine himself of course neither knew nor cared anything about the matter in dispute but he was eager to bring the controversy to a close, and Hosius’ advice appealed to him as sound” (Arthur Cushman McGiffert, A History of Christian Thought,1954, Vol. 1, p. 258).

Arius, a priest from Alexandria, Egypt, taught that Christ, because He was the Son of God, must have had a beginning and therefore was a special creation of God. Further, if Jesus was the Son, the Father of necessity must be older.

Opposing the teachings of Arius was Athanasius, a deacon also from Alexandria. His view was an early form of Trinitarianism wherein the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were one but at the same time distinct from each other.

The decision as to which view the church council would accept was to a large extent arbitrary. Karen Armstrong explains in A History of God: “When the bishops gathered at Nicaea on May 20, 325, to resolve the crisis, very few would have shared Athanasius’s view of Christ. Most held a position midway between Athanasius and Arius” (p. 110).

As emperor, Constantine was in the unusual position of deciding church doctrine even though he was not really a Christian. (The following year is when he had both his wife and son murdered, as previously mentioned).

Historian Henry Chadwick attests, “Constantine, like his father, worshipped the Unconquered Sun” ( The Early Church, 1993, p. 122). As to the emperor’s embrace of Christianity, Chadwick admits, “His conversion should not be interpreted as an inward experience of grace . . . It was a military matter. His comprehension of Christian doctrine was never very clear” (p. 125).

Chadwick does say that Constantine’s deathbed baptism itself “implies no doubt about his Christian belief,” it being common for rulers to put off baptism to avoid accountability for things like torture and executing criminals (p. 127). But this justification doesn’t really help the case for the emperor’s conversion being genuine.

Norbert Brox, a professor of church history, confirms that Constantine was never actually a converted Christian: “Constantine did not experience any conversion; there are no signs of a change of faith in him. He never said of himself that he had turned to another god . . . At the time when he turned to Christianity, for him this was Sol Invictus(the victorious sun god)” ( A Concise History of the Early Church, 1996, p. 48).

When it came to the Nicene Council, The Encyclopaedia Britannica states: “Constantine himself presided, actively guiding the discussions, and personally proposed . . . the crucial formula expressing the relation of Christ to God in the creed issued by the council . . . Overawed by the emperor, the bishops, with two exceptions only, signed the creed, many of them much against their inclination” (1971 edition, Vol. 6, “Constantine,” p. 386).

With the emperor’s approval, the Council rejected the minority view of Arius and, having nothing definitive with which to replace it, approved the view of Athanasius—also a minority view. The church was left in the odd position of officially supporting, from that point forward, the decision made at Nicaea to endorse a belief held by only a minority of those attending.

The groundwork for official acceptance of the Trinity was now laid—but it took more than three centuries after Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection for this unbiblical teaching to emerge!

Nicene decision didn’t end the debate

The Council of Nicaea did not end the controversy. Karen Armstrong explains: “Athanasius managed to impose his theology on the delegates . . . with the emperor breathing down their necks . . .

“The show of agreement pleased Constantine, who had no understanding of the theological issues, but in fact there was no unanimity at Nicaea. After the council, the bishops went on teaching as they had before, and the Arian crisis continued for another sixty years. Arius and his followers fought back and managed to regain imperial favor. Athanasius was exiled no fewer than five times. It was very difficult to make his creed stick” (pp. 110-111).

The ongoing disagreements were at times violent and bloody. Of the aftermath of the Council of Nicaea, noted historian Will Durant writes, “Probably more Christians were slaughtered by Christians in these two years (342-3) than by all the persecutions of Christians by pagans in the history of Rome” ( The Story of Civilization, Vol. 4: The Age of Faith, 1950, p. 8). Atrociously, while claiming to be Christian many believers fought and slaughtered one another over their differing views of God!

Of the following decades, Professor Harold Brown, cited earlier, writes: “During the middle decades of this century, from 340 to 380, the history of doctrine looks more like the history of court and church intrigues and social unrest . . . The central doctrines hammered out in this period often appear to have been put through by intrigue or mob violence rather than by the common consent of Christendom led by the Holy Spirit” (p. 119).

Debate shifts to the nature of the Holy Spirit

Disagreements soon centered around another issue, the nature of the Holy Spirit. In that regard, the statement issued at the Council of Nicaea said simply, “We believe in the Holy Spirit.” This “seemed to have been added to Athanasius’s creed almost as an afterthought,” writes Karen Armstrong. “People were confused about the Holy Spirit. Was it simply a synonym for God or was it something more?” (p. 115).

Professor Ryrie, also cited earlier,writes, “In the second half of the fourth century, three theologians from the province of Cappadocia in eastern Asia Minor [today central Turkey] gave definitive shape to the doctrine of the Trinity” (p. 65). They proposed an idea that was a step beyond Athanasius’ view—that God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit were coequal and together in one being, yet also distinct from one another.

These men—Basil, bishop of Caesarea, his brother Gregory, bishop of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus—were all “trained in Greek philosophy” (Armstrong, p. 113), which no doubt affected their outlook and beliefs (see “Greek Philosophy’s Influence on the Trinity Doctrine,” beginning on page 14).

In their view, as Karen Armstrong explains, “the Trinity only made sense as a mystical or spiritual experience . . . It was not a logical or intellectual formulation but an imaginative paradigm that confounded reason. Gregory of Nazianzus made this clear when he explained that contemplation of the Three in One induced a profound and overwhelming emotion that confounded thought and intellectual clarity.

“ ‘No sooner do I conceive of the One than I am illumined by the splendor of the Three; no sooner do I distinguish Three than I am carried back into the One. When I think of any of the Three, I think of him as the whole, and my eyes are filled, and the greater part of what I am thinking escapes me’ ” (p. 117). Little wonder that, as Armstrong concludes, “For many Western Christians . . . the Trinity is simply baffling”.

Ongoing disputes lead to the Council of Constantinople

In the year 381, 44 years after Constantine’s death, Emperor Theodosius the Great convened the Council of Constantinople (today Istanbul, Turkey) to resolve these disputes. Gregory of Nazianzus, recently appointed as archbishop of Constantinople, presided over the council and urged the adoption of his view of the Holy Spirit.

Historian Charles Freeman states: “Virtually nothing is known of the theological debates of the council of 381, but Gregory was certainly hoping to get some acceptance of his belief that the Spirit was consubstantial with the Father [meaning that the persons are of the same being, as substance in this context denotes individual quality].

“Whether he dealt with the matter clumsily or whether there was simply no chance of consensus, the ‘Macedonians,’ bishops who refused to accept the full divinity of the Holy Spirit, left the council . . . Typically, Gregory berated the bishops for preferring to have a majority rather than simply accepting ‘the Divine Word’ of the Trinity on his authority” ( A.D. 381: Heretics, Pagans and the Dawn of the Monotheistic State, 2008, p. 96).

Gregory soon became ill and had to withdraw from the council. Who would preside now? “So it was that one Nectarius, an elderly city senator who had been a popular prefect in the city as a result of his patronage of the games, but who was still not a baptized Christian, was selected . . . Nectarius appeared to know no theology, and he had to be initiated into the required faith before being baptized and consecrated” (Freeman, pp. 97-98).

Bizarrely, a man who up to this point wasn’t a Christian was appointed to preside over a major church council tasked with determining what it would teach regarding the nature of God!

The Trinity becomes official doctrine

The teaching of the three Cappadocian theologians “made it possible for the Council of Constantinople (381) to affirm the divinity of the Holy Spirit, which up to that point had nowhere been clearly stated, not even in Scripture” ( The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, “God,” p. 568).

The council adopted a statement that translates into English as, in part: “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages . . . And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets . . .” The statement also affirmed belief “in one holy, catholic [meaning in this context universal, whole or complete] and apostolic Church . . .”

With this declaration in 381, which would become known as the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, the Trinity as generally understood today became the official belief and teaching concerning the nature of God.

Theology professor Richard Hanson observes that a result of the council’s decision “was to reduce the meanings of the word ‘God’ from a very large selection of alternatives to one only,” such that “when Western man today says ‘God’ he means the one, sole exclusive [Trinitarian] God and nothing else” ( Studies in Christian Antiquity,1985,pp. 243-244).

Thus, Emperor Theodosius—who himself had been baptized only a year before convening the council—was, like Constantine nearly six decades earlier, instrumental in establishing major church doctrine. As historian Charles Freeman notes: “It is important to remember that Theodosius had no theological background of his own and that he put in place as dogma a formula containing intractable philosophical problems of which he would have been unaware. In effect, the emperor’s laws had silenced the debate when it was still unresolved”.