Study Notes Week 42

Torah Study Notes for Week 42 of the Torah Reading Cycle

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• Torah (T): Bereshiyt (Genesis) 42:1-38
• Prophets (P): Isaiah 50:10 – 52:11
• Apostolic (A): Luke 16:19-31
• Additional (ADD): Jubilees 42:1-20

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Apostolic Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

1. Few doctrines have the same power to polarize as the doctrine of hell. 
   1. In most Christian circles these days, one of the quickest ways to be labeled a heretic and rejected by other Believers is to question hell.  
      1. It is one of a few litmus tests of being “in the faith”.
2. The truth is that most people have somehow learned to give mental assent to the doctrine of hell so they can say that they “believe” in it–but only as a point of “orthodoxy.”

KEY POINT:

Faith is not characterized by mere mental assent but rather trusting obedience to God’s Word.

1. When pastors teach (and we accept) that mental assent to orthodoxy is sufficient for our walk with the Lord, they put us under greater risk of judgment than if they acknowledge that they don’t completely understand a doctrine and cannot teach it as fact until they really study God’s Word to know the truth
   1. Discipleship is the process of being “transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we might discover the will of God for our lives, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). 
   2. This includes measuring doctrine against God’s Word, beginning with those areas where we have failed to deeply examine the evidence and depended on something we were taught by someone else.
2. Hell is a very important topic, and it has the potential to cause people to stumble because of misunderstanding.
   1. For example, it’s easy to equate any questioning of hell with “Universalism”, a term that carries a bunch of baggage and can just confuse us in the pursuit of truth.

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Apostolic Exhortation
Counsel, comfort, and encouragement (Acts 13:14-15)

1. First, I want to make it clear that I affirm the doctrine of future retribution at the final day of judgment.
   1. God will judge all mankind, both the righteous and unrighteous, and repay them according to their deeds in this life.
      1. “According to their deeds, so will He repay: wrath to His adversaries, retribution to His enemies; to the coastlands He will deal retribution” (Isa. 59:18).
      2. “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds” (Mat. 16:27; cf. Rom. 2:6).
      3. “[E]ach one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test [e]the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:13-15).
      4. “In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of debauchery, and they slander you; but they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (2 Pet. 4:4-5).
      5. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:11-15).
2. The debate is not about whether there is a final judgment but what it will be like. 
   1. Is it eternal (i.e. without end) or limited in duration?
   2. Is it destructive or punitive (i.e. restorative)?
   3. If the future retribution is limited and unto restoration, is there hope of redemption for those who do not confess Messiah in this life?
3. Let’s begin by looking at the main Greek words translated as “hell” in the Apostolic scriptures.
   1. Hades (used 11 times)
      1. Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Sheol – “unseen” – the place (state) of departed souls.
         1. Sheol in the Tanakh refers to the state following death for both the righteous and the unrighteous. 
   2. Originally the Greeks thought of Hades as simply the grave, a shadowy, ghostlike existence that happened to all who died, good and evil alike.
      1. This made the word “Hades” a good choice for the writers of the LXX.
   3. Gradually the Greeks, and later the Romans, came to see it as a place of reward and punishment, an elaborately organized and guarded realm where the good were rewarded in the Elysian Fields and the evil were punished (so described by the Roman poet Virgil, 70–19 BC) (Baker’s Encyclopedia).
4. The challenge with both Hades/Sheol is that it is unseen, leading to much conjecture.
   1. Conjecture: from Latin coniectura “conclusion, interpretation, guess, inference”; literally “a casting together (of facts, etc.)”.
      1. Conjecture isn’t wrong, it just has to be clearly understood as separate from objective truth.
5. Why has there been so much conjecture about Sheol/Hades?
   1. There are passages from scripture that speak of Sheol in poetic language.
      1. “Have the gates of death been revealed to you, and have you seen the gates of deep darkness?” (Job 38:17).
      2. “[A]nd Jonah said, ‘I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me” (Jon. 2:2-3).
      3. “Sheol below is excited about you, to meet you when you come; It stirs the spirits of the dead for you, all the leaders of the earth; it raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones” (Isa. 14:9).
   2. Additional understanding of Sheol/Hades developed from Jewish writings. 
      1. The Book of Enoch offers vivid descriptions of Sheol, depicting it as a realm with layers for the righteous and the wicked. 
      2. The Fourth Book of Ezra expands on judgment and reward in Sheol, challenging the simplistic view of Sheol as a shadowy realm. These texts suggest a structured afterlife, with different fates for different souls. 
   3. Lastly, there is a great deal of conjecture rooted in Greek and Roman mythology.
      1. “Hades was originally the god of the underworld (also named Pluto), a brother of Zeus. He was the abductor of Persephone and thus the cause of winter. His realm, which was called by his name (and also called Tartaros), was the dark land where the dead existed. Odysseus entered that realm and fed the ghosts with blood to get directions back home (Homer, Odyssey 4,834)” (Logos Factbook).
      2. Dante’s picture in Inferno draws on later speculation and Graeco-Roman conceptions of the Hades more than on the Bible.

KEY POINT:

By YHWH’s sovereignty, the place or state of the dead is hidden and unknown to us. Therefore, what we accept as truth about Sheol/Hades should be limited to what we can know from scripture and the Jewish writings that informed the authors who penned it.

1. What are the key truths about Sheol/Hades in scripture that we need to affirm?
   1. Every human soul goes to the grave, but it is for an age (i.e. temporary), not for eternity.
      1. “But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me” (Psa. 49:15).
      2. The Lord puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and brings up” (1 Sam. 2:6).
      3. “For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).
   2. The judgment of Hades is physical death – i.e. removal from temporal, natural existence.
      1. “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Sodom, it would have remained to this day” (Mat. 11:23).
      2. “And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27).
   3. Hades/Sheol is a place/state that only exists as long as death exists.
      1. “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:13-14).

KEY POINT:

The concept of hell — when translated from the Greek word, Hades — refers to physical death where human souls reside until the day of judgment, not a place of eternal conscious torment. 

1. Before we move on to the other Greek word translated as “hell” – i.e. Gehenna – let’s look briefly at the parable of the rich man and Lazarus from our portion to discover what it tells us about Hades/Sheol.
   1. Parables are a form of storytelling in which the physical features of some well-known subjects are exemplified to relate an essential spiritual teaching.
      1. The key hermeneutical rule of parables is that everything is a symbol – i.e. a representation of something else – and not literal.
   2. Throughout the book of Luke (“The Lost Sheep” – 15:1-7; “The Lost Coin” – 15:8-10; “The Prodigal Son” – 15:11-32, “The Unrighteous Steward” – 16:–1-10) and throughout His entire ministry — Yeshua was teaching in parables.
      1. “And the disciples came up and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’. Yeshua said, ‘I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand’. All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak anything to them without a parable” (Mat. 13:10,13,34).
   3. The story of the rich man and Lazarus fits the same pattern of a parable, and should therefore be understood as symbolic and figurative, not literal.
      1. The primary purpose of the story is to make a point to the Pharisees about faith and judgment, not reveal the nature of hell (e.g. Sheol/Hades). 
         1. Is Abraham’s bosom the physical chest area of the patriarch or a symbol of rest and peace for the righteous dead?
         2. How is it possible for the Rich Man to carry on a conversation with Lazarus who is “far off” and separate by a “great gulf”? Yet at the same time they are close enough to recognize each other. And wouldn’t literal flames burn Lazarus and Abraham if they were close enough to have this conversation? 
         3. If there really are two literal compartments in Sheol in view of and contact with one another, it means that the redeemed have to watch the tortured and agonized faces of rebellious sinners as they writhed in unrelenting pain while you are basking in the sunshine and happiness of Abraham’s bosom.
   4. The condition of the Rich Man is also misrepresented by the translation from the Greek.
      1. “In Sheol, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment (#931), and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 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 in anguish (#3600) in this flame’ (Luk. 16:23-24).
         1. G931. basanos – “a touchstone”.
            1. Usage: originally, a black, silicon-based stone used as “a touchstone” to test the purity of precious metals (like silver and gold). 
            2. Strong’s Greek number 931, basanos, denotes intense distress used to test or reveal reality.
         2. G3600. odunaó – “anguish”.
            1. Usage: odynáō (from 3601 /odýnē, “very painful sorrow”) – properly, to experience intense emotional pain (WP, 2, 223), i.e. deep, personal anguish expressed by great mourning (LS). This root (ody-) literally means “go down” (as the sun in a sunset) and refers to consuming sorrow.
               1. “And when his parents saw [Yeshua], they were astonished. And his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress (#3600)’” (Luk. 2:48).
               2. “And when [the elders at Ephesus] came to [Paul], he said to them, ‘You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time. And now behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they all began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, being exceedingly sorrowful (#3600) because he had stated that they were about to see his face no more. And they were accompanying him to the ship. (Acts 20:18,25,36-38).
      2. The actual Greek word for “torture” is tumpanizomai and is used only once in the Apostolic scriptures.
         1. “Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection” (Heb. 11:35).
   5. The imagery and symbols that Yeshua uses in this parable seem to be borrowed from Jewish apocryphal books like Enoch, Esdras, and 2 Maccabees.
      1. I believe this confirms that these books were commonly known and provided an effective way for the Master to illustrate and provide context for this parable.

KEY POINT:

To interpret this parable as teaching that hell is a place of eternal conscious torment not only uses a faulty hermeneutic but also portrays YHWH as a sadistic judge who tortures rich men guilty of nothing more than dressing lavishly and living in luxury every day.

1. One of the main source of our confusion about hell is that translators chose the same English word for very different scriptural concepts.
   1. The following is all quoted from “Gehenna” from Baker’s Encyclopedia:
      1. “Gehenna is the English transliteration of the Greek form of an Aramaic word which in turn is derived from the Hebrew phrase “the Valley of [the son(s) of] Hinnom.” The name properly designates a deep valley delimiting the territories of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah (Jos 15:8; 18:16). It is commonly identified with the Wādi er-Rabābi which runs from beneath the western wall of the Old City, forming a deep ravine south of Jerusalem.
      2. “The place became notorious because of the idolatrous practices which were carried out there in the days of Judah’s kings Ahaz and Manasseh, especially involving the heinous crime of infant sacrifice associated with the Molech ceremonies (2 Kgs 16:3; 21:6; 2 Chr 28:3; 33:6; Jer 9:26; 32:35). The spiritual reformation of King Josiah brought an end to these abominations (2 Kgs 23:10). The prophet Jeremiah referred to the valley in picturing God’s judgment upon his people (Jer 2:23; 7:30–32; 19:5, 6).
      3. “Subsequently, the valley appears to have been used for the burning of the city’s refuse and the dead bodies of criminals. Interestingly, a well-established tradition locates the scene of Judas’ suicide and the consequent purchase of the Potter’s Field on the south side of this valley.
      4. “The ravine’s reputation for extreme wickedness gave rise, especially during the intertestamental period, to use of its name as a term for the place of final punishment for the wicked (Enoch 18:11–16; 27:1–3; 54:1 ff.; 56:3, 4; 90:26; 2 Esd 7:36; cf. Is 30:33; 66:24; Dn 7:10).
      5. “In the first century, Gehenna was a tangible location infamous for its disgustingness, repulsiveness, and revulsion. It was emblematic of shame and humiliation, accompanied by images of fire, refuse, and death” (Bar, E., Hell: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine, p. 153).
2. The Tanakh develops the concept of the fires of judgment but never actually refers to Gehenna as the place where this occurs.
   1. “For Topheth has long been ready, indeed, it has been prepared for the king. He has made it deep and large, a pyre of fire with plenty of wood; the breath of the Lord, like a torrent of brimstone, sets it afire” (Isa. 30:33).
   2. “Then they will go out and look at the corpses of the people who have rebelled against Me. For their worm will not die and their fire will not be extinguished; and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh” (Isa. 66:24).
   3. “A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were serving Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court convened, and the books were opened” (Dan. 7:10).
3. We see a similar concept in apocryphal books, some of which make direct reference to Gehenna.
   1. “And there I saw a place on the other side of an extended territory, where waters were collected. I likewise beheld terrestrial fountains, deep in the fiery columns of heaven. And in the columns of heaven I beheld fires, which descended without number, but neither on high, nor into the deep. Over these fountains also I perceived a place which had neither the firmament of heaven above it, nor the solid ground underneath it; neither was there water above it, nor anything on wing; but the spot was desolate. And there I beheld seven stars, like great blazing mountains, and like spirits entreating me. Then the angel said, This place, until the consummation of heaven and earth, will be the prison of the stars, and the host of heaven. The stars which roll over fire are those which transgressed the commandment of God before their time arrived; for they came not in their proper season. Therefore, was He offended with them, and bound them, until the period of the consummation of their crimes in the secret year” (Enoch 18:11-16).
   2. “The ground will give up the dead who sleep there in silence, and the souls of the dead will be released from the places where they have been kept. God Most High will appear on his judgment seat. Mercy and patience will vanish completely and be replaced by judgment. Truth and faithfulness will once again stand firm. The good and bad that people have done will be fully revealed, and reward and punishment will follow immediately. The pit of torment, the fires of Gehenna, will appear, and opposite them the Paradise of joy and rest” (2 Esdras 7:32-36).
4. As we discussed with Hades, the Jewish writings in all likelihood did inform the biblical authors view of Gehenna and the final judgment. 
   1. For examples, Peter writes: “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned but cast them into hell (Gr: Tartaros) and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment” (2 Pet. 2:4).
      1. “Tartaros is used metaphorically to describe the gloomy, dark place where rebellious angels are held, awaiting judgment. Tartaros appears in the Septuagint translation of Job (40:20 and 41:24) and in Hellenistic Jewish literature, such as the Greek text of the ancient Book of Enoch. In Enoch, God places the archangel Uriel ‘in charge of the world and of Tartaros’ (20:2). Tartaros is understood as the prison for 200 fallen Watchers (angels) (Baker).
5. Gehenna is used as a metaphor to describe an earthly state of separation from God’s ways characterized by hypocrisy and spiritual blindness. 
   1. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves” (Mat. 23:15).
      1. The term “son of hell” is used as a figure of speech in the same way Yeshua told the Pharisees, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father” (John 8:44a).
6. Gehenna is used as a term to describe the harsh consequences of sin and rebellion.
   1. “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER ‘ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fire of Gehenna. Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent. You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY ‘; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is more profitable for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into Gehenna” (Mat. 5:21-30).
      1. Note that the judgment of Gehenna is compared to a prison (vs. 21) where repayment for sin is made before being released (vs. 22).
         1. This implies limited, punitive judgment.
      2. Yeshua also says that it is more profitable to lose a hand than be judged in Gehenna (vs. 29-30).
         1. If this is referring to eternal conscious torment in the fires of hell, would Yeshua have really used this mild comparison? It makes more sense that He is referring to a finite, temporal punishment, albeit a severe one.
      3. Is Yeshua teaching His disciples to literally dismember body parts, like their eyes, to ensure they would be saved from eternal torture in fire? Or is He speaking metaphorically and hyperbolically to emphasize the dangers of sin?
7. Gehenna is a metaphor for the judgment imposed by God on those who reject Him and His prescription for sanctification of the soul – that is, the cross of Messiah.
   1. “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy (#622) both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows” (Mat. 10:16,28-31).
      1. G622. apollumi – “to perish or lose”.
         1. Usage: properly, fully destroy, cutting off entirely.
         2. Lexicon: In the Septuagint, apollumi often renders Hebrew אבד (’ābad), linking the New Testament usage to themes of covenant judgment (Deuteronomy 4:26) and the tragic loss of people or property (Jeremiah 50:6).
   2. If Yeshua is telling His disciples to fear God because He can send someone to hell, why does He tell them not to fear just two verses later? 
      1. Rather, it makes more sense that He is expressing the profound importance of being willing to follow Him and pay any price for sanctification, up to an including death in the body.
         1. “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose (#622) it, and he who has lost (#622) his life for My sake will find it” (Mat. 10:38-39).

KEY POINT:

In the 1st-century, Gehenna was a literal, physical place that had become symbolic of evil and corruption and the place or state for those that practiced these things. 

1. Perhaps the most important concept in scripture that must be understood as it relates to hell is the Lake of Fire.
   1. God is characterized and compared to a consuming fire.
      1.  “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deut. 4:24; cf. Heb. 12:29).).
      2. “So be aware today that it is the Lord your God who is crossing over ahead of you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them, and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and eliminate them quickly, just as the Lord has spoken to you” (Deut. 9:3).
         1. This language is figurative and not literal. God does not eat his enemies nor physically burn them.

KEY POINT:

Fire, as it relates to God’s judgments, is a metaphor and should never be taken literally.

1. Fire purifies by changing an object from one state into a different one and/or removing (i.e. destroying) that which cannot remain in existence.
   1. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness” (Mal. 3:2-3).
   2. “You made men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water. Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance” (Psa. 66:12).
   3. “Take away the impurities from the silver, and there comes out a vessel for the smith; take away the wicked before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness” (Pro. 25:4-5)
2. By definition, purification by fire involves loss (e.g. suffering) because of what is removed and destroyed (i.e. consumed).
   1. “I will also turn My hand against you, and smelt away your impurities as with lye; and I will remove all your slag” (Isa. 1:25).
   2. “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:15).
   3. “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah (1 Pet. 1:6-7).

KEY POINT:

God’s judgment of fire affirms His perfect Holiness, Justice and Purity even though it results in suffering, loss and anguish for us.

1. The Lake of Fire is the ultimate consummation of God’s fiery judgment.
   1. It exists in His presence.
      1. “I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, And the books were opened” (Dan. 7:9-10).
      2. “[H]e also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented (#931–basanos) with fire and brimstone (#2303) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. (Rev. 14:10).
         1. Could hell really be the grotesque and horrific torture chamber described in Dante’s Inferno yet still exist in the presence of the pure and spotless Lamb of God?
         2. G2303. theion – “brimstone; divine”.
            1. Greek-English Keyword Concordance: “Sulfur (divine) was so called because it was used in the purification ceremonies of false worship”.
            2. HELPS Word-Studies:  sulphurous, named for the sulphur-smell left by lightning; (figuratively) the fire of heaven, bringing down God’s judgment to display His awesome, unstoppable power.
   2. The purpose is to remove the dross of sin and death in order to produce life.
      1. “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14).
      2. “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6).
      3. “But she who indulges herself in luxury is dead, even while she lives” (1 Tim. 5:6).
      4. “I have decided to turn such a person over to Satan for the destruction of his body, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” 1 Cor. 5:5).
   3. Like all of His judgment, the final retribution of God is for punishment not revenge.
      1. Punishment is remedial. It is inflicted in the interest of the sufferer. It teaches righteousness and virtue.
      2. Revenge is pernicious, usually motivated by hatred and not love. It is inflicted in the interest of the one giving it in order to gain satisfaction. It corrupts true justice, which is why mankind is forbidden to exercise it.
         1. “For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance (#5358) is Mine, I will repay (#H8005).’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people’ (Heb. 10:30).
            1. H5358. naqam – “vengeance”.
               1. Lexicon: The verb נָקַם occurs roughly thirty-five times in the Hebrew Scriptures and consistently conveys the idea of executing just retribution. Whether the subject is the LORD Himself or a divinely authorized human instrument, the action is never capricious revenge but the measured enforcement of covenant justice.
            2. H8005. shillem – “requital”.
               1. Noun from the root, H7999. shalam:
                  1. Lexicon: Shalam expresses the act of bringing something to a full, satisfactory conclusion—whether by paying a debt, restoring what was lost, rewarding righteousness, or settling hostility so that peace prevails. The verb moves in two main directions: human-to-human responsibility (legal, social, relational) and divine-to-human activity (judgment, recompense, covenant faithfulness). In either sphere the underlying idea is wholeness achieved through just settlement.

KEY POINT:

Covenant judgment demands that every human soul bend their knee to Yeshua as Lord, whether it is in this life or the age to come.

1. In Adam, all have sinned and broken covenant with the Creator, bringing upon themselves death in the body and imprisonment in Sheol until the resurrection.
   1. “But like Adam they have violated the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously with Me” (Hos. 6:7).
   2. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12).
2. Through His death on the cross, Yeshua paid the price to satisfy covenant justice for all mankind.
   1. “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
   2. “My flesh I give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
   3. “He Himself is the propitiation for our sin, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
   4. “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished… He said, “It is finished!” (Gr. telestai – Literally, “paid in full”).
   5. “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6).
   6. “So then, as through one offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind” (Rom. 5:18).
   7. “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died” (2 Cor. 5:14).
   8. “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Col. 1:19-20).
   9. “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone” (Heb. 2:9).
   10. “For Messiah also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18).
   11. “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Messiah Yeshua, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Tim. 2:6).

KEY POINT:

Because Yeshua died for all mankind – including the ungodly (Rom. 5:6) – the Father’s plan of redemption must include the means for every human soul to be ultimately reconciled to Him.

Ultimate reconciliation is not heretical but scriptural, in that it upholds the true nature and character of God and fulfills His unbreakable promises of redemption in His Word.

NOTE:

The purpose of today’s study was not to try and address every aspect of the doctrine of hell but rather to apply God’s word on some foundational misunderstandings so that new thinking, questions and dialogue can begin for all of us. Please see the list of additional resources at the bottom as you continue your studies.

“For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” 1 Timothy 4:10

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Does anyone have specific questions or need any clarification from what was said during the Summary or Exhortation?

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Application & Discussion
Living the Word and following Yeshua (Acts 2:37; Romans 2:13)
Questions, input, and sharpening (Proverbs 27:17; Luke 2:46)

Romans 2:13 For it isn’t the hearers of the Torah who are righteous before Elohim, but the doers of the Torah will be justified.

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

1. 1. What questions or comments came up during your family’s discussion of this week’s study?
   2. “What other related Scriptures did you find during your study of this week’s portion?”
   3. Have you ever experienced something from this study or something related to it?
   4. “What changes do you need to make in your life to align with what you learned during this week’s Torah Study?”
   5. How can an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God create billions of people, knowing most will be tormented in hell forever?
   6. Is the power of our “free will” to damn ourselves for eternity really absolute, exceeding the power of God’s “free will” to save us, His very own property? “All souls are mine” (Ez. 18:4). If so, who suffers most in eternal damnation, man or God who loves man with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3)?
   7. How can Messiah be considered greater than Adam if Adam has the power to condemn more people than Messiah has the power to save?”

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Additional Notes

Recommended Resource List:

1. Christ Triumphant by Allin, Thomas
2. HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine by Bar, Eitan
3. History of Opinions on the Scriptural Doctrine of Retribution by Beecher, Edward 
4. Hope Beyond Hell by Beauchemin, Gerry
5. Is Hell Eternal? Or Will God’s Plan Fail? by Charles Pridgeon
6. https://tentmaker.org/ — the ministry of Gary Amirault

Common statement of faith on Hell:

We teach that the souls of the unsaved at death are kept under punishment in the intermediate hell until the second resurrection (Luke 16:19–26; Revelation 20:13–15), when the soul and the resurrection body will be united (John 5:28–29). They shall then appear at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11–15) and shall be cast into eternal hell, the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41–46; Revelation 20:15), cut off from the life of God and enduring His wrath forever (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:41–46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9).