It sayus that Hell or Hades is the holding place of the dead- and speaks of prophets being there.
Hence, after judgement, Hell will give up its dead and all [who are not redeemed] will be cast into SHEOL or the lake of fire where, I've ehard both (a) eterenal punishment will reult or (b) you will be destroyed-completely. You will not exist at all
Not who are saved go to heven- few do. Most inherit New Earth and New Jerusalem (Jeru- Salem).
Am I the only one aggravated by churches that can't get that part right?
This is some odd view of yours. Hell *is* the lake of fire. Sheol is another terminology for hell. Since when does hell "give up" the dead? Hell is not open until after judgment day. The ones sleeping now either go to torment or paradise, then hell (after torment) and heaven (after paradise).
"You will not exist at all"
That is false whoever is teaching this. Scripture does not support this at all. GOD made clear we are eternal beings, whether we end up in hell or heaven.
Excerpts from gotquestions.org articles:
The punishment of the wicked dead in hell is described throughout Scripture as "everlasting fire" (
Matthew 25:41), "unquenchable fire" (
Matthew 3:12), "shame and everlasting contempt" (
Daniel 12:2), a place where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (
Mark 9:44-49), a place of "torments" and "flame" (
Luke 16:23,24), "everlasting destruction" (
2 Thessalonians 1:9), a place of torment with "fire and brimstone" where "the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever" (
Revelation 14:10,11), and a "lake of fire and brimstone" where the wicked are "tormented day and night forever and ever" (
Revelation 20:10). Jesus Himself indicates that the punishment in hell itself is everlasting - not merely the smoke and flames (
Matthew 25:46).
The Old Testament teaches life after death, and that all people went to a place of conscious existence called Sheol. The wicked were there (
Psalm 9:17; 31:17; 49:14; Isaiah 5:14), and so were the righteous (
Genesis 37:35; Job 14:13; Psalm 6:5; 16:10; 88:3; Isaiah 38:10)
The New Testament equivalent of Sheol is Hades. Prior to Christ’s resurrection,
Luke 16:19-31 shows Hades to be divided into two realms: a place of comfort where Lazarus was, and a place of torment where the rich man was. The word hell in verse 23 is not “Gehenna” (place of eternal torment) but “Hades” (place of the dead). Lazarus’s place of comfort is elsewhere called Paradise (
Luke 23:43). Between these two districts of Hades is “a great gulf fixed” (
Luke 16:26).
Jesus is described as having descended into Hades after His death (
Acts 2:27, 31; cf. Ephesians 4:9). At the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it seems that the believers in Hades (i.e., the occupants of Paradise) were moved to another location. Now, Paradise is above rather than below
(2 Corinthians 12:2-4).
Today, when a believer dies, he is “present with the Lord” (
2 Corinthians 5:6-9). When an unbeliever dies, he follows the Old Testament unbelievers to Hades. At the final judgment, Hades will be emptied before the Great White Throne, where its occupants will be judged prior to entering the lake of fire (
Revelation 20:13-15).
The word paradise is used as a synonym for Heaven (
2 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7). What we do know for sure is that there has always been a separation of believers and unbelievers (
Luke 16:19-31). The righteous have always gone to paradise, the wicked have always gone to Hell (Hades). For right now, both heaven (Paradise) and Hell (Sheol) are “temporary holding places” until the day when Jesus Christ comes back to judge the world based on whether or not they have believed in Him. One day, all will be sent to their eternal destination. The wicked to the lake of fire (
Revelation 20:11-15) and the righteous to a new heaven and a new earth (
Revelation 21-22).
