I can't really argue with you there. An eternal hell is beyond unjust and is sadistic. I wonder though if you think that means there is no hell, even if temporary? How would a temporary hell fall short of justice?
Since I have no belief in an immortal soul that departs from the body at death, there is, IMO nowhere for the dead to go. All end their lives as Adam did....in the dust from which he was taken.
The Jews believed that the dead are simply asleep in their graves awaiting a resurrection back to this life under the Messiah's Kingdom. That is also the belief of Jehovah's Witnesses. (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6; 10)
Jesus promised....
"Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29) The dead are called from their graves, just like Lazarus. (John 11:11-14)
I don't see how that alone would invalidate the concept. If it turned out to be true, it would have nothing to do with it's being pagan or not.
There is no part of man that survives death. Immortality of the soul is nothing more than a continuation of the lie told in Eden....the devil told the woman...
"you surely will not die". God said the opposite.....so who was lying? (John 8:44)
We get to prove ourselves in this life....
What do you believe that based on? The Bible? Because there are plenty of people that think the Bible teaches heaven.
If you go back to Genesis, you will see that there was no mention of an afterlife...no heaven or hell...just life or death.
In his covenant with Israel, God put before them "life and death" and told them to choose life by obeying him.
"I take the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you today that I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the curse; and you must choose life so that you may live, you and your descendants" (Deuteronomy 30:19; Deuteronomy 30:16-17)
If the first humans had obeyed their God, no one would ever have died. There was only one cause of death in Eden....disobeying that one command. If humans had not disobeyed, they would never have died. But they did, and as an immediate response, God implemented the means of redeeming humankind and forming a "government" over them that would bring about a reconciliation with Him in the future. The barrier of sin had to be removed first, so Christ, God's appointed King, offered to pay the debt that Adam left as an awful inheritance for his children, freeing them to be taken into a special relationship with God through his son.
As part of that "government", Jesus chose some humans from the earth to assist him in the task of reconciliation. (Revelation 14:1-4) All of the first Christians were part of that group and so the Christian scriptures were written to them and for them, but they were not the only humans who were saved.
Isaiah prophesied..
."For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. . . Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever." (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV)
These specially 'chosen ones' (with a heavenly calling) are the only ones who are taken to heaven to rule with Christ. These are resurrected "first" and will have humans who were redeemed by Jesus as their subjects on earth where God placed us in the beginning. (Revelation 20:6) They will also act as priests for mankind guiding them in their new life.
All who have died have paid sin's wages and Christ has cancelled their debt by removing the reason for sin. The kingdom will rule for 1,000 years. There will be those who survived the end times, by their obedience to Christ's teachings.....and all who will rise from the grave (those from ancient times, and those who had not responded to the kingdom message during this "time of the end") These will be educated in Jehovah's ways during a time of 'judgment', (not in the invisible realm but here on earth) many having never heard of Jehovah or his son. All will get an opportunity to accept Jehovah as their God and obey his reasonable commands.
This makes more sense to me than any heaven or hell scenario.
