Why no mention of a fiery Hell in the Old Testament?

[RabbiO]

I remember reading about this guy who lowered recording equipment deep down into the Earth, I don't remember exactly but like into a volcano. And he recorded what sounded like people screaming in torment, and he said this proved that there is a hell inside the Earth. Just something interesting. I think it's a load of s**t.

Of course it is, because what they actually were screaming for was more marshmallows.

 

[Akivah]

You missed it Brian. I was actually agreeing with you.

 

[Shia Islam]

As someone raised in a very Fundamentalist Christian denomination that preached more about Hell fire than Heaven, and more wrath of God than love and compassion of God, I was always curious why such a terrible place was not mentioned in the Old Testament.

With all the warnings of Hellfire you mentioned, people still are not admonished...
This means that more warnings is needed...

 

[katiemygirl]

As someone raised in a very Fundamentalist Christian denomination that preached more about Hell fire than Heaven, and more wrath of God than love and compassion of God, I was always curious why such a terrible place was not mentioned in the Old Testament.

Actually, there are references to it, but they are not as blatantly stated as they were by Jesus.

If the purpose of your OP is to prove there is no feiry hell, then all of the verses from the OT won't matter to you. If you refuse to accept the words of Jesus, why would you believe anything the OT has to say?

Here is just one example. I can post more if you are truly seeking to learn.

Isaiah 66:24

22 “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

 

[David1967]

If the purpose of your OP is to prove there is no feiry hell, then all of the verses from the OT won't matter to you. If you refuse to accept the words of Jesus, why would you believe anything the OT has to say?

An OP can prove nothing. And has nothing to do with refusing to accept anything. To me its an interesting topic for discussion due to the abundance of hell reference in the NT and lack of in the OT...............that's all.

 

[katiemygirl]

An OP can prove nothing. And has nothing to do with refusing to accept anything. To me its an interesting topic for discussion due to the abundance of hell reference in the NT and lack of in the OT...............that's all.

There are references in the OT. They're just not as blatantly stated as they are in the NT.

 

[Muffled]

You have asked a very good question, David. The English word hell comes from the Hebrew word hades. Hades means the common grave of man kind. Religions have taken , The lake of fire," from Rev 20:14-15. In this scripture it is clear the lake of fire is not a real lake of fire. Satan and those are cast into the lake of fire, but also death and hades are cast int the lake of fire...the scripture goes on to say, "This is the second death." All the lake of fire means is a final end.

I believe "Hades" is the Greek word describing a place in the afterlife. Sheol is the Hebrew word for grave. Hell is named after Hel who was occupier of an entrance to a fiery place in Norse myths. Hebrew has no word for Hell.

I don't remember Hades used in the context of a burial place only a place in the afterlife.

I don't believe there is any evidence to support this notion.

I don't believe it is a final end and I don't know why a meaning has to be attached to a place. Does Lake Ontario have meaning simply because it is a lake?

 

[Muffled]

Do you get the urge sometimes, when you read something presented as being information, to just throw up your hands and shout, שקט בבקשה

I believe that would not fit my context but I might get out an Oy vey. And I probably don't even know how to spell it.

 

[Muffled]

The Old Testament doesn't mention hell fire for the same reason it doesn't mention fairies, because they both don't exist!

I believe the reason you don't believe something exists ought to be rational and I don't see any solid reasoning in your statement.

 

[Brian Schuh]

I believe the reason you don't believe something exists ought to be rational and I don't see any solid reasoning in your statement.

I believe there will be a hell, but not the one that most people believe in.