1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Adon Yeshua HaMashiach who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
Whereas He is the God of all compassions, Hashem set standards for us, the violating of which incurs temporary punishment. As drastic as they may seem, these punishment do not imply irreversible condemnation. One of the most drastic conflict resolution precedent in the Hebrew Scriptures is that of the rebellion of the Levites through the leadership of Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 16). The text tells us that they went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly (Numbers 16:33). Where did they really go? What is that 'sheol'?
To ask the question is in itself strange because the Hebrew word 'She'ol' comes from the root verb 'sha'al' meaning 'to question'. In essence 'she'ol' invokes the idea of the great unknown. What is more scary than the idea of going to the great 'unknown'.
There iare things we know about that she'ol. It has to do with the inside of the earth, therefore it carries a connection with being in the earth as happens when we die. She'ol therefore invokes death. Isaiah speaks of She'ol as having 'gates', which the Master says will not overpower us (Isaiah 38:10; Matthew 16:18). King David foresees the death and resurrection of the Messiah and says, you will not abandon my soul to Sheol (Psalms 16:10). We must be careful here, she'ol is not what is communly called 'hell', but as is told us in the Book of Enoch referred to in the Apostolic Scriptures (Jude 1:14), is an interim place waiting for the resurrection (Enoch 22:1-14). It has at least two divisions, one for those who lived righteously on earth and one for those who lived wickedly. It is like waiting for the resurrection in either a five star hotel or in a developing country jail cell.
Enoch's description fits the Master's parable of Lazarus and the rich man both waiting for the resurrection, one in the 'bosom of Abraham' (a Talmudic expression for paradise), and the other in the torments of gehenna (Luke 16:19-31).
Thus we can conclude that the 'she'ol' is not the final destination of the soul. Dathan, Abiram and all their followers were not lost forever but are waiting for the resurrection just like you and I will after it is declared that our pilgrimage on this earth is over.
If you think that their rebellion was so bad as to deserve everlasting condemnation, what will happen to you about your rebellions? You may not know about them, but other people might, and God certainly does. Remember the Words of the Master which He narrated from the Talmud, For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you (Matthew 7:2; Babylonian Talmud: Sanhedrin 100).
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Adon Yeshua HaMashiach who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
Whereas He is the God of all compassions, Hashem set standards for us, the violating of which incurs temporary punishment. As drastic as they may seem, these punishment do not imply irreversible condemnation. One of the most drastic conflict resolution precedent in the Hebrew Scriptures is that of the rebellion of the Levites through the leadership of Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 16). The text tells us that they went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly (Numbers 16:33). Where did they really go? What is that 'sheol'?
To ask the question is in itself strange because the Hebrew word 'She'ol' comes from the root verb 'sha'al' meaning 'to question'. In essence 'she'ol' invokes the idea of the great unknown. What is more scary than the idea of going to the great 'unknown'.
There iare things we know about that she'ol. It has to do with the inside of the earth, therefore it carries a connection with being in the earth as happens when we die. She'ol therefore invokes death. Isaiah speaks of She'ol as having 'gates', which the Master says will not overpower us (Isaiah 38:10; Matthew 16:18). King David foresees the death and resurrection of the Messiah and says, you will not abandon my soul to Sheol (Psalms 16:10). We must be careful here, she'ol is not what is communly called 'hell', but as is told us in the Book of Enoch referred to in the Apostolic Scriptures (Jude 1:14), is an interim place waiting for the resurrection (Enoch 22:1-14). It has at least two divisions, one for those who lived righteously on earth and one for those who lived wickedly. It is like waiting for the resurrection in either a five star hotel or in a developing country jail cell.
Enoch's description fits the Master's parable of Lazarus and the rich man both waiting for the resurrection, one in the 'bosom of Abraham' (a Talmudic expression for paradise), and the other in the torments of gehenna (Luke 16:19-31).
Thus we can conclude that the 'she'ol' is not the final destination of the soul. Dathan, Abiram and all their followers were not lost forever but are waiting for the resurrection just like you and I will after it is declared that our pilgrimage on this earth is over.
If you think that their rebellion was so bad as to deserve everlasting condemnation, what will happen to you about your rebellions? You may not know about them, but other people might, and God certainly does. Remember the Words of the Master which He narrated from the Talmud, For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you (Matthew 7:2; Babylonian Talmud: Sanhedrin 100).
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