Where is the Valley of Death located in Israel?
The Wadi Qelt is a deep gorge in the Judean Wilderness that runs from Jerusalem down to Jericho. The area is one of the places likely considered to be the setting for ‘The Valley of the Shadow of Death’ in Psalm 23:4 mentioned above. Streams of water are found in the valley.
What’s the difference between Hades and Gehenna?
In the Methodist Church, “hades denotes the intermediate state of souls between death and the general resurrection,” which is divided into Paradise (for the righteous) and Gehenna (for the wicked).
What does Hinnom mean in Hebrew?
(gĭ-hĕn′ə) 1. A place or state of torment or suffering. 2. The abode of condemned souls; hell.
Why was the lake of fire at Gehenna important?
Old Jerusalem’s lake of fire at Gehenna illustrated the God-assured destruction of the impure entities of this earth in the future, to prevent pollution of the New Jerusalem that would symbolize God’s obedient people.
What happens to the bodies thrown into Gehenna?
Dead bodies thrown into Gehenna Valley would be destroyed by the fires burning below. The ones that might get stuck in the slopes would be consumed by worms. Bodies dumped into Gehenna would be destroyed one way or other without fail. Likewise, sinners cannot escape destruction is the point Jesus is making.
Why did worms live in the Gehenna valley?
Because while the fires used to burn at the bottom of the Gehenna Valley, it was in the vegetation that lined the slopes of the valley that the worms thrived. And these worms do not die because they were maggots that eventually turn into flies!
Where does the everlasting fire come from in the Bible?
The disobedient will meet utter destruction in everlasting fire ( Matt 25:41 ). This everlasting fire is derived from Jerusalem’s Gehenna where fires were kept continually burning ( everlasting ). The everlasting adjective applies just to the fire. It does not mean anyone will burn eternally. Fire burns and destroys.