₦airaland Forum

Truthseeker10:
🤣🤣🤣so the rich man was asking for water to cool his tongue in hell without his physical body?

So the soul has teeth that it is gnashing in hell?

The soul of man has the complete body parts that the body of man has. In fact, the body looks like the soul. The only difference is that the soul of man cannot function on earth without the body. But in the spirit realm, he is complete.

However, the flesh of the soul will be burnt up by the fire of hell, leaving him with a skeletal looking figure with all his senses and body parts intact.

8

Theawakensoul:
My brother, thank you for your reply. Let me gently clarify something, because you didn’t address the actual points I raised, you only repeated what you’ve always been told.

I’m not denying consequences, I’m not denying judgment, and I’m not denying accountability.
I’m asking a different question entirely:

What did the original Jewish teacher Yeshua actually mean when he used those words?

Not the English translations.
Not medieval interpretations.
Not church traditions created 1,000 years later.
But the man himself, speaking in Aramaic to a Jewish audience that understood his metaphors.

Let me respond carefully to the key parts of your comment.


1. “Hell is more real than your living home.”
The issue is not whether consequences exist.
The question is what “hell” meant in Yeshua’s language.

He used:
Gehenna, a burning rubbish dump in Jerusalem
Hades, Greek for “the unseen realm”
Sheol, Hebrew for “the grave / realm of the dead”

None of these words mean “eternal torture chamber.”
That idea came centuries later.



2. “The rich man and Lazarus proves it.”
This is one place where context matters most.
The story of the rich man and Lazarus was:
a Jewish parable already known long before Yeshua,

It is used to condemn the Pharisees’ love of wealth, full of symbolism (Abraham’s bosom, etc.), not a literal travel documentary of the afterlife.

If you read Luke 16 carefully, Yeshua is addressing the Pharisees who were lovers of money (Luke 16:14).
The parable is a moral warning, not a metaphysical map.

Even conservative scholars admit this.
Parables are not literal events.


3. “Weeping and gnashing of teeth = hell fire.”

Those phrases were Jewish idioms, not descriptions of a fiery location.

They appear throughout:
Psalms
Proverbs
Prophets

“Gnashing of teeth” = deep regret, rage, or spiritual ruin.
It is emotional/inner language, not geography.

When Yeshua warned about it, he was addressing:
hypocrisy
hatred
injustice
refusal to awaken

Not drawing a physical map of hell.


4. “I have a book that proves hell is real.”
Many books repeat church tradition, but the question remains:
Where did the doctrine itself come from?
Because it did not come from:
Moses
The Prophets
First-temple Disciples
Second-temple Disciples
The Apostles
The teaching style of Yeshua


It came from:
later Greek influence
Roman theology
medieval church imagination
Dante’s poetry
church control systems

This is historical fact, not opinion.



5. The key issue you are missing
I’m not attacking scripture.
I’m asking us to read it with:
Historical context
linguistic accuracy
cultural awareness
spiritual maturity

When Yeshua spoke, he used metaphors to wake people up, not to terrify them into obedience.


⭐ Final Clarification
My goal is not to win arguments.
My goal is to help people understand the original message, not the fear-based version added later.

If you ever want, I can break down every verse you quoted (and every verse on “hell”) in its:
Hebrew context
Aramaic usage
first-century meaning
awakened interpretation

I respect your passion, brother.
But passion must be guided by understanding, not tradition.

Peace on your journey.
★The Awaken Soul (TAS) ✨

There are passages our Lord Jesus didn't use Gehenna or Hades but sent out the same message.

When Jesus told how he will separate the sheep from the goats and judge them, did he use Gehenna or Hades. He said that the goats go into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

In the parable of the tares, he also didn't use either of the words. He just said the tares would be thrown into the fire. And the lost souls are the tares.

So, stop using Gehenna or Hades to explain away the reality of hell. Gehenna our Lord Jesus was referring to wasn't the physical location in the valley of Hinnom. It was used to figuratively represent the place of eternal punishment.

Why are motorbikes in Nigeria called 'okada' today? It was because of an airline operating in Benin City many years back. Because of its speed, motorbikes are called okada today. Does it mean the motorbikes are airplanes?

Revelation 20:15 says, all those whose names are not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the Lake of fire. Did you read Gehenna or Hades here?

Theawakensoul:
Brother, I hear the urgency and the concern behind your words. My purpose here isn’t to argue or to diminish anyone’s faith, it’s to share historical and spiritual context so we can all think more clearly about what words like hell and heaven originally meant, and how those meanings changed over time.

Below I’ll explain calmly and in detail why the picture of a fiery eternal torture that many people fear today is not what Yeshua (the man of Nazareth) taught, and how religious systems later reshaped those ideas, often using fear and reward to control behavior.




1) Start point: what Yeshua actually said

When Yeshua used words translated as “hell,” he most often used Gehenna, literally the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem. In his day Gehenna was a place where refuse burned. He used it as a vivid metaphor for inner destruction, spiritual corruption, and consequences of hatred and unhealed anger (see Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:43).

He also said things like “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), implying the spiritual realities of heaven/hell are primarily states of consciousness, not solely future geographic destinations.

Awakened interpretation: Gehenna(Hell) = inner burning caused by hatred, ego, unloving living.
Heaven = a state of awakened presence and union with Source.



2) Where the “eternal burning hell” idea came from

Different words, different meanings: The ancient Hebrew concept of the afterlife (Sheol) and the later Greek concept (Hades) are not the same as Gehenna. Early Jewish ideas of the afterlife were fluid and did not always teach eternal torment.

Theologians and translators shaped theology: Over centuries, church fathers (especially after Christianity became Rome’s official religion) systematized eschatology. The combination of Greek philosophy, Roman law, and later medieval theology developed the image of an eternal punitive hell.

Medieval culture intensified the image: Art, sermons, and literary works (e.g., Dante’s Inferno) painted vivid pictures of torment that stuck in popular imagination.

Practical use by institutions: At times religious leaders used fear of eternal punishment to secure obedience, wealth (indulgences), and social control.


Result: A shift from metaphorical/ethical warnings to a firm doctrine of eternal torment, and that change served institutional power as much as it shaped doctrine.



3) How institutions use heaven & hell as tools

Religious organizations (not all, but historically many) have used the concepts in predictable ways:

Fear to control behavior: Threaten eternal punishment to keep people obedient.

Reward to secure compliance: Promise heavenly reward to encourage donations, loyalty, or social conformity.

Authority by exclusivity: Claim special access to salvation (only their rites, priests, or leaders can deliver you).

Psychological leverage: Use guilt, shame, and fear of exclusion to shape moral choices.

Simplification and literalism: Turn metaphors into literal facts so complex spiritual teaching becomes easy to enforce (“do this or burn”).

These are human strategies, not necessarily Yeshua’s teaching.



4) Why distinguishing metaphor from doctrine matters

Spiritual maturity: If heaven and hell are primarily states of consciousness, the path becomes about inner transformation (forgiveness, love, presence) rather than fear-driven compliance.

Ethical living: Transformation produces real moral change; fear produces outward compliance that often hides inner resentment or hypocrisy.

Freedom: Understanding the original metaphors frees people to practice compassion and presence without needing terror to motivate them.


Scripture re-read in this light encourages healing and interior work (for example, Matthew’s warnings about anger: Matthew 5:21–26).



5) Questions to help spot manipulation

When someone or some institution teaches about heaven/hell, ask:

1. Is this teaching rooted in a literal text, or interpreted by later authorities?

2. Does it encourage inner transformation or primarily fear and submission?

3. Does it benefit the community’s spiritual growth or concentrate power/wealth in leaders?

4. Does it respect the historical and linguistic context of the texts used?


If the answer is “fear, obedience, and benefit for leaders,” that’s a red flag for manipulation.



6) What the awakened path recommends instead

Work on inner states: Forgiveness, presence, compassion, and releasing hate are the practical remedies Yeshua taught. (See Matthew 6:14–15; Luke 17:21.)

Discern doctrine from metaphor: Study original terms (Gehenna, Sheol, Hades) and their cultural meanings.

Practice spiritual responsibility: Be guided by inner wisdom and love, not fear of punishment.



7) Final note to Ken4Christ and everyone reading

I respect the concern you express, Ken4christ, I know it comes from love and a desire for others to be careful. My answer is an invitation: look at the original context, free the teachings from centuries of translation and political shaping, and see whether the message calls you to awaken rather than to fear.

If you want, I’ll post short, sourced examples showing:

Gehenna in first-century Jewish texts,

how “Hades/Sheol” differ from Gehenna, and

how early church teachings evolved into doctrines of eternal torment.


Let’s keep this conversation respectful. My aim is not to deny consequences for evil, it’s to clarify meaning so people are moved by love instead of terror.

Peace and presence.
★Theawakensoul

This long story you wrote is distorted truth. Go and read all the statements Jesus made concerning hell or destinies of lost souls. Hell is more real than your living home.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus unveils the sorrows of hell.

Our Lord Jesus said that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in it. In another place, he used the phrase, wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I have a whole book on the scriptural evidence of hell. Its real my friend. The evidence of the scripture are too overwhelming to ignore.

eejo:
What has Nigeria failed to do that has delayed our development.

Looking for contents to write your project.

The kidnappers have been made richer. Business continues. Where is the next target.

Both government and security personnel involved in this wicked act will all rot in hell.

What is the profit to gain the whole world and lose your soul..

tctrills:
So there is the talk of heaven or hell after death but then the book of revelations talks about all rising from the dead to face judgement. Which is true?

When people die, the spirit of the righteous people go to heaven and the soul of the lost goes to hell.

During the final judgment day, those who died will rise up the dead to face the final judgment. The souls in hell will be released and reunite with their bodies to face final judgment.

MaxInDHouse:
Of course they died the day they ate the fruit as no human ever lived up 1,000 years which is a day in God's own eyes! 2Peter 3:8


Evidence you never read through the comments you just picked few words and started making your own comments.
The tree of good and bad means setting standards for others (their yet unborn children/generation) of course they know what is good and bad literally speaking nah!🙂


Satan is a spirit not human so no gate can keep him out of the garden nah!🙂


Do you know that snakes according to their DNA had limbs but till today scientists can't explain why this limbs refused to grow out from their bodies.

I think that is enough to make us think deeply about what the Bible says!🙂

You are still under the spell of your false teachings. Adam died that very day spiritually. And spiritual death is alienation from the life of God.

The Bible didn't say that 1,000 years is a day before God. It said, 'It's like a day. This is a figure of speech. Please, go back to school.

When you say that she is fat like pig, does it make the person a pig?

M

Theawakensoul:
In Matthew 5:22, the “hell” Jesus mentioned (Gehenna) is ABSOLUTELY NOT the same “hell” the modern church uses to scare and control people.
They are completely different concepts, historically, linguistically, and spiritually.

Let me break it down very clearly:


---

✅ 1. The “hell” in the Bible (Gehenna) = a real physical valley

Jesus used the word:

Gehenna (גֵּי הִנֹּם / Gê-Hinnom)

= The Valley of Hinnom, outside Jerusalem.

It was:

a garbage dump

a place where trash burned

a symbol of inner corruption, not eternal torture


Jesus used it as a metaphor, not a literal afterlife destination.

He meant:

> “When you live with hatred, ego, and contempt,
you create a burning place inside your own consciousness.”



This is psychological and spiritual, not eternal torture.


---

❌ 2. The “hell” preached by many modern churches = NOT in the Bible

The idea of:

burning forever

demons torturing souls

God throwing people into fire for unbelief

a place of eternal punishment


…comes from:

medieval church doctrine

Greek mythology (Hades)

Dante’s Inferno (not Scripture)

1,500 years of religious control


NOT from Jesus.

Jesus never described hell as eternal torture after death.


---

✅ 3. The early Jewish understanding of Gehenna

Jews in Jesus’ time saw Gehenna as:

a temporary purification

symbolic of spiritual cleansing

the burning away of ego, lies, hatred


Never eternal torment.

Many rabbis taught purification lasts up to 12 months, not forever.


---

❌ 4. Heaven as a “place in the sky” is also not what Jesus taught

Church teaches:

“Heaven is a distant place you will go after you die if you join us.”

But Jesus said:

> “The kingdom is within you.”
(Luke 17:21)



Heaven is a state of consciousness, not a reward location.

Awakening people understand this naturally:

Heaven = higher frequency

Peace, love, unity

Connection to Source

Present moment awareness


Not a mansion in the clouds.


---

❌ 5. The church uses “heaven & hell” as control tools

Historically, churches used:

fear of hell

promise of heaven to manipulate:

money

submission

attendance

loyalty

obedience


Fear = the fastest way to control minds.
Reward = the easiest way to keep them obedient.

This is psychology, not spirituality.


---

✅ 6. What Jesus actually taught (the awakened view)

Jesus spoke about:

consciousness

inner transformation

ego death

love

forgiveness

the divine spark

unity with Source

the kingdom within


He was a mystic, not a founder of a religion.

He did NOT:

threaten people with eternal hell

create Christianity

teach salvation-by-membership

tell people to worship him

ask for a church system


In fact, he constantly attacked religious leaders for controlling people.


---

✅ 7. The Christian hell & heaven today are manipulations

✔ The church’s hell = manipulation

✔ The church’s heaven = manipulation

✔ Jesus’ Gehenna = inner state, not eternal torture

✔ Jesus’ kingdom = consciousness, not location

The awakened understanding aligns fully with:

early Jesus teachings

Jewish context

mystic traditions

Christ Consciousness


And it exposes the manipulations clearly.

Don't worry. You will believe it when you are thrown in. But, it will be too late to repent. Enjoy your journey to hell and final destination, Lake of fire.

Sirchiboy:
When people die. Where do they go. I want to know.

There are only two destinations: heaven and hell. If you are born again and walk in the light of God’s Word, your spirit goes to heaven after death.

If you are not saved or born again, your soul goes to hell.

Two parallel government is running. It happened during the Buhari regime. One party loves the vulnerability of the kids. They probably share in the procede. Any parent who loves his children should please take them home for now and relocate to safer area.

These statements credited to Soyinka have greatly diminished the respect I once had for him. How many times has he publicly condemned the killings happening across the country? How many times has he visited affected communities to offer support, encouragement, or solidarity?

With all due respect, Soyinka, your recent comments suggest a disconnect from the true security realities Nigerians face daily. No one is insulated from the consequences of the growing insecurity; not public figures, not ordinary citizens. When violence escalates, it does not discriminate. I just wish you could see the doom that awaits you if nothing is done about it.

In moments of national crisis, extraordinary measures are sometimes necessary to preserve human lives. How many more innocent people must die before we acknowledge the gravity of what is unfolding and act decisively to stop it? This is not the time to downplay the situation; it is the time to confront it with honesty and urgency.

Mr President, please resign. Otherwise, you will enter the historical records as the worst President that ruled Nigeria. And your children will inherit shame for the rest of their lives.

Atiku and many other prominent politicians should know what to do. The man should step aside or perform.

oyichi:
This is where the failure will start from, the US will know the true meaning of sabotage, the fight against these killings is dead on arrival if our government will be involved

This is the whole truth. They should work independently if they want to succeed. Though they feel its the right thing to do to avoid what could be seen as violation of our sovereignty.

Any church and community that accommodates this lifestyle is cursed. This is one of the reasons for disasters like volcano, flood and earthquakes.

prinsam30:
Then go select ur team and become their coach na, una go just dey talk anyhow, kids everywhere, support ur team is it hard to do that, both in winning and losing

You must be a kid in the history of Nigeria football. Do you know there was a time when Nigeria ranked 4 in the world in football? Every player at that time were the very best in that position. But politics and greed has destroyed our football. You can't be a part of the team unless you pay the due or know someone. And it doesn't seem it's about to change.

MT:
To the penalty we go.

Even if SE wins on penalty, it is a shame.

A very big shame.

These are not the best 11 in the country. And the coach is not a world class coach.

paxonel:
it was a prophecy that he will come at the time he came, died and resurrected. Isaiah 6:9
Except you are referring to when Jesus is coming to judge the world which is another thing entirely different from Matthew 25:31.
Judgement happens all the time because people die everyday.

It is appointed once for men to die, after that the judgement.
The verse has nothing to do with judgement.
the verse has already been fulfilled 2000 years ago in preparation for judgement

Look at the following verse

Matthew 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

the sheep refers to Christians.
The goat refers to non Christians.

As far as God is concern, it is either you are a Christian or you are a non Christian

Prior to this time, there was nothing like Christianity.
The resurrection of Jesus has established Christianity which marks the separation

Your spiritual state is a very bad one. I really don't know how to help you. You need to enrol in pre nursery school of the Spirit.

paxonel:
Really?

Do you realize that Jesus was about to be crucified at the time he made the statement in Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory...

And that he came into his glory in the form of his resurrection after he was crucified ?

Is that you cannot think or you never read it, or you read it but you failed to see it accurately the way it is?

During resurrection, he rose from the dead, he didn't come. Please, use your brain. Jesus is coming back and that verse of Scripture will be fulfilled.

lawbabs:
There is oil on your head. I wanted to reply the fellow then I saw that you have given the same accurate response I would have given.

Shalom.

Bless you. Don't mind him. Everybody wants to teach the Bible when they don't have the basic foundation.

paxonel:
Lack of education or even incomplete education breeds inacuracy.

There are many instances the bible aimed at saying one thing, but the people are interpreting it to another thing entirely different.

For instance ,

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Christians today are still mistaking Jesus to say when he will come in his glory as when the rapture will take place someday in our future.
But meanwhile, the accurate intention Jesus had when he made that statement was WHEN HE WILL RESURRECT AFTER HE IS CRUCIFIED.

Religion is truly misleading people to believe errors, and at the end, their lives are miserable inspite all the church attendance and the deliverance conducted on them by their pastors

You are actually the one in grave error. The verse is neither referring to Jesus resurrection nor the rapture.

When he resurrected, he couldn't have said to have come. Rather, he came up or rose from the dead. Besides, how did the Holy angels come with him when he rose from the dead.

It is not also referring to the rapture of the Church. During the rapture, Holy angels are not the ones coming with Jesus but the Saints who slept in Him - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16.

This verse points to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus which will happen after the rapture of the Church. And the throne he will sit upon is the rulership of the world from the city of Jerusalem.

If you want to get more enlightenment on this, check my signature and message me and I will recommend a book for you to read.

State police is the way forward. Since FG is incapable of handling security issues, let the states be empowered to handle it.

Local vigilante groups should also be empowered. They should not wait for attack. They should enter the forest and smoke these wicked people out.

EyeCumInPeace:
"An Attack on Bandits Boko Haram is an Attack on the North" ~~Buhari

Tinubu dey fear to offend the North, so he will never be party to any plot to fight Bandits. 😁

Does he think they will spare him if a full jihad is launched?

Chukwueze should be among the first 11. He understands Osimhen very well. They both play in the FIFA under 17 tournament in 2015 which they lifted.

Lukeman should replace Iwobi. I don't think he should be benched. He knows how to spring surprises.

I wish them well. We shouldn't have gone through this if they won their early games.

It's a set up. This is the new industry that is making them rich.

The best thing that can happen to anyone is to get born again and receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. You will know ahead when a thing like this is about to happen and avoid it.

They are not ashamed to call them their sons. So, you gave birth to useless sons and you are proud of what they are doing. In any case, your killer sons are not above the law.

He that kills by the sword shall die by the sword.

If they don't want Trump intervention, then let a bill be passed that permits individuals to own their guns for self protection.

The British government is the architect of our problem. But their time has expired. Enough is enough.

The headline says, we will fight terrorism. It didn't say, we are fighting terrorism. So, it is still a promise. What a shame. This is playing politics with human lives.

tundegan:
Reno go dey alright.

This pastor wan lay curse for social media ni? Make we dey use curse like this for social media?

Reno is reportedly admitted in an unknown hospital. He deserves more than curses.

Anyone who is against America coming to fight these terrorist is a suspect. They are part of them.

Truthseeker10:
1)Quote a verse that teach the above.

2)Is soul and spirit the same thing?

Place an order for my book, The Total Man. It will explain it to you