Many people are confused by the terms of heaven and hell, as used in the scriptures. This article will attempt to aid your understanding.
Three concepts for heaven include the first heaven, i.e., the sky or the clouds. The second heaven is the stars and the universe, and the third heaven is the eternal seat of the Father and is unseen. Three concepts of hell include this life, which is the darkness below, the second is the grave or tomb, and the third hell is the lake of fire.
In Genesis 28:12, Jacob had a dream and saw a vision of a ladder going from the earth up into heaven, and angels ascending and descending. In Deuteronomy 10:14, the heaven and the heaven of heavens are mentioned. The Hebrew word, shammah, Hebrew 8064, can mean sky or can mean celestial bodies such as our universe. The heaven of heavens likely means the abode of the Father. Heaven of the heavens is also mentioned in 1 Kings 8:27, and Ezekiel 1:4 that describes it as a throne coming from the far North. In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, Paul talks about being called up to paradise. We know this is only a vision, as the book of John 3:13 notes that no one has been to heaven and returned to earth, except our Creator. Also, since no one has seen the Father except the Son, (John 1:18, John 5:37, John 6:46) means that the vision of the third heaven or throne room by Ezekiel 1 and John, in Revelation 4 are visions of the throne room of our Creator. Therefore, in Job 1, the adversary was dealing with our Creator, and take note that he had to get permission from our Creator to place evil thoughts into the Sabeans that slain the servants of Job in Job 1:15. James 1:13 states: let no man say when he is tested, I am tested of Yahweh: for Yahweh cannot be tested with evil neither tempteth he any man. Thus, the accuser, the adversary, is the one accusing the called out and gets permission to test us as he did accusing Job regarding his hedge, etc., Job 1:10-11.
Thus. the three concepts of heaven are the first heaven which would be the visible sky, clouds, thunder, and rain. The second heaven would include the universe and visible stars, solar system, etc., and the third heaven would be the throne room of the Son, as we know the throne room of the Father has only been seen by the Son our Creator.
Like the concept of three heavens, there is also the concept of three hells. The first hell being this life, the second hell being the grave and the third hell a burning fire.
John 8:12 notes that we should be the light of the world and this is repeated in Matthew 5:14-16. Proverbs 6:23 says that the commandments are a lamp, and the law is the light and reproofs of instruction are the way of life. Luke 4:5-6 shows the adversary telling our Creator that all the kingdoms of the world are his and our Creator did not deny that this is Satan’s kingdom. Thankfully, however, he must get permission to test people.
The second hell is the grave or tomb, Revelation 11:9. In Mark 9:43, the word for hell is the Greek word, 1067, from a noun meaning “Gehennah.” Gehennah was the garbage dump of Jerusalem to the south of the city that had a constant fire for trash, animals, and criminals, and was also a likely location for child sacrifices, 2 Kings 23:10 and Jeremiah 7:31-33.
Thus, the second hell is physical death where our body returns to the dust of the earth and our mind, which is asleep, returns to the Father who gave it. Thus, the second hell is the grave, Matthew 5:29-30. Scriptures such as Mark 9:48 says the worm does not die and some translations say maggots never die. However, we know that only two eternal beings are the Father and the Son. Furthermore, Jonah was in the fish for just three days, however the scriptures say “forever” using the Hebrew word olam, 5769, (see the website article from 10/27/16 regarding the terms forever or age abiding).
Therefore, being in the grave “forever” can be just three days or even less. It is a period of time, but we have no thoughts and no feelings and we are essentially asleep until our Creator awakens us again.
The third concept of hell is the lake of fire in which the beast and false messiah are sent to, Revelation 19:20, and then later the adversary or devil plus any demons that fail to repent, Revelation 20:10. Again, the terms forever and ever are incorrect. The actual word is aion, 1625, meaning a period of time, and likely a short period of time such as with Jonah who was in the belly “forever and ever” but in reality, only three days. It is possible that the lake of fire will only be a few microseconds as it will instantly destroy any physical or spiritual body. Though the body is instantly destroyed, the spirit or mind, which is asleep goes back to the Father (see article on life and death). Thus no one is lost forever.
Our Creator has a great plan that he is carrying out, which the Father and the Son designed before anything was created. If you are called in this present life and are able to overcome the adversary, you will be resurrected at the seventh trumpet, as part of the 144,000 saints. If you are not called in this life, you will have a second chance after the one thousand years to overcome the adversary when he is let out for a 100-year period, during the Last Great Day. This group of of saints will likely be the innumerable multitude. Finally, if you fail to repent or overcome, you will be reconciled and live outside the Kingdom forever, and in this case, it will be eternal. The Father and Son have a great plan for everyone and no one will be lost.
If you find this article interesting, pray to the Father in the name of his resurrected son, Yahweh Shua, and consider taking the first step, which is baptism.