What happens to us in Hell
I know, I’m stuck on the subject. But Sheol is kind of fascinating. Next on he docket, we look at Sheol in the historical books of the Hebrew Bible. We have four passages that deal with the subject. Two deal with it metaphorically, and the other two have some real interest to me. In 1 Samuel, we see God sending people down to Sheol and raising up again. Since both these verses seem to be talking about reversal of fortunes, we cannot take them too literally. All that we can take out of this is that Sheol and life are at extremes in the Hebrew mind, just like poverty and wealth are as well.
The next two passages both deal with the same event and are of great interest to me. Both are from a charge from King David, who is about to die, to his son Solomon. He tells his son not to let Joab, commander of the army, go to Sheol in peace because of the sins he committed. Rather, he should make sure that Joab goes down to Sheol in blood.
Some might argue that this implies full consciousness while in Sheol. Why else would it be important that Joab’s last moments on Earth be filled with torment? I don’t think it has to mean that. “Bringing down to Sheol in blood” could just be a euphemism for execution. It is David’s way of making sure justice is done on Earth for crimes committed while here. David, as king, was responsible for making sure murder was accounted for. Joab, during David’s reign, was influential and David could not touch him without revolt. So the task of justice would fall to Solomon. Solomon, I am sure, had to shift the balance of power so that Joab would be isolated. Then justice could be served upon him.
But, never the less, it is interesting that the euphemism exists. For example, when western cultures talk about execution, they say it is “justice being served.” The priority of thought, in this instance, is “justice.” In the Hebrew mind, however, the emphasis is on how they would enter Hell. It was important that a criminal’s last emotion would be of shame, humiliation, and guilt. They did not want them to enter Sheol peacefully and fulfilled, but rather with a realization that justice had done upon them. Could it be that there is some kind of feeling in Sheol? Maybe not full consciousness, as we experience it, but feeling none the less?
The last passage we will look a today is in 1 Samuel 28. Here King Saul consults a witch in order to talk to the departed spirit of Samuel. The passage states that Samuel comes up out of the earth and has a lucid conversation with Saul. Crazy. So Samuel not only has emotion (he seemed a little perturbed for being disturbed) but he has language skills, prophetic skills, and reasoning skills (“because you have done this, this is going to happen”). This would seem to indicate that we have a fairly high level of consciousness in the afterlife. But how is this accomplished if our brain is left moldering in the dust?
I think we will have to keep looking to find any answers.
the bible and Hell
1 Samuel 2:6
The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
1 Samuel 28:3-19
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.
The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”
“There is one in Endor,” they said.
So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”
But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”
Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this.”
Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
“Bring up Samuel,” he said.
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”
The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”
“What does he look like?” he asked.
“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”
“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”
Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has departed from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. The LORD will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
2 Samuel 22:6
I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
1Kings 2:6
Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.
1Kings 2:9
But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.
