Heaven and Hell: The Geography of Sheol (Part 5 of ?)

As we have previously seen from Genesis 37:35, Jacob said, after the loss of his son, that he would "go down" to sheol. Many other passages in the Bible also suggest that Sheol is "below" the earth. Job 21:13 states that the "wicked" go down to sheol. Proverbs 15:24 says that the wise may avoid Sheol that is below. [Psalm 30:3] "Yahweh, you have brought my soul up from Sheol, you have kept me alive by keeping me from going down into the pit." In this passage, and others, Sheol is likened to a pit, a hole in the ground"

In Numbers chapter 16 (28-33) we find Korahh challenging Moses' authority. Moses tells the people, "[28] this is how you will know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works... [29] ...if these men die a natural death, then Yahweh did not send me... [30] but if Yahweh does something unique and opens the mouth of the ground and swallows them up and they go down into Sheol, then you will know that they despised Yahweh." Once Moses finished his speaking, [31-33] "the mouth of the ground opened and the ground split apart and they went down alive into Sheol."

While sheol is below the earth, a few passages describe the entrance into Sheol as the grave. In Isaiah 38:10 death and the grave is described as the "gates of Sheol." In Psalm 141:7 we read, "Our bones will be scattered at the mouth of Sheol."

Another description of Sheol found in the Bible is its opposition to the heavens. Just as the heavens, or sky, is above the earth, so Sheol is below it. RSV Job 11:8 It is higher than heaven, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? RSV Psalm 139:8 If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! RSV Amos 9:2 "Though they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down.

While the Bible speaks frequently of Sheol, in a few passages it refers to the deeper or lower Sheol. ASV Deuteronomy 32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, And burneth unto the lowest She'ol. ASV Psalm 86:13 For great is thy lovingkindness toward me; And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest She'ol. Other non-Biblical works of the Hebrews, as well as the New Testament, which we will soon examine, provide greater detail to the divisions within Sheol.

The Biblical text clearly portrays Sheol as a world under the earth, an underworld. The Israelites were not unique in their belief in an underworld. Ancient cultures all over the earth have a similar belief in an underworld. In the Ancient Near East the Egyptians called the underworld Duat, the Babylonians Arallu, the Sumerians Kigal. In the Ancient Middle and far East the Hindus called it Naraka, The Chinese Yum gan, and the Japanese Yomi. In Ancient Eurpoe, the Celts called it Mag Mell, the Greeks and Romans called it Hades and the Norse called it Hel, the origin of our modern word Hell. In the Ancient Americas the Pueblos called it Shipap, the Aztecs Mictlan and the Mayans Metnal. In the Ancient South Pacific the Maori of New Zealand called it Hawaiki and the Polynesians of the South Pacific Pulotu.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• grave
• tomb
• afterlife
• sheol
• hell
• underworld

[oO0Briggs0Oo]

Thanks! still waiting for number 6

[ancienthebreworg]

@oO0Briggs0Oo Me too! LOL. I haven't had the time to work on this series, but will pick it up again soon and try and finish it.

[DontFearTruth]

Good series. Thanks Jeff - haruchai from pal

[ancienthebreworg]

@DontFearTruth Shalom Har, thanks, good to hear from you.

[simdes13]

Ya era hora que postiaras el video , lo estaba esperando,cuando posteas el otro?

[ancienthebreworg]

@simdes13 Gracious :-)

[PHANTOMSLAYER7]

Sheol may be an inter-dimensional underworld. I believe I visited it last year.

[Anthonyofthedesert]

That back ground music is beautiful. What is it called? Great video series mate. Thanks for posting :-)

[bgupta2001]

request and pray ---every human every soul either good or bad ,angle or evil ,sinner,demon , god or devil every one want to live as a good humanbeing --please save

request you to request---instead of killing ,spoiling lives,destroying ,sending under earth ,hells ,if some place is given far away from india .and some thing are done for better to improve the qualities of humans and souls .so that every one can live,or given death to souls in front of every one on the earth only

[CatD66]

Why isn't an afterlife mentioned in Genesis? God tells Adam and Eve that they will 'die' if they disobey Him, not still live but in a 'netherworld' without their physical bodies? Psalm 146:4, Ecc 9:10 seem to suggest that we cease to exist in the grave, whilst we await resurrection. I'm eager to see how you develop this topic.

[BibleTruthMatters]

Belief in an afterlife dates back to post-Nimrod (Tammuz) & continues to influence human thinking. If, however, we return to the beginning when God was creating & establishing his sovereignty on earth, we can get some clarity on this issue. Adam was formed from the ground, when he violated God's instruction he was told he would return to the ground. Sheol became the common grave of mankind not an individual grave. Sheol's root = ask. The grave asks or craves for more

(insatiable).Eccl 9:10