It's been awhile since I've looked at this subject. So many interests and so little time!
I must mention a Hebrew word we commonly use in our English Bibles for the "grave". The word is "sheol". In Hebrew the word is generic in nature, simply meaning, the place where the dead go. This "place" is not necessarily a real place but can be, depending on how it's used in the sentence - such is the nature of Hebrew. A great example is the Watchers of old. If you're familiar with the book of Enoch and it's references in our Bibles of today, you know there were approximately 200 divine beings that descended to Mt. Hermon in antediluvian times. BTW, this is exactly where Yeshua would later say, "On this rock, I will build my church." No, he wasn't speaking of Peter, he was rubbing the noses of the fallen ones in their own backyard, letting them know they had lost already. These divine beings (angelic?, members of the divine council?) had "left their first estate" (took on human form) and totally corrupted mankind and animals. This is why mankind had to be destroyed in the Great Flood.
These beings were placed in solitary confinement until the end of everything. These were the beings Yeshua "preached to" when he descended in sheol during his 3 days of death, before resurrecting. Along with "sheol", the term, "the abyss" is also used for this location. Unfortunately, man has added his own meaning and has tried to declare this actual place as "hell".
As far as my study shows, so far, no dead humans reside in this particular "sheol" - "abyss".
Continuing with the study ...
(ESV)
Num 20:1
Miriam dies: (no appreciable differences with the other translation/versions)
No mention of an afterlife.
The Death of Aaron: (no appreciable differences with the other translation/versions)
No mention of an afterlife.
Num 20:22 And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.
Num 20:23 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom,
Num 20:24 "
Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.
Num 20:25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor.
Num 20:26 And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there."
Num 20:27 Moses did as the LORD commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
Num 20:28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
Num 20:29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days
In
Numbers 21 King Sihon is mentioned. This is interesting because it mentions the King's people as being, "people of Chemosh". Chemosh, as well as Moloch (Molech) are gods worshiped by a ritual where they burn children to death. Today, we Americans call this by the misnomer; "Christmas"! Depending on the people group, Chemosh and Moloch were either depicted as a hollow metal statue of a sitting bull-man or a bearded man with a phrygian cap - you know, like the one Santa wears. These hollow statues were stoked with coal until they glowed red. The babies were placed on their laps or in their arms to burn. Screams of the victims were drowned out by beating drums (the little drummer boy?). This is partly why Santa has a red suit and children sit his lap. Christmas also developed with a mix of other pagan influences as well - Odin, of the Scandinavian regions, for example. Obviously, I DO NOT celebrate 12/25 and no true Christian who understands it's origins would, imo!
This is timely also. The New York State legislature has just passed a bill that states parents and the doctor can "abort" (murder) their child even after it has been born and is viable. The Governor has signed it into law. This is HORRIFIC! Do you think the worship of Moloch and Chemosh is not practiced today? Oh yes it is! And America will be judged harshly! Other Liberal states are entertaining this as well. Just where do these people think the spirit of murdering children comes from?
Folks, their will be only two kinds of people at the end. The worshipers of the One True God and all the rest!
... more to come ...
The Observer
