Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland and Andrew Wommack have one thing in common. They preach that «Jesus died spiritually», and went to Hell. From there, their copy-cat Jesus will never be able to escape.

Many Word of Faith preachers, and thousands of Pastors in Charismatic Churches spread lies about Jesus of Nazareth. They have Spiritual fathers that teach the «Jesus died Spiritually (JDS) theology». This gospel comes from the same source as the «Replacement Theology».

This is serious stuff. Lets take a deep look into this matter:

This teaching is basically a result of an error in Biblical Christianity, that has its origin in a faulty translation of one word in the King James version. Its the Hebrew word «Sheol» . In the 1611 A.D version of the King James Bible the two Hebrew words Sheol and Ghenna have been mixed up. The British translators even used the Greek pagan word «Hades» to explain Hell. The result is an English faulty understanding of the true meaning of the lake of fire. Hell, where the wicked will spend their eternity. A place no one can escape from.

Here is one example of this error in King James version of the Bible:

2. Sam 22: 4-7. (King James)

I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

NIV correctly translate Sheol as grave: «the sorrows of grave compassed me about»:

Another example:

Psalm 16:10
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (King James)

The soul of the Holy One is not going to Hell.His soul will not even rest in Sheol. (the grave).

A third example:

Jonah 2:2
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. (King James).

Jonah was surely not in Hell. He speaks from his possible tragic «grave» Sheol, in the belly of the Fish. Also I would have cried from such an close to «impossible» tomb of silence.

An translation error from Hebrew and Greek into English:

Anglicans, who do not share a concept of «hades» with the Eastern Orthodox, have traditionally translated «sheol» (and «hades») as «hell» (for example in the King James Version). However, to avoid confusion of what are separate concepts in the Bible, modern English versions of the Bible tend either to translated the word sheol or to use an alternative term such as the «grave» (e.g. the NIV). Roman Catholics generally translate «sheol» as «death».

The Gideon Bible, the New King James and the NIV-versions have all corrected the faulty original English translation in the King James version. This error in the King James version has resulted in many misunderstandings about what the Spirit of Jesus did in the three days his body was in the tomb of silence.

What is the Hebrew meaning of Sheol?

From the Jewish encyclopedia:

Sheol is underneath the earth. Hence it is known also as «Dumah», the abode of silence. Return from Sheol is not expected (II Sam. xii. 23; Job vii. 9, 10; x. 21; xiv. 7 et seq.; xvi. 22; Ecclus. [Sirach]. Eccl. xii. 5). It is “dust” (Ps. xxx. 10; hence in the Shemoneh ‘Esreh, in benediction No. ii., the dead are described as “sleepers in the dust”).

God’s rulership over it is recognized (Amos ix. 2; Hos. xiii. 14; Deut. xxxii. 22; I Sam. ii. 6 [Isa. vii. 11?]; Prov. xv. 11).

What is the Greek meaning of the pagan word Hades?

The Greek God (ruler) of the underworld is called Hades. God of the Bible has prepared a place for Him and his dark angles at the end of time. That is in Hell, the lake of fire. Hades is not hell.

What is the correct Hebrew word for Hell?

From the Jewish Encyclopedia:

The place where children were sacrificed to the god Moloch was originally in the «valley of the son of Hinnom» to the south of Jerusalem (Josh. xv. 8, passim; II Kings xxiii. 10; Jer. ii. 23; vii. 31-32; xix. 6, 13-14). For this reason the valley was deemed to be accursed, and «Gehenna» therefore soon became a figurative equivalent for «hell». Hell, like paradise, was created by God (Soṭah 22a); according to Gen. R. ix. 9, the words «very good» in Gen. i. 31 refer to hell; hence the latter must have been created on the sixth day. Yet opinions on this point vary. According to some sources, it was created on the second day; according to others, even before the world, only its fire being created on the second day (Gen. R. iv., end; Pes. 54a). The «fiery furnace» that Abraham saw (Gen. xv. 17, Hebr.) was Gehenna (Mek. xx. 18b, 71b; comp. Enoch, xcviii. 3, ciii. 8; Matt. xiii. 42, 50; ‘Er. 19a, where the «fiery furnace» is also identified with the gate of Gehenna).

(end)

The deceptive JDS (Jesus died Spiritiualy) teachings (gnostisism) that is preached by men like Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland, is often defended by a mixed up understanding of Gehenna, Hades and Sheol as Hell, found in the King James version.

The Spirit of Jesus did not «die», its an eternal Spirit. The Spirit of Jesus did not enter into Hell. While His body was in the tomb of silence, the Spirit of Jesus preached to the spirits in prison, who had been taken captive by the Kingdom of darkness. That kingdom is a present Kingdom. Hell is to the very contrary, prepared for Satan and his dark angels at the end of time.. And the «ruler» of the Kingdom of darkness is not in Hell, not yet.

1.Peter 3.18-19:
He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison. (NIV)

Also in King James this becomes very clear in this verse:

«Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison» (King James)

From where did Jesus rise after three days?

Jesus did not rise from Hell. He rose from the grave, from Sheol. Jesus rose from the tomb of silence. Also our body, if we are not raptured before our body ends up in «a grave» or the belly of a fish, like Jonah. Our soul will be resurrected, and we will enter into our new heavenly bodies.

From where will people rise on the last day of Judgment?

Since the body of Jesus was in the grave, (Sheol) for three days, it might be the body of people who are in their, first, second or third day in Sheol who are going to be raised from the graves on the final day of Judgment. Thats going to be an awesome display of the Power of God. Even the sea shall give up its latest dead bodies on that day.

Will anybody be raised from Hell on the last day of Judgment?

The Rich man who was sent to Hell (Gehenna) is not going to be raised. Abraham confirmed that there is no way, anybody will be able to escape that place of horror.

What about the people who came out of the tombs in Jerusalem, the day Jesus died on the cross? From where did they come?

The people who came out of the tombs of the graves in Jerusalem (Matthew 27:52) and appeared in the city, all came from Sheol. Another example is Lazarus, who Jesus raised from Sheol on the fourth day. In John 11:39, Martha warned Jesus about the bad odor, expected after four days in Sheol, also called the dust of the Earth. If the soul of Lazarus had departed for Heaven, his flesh in Sheol would literally have returned to dust. Thats what is expected to happen with all flesh in Sheol. Jesus called Lazarus back in flesh and spirit from Sheol, not from Heaven or Hell (Gehenna).

Was Jesus ever tortured by Satan in Hell?

Kenneth Copeland is in a league of his own. He once preached that «Jesus went to Hell to be tortured by Satan». Thats another gnostic «Jesus» from a gnostic gospel. Why? Because Satan has not even been in Hell, not yet. He and his dark angels roams around feeding the children they have deceive with more deceptions. But Satan surely will end up in Hell, the day Jesus of the Bible will throw Him into the lake of fire.

Where did the Spirit of Jesus go in the three days He spent in the grave?

When Jesus was crucified, Jesus communicated with His Father:

Luke 23:46
Jesus called out with a loud voice, «Father, into your hands I commit my spirit»
When he had said this, he breathed his last.

If you think the Father of Jesus was Lucifer, who now tortured him in Hell for some time, than sent him back to Earth to deceive us, you have been deceived by the father of all lies.

This error in the Charismatic Churches, has lead this movement into several other errors and occult and gnostic practices. The latest is «soaking».

God is good, and will gives us all we need. And all true Christians are cheerful givers. But Jesus is not a fleshy God, that will make you a slave of your own fleshy prayers and expectations. Many American TV-preachers are false apostles of «Jesus- the-ATM-machine». They preach and teach the false «prosperity gospel». They try to deceive us into believing that a man can demand anything from God, and even expect monetary returns like brokers promises us from the Stock Exchange. The brokers never return their commission, when their promises fails.

Hey, stop, you might say: «These men and women walking in an «anointing» of signs and miracles. How can you say that their teachings are faulty?

Lets see what Jesus said:

Mathew 24:4-5:

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, and will deceive many».

In whose name would these deceivers come?

Matthew 24:24
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.

Also Satan has the power to perform signs and miracles. Friendship with his false-Messiah`s will not help you on your final day of Judgment.

The Jewish Apostle Paul also warns us against false teachers who will come in the name of Jesus:

2 Corinthians 11:4
For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

Therefore: Choose wisely your Bible teacher, brother or pastor.

Read more about the difference between the Abyss and Hell:
Click here

First published: July 13th, 2009.

Written by Ivar