As a JW this is always how I argued against the existence of Hell. I'd like to hear a rebuttal by believers in a Satan-ruled hell.
Hell was created by God as much as Satan was created by God. Hell was not originally intended for man, because scripture says...
Matthew 25:41
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 25 In context: Matthew 25:40-42)
Note he never said it was prepared for man. For the bible says it is not God's will that man should perish, but have everlasting life. But man has a will of his own and he decides where he wants to go.
Man has a choice whether or not they want to go with the devil and his angels.
Man has 2 choices, heaven or hell. It's all up to the individual where he/she wants to go to spend eternity at. God can't make you go to heaven, although he would like for you to be there since each and every one of you are very important to Him.
God is not pointing a gun on your head and saying, "Worship me or I'll blow your brains out!", no, if you studied what worship meant in the spiritual definition rather than man's sense of definition, "worship" means fellowship/friendship. God wants to be your friend and wants to have fellowship with you. That's what God means on worship. Not what man thinks what worship means.
That's where Jesus comes in, he came to bridge the gap between God and man and to restore the fellowship between God and man and to save us from ourselves (i.e. sin).
We're in the flesh folks, it's hard to understand God's will and the things that is spiritual while in the flesh.
Philippians 2:6
Who, being in very nature[ 2:6 Or in the form of] God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
(Whole Chapter: Philippians 2 In context: Philippians 2:5-7)
God is a hard dude to understand and it's natural for man to question God and His motives. We don't understand it, but we should trust in Him just as Job trusted God regardless of what happened to Him. He never once raised his fist against the face of God and cried out, "Why????".
Now people are getting the wrong idea that hell is ruled by Satan, in fact Satan is never mentioned in scripture as the owner of hell. Satan fears hell and so does his followers (the fallen angels). They don't want to be near it.
Plus hell is a prison, it is not the same as the lake of fire. That's 2 seperate places.
2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[ 2:4 Greek Tartarus] putting them into gloomy dungeons[ 2:4 Some manuscripts into chains of darkness] to be held for judgment;
(Whole Chapter: 2 Peter 2 In context: 2 Peter 2:3-5)
Hell is a jailhouse, just like if you killed someone, you're stuffed in the slammer awaiting trial.
Hell is also called Hades, contrary to the WT calling Hades "a grave", both Hell and Hades are the same thing.... after judgement day when all is let out of jail to stand before God on judgement day to be judge accordenly to what each individual has done (and you can bet the men of the GB as well as C.T. Russell will be there), when all is done and the jailhouse is empty, God will then proceed to...
Revelation 20:14
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
(Whole Chapter: Revelation 20 In context: Revelation 20:13-15)
It's over. There will be no need of a jailhouse ever again.
Yizuman
