Well first bredren you have to understand the history of this devil character. The devil is not some red guy with horns, or someone who runs a fiery pit of suffering and torture. The concept of a devil cam e about in the 500 BC time period and comes from the religion known as Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism was the first religion recorded to give evil a personification, they called him Angra Mainyu. The Semitic culture, later on to be Israel, developed most of their concepts from this Sumerian/Persian culture. In the Semitic version of this charachter he becomes known as the deciever and the fahter of lies. Most Rastafari will tell you that the Pope is the Devil, and while I believe that he is the antichrist, there is more to it. In the book of revelation it talks about a serpent that talked to adam and eve and offered them the knowledge of good and evil. Well from even before the times of moses, in egypt there were schools that were started called the Egyptian Mystery Schools. They were the worlds first universities and they taught initiates their "secret, Arcane" knowledge that was delviered to them form the gods. Well if you and I were to look at these writings we would know that they are wrong because in todays world we can prove otherwise. But these people lacked intelligent response. The world was knew to them and they based all of their beliefs purely off emotion. But anyway, this school is also the beginning of what is called The Brotherhood of The Serpent, and like I mentioned earlier, they promised knowledge to people who become intiated into their rituals, which were kept secret or you would be killed. Well this same group is what the bible is reffering to. There is a lot of info on the Brotherhood (Big Brother), I encourage you to look them up. www.theforbiddenknowledge.com
But this devil, satan thing is a world wide effort my friend, the Freemasons, Illuminati and so forth have their hands deep into things that they shouldn't have control of.
On the subject of hell:
"A word which appears to have come from the Old English hel meaning 'concealed' (and, some suggest, 'dark hole'). Hell as a place of everlasting torment appears to have been an invention of the early Christians, perhaps a misunderstanding of the esoteric ABYSS which figures in Qabalistic texts and in the ancient mystery wisdom. The near equivalent to Hell in classical times was HADES, which was more of a post-mortem shadow land (where there was no torment, though gnashing of teeth) than the place of torture visualized in the modern European concept of Hell. The Hebraic Sheol has been translated in biblical texts as meaning Hell, but this translation is inaccurate."- Dictionary of Demonology
"The pyramid texts composed by the priests of Heliopolis for the tombs of the V Dynasty c.2400 BC show [were first historical record of an idea of heaven and hell] This invention of the hell/heaven sanction by the Egyptians has been of the highest significance in subsequent moral control, and in Egypt, as with most other societies, its function was to support the monarchy"
"A History of Sin" by Oliver Thomson, Hardback Edition, Canongate Press, 1993, page 66
""Sheol" is a Hebrew word used for the abode of the dead. It is thought of as a place situated below the ground (e.g. Ezek. 31:15), a place of darkness, silence and forgetfulness (Job 10:21; Ps. 94:17, 88:12). Although the dead in sheol are apparently cut off from God (Ps. 88:3-5), he is not absent (Ps. 139:8), and is able to deliver souls from sheol (Ps. 16:10). It is sometimes translated as "hell"; however, it is not seen as a place of eternal punishment, and its use in the New Testament (e.g. Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:27) suggests a meaning relating simply to the power of death."
"Bible Facts", Heaven and Hell in the Bible, by Jenny Roberts
The traditional concept of Hell does NOT come from the inspired Hebrew or Greek manuscripts. It is a pagan myth adopted as Christian doctrine in the third century by church fathers. Yet, then as now, innocent people are taught the traditional concept of Hell by trusted authority figures. That trust deters questions, so for hundreds of years the myth has perpetuated. The KJV and other translations have also perpetuated the myth by less than the most accurate translation of the word Hell. The word Hell occurs in a total of fifty-three verses in the KJV; Thirty-one times in the Old Testament, and twenty-two times in the New. FOUR separate words from Hebrew and Greek were translated into the ONE English word Hell. In English Hell refers to a conceal place, a hole in the ground as for storing potatoes, etc., covered with soil during winter. TWO words, one Hebrew and one Greek, mean the SAME THING. Fire is NOT associated with FORTY-TWO occurrences of these words.
One Greek word for Hell occurs just once. Fire is NOT associated with the occurrence, neither are HUMANS.
I hope this gets you started bredren.
Blessed Love
Haile Selassie I Jah Rastafari Live
Ras Zion I
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