Hellfire and Armageddon, both symbolic?

[Witness]

Wt 02/7/15 – “Could it be that the fire of hell is symbolic of all-consuming, or thorough, destruction? Separating fire from Hades, or hell, the Scriptures say: “Death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire.” “The lake” mentioned here is symbolic, since death and hell (Hades) that are thrown into it cannot literally be burned. “This [lake of fire] means the second death” —death from which there is no hope of coming back to life. —Revelation 20:14.

Wt. 08/11/1 pp. 8,9  THOSE who teach that hell is a place of torment promote a gross misrepresentation of Jehovah God and his qualities. Granted, the Bible does say that God will destroy the wicked. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9) But righteous anger is not God’s dominant quality.

(Actually, the "destroyer" is Satan  Isa 33:1; 1 Cor 10:9,10; Heb 11:28)     

God is not malicious or vindictive. He even asks: “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” (Ezekiel 18:23, King James Version) If God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, how could he for all eternity delight in watching these ones being tormented? 

What about Armageddon?  The Wt. continually depicts great slaughter, convincing JWs that it will be a time of torment with mutilated bodies everywhere.  Anthony Morris willingly gives his colorful interpretation of the carnage resulting from the war’s aftermath.

YET, did you catch this, JWs?

 wp17 No. 6 p. 16 wp17 No. 6 p. 16   Armageddon is the symbolic place of “the war of the great day of God the Almighty,” his war against the wicked. —Revelation 16:14, 16.

If hell is symbolic with no literal “fire”, should the Watchtower show such glaring pictorial atrocities of Armageddon, or stick with the little-known fact that they present you above?  Who is playing games with your mind? 

 

"At the root of this battle of Armageddon, is the struggle to win over the hearts of men, and what it is that they put their faith in and worship. Each side of this battle, has it's own overlord and King. It is what proceeds from the mouth of each of these King of kings, that fuels this decisive battle.
(Matt.4:8,9; 1John5:19; Rev.9:11) (Rev.19:16; 5:10; 1:5)

From the mouth of Satan (and those belonging to his "woman" -Rev.17:5), comes deception, spiritual darkness, false doctrines, and death (Rev.16:13,14; 12:17,15). From the mouth of Christ (and those belonging to his "woman" -Gal.4:26; Rev.22:17), comes insight, spiritual light, truth, and life (Rev.1:15 B; John4:14; Rev.1:16 B; Rev.19:13,21,15 A; Heb.4:12).

According to scripture, Armageddon is a battle between truth and lies, and the sources (fathers) and messengers ("angels"/"seed"), of each side (John8:44,45; 1:9,14; Eph.5:9; 6:12; 1Pet.2:9; 1Thess.5:5; 2Cor.11:13,14,15) (Rev.12:17; 2Cor.10:4,5; John18:37; Mark1:38; Rev12:7; Gen.3:15).

Nowhere in the Bible, is the interpretation of Armageddon described as a literal execution, instigated by God and carried out by the political governments of Satan's world by material warfare, as so many have assumed.
The Bible simply describes it as a battle that results from "demon inspired sayings" coming from the mouth of Satan and his messengers, and the resulting backlash of truth by means of Christ and his messengers. (Rev.16:13,14,16; 13:11,4,6; 2Thess.2:4,9,10)(Rev.2:12,16; Rev.17:14; 19:11,15,14,19,20,21; Gal.5:17; Rom.8:5,6,7,8,13).

Pearl Doxsey 4womaninthewilderness