Heaven and Hell
Matthew 11:23
23And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell (hades): for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Hell is the Greek word hades. Note how the words heaven and hell are used. Obviously, Capernaum was not in heaven. It signifies an exalted state. Capernaum was a mighty city when Yeshua walked the earth. However, Capernaum did not receive the testimony of Yeshua.
Today at the site where Capernaum once was, it is not burning in a fire. Basically nothing is there, at best one would find rubble. Capernaum was put in to a state of non-existence. It is in an unconscious state.
Heaven and hell are used in the Bible to symbolize exultation and unconsciousness. Parables are symbolic stories. One cannot explain them literally without running into trouble with the literal meaning of words.
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