What The Bible Says About Hell

Published October 18, 2011

What The Bible Says About Hell

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” [Hebrews 10:31]

hell eternal damnation afterlife hades death grave engraving

Introduction:

Hell is a place that few people want to talk about nowadays. Many want to believe that it does not exist. However, it must exist if God is who He says He is: a God of judgment and wrath who hates sin and who must punish it with a fury that is equal to His holiness. God does indeed have the last word:

“for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” [Romans 12:19]. God does punish sin, ultimately, severely, and eternally: “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” [2 Thess 1:7-9].

Even though people may believe in a place called hell, most of them don’t think they will go there. They are deluded – self-deceived. They compare themselves with everyone else and think to themselves “I’m not so bad. Look at him or look are her. That other person is far worse than me. If anyone deserves to go to hell it is that person.” The truth is, God sees everyone, not just murderers, as hell-deserving sinners. In fact, God sees everyone as wicked as a murderer:

Mt 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

Pr 30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

Ge 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Since this is how God sees the entire human race, everyone on earth would end up in hell if God did not take the initiative to save some, a remnant of the human race:

Isa 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Mt 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Basic questions people have about hell:

To develop a better understanding of why people need salvation so we can explain to them their need of a Savior, it is helpful to know what the Bible says about Hell. Some basic questions people wonder about Hell:

Is it real?
Why does it exist?
What is it like?
Who will be there?
Would a loving God send anyone to Hell?
What about other life-after-death theories?
Is Hell the same as Hades?
Is it right to tell people they’re headed for Hell?

Various names for Hell in the Bible:

the pit or bottomless pit
the lake of fire
outer darkness
Sheol – Hebrew word meaning the world of the dead as if a subterranean retreat, including its accessories and inmates (referring to the grave, Hell, or the pit; used in the Old Testament)
Hades – Greek word for the place or state of departed souls (referring to the grave or Hell; used in Revelation, Luke 16 & other parts of the NT).
Gehenna – Greek word for a valley of Jerus used as a name for the place or state of everlasting punishment (referring to Hell; used in NT, but not Revelation)
Tartaros – Greek word for the deepest abyss of Hades (used in 2 Pet 2:4 only)

The King James bible uses the word Hell in place of all 4 of the Greek and Hebrew words.

1. Is Hell real?

According to many verses in the Bible, Hell is a literal place just as Heaven is a literal place. The saved (redeemed by Christ’s death) end up in Heaven and the lost (those who die in their sins) end up in Hell. The story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar in Luke 16:19-31 is a parable describing a place of conscious suffering after death. Some people think the story in Luke 16 is a true story (not a parable) since it includes a person’s name – namely, Lazarus. However, that idea must agree with the rest of the Bible. And the Bible talks about the unsaved dead being asleep in the grave. See the article “The State Of The Unsaved Dead for more information on this particular issue.

Many Bible verses mention Hell. One of the most significant is Luke 12:4-5…

“I say unto you my friend, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forwarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed, hath power to cast into Hell [Gehenna]; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.”

These verses in Luke 12 point out that:

Hell comes after death
It is more to be feared than death
Man cannot put you there; only God can.
Hell and the grave are not the same.
The annihilation theory is inconsistent with these verses

Places in the Bible where Hell is mentioned: Deut 32:22, Matt 11:20-23, Matt 13:38-43, Mark 9:43-47, Mark 16:16, John 3:18, Rev 20:13-14.

QUESTION: What is the annihilation theory (also known as annilationism)?

2. Why does Hell exist?

The Bible says Hell was created for the devil and his demons in Matthew 25:41 but this verse is actually referring to the servant of a king, not a demon, who was told “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Hell exists because God is a holy and just God who must punish sin. Because any sin is a horrendous offense to someone as holy as God, the punishment for sin is extremely severe.

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

In fact if we refuse God’s gift of salvation (Christ’s death in our place) or try to add something to Christ’s finished work, such as our own efforts of some kind, it will indeed take us all eternity in Hell to pay for our sins ourselves. The Bible says that our own efforts to earn salvation in Heaven are like filthy rags to God (in Isaiah 64:6), especially when God considers that HE HIMSELF HAS COMPLETELY PAID FOR OUR SINS ALREADY. That’s why the Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9 that “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast”.

If we want to understand just how much God hates sin, all we need to do is look at the cross of Christ where God’s wrath was poured out on His only begotten son Jesus Christ. To pay for your sins and mine, Christ left his throne in Heaven and came into this world to be mocked, spit upon, beaten to a pulp, and nailed to a wooden pole until he died. God forsook his own son at that dark hour when Christ became sin for you and I (2 Cor 5:21), at which point Jesus cried out “my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me” (Matt 27:46). He cried out those words because his fellowship with the Father was cut off while he was enduring Hell for you and I. “there was darkness over the land unto the ninth hour” (Matt 27:45), “What communion hath light with darkness” (2 Cor 6:14).

The Bible’s descriptions of Hell and of Christ’s sufferings to keep us out of Hell paint a vivid picture of how much God hates sin and how serious He is about punishing sinners who do not repent. Through God’s plan of salvation, we have one and only one way of escape from Hell (as Christ proclaimed in John 14:6) and that is to admit our sinful condition to God and our total inability to save ourselves (Romans 3:23) through our own inadequate self-righteousness and good deeds, and to throw ourselves at the mercy of God who by His grace will save “all who call upon the name of the Lord” (Romans 10:13).

Bible verses that give reasons why Hell exists: Ps 2:11-12, Ps 55:15, Prov 15:24, Isa 53:5-6, Romans 3:23.

QUESTION: Do you think God has an obligation to judge sinners if He is truly holy and just?

3. What is Hell like?

Hell is such a terrifying place that it is not really possible to adequately describe in words. Christ described it as best as words would allow in terms such as these:

a place of outer darkness (Matthew 22:13)
a place of torment (Matthew 25:30)
a place of unquenchable fire – i.e. where fire never goes out (Mark 9:44)
a place of unending agony (Luke 16:23)
a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Revelation 20:10)

In other words, Hell is a place of total despair and unending suffering, a place so awful that no one would ever choose to go there if they could see what it is like for even 1 minute and yet thousands die every hour whose final destiny is Hell. They go there for one reason and one reason only:

Their sins…

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

QUESTION: How would you describe what Hell will be like, in your own words?

4. Who will be there?

Countless millions of people will be in Hell including “the great and the small” (Rev 20:12). In fact, most people who ever lived will be there. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 that “wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Among the millions will be those who were “unbelieving, the abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars” (Rev 21:8) along with “fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners” (I Cor 6:9-10).

Hell will also be full of priests, popes, pastors, rabbis, gurus and millions of other very “religious” people who thought that they were doing God a favor by their religious careers, not realizing that their self-righteousness was of no value in the salvation of their souls. These are among those people referred to in Matthew 7:22 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Most of the people in Hell will probably be those we consider just ordinary ‘good’ people who thought they could earn their way to Heaven or “participate” in their salvation though their good deeds, not realizing that “there is none good but one, that is, God” (Matt 19:17) and so only He could pay for their sins.

QUESTION: Who do you think will be in Hell?

5. Would a loving God send anyone to Hell?

Outside of the cross of Christ, there is nothing else that God could have done that would have shown us the depth of His love for us, mere creatures He created out of the dust of the earth. John 15:13 says “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” so we have no right to say that God does not love us just because He is not going to allow everyone into Heaven regardless of their spiritual condition. What kind of love ignores evil and allows wrong-doers to go unpunished? Since most people are in favor of justice being done, the question for man becomes, whose standard of evil (or whose definition of what sin is), do we use, God’s, or each individual who violates God’s standards? The problem man has with God’s standard is that he doesn’t like it, since he can’t meet God’s standard of perfection and he would rather believe that God doesn’t have any standards or any standards that man has to worry about, so he can do what he wants to do with impunity, and then charge God with being unfair for expecting man to know the standards and to live up to them. Man is without excuse since God has made His standards clear in the Bible and He has provided a way for man to be perfect in God’s eyes (through Christ’s work on man’s behalf)… “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). God has also provided man with a way of having power over sin, through the gift of the Holy Spirit given to all whom God saves… “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1).

The Bible clearly teaches that God is not only a God of love but also of judgment and wrath…

Deut 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire
Psa 5:5-6 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Psa 7:11 God is angry with the wicked every day.
Psa 11:5-6 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
Pr 11:21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
Jer 9:23-24 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
Luke 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Ro 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance , saith the Lord.
Rev 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

The rebellion of Adam in the Garden of Eden did not surprise God. God knows all things and so He knew that Adam would sin by disobeying God’s command to not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So why would God create a creature who would sin, requiring God to redeem mankind through the cross of Calvary? The Bible makes it clear why. So that God would glorify Himself through His salvation program and so that He would have a people for Himself, to share His glory with for all eternity…

John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

QUESTION: Do you think God has the right to decide who should be allowed into His holy heaven?

6. What about other theories pertaining to life after death?

This is a partial list pertaining to Christian beliefs and those of Christian-like cults. The theories of all the other religions are too voluminous for this study.

complete annihilation of body AND soul after death
temporary punishment after death
second chance after death to be saved
places other than Heaven or Hell
where do infants and ‘innocent’ children go?

A. Complete annihilation of body and soul after death

This is a belief held by Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses among others. Christ did not come to save sinners from annihilation (the ending of existence of the soul at death). He came to save them “from the wrath to come” (Luke 3:7). That is why Paul exclaimed in Hebrews 2:3 “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?”. The annihilation theory obviously diminishes the need for salvation. “For the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28-29. “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2. A note to the skeptics: the Hebrew word for everlasting is the same in both instances in Daniel 12:2. Likewise, the same Greek word for everlasting appears in the New Testament in Matthew 18:8 where everlasting fire is mentioned and in John 3:16 where everlasting life is mentioned.

Where do people get their ideas about the annihilation theory from?

There are quite a few Bible verses that can lead people to believe that there is no life after death, especially for the wicked. Here is one of those verses:

Psalms 31:17 Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

What this and similar verses are saying is not that the souls of the wicked (the unsaved) are annihilated but rather that they are in a state of soul sleep waiting to be raised up on Judgment Day to be then cast into hell. See the article “The State Of The Unsaved Dead” for more information on this subject.

B. Temporary punishment after death

The Bible makes no mention of any place of temporary punishment of sin (such as purgatory). If we could pay for sins ourselves either before OR after death, or if anyone else could in any way contribute to our salvation, by their prayers on our behalf, etc., then Christ died in vain… we would in effect, be saying that He was an inadequate Savior (ie. his death was insufficient payment for our sins) and that God needs our help to get us into Heaven. But on the contrary, He is able to save us to the uttermost (without any help from us) as stated in Hebrews 7:25. The Catholic church relies primarily of 2 Maccabees 12:39-45 and a misinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 3:15 and other verses to defend their doctrine on purgatory. The verses in 2 Maccabees do not specifically mention Purgatory or even a place where the dead dwell and 1 Cor 3:15 is referring to people who have very little fruit to show for their salvation, not some imaginary place called Purgatory.

C. Second chance after death to be saved

If there was the possibility of a second chance to get into Heaven after death, then why would the Bible say:

Heb 9:27 It is appointed unto man, once to die, and then the judgement

2Cor 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Jer 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

There was no second chance for the rich man in torment in Luke 16 and there will be not second chance for anyone else, including YOU.

D. Places other than Heaven or Hell

What the Mormons believe: Mormons have 3 totally unscriptural places you can go to after death, which Joseph Sm ith somehow derived from 2 Corinthians 12:2 and who knows where else.

Celestial Kingdom – where Mormons go (it has 3 levels within itself)
Terrestrial Kingdom – where good non-Mormons go
Telestial Kingdom – where bad people go

What the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: Only 144,000 people (JW’s) will end up in Heaven where they will have spiritual bodies. The rest of the JW’s will dwell on the earth in physical bodies. Non-JW’s who God feels are deserving of a second chance, will have a second chance at eternal life in the millennium, if they live perfect lives during that time. All others and the non-JW’s who don’t live perfect lives during the millennium, will be annihilated. Since all this depends of the effort of man and not the grace of God it is obviously non-scriptural, and there for totally false.

E. Where do infants and ‘innocent’ children go?

There are several schools of thought on this issue. One place they don’t go, is “Limbo” for there is no such place mentioned in the Bible. Some Christians believe that those who die before some age of accountability (that only God is aware of), will go to be with the Lord in Heaven. Others believe that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” so that while infants who died will be judged with ‘few stripes’, they cannot bypass the cross to get to Heaven, so they therefore must spend eternity apart from God. Also, the Bible says we must be born-again to enter Heaven (John 3:3) and how can an infant be born-again since they must realize they are sinners in need of a Savior… the Bible clearly states that it takes 2 births to get to Heaven. The widespread belief that infants and children go to Heaven comes from man’s definition of what he thinks is fair and does not take into consideration God’s holiness and man’s hopeless fallen condition if it were not for our blessed Savior and Lord. Grace is and always will be GOD’s unmerited FAVOR, not MAN’s idea of FAIRNESS. The scripture Matthew 19:14 is taken out of context when people use it to justify the belief that infants go to Heaven. No scripture including this one can ever be used to justify a doctrine (such as the doctrine of salvation) if it contradicts other scriptures (such as John 3:3, 3:7, Romans 10:9-13, Lev 17:11, Heb 9:22) regarding the same doctrine. God is not a god of confusion. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

How can the King let anyone into the wedding without the wedding clothes of the righteousness of Christ? He said he will not allow any others in, in the parable of Matthew 22. Also, do we believe Romans 7:18 or don’t we? “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing”. Did this statement only apply to Paul? And what about Romans 9:21 “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” If we agree with Paul, we must conclude that an unredeemed infant can’t get into Heaven any more than an unredeemed heathen who has never heard the gospel. This should give you an awesome awareness and reverence of God’s grace towards YOU.

Lets take a quick look at what Matthew 19:14 means:

“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of Heaven.” This is an analogy of what Heaven will be like, not a doctrine about salvation. Matthew 8:3-4 clarifies this: “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” In Heaven we will be like we were as children, unpolluted from a lifetime of sin and unafraid to love God wholeheartedly because perfect love casts out fear and fear has to do with punishment (I John 4:18) and in Heaven sin will be gone and along with it, any fear of punishment or chastisement.

QUESTION: What causes other theories about Hell to come about?

7. Is it right to tell people they’re headed for Hell?

Some saved Christians say they were never headed for Hell but that they deserved Hell. They then conclude from this belief that Christians can’t tell people that they are headed for Hell. So if some people aren’t headed for Hell, only those who are predestined to die lost, why share the Gospel with anyone? To be accurate, God’s plan of salvation requires messengers (Christians) whom He uses to invite people into His eternal kingdom. God has other messengers as well (the Angel who came to Mary in Luke 1:28, the Old Testament prophets, Jesus himself during his earthly ministry and after His ascension, on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:4, the written Word of God as with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:27. If we were to tell people to please come into God’s kingdom without telling them of the consequences of rejecting the invitation, then we have not given them the whole story. Even though God knows who will accept the invitations, He knows we don’t know but he still wants to use us to get out his invitations. All people who reject God’s invitation WILL go to Hell. If we invite an individual into God’s kingdom and they do not accept the invitation before they die, they WILL spend eternity apart from God. The only way for a person to know if he personally is not going to Hell is to accept Christ as his Savior. Since no one knows when he will die, the time for salvation is now, today, to be sure of one going to Heaven. In conclusion, to be accurate, we can say that all who reject Christ, will indeed go to Hell, but not all the people we witness to, obviously.

QUESTION: How would you explain to someone their need for Christ as their Savior?

8. Was Jesus in Hell?

If Jesus experienced the full wrath of God, then he didn’t just die a horrible death but he also experienced Hell, since we know that the wrath of God for lost sinners will consist of experiencing Hell for all eternity and this is the wrath that Jesus saves us from.

Mt 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”
Eph 4:9 “Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?”

The cost of sin

It would be nothing less than a mockery to the cross of Christ if God were to let sin go unpunished after death just as much as it would be foolish to expect a bank to say to a family that a mortgage did not have to be paid just because the mortgagee (their relative) died. In both cases, a debt is owed and SOMEONE MUST PAY THE DEBT. Because of how HOLY God is and how much he hates sin, a terrible price has to be paid for our sins. If we attempt to pay for them ourselves (through good deeds, penance or any human effort whatsover on our part or by someone on our behalf), it will take all eternity in Hell to pay for them. Jesus already paid completely for ALL the sins of those He came to save when the WRATH OF GOD was poured out ON HIM at Calvary. When we recognize the TREMENDOUS COST TO GOD for sin, it is not so hard to see our need for a Savior, someone to rescue us from our DESERVED punishment in Hell.

Christ, a ransom for many – a Divine scapegoat

Imagine how relieved Isaac must have been when he realized that God had provided a substitute for himself for his father Abraham to sacrifice on the alter (Genesis chapter 22). The Lord Jesus was not as fortunate as Isaac, but this was all part of God’s plan. Jesus was a scapegoat for the elect of God. He was killed IN THEIR PLACE so they could know that God is completely satisfied with the finished WORK of Christ ON THEIR BEHALF. The redeemed can be relieved like Isaac, when God shows them their desperate spiritual condition and THEN enables them to respond to God’s love gift (His Son’s death) by receiving Christ as their all-sufficient Saviour from eternal damnation in Hell. Just as when Abraham said: “God WILL PROVIDE HIMSELF a lamb for a burnt offering” in Genesis 22:8, God also provided the Lamb needed to atone for the sins of His people knowing that they were incapable of providing the required atonement for our sins by themselves other than to spend eternity in Hell. We owe God a tremendous debt for our sins, a debt that we could NEVER repay. But “thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

QUESTION: What is one of the most important things you can do for someone who does not know Christ?

9. What is the appropriate Christian response?

As Christians who have been saved by God’s grace, we need to take this knowledge of Hell and apply it to our lives according to verses such as these:

Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil -(making the most of every opportunity to share the Gospel in love and to live lives pleasing to God)
Luke 14:23 compel them (the lost) to come in, that my house (God’s house – Heaven) may be filled
Acts 19:8 persuading (the lost regarding) the things concerning the kingdom of God.
1 Pet 3:15 Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear
2 Cor 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

QUESTION: How would you apply these verses to your life?

10. Questions for further study:

Is Hell the same as Hades, Gehenna or Sheol?
Is Hades the temporary dwelling place (like a temporary hell) for lost souls between death and resurrection? Is this what is being referred to in Luke 16?
Are those who died in a ‘lost’ spiritual condition, now in Hell prior to Judgment Day and if not, where are they? the grave (i.e. Hades)?

11. Some Bible references to the word “hell”:

De 32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
Ps 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Ps 55:15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
Ps 86:13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
Pr 7:27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
Pr 15:11 Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
Pr 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Pr 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Isa 5:14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Eze 32:27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Mt 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Mr 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mr 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mr 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Lu 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
Lu 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Lu 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Re 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Re 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Re 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

12. Some Bible references to “the Lake of Fire”:

Re 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Re 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Re 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

13. Some Bible references to “damned” & “damnation”:

Mr 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Mt 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mt 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Mr 12:40 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Ro 3:8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
Ro 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
1 Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

14. Bible references to “eternal damnation”:

Mark 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

Mark 3:29 But <1161> he <3739> that <302> shall blaspheme <987> (5661) against <1519> the Holy <40> Ghost <4151> hath <2192> (5719) never <3756> <1519> <165> forgiveness <859>, but <235> is <2076> (5748) in danger <1777> of eternal <166> damnation <2920>:

ETERNAL: <166> aionios {ahee-o’-nee-os} from 165; TDNT – 1:208,31; adj

AV – eternal 42, everlasting 25, the world began + 5550 2, since the world began + 5550 1, for ever 1; 71

1) without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be

2) without beginning

3) without end, never to cease, everlasting

For Synonyms see entry 5801

DAMNATION: <2920> krisis {kree’-sis} perhaps
a primitive word; TDNT – 3:941,469; n f

AV – judgment 41, damnation 3, accusation 2, condemnation 2; 48

1) a separating, sundering, separation

     1a) a trial, contest

2) selection

3) judgment

     3a) opinion or decision given concerning anything

          3a1) esp. concerning justice and injustice, right or wrong

     3b) sentence of condemnation, damnatory judgment, condemnation and punishment

4) the college of judges (a tribunal of seven men in the several cities of Palestine; as distinguished from the Sanhedrin, which had its seat at Jerusalem)

5) right, justice

15. Bible references to “eternal judgment”:

Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine <1322> of baptisms <909>, and <5037> of laying on <1936> of hands <5495>, and <5037> of resurrection <386> of the dead <3498>, and <2532> of eternal <166> judgment <2917>.

JUDGMENT: <2917> krima {kree’-mah} from 2919; TDNT – 3:942,469; n n

AV – judgment 13, damnation 7, condemnation 5, be condemned 1, go to law + 2192 1, avenge + 2919 1; 28

1) a decree, judgments

2) judgment

     2a) condemnation of wrong, the decision (whether severe or mild) which one passes on the faults of others

     2b) in a forensic sense

          2b1) the sentence of a judge

          2b2) the punishment with which one is sentenced

          2b3) condemnatory sentence, penal judgment, sentence

3) a matter to be judicially decided, a lawsuit, a case in court

Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Jude 1:7 Even as <5613> Sodom <4670> and <2532> Gomorrha <1116>, and <2532> the cities <4172> about <4012> them <846> in like <3664> <5125> manner <5158>, giving themselves over to fornication <1608> (5660), and <2532> going <565> (5631) after <3694> strange <2087> flesh <4561>, are set forth for <4295> (5736) an example <1164>, suffering <5254> (5723) the vengeance <1349> of eternal <166> fire <4442>.

16. Bible references to “everlasting burnings”:

Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

17. Bible references to “everlasting fire”:

Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Matthew 25:41 Then <5119> shall he say <2046> (5692) also <2532> unto them on <1537> the left hand <2176>, Depart <4198> (5737) from <575> me <1700>, ye cursed <2672> (5772), into <1519> everlasting <166> fire <4442>, prepared <2090> (5772) for the devil <1228> and <2532> his <846> angels <32>:

FIRE: <4442> pur {poor}

a root word; TDNT – 6:928,975; n n

AV – fire 73, fiery 1; 74

1) fire

18. Bible references to “unquenchable fire”:

Matthew 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Mark 9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Luke 3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

Matthew 3:12 Whose <3739> fan <4425> is in <1722> his <846> hand <5495>, and <2532> he will throughly purge <1245> (5692) his <846> floor <257>, and <2532> gather <4863> (5692) his <846> wheat <4621> into <1519> the garner <596>; but <1161> he will burn up <2618> (5692) the chaff <892> with unquenchable <762> fire <4442>.

Mark 9:45 And <2532> if <1437> thy <4675> foot <4228> offend <4624> (5725) thee <4571>, cut <609> <0> it <846> off <609> (5657): it is <2076> (5748) better <2570> for thee <4671> to enter <1525> (5629) halt <5560> into <1519> life <2222>, than <2228> having <2192> (5723) two <1417> feet <4228> to be cast <906> (5683) into <1519> hell <1067>, into <1519> the fire <4442> that never shall be quenched <762>:

Mark 9:46 Where <3699> their <846> worm <4663> dieth <5053> (5719) not <3756>, and <2532> the fire <4442> is <4570> <0> not <3756> quenched <4570> (5743).

Mark 9:47 And <2532> if <1437> thine <4675> eye <3788> offend <4624> (5725) thee <4571>, pluck <1544> <0> it <846> out <1544> (5628): it is <2076> (5748) better <2570> for thee <4671> to enter <1525> (5629) into <1519> the kingdom <932> of God <2316> with one eye <3442>, than <2228> having <2192> (5723) two <1417> eyes <3788> to be cast <906> (5683) into <1519> hell <1067> fire <4442>:

Mark 9:48 Where <3699> their <846> worm <4663> dieth <5053> (5719) not <3756>, and <2532> the fire <4442> is <4570> <0> not <3756> quenched <4570> (5743).

Luke 3:17 Whose <3739> fan <4425> is in <1722> his <846> hand <5495>, and <2532> he will throughly purge <1245> (5692) his <846> floor <257>, and <2532> will gather <4863> (5692) the wheat <4621> into <1519> his <846> garner <596>; but <1161> the chaff <892> he will burn <2618> (5692) with fire <4442> unquenchable <762>.

NOT: 3756 ou {oo} also (before a vowel) ouk {ook} and (before an aspirate) ouch {ookh}

a primary word, the absolute negative [cf 3361] adverb;; particle

AV – not 1210, no 147, cannot + 1410 57, misc 123; 1537

1) no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer

UNQUENCHABLE: <762> asbestos {as’-bes-tos}

from 1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of 4570;; adj

AV – unquenchable 2, never shall be quenched 2; 4

1) unquenched, unquenchable

1a) of eternal hell fire to punish the damned

>QUENCHED: <4570> sbennumi {sben’-noo-mee}

a prolonged form of an apparently primary verb; TDNT – 7:165,1009; v

AV – quench 7, go out 1; 8
1) to extinguish, quench

     1a) of fire or things on fire

          1a1) to be quenched, to go out

     1b) metaph. to quench, to suppress, stifle

          1b1) of divine influence

19. Bible references to “outer darkness”:

Mt 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mt 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mt 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

20. Bible references to “consuming fire”:

De 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming <0398> fire, even a jealous God.
De 9:3 Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming <0398> fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.

CONSUMING: 0398 ‘akal {aw-kal’} a primitive root; TWOT – 85; v

AV – eat 604, devour 111, consume 32, misc 55; 810

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

     1a) (Qal) – 1a1) to eat (human subject), 1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds),         1a3) to devour, consume (of fire), 1a4) to devour, slay (of sword), 1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects – ie, pestilence, drought), 1a6) to devour (of oppression)

     1b) (Niphal) – 1b1) to be eaten (by men), 1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire),           1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

     1c) (Pual) – 1c1) to cause to eat, feed with , 1c2) to cause to devour

     1d) (Hiphil) – 1d1) to feed, 1d2) to cause to eat

     1e) (Piel) – 1e1) consume

Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming <2654> fire.

FIRE: 2654 katanalisko {kat-an-al-is’-ko} from 2596 and 355;; v

AV – consume 1; 1
1) to consume

1a) of fire

21. Bible references to the “wrath of God”:

Ps 78:31 The wrath God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Ro 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Re 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Re 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Re 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Re 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

22. The Thought Of Hell Offends People:

Hell will not go away just because we don’t like the thought of it. Many things Jesus said offended people:

“Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:60-61).

Does HELL offend YOU? It offends people who want a god who fits into their idea of fairness… a god who does not take sin very seriously.

It can’t be said that if hell exists then God is unloving because God has said:

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

It can’t be said that the unsaved are annihilated because otherwise God would not have said:

“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:4-5).

It can’t be said that a God of love would never send anyone to hell for eternity because God has said:

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15).

People are pleasing satan, not God when they preach that man does not deserve to go to hell. That’s probably exactly what satan thinks about his own coming judgment for his rebellion against God!

Preaching that the wicked are annihilated (cease to exist after death) is a tremendous insult to the Lord Jesus Christ.

No one needs a saviour if they are only annihilated. A saviour is only needed if we need to be saved from something, namely, the eternal punishment for our sins. If you think that hell is too severe a punishment then you just don’t realize what it cost God at Calvary to be the saviour of the world nor do you realize how much He hates sin and can allow absolutely no one into His presence unless their sins have been separated from them as far as the east is from the west (Psa 103:12). Jesus Christ is the only one who can cleanse us from all sin – by his precious blood (1 John 1:7).

How can you escape the damnation of Hell?

Repent of your sins and cry out to God for mercy while you still have time to flee the wrath to come:

Ezek 14:6 Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Luke 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Jer 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Matt 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Matt 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

DEFINITIONS

[from Easton’s Revised Bible Dictionary]

Sheol – Hebrew word meaning the world of the dead as if a subterranean retreat, including its accessories and inmates (referring to the grave, Hell, or the pit; used in the Old Testament)

SHEOL: <07585> sh@’owl {sheh-ole’} or sh@ol {sheh-ole’}

from 07592; TWOT – 2303c; n f

AV – grave 31, hell 31, pit 3; 65

1) sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit

     1a) the underworld

     1b) Sheol – the OT designation for the abode of the dead

          1b1) place of no return

          1b2) without praise of God

          1b3) wicked sent there for punishment

          1b4) righteous not abandoned to it

          1b5) of the place of exile (fig)

          1b6) of extreme degradation in sin

Found 65 times in the Old Testament

Hades – Greek word for the place or state of departed souls (referring to the grave or Hell; used in Revelation, Luke 16 & other parts of the NT).

HADES: <86> hades {hah’-dace}

from 1 (as negative particle) and 1492; TDNT – 1:146,22; n pr loc

AV – hell 10, grave 1; 11

1) name Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions

2) Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead

3) later use of this word: the grave, death, hell

In Biblical Greek it is associated with Orcus, the infernal regions, a dark and dismal place in the very depths of the earth, the common receptacle of disembodied spirits. Usually Hades is just the abode of the wicked, Lu. 16:23, Rev. 20:13,14; a very uncomfortable place. TDNT.

Found in: Matthew 11:23, 16:18, Luke 10:15, 16:23, Acts 2:27, 2:31, 1 Corinthians 15:55, Revelation 1:18, 6:8, 20:13, 20:14

Gehenna – Greek word for a valley of Jerus used as a name for the place or state of everlasting punishment (referring to Hell; used in NT, but not Revelation)

GEHENNA: <1067> geenna {gheh’-en-nah}

of Hebrew origin 01516 and 02011; TDNT – 1:657,113; n f

AV – hell 9, hell fire + 3588 + 4442 3; 12

1) Hell is the place of the future punishment call “Gehenna” or “Gehenna of fire”. This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction.

Found in: Matthew 5:30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33, Mark 9:43, 9:45, 9:47, Luke 12:5, James 3:6,

Tartaros – Greek word for the deepest abyss of Hades (used in 2 Pet 2:4 only)

TARTAROS: <5020> tartaroo {tar-tar-o’-o}

from Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hell);; v
AV – cast down to hell 1; 1

1) the name of the subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds; it answers to Gehenna of the Jews

2) to thrust down to Tartarus, to hold captive in Tartarus

Found in: 2 Peter 2:4

Hell – Derived from the Saxon helan, to cover; hence the covered or the invisible place. In Scripture there are three words so rendered:

1. Sheol, occurring in the Old Testament sixty-five times. This word sheol is derived from a root-word meaning “to ask, ” “demand; ” hence insatiableness #Pr 30:15,16 It is rendered “grave” thirty-one times #Ge 37:35 42:38 44:29,31 1Sa 2:6 etc. The Revisers have retained this rendering in the historical books with the original word in the margin, while in the poetical books they have reversed this rule. In thirty-one cases in the Authorized Version this word is rendered “hell, ” the place of disembodied spirits. The inhabitants of sheol are “the congregation of the dead” #Pr 21:16 It is:

a. the abode of the wicked #Nu 16:33 Job 24:19 Ps 9:17 31:17 etc.;

b. of the good #Ps 16:10 30:3 49:15 86:13 etc.

Sheol is described as:

a. deep #Job 11:8
b. dark #Job 10:21,22
c. with bars #Job 17:16
d. The dead “go down” to it #Nu 16:30,33 Eze 31:15,16,17

2. The Greek word hades of the New Testament has the same scope of signification as sheol of the Old Testament. It is a prison #1Pe 3:19 with gates and bars and locks #Mt 16:18 Re 1:18 and it is downward #Mt 11:23 Lu 10:15 The righteous and the wicked are separated. The blessed dead are in that part of hades called paradise #Lu 23:43 They are also said to be in Abraham’s bosom #Lu 16:22.

3. Gehenna, in most of its occurrences in the Greek New Testament, designates the place of the lost #Mt 23:33 The fearful nature of their condition there is described in various figurative expressions #Mt 8:12 13:42 22:13 25:30 Lu 16:24 etc.

[from Easton’s Revised Bible Dictionary]

Hinnom – A deep, narrow ravine separating Mount Zion from the so-called “Hill of Evil Counsel.”

Hinnom took its name from “some ancient hero, the son of Hinnom.” It is first mentioned in #Jos 15:8 It had been the place where the idolatrous Jews burned their children alive to Moloch and Baal. A particular part of the valley was called Tophet, or the “fire-stove, ” where the children were burned. After the Exile, in order to show their abhorrence of the locality, the Jews made this valley the receptacle of the offal of the city, for the destruction of which a fire was, as is supposed, kept constantly burning there. The Jews associated with this valley these two ideas,

that of the sufferings of the victims that had there been sacrificed; and

that of filth and corruption.

It became thus to the popular mind a symbol of the abode of the wicked hereafter. It came to signify hell as the place of the wicked. “It might be shown by infinite examples that the Jews expressed hell, or the place of the damned, by this word. The word Gehenna [the Greek contraction of Hinnom] was never used in the time of Christ in any other sense than to denote the place of future punishment.” About this fact there can be no question. In this sense the word is used eleven times in our Lord’s discourses #Mt 23:33 Lu 12:5 Mt 5:22 &c.