Hell is a place where people who choose to do evil and refuse to follow God will be punished after death.
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Definition and Description
The Bible uses different images to describe hell, which is the place where people go after death if they reject God. These images include:
A burning furnace with fire that never goes out (Matthew 13:42, 50; 25:41, 46)
A place of complete darkness where people weep in pain (8:12)
A lake of fire called "the second death" (Revelation 21:8)
A place made for the devil and demons ("evil angels," Matthew 25:41)
Those in hell are completely cut off from God forever. They will never experience God's presence or see his power (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Those who worshiped the beast will face endless suffering (Revelation 14:10–11).
The Bible uses several phrases to show that hell lasts forever. Here are some examples:
“Burn … with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12)
“To the unquenchable fire … where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:43, 48)
There is sin that “will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come” (Matthew 12:32)
The Bible describes hell as a serious and final judgment for those who reject God. It shows that the punishment is lasting and cannot be undone. Many of the strongest words about hell come from Jesus, who warns about its reality and importance.
The Bible teaches that hell means losing all that is good and experiencing the misery and suffering of a guilty conscience. The worst part is being completely separated from God and from everything pure, holy, and beautiful. Those in hell are also aware that they are under God’s anger and facing the consequences of their own sins, which they chose to commit.
The Bible describes hell using physical images like:
Worms that eat
Whips that hurt
Fire that burns
But hell is more than just these physical things. The worst parts of hell are:
Being completely cut off from God forever
Being unable to have good relationships with others
Fighting with yourself inside because of guilt and shame
People in hell suffer in three ways:
They are separated from God
They cannot get along with others
They feel terrible about themselves
Even if these descriptions use symbols (like worms, whips, and fire) to help us understand hell, the real experience is even worse than these symbols show. Nothing could be worse than being separated from God forever while feeling constant guilt about the wrong things we did.
Hell is total conflict. It is a conflict with God, one’s neighbors, and oneself. If the descriptions of hell are symbolic, the state they represent is more intense and real than the figures of speech in which they are described.
The Bible consistently teaches that God punishes sin. This teaching appears throughout the entire Bible, from beginning to end.
The Bible repeatedly teaches about punishment for sin. The idea of judgment is found throughout the entire Bible. Some examples of these teachings are Genesis 2:17; 3:17–19; 4:13; Leviticus 26:27–33; Psalm 149:7; Isaiah 3:11; Ezekiel 14:10; Amos 1:2–2:16; Zechariah 14:19; Matthew 25:41, 46; Luke 16:23–24; Romans 2:5–12; Galatians 6:7–8; Hebrews 10:29–31; and Revelation 20:11–15.
Biblical Terms
The Hebrew word "Sheol" in the Old Testament is mainly used for “the grave, the pit, the place of the dead” (Genesis 37:35; Job 7:9; 14:13; 17:13–16; Psalms 6:5; 16:10; 55:15; Proverbs 9:18; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Isaiah 14:11; 38:10–12, 18). In the Old Testament, it is not always clear if there is a difference between where the good and evil people go after death. Both the good and the bad go to the grave, a place below ground filled with darkness, decay, and forgetfulness, far from God (Job 10:20–22; Psalms 88:3–6).
Yet, it is also a place where God can still be reached (Job 26:6; Psalms 138:8; Amos 9:2). Sheol is often described as silent (Psalms 94:17; 115:17) and restful (Job 3:17). Some texts suggest that there may be some awareness, hope, and even communication in Sheol (Job 14:13–15; 19:25–27; Psalms 16:10; 49:15; Isaiah 14:9–10; Ezekiel 32:21). A few verses seem to hint at the possibility of judgment after death (Psalms 9:17; 55:15). Overall, Sheol was seen as a place of fear and uncertainty (Deuteronomy 32:22; Isaiah 38:18).
Between the time when the Old Testament was completed and when the New Testament began, Jewish writers started to explain more clearly what happens after death. These writers began to teach that good and bad people would go to different places after they died. They described separate areas within Sheol. There was one place for people who followed God and another for those who did not.
The Old Testament shows that Jewish people believed life continued somehow after death. However, they did not fully understand what this life after death would be like.
The Greek word “hades” in the New Testament is used very similarly to “Sheol” in the Old Testament. Translators of the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament) used "hades" for "Sheol." Most of the time when the New Testament uses "hades," it simply means the place where dead people go.
But in one story Jesus told, "hades" clearly means a place where evil people are punished (Luke 16:23). In all other instances, hades is simply the place of the dead.
The Greek word “Gehenna” is used in several New Testament texts to express the fiery place for the punishment of sinners and is often translated as “hell” or “the fires of hell” (Matthew 5:22, 29–30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; James 3:6). When the Bible uses this word, it often talks about the final judgment and punishment that lasts forever.
The word "Gehenna" comes from a real place, a valley outside the city of Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom. This valley was the center of idol worship in which children were burned by fire as an offering to the god Molech (2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6).
Later, during King Josiah's time, the valley became a terrible place filled with bones of the dead and trash (2 Kings 23:10–14). The city of Jerusalem used it as a garbage dump. Fires burned there all the time to destroy the waste. Because of these always-burning fires, people began to use this valley as a symbol of hell, a place where people who reject God would suffer forever. The prophets used this valley as a warning about how God would punish people who worshiped false gods and did not obey him (Jeremiah 7:31–34; 32:35).
Another Greek word used for hell or “the lower regions” is “Tartarus” (2 Peter 2:4). The apostle Peter uses this word when he writes about evil angels who were thrown into a dark prison. They will stay there until God judges them.
As mentioned earlier, there are also clear and strong phrases in the Bible that clearly teach about hell, as explained at the beginning of this article. The biblical teaching on hell is determined more by these strong phrases than by the more uncertain terms "Sheol" and "Hades," which are used more often but are less clear.
The Justice of Eternal Punishment
It is difficult to understand how God can hate evil but still love people who do evil things. God loves these people so much that he sent his only Son to save them from their sins. God's anger is the necessary reaction of a holy God who hates all that goes against his righteous nature.
When humans reject God's grace and refuse any chance at peace with God, God must leave the sinner to his or her chosen destination. Punishment for sin is then the only response to holiness. Sin is the opposite of holiness.
Hell must continue as long as the sinful condition requiring it continues. There is no suggestion anywhere in Scripture that lost sinners in hell can repent and believe. If a person did not turn away from sin and receive Christ as Savior in this life, it is not reasonable to think they will in the next life. Punishment cannot come to an end until guilt and sin come to an end. When the sinner rejects the work of the Holy Spirit, he or she is convicted of sin. No more possibility of repentance or salvation exists. This person has committed an eternal sin (Mark 3:29; Revelation 22:11). An eternal sin deserves eternal punishment.
People in hell cannot change their minds about God. During their life, they chose again and again to go against God. Each time they did this, it became harder to turn back to him. Over time, their choices became permanent. Because they keep sinning forever, God must keep punishing them forever.
If someone asks, how can a loving God send people to eternal hell? One needs to say that God does not choose this destination for people. People choose it for themselves. God simply agrees with their choice and gives the full punishment for their evil choice. We must remember God is loving, holy, and righteous. Sin has brought evil consequences into the world, and God must bring justice.
God's punishment for those who choose hell is forever, but there are degrees of punishment equal to the degrees of guilt of each sinner. Only God can decide what those degrees are. He will assign the consequences with perfect justice for each sinner. The evidence for the levels of punishment is found in Scripture (Matthew 11:20–24; Luke 12:47–48; Revelation 20:12–13; compare Ezekiel 16:48–61). These verses compare the different levels of punishment that are involved in the different situations.
From all that has been said, it should be clear that some ideas, though popular or convincing, are not widely supported by traditional interpretations of the Bible. These include universalism, annihilationism, and second probation.
Universalism is the belief that God will eventually save everyone.
Annihilationism teaches that hell is not a place of suffering but a place of complete destruction.
Second probation is the idea that people can be rescued from hell after death.
We must remember the Bible is our guide for understanding Christian teaching about hell. While this teaching can be difficult to understand, the Bible is clear in describing hell as a place of eternal separation and punishment. Rejection or neglect of this doctrine may affect how the church approaches its mission.