Introduction

“The immortality of the soul is something of such vital importance to us, affecting us so deeply, that one must have lost all feeling not to care about knowing the facts of the matter.” – Pascal, Pensees

Of all doctrines in the Bible, hell has historically been the most difficult to accept.  It is extremely disconcerting to know that a friend or family member will be consigned to such a place for all eternity.  In a world that gives second chances to rapists, child-molesters, robbers, and liars, it has become incompatible with our culture to believe that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment” ([v]Heb. 9:27[/v]).

Perhaps one reason people have bristled at the thought of hell in recent times is the vivid descriptions of hell offered up by poets and theologians in history, particularly those in the medieval and post-reformation period.  At times the descriptions seem like ancient torture chambers, with elaborate portrayals of suffering.  Dante took the idea of levels of punishment in hell to dramatic extremes.  In his circles of hell, each circle got progressively worse.  In one of the deepest circles, the heretics (notably Mohammed, founder of Islam) walked a loop and continually had their flesh ripped from their bodies:

As one I mark’d, torn from the chin throughout
Down to the hinder passage: ‘twixt the legs
Dangling his entrails hung, the midriff lay
Open to view, and wretched ventricle,
That turns the englutted aliment to dross.
Whilst eagerly I fix on him my gaze,
He eyed me, with his hands laid his breast bare,
And cried, “Now mark how I do rip me: lo!
How is Mohammed mangled: before me
Walks Ali weeping, from the chin his face
Cleft to the forelock; and the others all,
Whom here thous seest, while they lived, did sow
Scandal and schism, and therefore thus are rent.
A fiend is here behind, who with his sword
Hacks us thus cruelly, slivering again
Each of this ream, when we have compast round
The dismal way; for first our gashes close
Ere we repass before him.¹

Jonathan Edwards is unfortunately most recognizable to people today as a “fire and brimstone” preacher in colonial America.  He and several other prominent theologians are well known for their graphic depictions of hell.  In Edwards best-known sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” he comments, “The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation don’t slumber, the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them, the flames do now rage and glow.  The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened her mouth under them.”²  Similarly, Charles Spurgeon describes the torments of hell to his congregation, “Thine heart beating high with fever, thy pulse rattling at an enormous rate in agony, thy limbs cracking like the martyrs in the fire and yet unburnt, thyself put in a vessel of hot oil, pained yet coming out undestroyed, all thy veins becoming a road for the hot feet of pain to travel on, every nerve a string on which the devil shall ever play his diabolical tune.”³  Although the intent of Spurgeon and Edwards was evangelistic, and won many converts, in this day and age men rebel at the thought of an eternal hell.  Indeed, today the common reaction is exactly the opposite of what godly men such as Spurgeon and Edwards intended; men either twist the scriptures to support universalism or annihilationism, or they reject the Word of God altogether.

In order to form a complete view of hell that is morally and theologically correct, several different studies prove necessary.  First, we must examine human nature: what about human nature makes it necessary for each person to have an eternal destiny?  Secondly, this paper examines crucial soteriological truths that demand an eternal punishment: why doesn’t God just save everyone?  Thirdly, we will explore central philosophical considerations: how can common objections to hell be answered?  After establishing the existence of hell, we will investigate the future occupants of hell: who all will be eternally consigned to this dreadful place?  Fifthly, it proves crucial to consider the original language of hell: what words were used in ancient Greek and Hebrew to describe the abode of the wicked?  And finally, we will conclude with an in depth discussion of the nature of hell according to the Bible: what the does biblical record say concerning the duration and type of punishment in hell?  As the direct, reliable revelation of God, each question concerning eternal destiny must be answered relying ultimately on the Bible as the final authority.  Finally, I echo the sentiments of C.S. Lewis, “I am not going to try to prove the doctrine tolerable.  Let us make no mistake; it is not tolerable.  But I think the doctrine can be shown to be moral.”⁴

Human Nature

The biblical view of a spirit-body dualism requires that each person have an eternal destiny, for the spirit (or soul) of a man continues to exist even after the death of the body. This anthropological assertion stands in direct contrast to secular naturalism that reduces the soul and human person equivalent to the psychological affect of biochemical functions. In this atheistic view, the human person obviously could not exist beyond the death of the body. However, Thomistic dualism (from Thomas Aquinas) proposes that the “soul is an immaterial substance different from the body to which it is related.”⁵  One must not confuse this belief with the dualistic Gnostic doctrine of the body being evil and unnecessary.  For, “while the soul is in the body, the body-soul complex is a deeply integrated unity with a vastly complicated, intricate array of mutual functional dependence and causal connection. [Yet Thomistic dualism] allows for the possibility that the soul may exist independent of the body…”⁶ If it is true that the soul may be disembodied, then the possibility exists that the human soul is in some sense immortal, continuing on after physical death. The human spirit cannot be intrinsically eternal, for God alone is essentially and necessarily immortal ([v]1 Tim. 6:16[/v]).  Paul alone speaks about future immortality extensively ([v]Rom. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:53-54; 2 Tim. 1:10[/v]). From the biblical record it must be concluded that after the soul comes into existence, it is sustained by God forever ([v]Acts 17:28; Col. 1:16-17[/v]), even through disembodiment and consignment to heaven or hell.⁷

Thomistic dualism also stands in contradistinction to the theistic extinction/re-creation position, which involves the view that soul and body are inseparable (monism).  In this theory, the soul dies upon bodily death as well and is later recreated at the resurrection by God. The biblical data clearly proves this view false.  In the Old Testament, the soul or spirit appears to be something added to the lifeless body in order to form the whole person ([v]Gen. 2:7; Ezek. 37[/v]), and the resurrection involves the same soul returning to its body ([v]Gen. 35:18; Ps. 30:3; 49:15; 146:4; Isaiah 26:14, 19[/v]).⁸  The New Testament provides a much more explicit emphasis on the dualistic nature of humanity.  Concerning Jesus’ death, Peter wrote that He was “made alive in the spirit,” though not yet in body, and spoke to the spirits of those who lived during Noah’s day ([v]1 Peter 1:18-20[/v]). At the moment of Christ’s death, He gave up His spirit, leaving the body behind ([v]Matt. 27:50; Luke 23:46[/v]).  Jesus did not simply cease to breathe, for He committed Himself into God’s hands, indicating that His spirit was departing from His body to be with the Father.  Not until three days later did Christ receive his glorified body and become the firstborn of the resurrection ([v]Col. 1:15[/v]), to again become and forever remain a dualistic body-soul being.  Next, [v]Hebrews 12:23[/v] speaks of the “spirits of the righteous made perfect,” and [v]Revelation 6:9-11[/v] tells of the martyrs crying for vengeance, referred to as “souls.”  These souls await their final resurrection, the reuniting of their souls and their bodies ([v]Rev. 20:4-5[/v]).  Finally, examining the letters written by Paul adds significant weight to the idea of Thomistic dualism.  Paul distinguishes between the earthly body and heavenly resurrection body in [v]2 Corinthians 5:1-10[/v], and refers to being “absent from the body and at home with the Lord.”  The disembodied state is seen as “nakedness,” or being found “unclothed.”  A parallel passage is found in [v]Philippians 1:21-24[/v], when Paul speaks of the necessity to “remain on in the flesh,” in contrast to his spirit departing to be with Christ.  Finally, Paul explicitly states the possibility of one’s spirit departing the body in [v]2 Corinthians 12:1-4[/v].  Paul is describing a vision that he had of the third heaven, the abode of God, and is unsure whether or not he left his body, indicating the soul’s ability to exist independently, even before death!⁹  The biblical data, while not focused on proving a form of dualism per se, is nonetheless extremely clear in its view of human nature; namely, that while the soul and body are intricately and eternally related, the soul can exist in a disembodied state.  This truth is vitally important in understanding the eternality of the future punishment of the wicked, because if the soul continues to exist beyond physical death, those who do not put their faith in Christ must be consigned to a place other than heaven for all eternity.

The Necessity of Hell

Granted that the existence of an eternal destiny is philosophically possible and biblically established, the justice of God above all demands that in fact a hell must exist. Human wickedness must have consequences if God is to be truly good and just. However, we see empirically that not all punishment is temporal. The wicked of this world often prosper and live the “good life” for their entire duration on earth.  This is not unlike what David spoke of as he wrote in the [v reference="Ps. 73:1-4"]73^rd Psalm[/v] of the “prosperity of the wicked,” (v. 3) who have “no pains in their death” (v. 4).  Job referred to this delay in judgment throughout the entire chapter of [v]Job 21[/v].  He questions in verse 7 and 9,“Why do the wicked still live, continue on, and also become very powerful?  Their houses are safe from fear, and the rod of God is not on them.”  The answer unfolds in [v]Job 21:30[/v], “For the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity; they will be led forth at the day of fury.”  Later in Revelation, those who have been martyred at the hands of the wicked continually cry out to the Lord “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” ([v]Rev. 6:10[/v]).  Justice is an absolutely essential universal law for the peace and order of creation. There is great chaos, violence and evil in a world governed by anarchy. To our great good, God promises righteous vengeance and just repayment for sins ([v]2 Thes. 1:6, Heb. 10:30[/v]).  Thus, since many sins go seemingly unpunished here on earth, there must be some type of punishment that occurs after death and satisfies the need for the justice so intrinsic to our existence.¹⁰ 

One must hold to the proper interpretation of the atonement to understand the full cost of our sin and the necessity of judgment.  Although Christ died for the sins of the whole world ([v]1 John 2:2[/v]), His death could not have completely satisfied the justice of God in all respects.  If God was completely satisfied in all respects, then all men must necessarily be saved, for no wrath would remain to be appeased.  Rather, “the intent of the atonement is to completely satisfy the justice of God in a limited and specific sense.  The atonement has freed God to unconditionally accept those who believe.”¹¹  What exactly does this mean for man?  If Christ has died to appease the wrath and justice of God, why do men still go to hell?  Without a redeemer, all men would be condemned to hell, but God in His undeserved grace immediately revealed a plan to send a blessed redeemer only moments after the fall of man ([v]Gen. 3:15[/v]). Fortunately, by the sacrifice of Christ that took the punishment for the world’s sin, God is able to accept the man who puts faith in His Son. After a person takes hold of this gift by faith, the benefits of the atonement are then extended to protect that person from hell.¹² Thus, God is both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” ([v]Rom. 3:26[/v]). The work to appease God’s justice has already been accomplished; men must only choose to accept that atonement as a covering for their sins. However, for those who choose to deny the atonement and trample under foot the Son of God, there awaits a terrifying expectation of deserved judgment ([v]Heb. 10:27[/v]).  This judgment results in just condemnation to hell, for the unbeliever is guilty of rejecting the only sacrifice capable of covering their sins.

God’s love and human dignity together further demand that a hell exist.  The atonement is not automatically extended to all men universally in order to preserve the dignity of human personhood and freedom. It is commonly understood that “love cannot act coercively, only persuasively…God does not force himself upon us against our will.”¹³  A man may love a woman and wish to marry her, but they cannot be married if she does not accept.  For him to force his love onto her against her will is rape.  Likewise, God will not force His love on us, because “the Irresistible and the Indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of his scheme forbids him to use.  Merely to override a human will…would be for Him useless.  He cannot ravish. He can only woo.”¹⁴  It is useless for Him to override our free will because in His passionate love, He desires for us to love Him freely in return ([v]1 John 4:19[/v]).  God has actively demonstrated “His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” ([v]Rom. 5:8[/v]), doing all that He can to woo us while respecting our own choice.  God’s love is always actively demonstrated in Scripture: by Christ’s earthly ministry ([v]Mark 10:21; John 11:5-6, 13:34, 15:9[/v]), His death on the cross ([v]John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 5:2; 1 John 3:16, 4:10[/v]), through the lives of the saints ([v]Matt. 5:44; Eph. 5:25; 1 John 4:12[/v]), through the gift of the Holy Spirit ([v]Rom. 5:5[/v]), in election ([v]Deut. 7:7; Eph. 1:4-5[/v]), in the discipline of the saints ([v]Heb. 12:6; Rev. 3:19[/v]), and by freely and joyfully receiving those who put their faith in Him ([v]Ps. 104:8-13; Isaiah 63:9; Hos. 14:4; Zeph. 3:17; John 1:12, 16:27; Eph. 2:4; 1 John 4:9[/v]).  God sent Christ to be the propitiation for our sins ([v]Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2, 4:10[/v]), not only for the elect, but for those of the whole world.  The entire world has borne witness to the supreme love of God in the sacrifice of Jesus, granting all men the opportunity to gain salvation ([v]2 Pet. 3:9[/v]).  However, the gift of free choice allows us to receive salvation, but it also allows us to reject.  C.S. Lewis put it succinctly:  “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’”¹⁵  The people of Israel had rejected their Messiah, much as people today reject the free offer of salvation from hell ([v]Mark 8:31; 1 Peter 2:4[/v]).  If God’s love were coercive, then Jesus would not have lamented over the Jews during His earthly ministry: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” ([v]Matt. 23:37[/v]).  Since God’s love is not forced upon us but offered, then, necessarily, there exists a consequence, a chosen alternative, for those who would turn their backs on this supreme example of love.  God stands ready to forgive and receive all who believe His love, “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You” ([v]Ps. 86:5[/v]). However, because God gives us the freedom to choose the blessings of His love, a place outside that love must exist for those who do not chose it. That place is hell.

Finally, if there is not a hell, then there is no final victory over evil.  The answer to the martyr’s cry for justice would not be heeded.  The Hitler’s and Stalin’s of the world, devious murderers of millions would go unpunished.  Blatant rejection and willful rebellion against God by atheists like Bertrand Russell and Friedrich Nietzsche would be ignored.  If these men are not somehow held accountable for their actions, evil would have triumphed over good, and God could not be truly sovereign.  Sinners, Satan and humans alike, would have done wrong, acted however they pleased, and would have gotten away with it!  Evil acts like leaven ([v]Matt. 16:11-12; 1 Cor. 5:6-8[/v]), gradually spreading and infecting all those around it. Thus, all evil must be totally defeated, or there could not be a heaven.  Heaven is the complete absence of evil in the presence of God; yet without punishment, evil is allowed and positively condoned! If I kill my brother and there is no punishment, I am in essence given the O.K. on my actions. Me Genoito!

The Philosophy of Hell

Bertrand Russell objected to hell (and rejected Christ) on the basis that anyone who believes in an everlasting hell is inhumane:  “There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ’s moral character, and that is that He believed in hell.  I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment.”¹⁶  His conclusion to reject Christ’s moral character based solely on the belief in an everlasting hell is based on faulty reasoning.  Surely one is not considered inhumane for believing in the holocaust, so likewise one should not be labeled inhumane for a believing in hell.  Both are a terrible result of human depravity, but the question is one of fact, not of humanity.¹⁷

Recently, even some evangelical theologians have begun to adhere to the belief that hell is annihilation.  But annihilation is philosophically inconsistent with eternal punishment, not to mention biblically unfounded.  Annihilation demeans the love of God and more directly, human dignity.  Geisler explains:

It would be as if God said to them, “I will allow you to be free only if you do what I say.  If you don’t, then I will snuff out your very freedom and existence!”  This would be like a father telling his son he wanted him to be a doctor, but when the son chose instead to be a park ranger the father shot him.  Eternal suffering is eternal testimony to the freedom and dignity of humans, even unrepentant humans.¹⁸

God created man in his image and likeness ([v]Gen. 1:27[/v]), and the image of God is everlasting ([v]Ps. 90:2[/v]).  This of course does not mean that human souls have always existed, but that from the time of their creation they will henceforth exist forever.  Free choice is certainly an important part of the image God instilled in man, and it would be a moral evil to take it away.¹⁹  For God to annihilate the existence of His image bearers “is to attack Himself in effigy…But God does not act against God.”²⁰  In addition, the Scriptures, and even Jesus Himself, spoke of degrees of punishment in hell ([v]Matt. 5:22; Rev. 20:12-14[/v]).  There are no degrees of annihilation, for all nonexistence is equal.  Finally, annihilation is not eternal punishment, but release from eternal punishment.

Some object to hell on the basis that it is contradictory to God’s mercy.  The common sinful problem behind this feeling is pride.  We believe that we are more merciful than God, since we seem to have pity on those in hell while He apparently sits back and enjoys heaven.  The Bible has a clear answer to those who question the mercy of God: the cross.  We cannot even begin to fathom the totality of the sacrifice Christ made for us to leave His intimate communion with His father and undergo the most horrible of possible human experiences, all of His own free choice.  In the Garden of Gethsemane we see in drops of sweated blood from His brow the difficulty and suffering sacrifice so difficult it still remains “a stone’s throw” beyond our understanding ([v]Luke 22:41[/v]).  C.S. Lewis describes “a God so full of mercy that He becomes man and dies by torture to avert that final ruin.”²¹  This is the idea Paul is teaching in [v]Ephesians 2:4-9[/v], “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ…” The mercy of God is displayed in the free offer of salvation, and again upon our conversion ([v]1 Tim. 1:16; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; Jude 1:21[/v]).  God has mercifully paid the price to remove any external obstacle keeping us out of heaven.  The only obstacle to remain is ourselves.  God mercifully delays judgment year after year to give man the opportunity to avoid hell.  “But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” ([v]Ps. 86:15[/v]). Few, if any, of those who find themselves so much more merciful than God in their own eyes would die on a Roman cross for a man who murdered their son.

Another rejection of hell derives from the belief that a temporal sin is not worthy of eternal punishment.  In essence, hell is overkill.  However, since God can never tolerate sin, the punishment of separation must be eternal, for God is eternal.  Additionally, it is not the size nor duration of the sin, but the size and duration of the God who is offended.  Offense against the infinite God is deserving of infinite punishment.  The only alternatives are for God to either override man’s free will while still on earth, or else annihilate them, but both of these alternatives have previously been shown to be unreasonable.  Finally, Dr. Geisler comments:

If Christ’s temporal punishment is sufficient for our sins eternally, then there is no reason why eternal suffering cannot be appropriate for our temporal sins.  It is not the duration of the action but the object that is important.  Christ satisfied the eternal God by his temporal suffering, and unbelievers have offended the eternal God by their temporal sins.  Hence, Christ’s temporal suffering for sins satisfies God eternally ([v]1 John 2:1[/v]), and our temporal sins offend God eternally.²²

Treason offers a simple example of the importance the offended person in determining punishment.  When a little girl on a playground talks badly about her friend, her friend may not speak to her for a week.  Difficult circumstances in her mind, but overall quite insignificant when looking at her whole life.  Another example occurred in the 1919 World Series.  Members of the Chicago White Sox deliberately lost a game in order to be paid off by gamblers.  These men had betrayed their teammates and the institution of baseball, and thus were banned for life from ever playing the game again.  Finally, take the example of treason against the United States.  John Walker Lindh recently fought with the Taliban in Afghanistan against his own country.  He now faces the death penalty for his treasonous actions.  Though all three people offended an institution central to their lives, the gradation of punishment rose with the gradation of the one offended. Thus, we can see how it is morally consistent for an infinitely important and holy God to demand eternal retribution for treason against Him.

Finally, many object to hell on the basis that they couldn’t be happy knowing that a loved one is in hell.  This objection derives from a variety of emotional causes.  Usually a close friend or family member who was not a Christian has died, or the thought of them dying is unbearable.  However, this thought should be unbearable while we are still on earth!  It provides a strong impetus and motivation to pray for them and witness to them.  Several scriptures may provide some comfort to these emotions.  First, God does not desire for them to be apart from Him either, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” ([v]2 Pet. 3:9[/v]).  Secondly, there will be no more sorrow, mourning or tears in heaven, “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” ([v]Rev. 21:4[/v]).  Finally, we are not expected to take pleasure in their destiny, for the neither does the Lord, “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?” ([v]Ezek. 18:23[/v]). We see through a mirror darkly now and cannot emotionally fully understand and feel the justice of hell. We were not made to, at this point in time, so that we would be more greatly driven to witness. However, the Lord promises that we cannot even begin to imagine the glory to be revealed to us. God will make clear the justice and glory of His plan and in that day “He will wipe away every tear…”

The Occupants of Hell

The antichrist and the false prophet will be the first occupants of hell.  Upon Christ’s return to the earth at the conclusion of the seven-year tribulation, these two men will be cast into the lake of fire ([v]Rev. 19:20[/v]).  The men who had knowingly allied themselves with Satan will precede him to eternal ruin.

Satan and his demons were intended to be the only occupants of hell.  Indeed, hell was initially prepared for “the devil and his angels” according to [v]Matthew 25:41[/v]. One can see from this that God did not pre-determine for men to sin. It was their free and tragic choice. Satan will be the third being cast into the eternal lake of fire, after his final deception of the nations at the end of the millennium ([v]Rev. 20:10[/v]).  We may infer that the demons are cast in with him or shortly thereafter.

The unbelievers of all generations and all nations will be the final occupants of the lake of fire.  Christ describes the first judgment, which occurs at the conclusion of the tribulation period but before the millennial kingdom, at the conclusion of His Olivet discourse in Matthew 25.  The parable of the ten virgins ([v]Matt. 25:1-13[/v]) and the parable of the talents ([v]Matt. 25:14-30[/v]) describe this judgment on the resurrected nation of Israel ([v]Ezek. 20:37-38; Mal. 3:2-5[/v]).²³  Many will be shocked that their relation to Abraham and their works will not gain them entrance into the kingdom.  Those virgins who were unprepared for the bridegroom’s coming symbolize the unbelievers, while the watchful virgins are those who possessed the faith of Abraham.  In the second parable, the faithfulness of the servant indicates possession of faith in Christ, while the unfaithful servant will be cut off, and cast into the outer darkness.  The final parable of the sheep and goats in [v]Matthew 25:31-46[/v] describes the judgment on living Gentiles at the end of the tribulation ([v]Joel 3:1-2[/v]).²⁴  The sheep are allowed entrance in the eternal kingdom of Christ, while the unbelieving goats will be cast into hell.  These judgments are placed before the millennial kingdom for two reasons.  First, they will occur at Christ’s return to the earth ([v]Matt. 25:10, 19, 31[/v]).  If this occurred after the millennium, the dead would be resurrected to meet Christ, but here the opposite is seen, Christ returns to find them unprepared.  Certainly it will be no surprise to those who have already died that the Lord will come to judge them.  Secondly, the results for the righteous include entrance into Christ’s kingdom, of which the first aspect is His rule on earth during the millennium ([v]Matt. 25:34[/v]).  The final resurrection and judgment of unbelievers ([v]Dan. 12:2; Acts 24:15[/v]) will occur at the conclusion of the millennium ([v]Rev. 20:5[/v]).  The dead unbelievers are raised and given bodies with which to stand before the Great White Throne where Christ sits to judge them according to their works ([v]Rev. 20:12[/v]).  Those whose names are not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire ([v]Rev. 20:15[/v]).  Those who were judged beforehand on earth (Matt. 25) will either be judged again, or thrown into the lake of fire after these, for “death and Hades” will include anyone who could be left at the end of the Great White Throne.  Thus anyone, Jew or Gentile, whose name is not found written in the book of life, will be cast into the lake of fire.

The Language of Hell

Before the nature of hell can be examined, it is important to investigate the original language used to describe the afterlife, either the intermediate state or the final state.

Gehenna  – The word gehenna occurs twelve times in the New Testament ([v]Matt. 5:22, 29, 30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6[/v]), and is each time translated as “hell” in the NASB.  Gehenna refers to the formerly pleasant Valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem.  A small brook ran through the valley and partly surrounded the city.  The Israelites used this the valley in order to worship Moloch ([v]2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chr. 28:3[/v]).  The idol of Moloch was solid brass, with a head of a calf wearing a crown and its arms extended in embrace.  The Israelites heated the statue from the inside with fire, and sacrificed their children on its arms. Later, when the Israelites returned from captivity, they began throwing all the dead carcasses and trash from the city into this valley ([v]2 Kings 23:10[/v]).²⁵  Barnes comments on this dreadful place:

It became, therefore, extremely offensive; the sight was terrific; the air was polluted and pestilential; and to preserve it in any manner pure, it was necessary to keep fires continually burning there. The extreme loathsomeness of the place; the filth and putrefaction; the corruption of the atmosphere, and the lurid fires blazing by day and night, made it one of the most appalling and terrific objects with which a Jew was acquainted. It was called the gehenna of fire, and was the image which our Saviour often employed to denote the future punishment of the wicked.²⁶

Tartaroo – This word occurs only one time in the New Testament, [v]2 Peter 2:4[/v], and is translated as “hell” in the NASB.  According to Thayer’s Greek Definitions, tartaroo is “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.”  The usage of a Greek term would be consistent with the epistle’s likely destination, a church mixed with Jews and Gentiles.²⁷

Hades – The word Hades occurs ten times in the New Testament ([v]Matt. 11:23, 16:18; Luke 10:15, 16:23; Acts 2:27, 2:31; Rev. 1:18, 6:8, 20:13, 14[/v]).  Hades is the abode of the wicked in the intermediate state, that is the time from which they die until the judgment at the Great White Throne ([v]Rev. 20:11-15[/v]).

Sheol  - The word Sheol occurs 65 times in the Old Testament (Genesis (4), Numbers (2), Deuteronomy, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings (2), Job (9), The Psalms (15), Proverbs (9), Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah (10), Ezekiel (5), Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Habbakuk).  The KJV renders sheol as “hell” 31 times, “grave” 31 times, and “pit” 3 times.²⁸  Thus Sheol can refer either specifically to the abode of the wicked (cf. [v]Ps. 9:17, 55:15[/v]), or generally to the grave or death (cf. [v]Isaiah 38:10, Hosea 13:14[/v]).  It is even used of the belly of the fish in [v]Jonah 2:2[/v], or of a deep pit in [v]Numbers 16:30,33[/v]. Scholars generally have a difficult time deciding when to interpret as “hell,” which is why the newer translations either transliterate the word (NASB ’95, NRSV), or translate it as “grave,”  “death,” “depths,” “destruction” or “pit” (NIV).

The Nature of Hell According to the Bible

The most important source, and sole authority, on hell is the Bible.  “For those who believe in the genuineness of the biblical revelation and accept the inerrancy of Scripture, the problem is one of understanding what Scripture teaches.”²⁹ Conversely, “those who deny scriptural inerrancy naturally have no problem in supporting the idea that eternal punishment does not exist.”³⁰  In order to understand the nature of hell, the inerrant biblical descriptions must be heavily relied upon.  In the endeavor to understand such a difficult and ultimately transcendent topic, our Lord often chose to use stories, parables and word pictures to help our minds reach beyond what literal language cannot possibly describe accurately.  Just as heaven is beyond our present earthly comprehension, so too, its eternal counterpart extends beyond our present imaginings.  In this section, we will examine passages individually in context, rather than topically, in order to more fully draw out the subtle and often metaphorical truths taught in each.

[v]Isaiah 66:22-24[/v] This graphic picture of the eternal state of the unbeliever teaches us several things about their destiny.  When Isaiah states “For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind” (v. 24), he is using imagery from a battlefield where dead bodies were left unburied to be consumed by worms (maggots) or were burned.³¹ To have one’s body be left unburied or burned was a great disgrace to any ancient culture, as it is to this day.  Verse 22 presents the idea of eternity, where the new heavens and new earth represent the abode of the righteous and God forever.  With eternity in view, that the worm will not die and the fire will not be quenched indicates the unrighteous will also exist in this state forever.  The unbeliever’s body will never be extinguished by decay or fire in this hell, and they will forever be disgraced and loathsome to righteous.

[v]Daniel 12:2[/v] Daniel gives us further evidence as to the duration of the state of the wicked.  Daniel uses the same Hebrew word (olam) to describe the future of both the righteous and the unrighteous.  “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting (olam) life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting (olam) contempt.”  While the word olam does not always have to mean eternal ([v]Ex. 21:6[/v]), when used to describe God it always means eternal, everlasting, forever, etc.  Olam is used in [v]Ps. 90:2[/v] to refer to the infinite duration of God, “even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”  (See also [v]Ex. 3:15, Gen 21:33, 1 Kings 10:9, Ps. 104:31, 117:2, 119:142, 89:53, 135:13, Ex. 15:18, Isaiah 51:6,8, 40:8[/v].)³²  Just as in [v]Matthew 25:46[/v], when the same word is used to describe the alternate destinies of the believer and unbeliever, it is grossly inconsistent to give them two separate meanings.  If olam refers to the eternality of God’s future being and glory, and olam describes the length of time we will spend with God after the resurrection, then the unbeliever will therefore also be resurrected to an eternal state of disgrace and contempt.

[v]Matthew 12:32[/v]/[v]Mark 3:29[/v] Christ’s teaching on the unpardonable sin reveals to us that there will be no second chance for those who are consigned to eternal punishment.  The unpardonable sin is a final rejection of God’s offer of salvation.  God first reveals Himself to men generally, creation revealing the Father ([v]Rom. 1:20[/v]).  The person and works of Christ provides not only a secondary revelation of God, but also an explicit offer of salvation.  We receive a final offer of salvation by the Father through the work of the Holy Spirit ([v]Matt. 16:17[/v]), pricking at our conscience to show us our depravity.³³  A denial of total depravity seals one’s fate if it persists until death, for it involves the ultimate denial of a need for the Savior.  The original audience in [v]Matt. 12:32[/v], the Pharisees, had become so hard-hearted that they would not receive salvation through Christ.  This decision for them was sealed at their death; they would not be forgiven even “in the age to come” ([v]Matthew 12:32[/v]), for it is an “eternal sin” ([v]Mark 3:29[/v]).  This is consistent with [v]Hebrews 9:27[/v], “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”

[v]Matthew 18:6-9[/v]/[v]Mark 9:42-48[/v] The Israelites were clearly not a sea-going people, and to be “drowned in the depth of the sea” would be a terrible and fearful way to die.  Jesus was describing to them the horrors of God’s judgment using an analogy that hit some of their personal fears.  Following that analogy is Christ’s often misunderstood directions to dismember one’s body rather than enter hell.  This is merely a figurative method of directing them to flee sin in a drastic and dramatic way.³⁴  Christianity does not involve self-torture, mutilation, or asceticism.  Paul taught against this Gnostic heresy in [v]Colossians 2:23[/v], describing the “self-abasement and severe treatment of the body” as “self-made religion,” and “of no value against fleshly indulgence.”  Christ teaches us to turn from all earthly sin that would keep one from entering heaven and uses this figurative language to underscore the horrible torments of hell.  Further, Christ confirms to us in this passage that hell is “eternal,” and should be described as “fiery,” as opposed to the righteous entering “life.”

[v]Matthew 25:31-46[/v] This passage that concludes the Olivet Discourse has come to be one of the most important passages on hell in the Bible.  The king in this passage (Christ) separates the righteous and unrighteous Gentiles at the end of the seven-year tribulation.  At every point in this metaphor, the righteous and the unrighteous are diametrically opposed to one another.  According to their actions, the righteous fed and clothed the brethren of Christ and are placed on the right, while the unrighteous refused to give them a morsel to eat or a drop of water to quench their thirst and are placed on the left.  For their future abodes, the righteous entered the kingdom that had been prepared for them, and the unrighteous were forced to enter the eternal fire, which was never prepared for them.  And finally, according to their eternal destinies, the righteous would enjoy eternal life in the kingdom, while the unrighteous must endure eternal punishment.

The most important aspect of the passage is the apparent symmetry in v. 42 between “eternal punishment” and “eternal life” that necessitates the infinite duration of a sinner’s banishment to hell.  The church father Augustine comments:

Is it not folly to assume that eternal punishment signifies a fire lasting a long time, while believing that eternal life is life without end?  For Christ, in the very same passage, included both punishment and life in one and the same sentence when he said, “So those people will go into eternal punishment, while the righteous will go into eternal life” (Mt. 25:46).  If both are “eternal,” it follows necessarily that either both are to be taken as long-lasting but finite, or both as endless and perpetual.  The phrases “eternal punishment” and “eternal life” are parallel and it would be absurd to use them in one and the same sentence to mean: “Eternal life will be infinite, while eternal punishment will have an end.”  Hence, because the eternal life of the saints will be endless, the eternal punishment also, for those condemned to it, will assuredly have no end.³⁵

The Nature of Hell According to the Bible

[v]Matthew 26:24[/v] Here Jesus declared that it would have been better for Judas “not to have been born.”  Christ was using dramatic language to express the awfulness of hell, and did not mean that it literally would have been better for him not to exist.  Non-being can never be said to be better than being; it is a category mistake to compare them, for they have nothing in common.³⁶ A category mistake is defined as “the error of ascribing to something of one category a feature attributable only to another.”³⁷  An example would be “the chirping of that bird is bluer than the sky.”  The sound a bird makes and the color of the sky cannot be compared, for they have absolutely nothing in common.  Thus non-being simply cannot be compared favorably with existence.  Judas’ destiny of hell, no matter how dreadful, is a testimony to the free will of man and the justice and righteousness of God.  Jesus here merely employs strong and dramatic language to underscore the awfulness of hell, both for Judas and those who will follow him.

[v]Luke 16:19-31[/v] Christ described the opposite fates of two men in this story: the rich man, and the beggar Lazarus who used to beg scraps from his table.  At the conclusion of their lives, the rich man is consigned to torment in Hades, and Lazarus to paradise.  Some general truths may be gleaned from this story without reading too much into the text to make it a complete commentary on the intermediate state. First, the unrighteous experience conscious torment in Hades, exemplified by the rich man being “in agony in this flame” (v. 24).  Secondly, the righteous abide in a state of paradise with the Lord, for Lazarus is reclining with Abraham, the father of the justified.  Lastly, it is impossible for any person to pass across between Hades and paradise, and thus there was no second chance for the rich man or any who leave this life as an unbeliever.

[v]2 Thessalonians 1:9[/v] Paul states that the penalty for “those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (v. 8) will be “eternal destruction” (v. 9).  At first glance, this verse seems to teach that the wicked will be annihilated in hell.  However, Paul describes what the eternal destruction entails: being “away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”  To be away from the presence of the Lord implies real existence in another place.  God’s presence reaches to all heights and depths ([v]Ps. 139:7-10[/v]), and the wicked will consciously experience the wrath and indignation of God ([v]Dan. 12:2; Rom. 2:6-8[/v]), and the Lamb will be present ([v]Rev. 14:10[/v]).  This presence is not then his general omnipresence, but describes a complete lack of fellowship with Him.³⁸  The glory of His power will only be present to the saints in heaven in the holy city (Rev 21).  The same idea is present in Jesus’ words in [v]Matthew 10:28[/v], to “fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  In the parallel passage in [v]Luke 12:4-5[/v], Jesus says to “fear the One who…has authority to cast into hell.”  This destruction involves continuing existence in an eternal place. With a similar meaning, we might say we are “destroyed” if we go bankrupt or loose our house in a fire yet we go on existing in the state of having our lives “destroyed” or ruined. Certainly your life is ruined in hell, even though it is not snuffed out.  Thus, to destroy soul and body is to cast into the ruin of eternal hell.  The eternal destruction of the soul of the unbeliever is destruction “as to the great purposes of its being—its enjoyment, dignity, honor, holiness, happiness,”³⁹ which will never be realized.

[v]Jude 1:7[/v] Sodom and Gomorrah provide an example of God’s disdain for sin.  Although Abraham pleaded with God to spare the city if any righteous were found, only Lot was saved from the destruction ([v]Gen. 18-19[/v]).  Unrighteousness completely permeated the city, just as the world will be permeated with wickedness at the end of the age.  God destroyed the cities and all that was in it them with fire and brimstone, and thus neither will He spare any of the unrighteous from their eternal ruin.  The example of Sodom and Gomorrah was used several times as an object-lesson by the prophets in the Old Testament for God’s wrath being poured out on a sinful people:  [v]Deuteronomy 23:29; Isaiah 1:9, 13:19; Jer. 23:14, 49:18, 50:40; Amos 4:11; Zeph. 2:9[/v].⁴⁰  Peter confirms that this destruction was an example to the ungodly of all generations as to the punishment they could face: “He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter” ([v]2 Peter 2:6[/v]).  Just as none of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah have been spared from hell, neither shall any of the wicked of the subsequent ages be passed over in the judgment.

[v]Jude 1:13[/v] Here the destiny of ungodly men (cf. [v]Jude 1:15[/v]) is described as “black darkness…forever.”  This indicates a total absence of God’s glory and presence in hell.  John describes God as light: “That God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” ([v]1 John 1:5[/v]).  Thus those in hell will have absolutely no part with God.  Although God does not cease to be omnipresent, the benevolent love, His glory revealed in creation ([v]Rom. 1:20[/v]) and general merciful care ([v]Matt. 5:45[/v]) that He currently shows to the entire world will be completely cut off from hell.  Jude’s use of darkness to describe hell is reminiscent of Jesus’ use of the phrase “outer darkness” in [v]Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30[/v], where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

[v]Revelation 14:9-11[/v] Hell is a result of God’s wrath and anger finally being poured out.  Currently God is patient with those on earth ([v]2 Peter 3:7-8[/v]), here in this passage John is describing the time when His patience is finally exhausted.  Again hell is described as torment, with fire and brimstone causing unrest forever and ever.  One who has been annihilated does not experience unrest,⁴¹ and John Piper remarks on the duration that “there is no stronger Greek expression for eternity than this one (eis aionas aionon, forever and ever).”⁴² ([v]Matt. 5:22; Rev. 20:12-14[/v])

[v]Revelation 20:10-15[/v] This is the final judgment of the Lord, both on sin and on His created beings.  The beast and the false prophet have already been in hell for 1,000 years ([v]Rev. 19:20; 20:2[/v]), and now the devil joins them.  They and those who shortly follow them (v. 15) will be “tormented day and night forever and ever” (v. 10).  This verse unequivocally speaks of a conscious existence in hell, for without consciousness torment is not punishment.  However, hell is not an elaborate torture chamber that God has been developing with glee.  Geisler notes that “unlike torture which is inflicted from without against one’s will, torment in self-inflicted.  Even atheists [such as Sartre] have suggested that the door of hell is locked from the inside…Torment is living with the consequences of our own bad choices.”⁴³ God will next raise all of the dead with resurrection bodies, whether they died at sea or were buried in the earth.  The intermediate state becomes the final state as “death and Hades” are thrown into the lake of fire.  The first death involved the disembodiment of the soul, but because the resurrection body is indestructible, the second death does not involve an additional soul and body separation.  Rather, since eternal life is fellowship with God ([v]John 17:3[/v]), so the second eternal death must be everlasting separation from God.⁴⁴  Cain alluded to death being a loss of fellowship with God when he stated, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me” ([v]Gen 4:13-14[/v]). To be away from God once we have truly seen Him and known Him for who He is in all His glory, may indeed be the most tormenting destiny of all.

The Nature of Hell According to the Bible

The biblical data speaks loud and clear concerning the nature of hell and the eternality of suffering.  Albert Barnes comments on [v]2 Thes. 1:9[/v], “It never is in clearer language in any creed or confession of faith, and if it is not true that the wicked will be punished forever, then it must be admitted that it would not have been possible to reveal the doctrine in human language!”⁴⁵

Regarding the nature of the eternal fire, it must be in some sense real but not always physical.  The unbeliever will be given an imperishable resurrection body ([v]John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:13-15[/v]), so a literal fire as we know it would not do them physical harm.  [v]Matt. 25:41[/v] further confirms this idea by stating that the fire of hell was originally prepared for the devil and the fallen angels. This fire must be metaphorical, for a physical fire cannot harm a spirit being without a body.⁴⁶ Finally, the above figures of speech listed to describe hell could be misconstrued as contradictory if taken completely literally.  It is eternal fire, and yet dark; a second death, and yet eternal consciousness; a dump with a bottom, and yet a bottomless pit.  A metaphorical view of the fire would be consistent with Christ’s use of dramatic language to describe hell ([v]Matt. 18:6-9, 26:24; Mark 9:42-48[/v]).  However one chooses to interpret the descriptions of hell, it is important not to develop a soft view of the unbeliever’s destiny.  The nature of the fire in hell must be seen in the larger picture as a relatively minor issue once it is accepted that hell involves eternal, conscious torment away from the presence of God.

The scriptures above may be summarized to present the unified Biblical view of hell.  First and foremost, hell is eternal ([v]Isaiah 66:24; Matt. 18:8, 25:41, 25:46; 2 Thes. 1:9; Jude 1:7[/v]), everlasting ([v]Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46[/v]), and lasts forever and ever ([v]Jude 1:13; Rev. 14:11, 20:10[/v]).  There is no other way to state it; hell will never cease to exist.  Secondly, hell itself is described as a lake of fire ([v]Rev. 19:20, 20:10, 14, 15, 21:8[/v]), eternal fire ([v]Matt. 18:8, 25:41; Jude 1:7[/v]), unquenchable fire ([v]Mark 9:43[/v]), the second death ([v]Rev. 20:14[/v]), and darkness ([v]Matt. 8:12, 22:13, 25:30; Jude 1:13[/v]).  The wicked consigned to hell will never cease to exist and their body will never be consumed ([v]Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:43, 48[/v]); they must face eternal punishment ([v]Matt. 25:46[/v]), eternal destruction ([v]Matt. 10:28; 2 Thes. 1:9[/v]), and their torment will last forever and ever ([v]Rev. 14:11, 20:10[/v]).  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth ([v]Matt. 8:12, 22:13, 25:30[/v]), they will be weak ([v]Isaiah 14:9-10[/v]) and lack any interaction with those outside of hell ([v]Ecc. 9:4-6[/v]).  Upon the unbeliever’s death he will be an abhorrence ([v]Isaiah 66:24[/v]), shut out from the fellowship of God ([v]2 Thes. 1:9[/v]), experiencing God’s wrath ([v]Rom. 2:8; Heb. 10:27; Rev. 14:10[/v]), anger ([v]Rev. 14:10[/v]), indignation ([v]Rom. 2:8[/v]), retribution ([v]2 Thes. 1:8[/v]), vengeance ([v]Heb. 10:30[/v]), and judgment ([v]Matt. 25:31-46; Heb. 9:27, 10:27, 30; Rev. 20:11-15[/v]).  Hell will be dreadful and painful for all, but for some it will be worse than others ([v]Matt. 5:22; Rev. 20:12-14[/v]).  Finally, there will be no second chance for the unbeliever to change his destiny ([v]Matthew 12:32; Mark 3:29; Luke 16:26; Heb. 9:27[/v]).  All in all, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” ([v]Heb. 10:31[/v]).

Conclusion

To conclude, the doctrine of an eternal hell has been shown to be theologically, philosophically, and morally consistent.  The Old and New Testaments present a unified view of the final destiny of the unbeliever, one that makes it unnecessary to retreat to a belief in annihilationism or universalism.  The nature of humanity as expressed in Thomistic dualism is also accurate to the biblical account of hell, agreeing with the need for a final destiny for each individual.  Further, the nature of God and salvation make hell not only possible, but necessary.  Finally, the patience of God in delaying judgment on the unbeliever is an invitation for the Christian to evangelize and for the sinner to repent.  Indeed, “His patience stands between the offending creature and eternal misery a long time, that men might not foolishly throw away their souls.”⁴⁷  This doctrine of eternal hell must motivate God’s people to spread the message of salvation, and so help men decide not to throw away their souls.  For, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”  May our attitudes and actions reflect that the desire of our hearts is for the salvation of the world.