The Hell of the Bible Explained!

[Mem]

So, if everyone is raised in their spiritual bodies, how is that spiritual body destroyed in the lake of fire? I think scripture is pretty clear that the punisment is everlasting... eternal.

Great point but the key to the answer is contained within the right question, "if everyone". 1Cor 15:53 says that the mortal must put on immortality, and what's missing is an explicit "everyone will" put on immortality. This is followed by v. 54 which says that, "the saying that is written will come to pass, 'Death has been swallowed up in victory...'"
Why should it be taken as necessary that 'the rest' that will not be raised again until the mil is complete would not be raised in the similitude of Lazarus' resurrection. ie "come forth...and approach the throne of judgment." Certainly, that would adequately accommodate the gnashing of teeth.

 

[jacko]

Lord have mercy for those in hell... even Hitler.

 

[Ballaurena]

Some deny the existence of hell, but the Bible clearly teaches it, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

MANY MISUNDERSTAND the subject, and some still hold to the heathen doctrine of eternal torture, which was attached to Christianity early in the Dark Ages, and so they believe in hell as viewed by the heathen instead of in the hell of the inspired Word of God.

• It's important that we examine carefully and learn thoroughly the Bible teachings on hell. The only Old Testament word translated hell is sheol, to which the New Testament word Hades corresponds. In the King James Version the Old Testament word, sheol and the New Testament word, hades are translated hell 41 times, grave 32 times and pit 3 times. Frequently when translated hell, the margin reads, “or, the grave,” or vice versa (Psa. 49: 15; Jonah 2: 1, 2).
• Contrary to the idea that hell is a place of fire and torture the Bible says, “there is no work, or device, or knowledge, or wisdom, in the grave [sheol], where you are going”; “in death there is no remembrance of you. In the grave [sheol] who shall give You thanks”; “the grave [sheol] cannot praise You: death cannot celebrate You” (Eccl. 9: 10; Psa. 6:5).
• Good people, as well as bad, go to sheol (hell) at death. Jesus “poured out His soul to death” (Matt. 26: 38), and descended to hell, but “His soul [His being] was not left in hell” (Acts 2: 27, 31).
• In Old English the word hell simply meant to hide or to cover. To "hell potatoes" meant to plant and cover them with earth. The word hell is properly used as signifying the secret or hidden condition of the dead. It had no reference whatever to a place of torture until that meaning was attached to it from heathen superstitions and theologians of the Dark Ages.
• When God told Adam of sin’s penalty, He did not say “In the day that you eat of it you shall live forever in torture,” but He told him the truth: “you shall surely die, i.e., cease to live” (Gen. 2: 17).
• Contradicting God, Satan told the first lie (John 8: 44), “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3: 4), by which he has since deceived many into believing that the dead are not really dead, but that at death they live on, and without waiting for the resurrection day (John 5: 28), go directly into heaven or into eternal torment.
• The Bible states plainly that “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezek. 18: 4); that “the wages of sin is death” [cessation of life, not life in torment]. On the other hand, the gift of God is eternal life (Rom. 6: 23) through Jesus Christ.
• Do you not see, that if the penalty against Adam and his race had been eternal torment, Jesus would have had to suffer an eternity of torture to redeem the human race? On the contrary, the “wages of sin is death,” “Christ died for our sins,” He tasted death for every man; and He “was raised from the dead” (1 Cor. 15: 3, 4). God through Christ ransoms all, not from eternal torture, but “from the power of the grave [sheol]” (Hos. 13: 14).
• Eventually “all that are in the grave shall hear His [Jesus’] voice, and shall come forth” (John 5: 28, 29 RSV). When sheol or hades delivers up all who sleep in Adamic death, sheol and hades will forever cease to exist. “O grave [sheol] I will be your destruction.”
• Sodom and Gomorrah are set forth by God “as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 7) then; the fire that is not burning any longer did destroy those cities, and brought upon them destruction. These will be awakened in the world’s judgment day (John 5: 28). However, they will not be reinstated to their former wicked condition.
• The word translated “tormented” in Rev. 20: 10 should have been rendered “tested” or “examined;” the devil, the beast and the false prophet will be examined forever by the righteous, and recognized as deserving destruction.
• The wicked “shall be punished with everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1: 9). Moreover, they “shall go away into everlasting punishment” [not everlasting life in torture, but death], (Matt. 25:46); “for sin, when it is finished, brings forth death” (James 1: 15); everlasting death is everlasting punishment. But the righteous only will have life eternal (John 3: 36).
• “God is love” and He desires us to “worship Him in spirit and in truth,” out of love for Him, not because of fear of punishment now and in the hereafter.

“Perfect love casts out fear” [dread]. (1 John 4: 8-12)​

Yes indeed.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:16 NASB1995

I have studied this issue in depth since my early teens (now middle-aged), and initially with a desire as most teens have to fit-in, so I actually had a bias toward finding evidence of the more common view of hell as eternal torment. But I wanted the truth more than I wanted acceptance, and a hell of eternal suffering just wasn't in the Bible beyond maybe a few exceptions like the beast and the false prophet. Rather, I found that for the person who is open minded, genuinely wanting the truth on this issue, there is actually evidence all over the Bible that the ultimate outcome of those who reject Jesus is eternal death, meaning utter annihilation.

There is that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), that the wicked will be ashes under the feet of the righteous (Mal 4:3), that God can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28), the many verses the OP mentioned above, many others that I would regularly encounter and highlight in my now defunct Bible while reading for other purposes, and yes, even John 3:16. I got well acquainted with my Strong's-like concordance doing word studies like the OP does above, also finding the aforementioned disparities in translations for 'hell' as well as 'forever' that biblically don't mean what most people think. Yet I have sadly encountered people that dismissed me as uneducated when I didn't believe in a hell of eternal torment for unbelievers. I hope none here will be so arrogant.

Also noteworthy, there is little to no evidence of hell referring to eternal torment apart from circular logic that assumes death is only partial (ex. Rom. 6:23, "The wages of sin is death.") and suffering at death eternal (ex. Luke 16 about the rich man and Lazarus, though the concept of the contrasting "Abraham's bosom" is thought to be temporary according to Wikipedia).

And further, when God clearly led me to another church where the gifts of the Spirit are recognized and practiced, it was made clear to the elders there that both heaven and hell are temporary places for the dead until Jesus returns and We have a new heaven and earth to dwell in.

 

[Ballaurena]

Luke 16:23,24
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

While I agree that the aforementioned passage is about the best evidence I have encountered for the view of hell being fiery suffering, this passage does not indicate the duration of that suffering. There is a lot of Bible prophecy yet to play out, and many, many verses that suggests a comprehensive end to the existence of unbelievers.

 

[Ballaurena]

Just wrong. Jesus took the sins of mankind into His mortal body as a sacrifice for the sins of mortal man. That sin filled body was left in the grave as Jesus rose from the dead.

Mankind's real problem is not that he has sinned. It is that he is dead. There is no opportunity for anyone to be made alive after they have rejected the Lord Jesus in this life. Death is the consequence of sin. Jesus had to die to pay the price of sin and had to rise again so that mankind may be be alive again. It's not automatic. It is he who has the Son who has life. Those who do not have the Son are dead in trespass and sin.

Death has never meant the end of existence. It is separation from God. God warned Adam not to eat from the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. God said that the day Adam ate he would surely die. Yet Adam was physically alive and still had an active soul. However, he hid from God because of his now sinful nature.

Unbelievers will be no more desirous of being in heaven in the next life than they are in this life.

You seem to forget that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. One of the symptoms of the corruption of the current generation is a lack of respect for authority. Some change their tune when they face years in prison. Unbelievers need to be convicted of sin. That's God's incentive to seek salvation. If there is no hell (in the sense used traditionally) then who cares? "Let's eat and drink for tomorrow we die".

FYI, you have multiple unfound assertions in there that won't convince anybody.

 

[Ballaurena]

Do you not know that the wages of sin is death?

That is exactly the point of annihilationists - that eternal suffering is contrary to the verse you quote.

 

[tourist]

Um.... actually, the proper term is "hilling" potatoes... not "helling".... you make a "hill" of dirt or sawdust, etc, to give the potatoes a new area to grow into.... "hilling"....

What the hell?

 

[Cameron143]

What the hell?

Perhaps...what the hill?

 

[Ballaurena]

I can't take seriously one who has to insult to make his opinion seem valid.
You try to be subtle with your accusation of the " heathen doctrine of eternal torture."

It was Jesus who said in Matthew 25:46

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” ESV

46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” NKJV
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” NLT


Are you calling Jesus a liar or suggesting he spoke untruth here? You are pulling text out of Context like most trolls do.

The topic you have brought up before, so you must be doing this for kicks.

I can understand how you feel, and you may not be altogether wrong about the intentions of the wording, but it was actually a valid and informative adjective nonetheless. Much of paganism got mixed into Christianity because Satan, and we need to be aware so we can seek real purity and truth.

And your accusing him/her of accusing Jesus is just flat unfair. Clearly you and the other party see Jesus' intentions with telling this parable and speaking those verses differently, but not THAT differently. Unless the other poster does something so egregious as to make you doubt his/her being a real follow of Christ - and a mere disagreement over eschatology and an ungently worded argument are hardly grounds for that, then you really need to have some trust of their character as a member of the body of Christ until proven otherwise.

Plus the disagreement is over the meaning of such verses, and you don't seem to appreciate the breath of possibilities. Might I suggest listening and asking questions more before accusing others.

In truth, I suspect you were giving back as you felt had been given to you - he/ she called your beliefs heathen so you accused him/her of calling Jesus a liar. Even if the other poster was as bad as you think, though, do you really want to reciprocate the same error? I will leave it to you, though to look in the mirror with God to see what was really going on in your heart - you either want the truth or you don't.

 

[Ballaurena]

This is absurd. And the opposite of reality.

You believe exactly as the "pagan" atheists. That when you die, you are annihilated, and no consciousness exists.

What does it matter what pagan's think? Pagan's believe most people have 10 fingers and toes, that the sun will come up tomorrow, that you are better off eating vegetables than candy, and that love is a good thing. The only thing that really matters is what is true.

This is why God told my fellowship that "Fighting deception is deception." Satan is a deceiver, meaning he mixes truth and error all the time specifically to confuse people. If you reject or accept doctrines merely on the grounds of who else believes them, then you make yourself ripe to be deceived.

Instead look directly for what is true regardless of who believes it or not.

 

[CS1]

I can understand how you feel, and you may not be altogether wrong about the intentions of the wording, but it was actually a valid and informative adjective nonetheless. Much of paganism got mixed into Christianity because Satan, and we need to be aware so we can seek real purity and truth.

And your accusing him/her of accusing Jesus is just flat unfair. Clearly you and the other party see Jesus' intentions with telling this parable and speaking those verses differently, but not THAT differently. Unless the other poster does something so egregious as to make you doubt his/her being a real follow of Christ - and a mere disagreement over eschatology and an ungently worded argument are hardly grounds for that, then you really need to have some trust of their character as a member of the body of Christ until proven otherwise.

Plus the disagreement is over the meaning of such verses, and you don't seem to appreciate the breath of possibilities. Might I suggest listening and asking questions more before accusing others.

In truth, I suspect you were giving back as you felt had been given to you - he/ she called your beliefs heathen so you accused him/her of calling Jesus a liar. Even if the other poster was as bad as you think, though, do you really want to reciprocate the same error? I will leave it to you, though to look in the mirror with God to see what was really going on in your heart - you either want the truth or you don't.

Paganism has nothing to do with what Jesus said. God is fully capable of keeping HIS word from the doctrine of devils.

I think you are innerjecting a narrative that is not true. Please show me where I said accusing him/her of accusing Jesus?


You say if the poster does something so egregious.

• "MANY MISUNDERSTAND the subject, and some still hold to the heathen doctrine of eternal torture"
• which was attached to Christianity early in the Dark Ages, and so they believe in hell as viewed by the heathen instead of in the hell of the inspired Word of God.

These statements are opinionated and not Biblical. As others and I stated, Jesus is the final authority in Hell.

Jesus is not Pagan. Jesus said hell is a place of eternal Torment, as found in Matthew 25:46
To say the idea of eternal torment is pagan when we have our Lord say other wise is Foolishness. And FYI this poster as I said was called on this in other threads on this topic.

The poster is responsible for providing HIS proof of Pagan text used in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25:46, THAT REFUTES what JESUS SAID.

I never said the poster was not saved, but he or she is not Biblical. My understanding is supported by Matthew 25:46, Which is only one, and there are many more.

 

[Ballaurena]

If people are annihilated, as the atheists believe, how are some going to face a greater punishment than others as Jesus Himself attests?

Matthew 23:13-14

New King James Version

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 [a]Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.


Matthew 11:22

New King James Version

22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.


Without any condescension meant at all, it's ok to say you were wrong and misunderstood the text.

Now here is someone with a reasonable tone and question. Thank you for being a good example.

I am not the one you asked, but there are different parts of God's plan. In fact we are in a time of judgment - Hence Covid, wildfires, hurricanes, etc. This is not final judgment, though, and there are other parts yet to come, though I can't say I have my head wrapped around it all. Revelation and revelation (prophetically) are your best sources on that, though also looking back at like the proclamations of the Old Testament Prophets to see what judgments God has exhibited in the past can be helpful.

 

[CS1]

What does it matter what pagan's think? Pagan's believe most people have 10 fingers and toes, that the sun will come up tomorrow, that you are better off eating vegetables than candy, and that love is a good thing. The only thing that really matters is what is true.

This is why God told my fellowship that "Fighting deception is deception." Satan is a deceiver, meaning he mixes truth and error all the time specifically to confuse people. If you reject or accept doctrines merely on the grounds of who else believes them, then you make yourself ripe to be deceived.

Instead look directly for what is true regardless of who believes it or not.

FYI, truth Matters. If one says there is no eternal Torment and we have the Supreme Authority, Christ's words recorded in the Gospels state there is eternal torment, and one says that is pagan. The proof of that statement falls on the one who said it, not me. Christ settled that debate as far as the word of God goes.

If the understanding of Church history and the mingling of paganism is seen in the Tradition of the early church, The Gospels were written from 65-70 AD to 95-100 AD. The persecuted age of the church did not end until 313 AD.


How much of the Four Gospels are Pagan influenced? I'm all ears.

 

[tourist]

Perhaps...what the hill?

That works too.

 

[CS1]

Now here is someone with a reasonable tone and question. Thank you for being a good example.

I am not the one you asked, but there are different parts of God's plan. In fact we are in a time of judgment - Hence Covid, wildfires, hurricanes, etc. This is not final judgment, though, and there are other parts yet to come, though I can't say I have my head wrapped around it all. Revelation and revelation (prophetically) are your best sources on that, though also looking back at like the proclamations of the Old Testament Prophets to see what judgments God has exhibited in the past can be helpful.

ok, Did not Jesus say there will be tribulations and then speak about a Great Tribulation? Such as what the world has ever seen or will ever see?

Daniel should be read with the Book of Revelation. Just so you know, many here are very learned. Yes, the United States is being judged as Sin Produces its own reward. Many of us stated that in 2016.

 

[daisyseesthesun]

RR, your right hell won't scare someone into believing and many won't turn somone from their sin. I've heard this many times people out there that believe they can keep on sinning until the last moment then call out to Jesus to be saved. but their heart may be too hard by that time and it will be too late or they will die suddenly and be cut off. the ones that can be saved are the most often the broken, unloved, downtrodden, or addicts. Preaching the love of Jesus and how he died on the cross for your sins and how much he loves a person is better then preaching that their will not be a drop of water in hell to quench your thirst or the extreme amounts of pain one will suffer. saying stuff like this when you meet such people really makes a difference Do you know Jesus loves you, he died for you God is your father, and Jesus is your brother.

 

[Ballaurena]

How about The rich man and Lazarus?

How about Revelation 14:11?

I can't speak for the other person, but I believe the first is temporary.

As for Rev 14:11, a word study on 'forever' says a lot. Even any literal translation worth its salt will instead use the expression "to the age of ages," suggesting a finite period. If you have any doubt on that, realize that there are things in the Old Testament that were said to happen for forever that have now ceased. Also, even if the smoke is still going up, it doesn't mean the person is still conscious. Those who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace died when they even got close. And the Bible speaks in Malachi of the wicked being ashes.

 

[Ballaurena]

Lord have mercy for those in hell... even Hitler.

He will. Realize, though, that death can at times be mercy.

 

[Ballaurena]

FYI, truth Matters. If one says there is no eternal Torment and we have the Supreme Authority, Christ's words recorded in the Gospels state there is eternal torment, and one says that is pagan. The proof of that statement falls on the one who said it, not me. Christ settled that debate as far as the word of God goes.

If the understanding of Church history and the mingling of paganism is seen in the Tradition of the early church, The Gospels were written from 65-70 AD to 95-100 AD. The persecuted age of the church did not end until 313 AD.


How much of the Four Gospels are Pagan influenced? I'm all ears.

First off, I will try to get to your longer post later, presuming it is sufficiently respectful.

Of course truth matters! That is what all of us here are after. This is a mere disagreement about what it is based on different interpretations of the Bible. If you don't believe that all of us are after truth, then why bother responding at all, and if we are then please be respectful of that?

Again, the issue here is what does the Bible say? You wrote:

"Christ's words recorded in the Gospels state there is eternal torment"

But my very point is that they do not. I challenge you to find a single passage of Jesus' words that uses the specific term 'eternal' (not merely 'forever' which is long but temporary), describing torture of unbelievers in death, and not for some spiritual or possibly metaphorical entity like the beast or the false prophet.

As for the paganism mixed in, I never said it was in the Bible. That paganism got mixed into Christianity, though is history, not mere speculation. Though the focus was a little different than eschatology, I have read a whole novel on the subject of how paganism bled into Christian weekly gathering and practices ("Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola and George Barna) And are you not aware of how much paganism is mixed into observances like Easter? While it can still be worth celebrating, the date we observe Christmas on is even tied to pagan celebrations of the winter solstice rather than biblical suggestion.

 

[jacko]

I can understand how you feel, and you may not be altogether wrong about the intentions of the wording, but it was actually a valid and informative adjective nonetheless. Much of paganism got mixed into Christianity because Satan, and we need to be aware so we can seek real purity and truth.

And your accusing him/her of accusing Jesus is just flat unfair. Clearly you and the other party see Jesus' intentions with telling this parable and speaking those verses differently, but not THAT differently. Unless the other poster does something so egregious as to make you doubt his/her being a real follow of Christ - and a mere disagreement over eschatology and an ungently worded argument are hardly grounds for that, then you really need to have some trust of their character as a member of the body of Christ until proven otherwise.

Plus the disagreement is over the meaning of such verses, and you don't seem to appreciate the breath of possibilities. Might I suggest listening and asking questions more before accusing others.

In truth, I suspect you were giving back as you felt had been given to you - he/ she called your beliefs heathen so you accused him/her of calling Jesus a liar. Even if the other poster was as bad as you think, though, do you really want to reciprocate the same error? I will leave it to you, though to look in the mirror with God to see what was really going on in your heart - you either want the truth or you don't.

I really hope you are right….