Chapter 2: Hell
I wanted to do a study on hell because this doctrine is subject to controversy and I wanted to look for answers. Hell is an English word that means: Place and condition of eternal punishment for those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Words related Gehenna, Hades and Sheol. This definition is according to Smith’s bible dictionary. The practical bible dictionary defines hell as: Hebrew “Sheol;” translated “grave,” “pit,” in the Old Testament. In the New Testament Hades, Tartaros and Gehenna (also known as the Valley of Hinnom) are translated to hell. When researching the origin or meaning of a word I find it best to start at the beginning. The word hell claims to be an equivalent and/or an accurate translation of meaning of the Hebrew word Sheol. This peaked my curiosity because the Jewish faith has no recognition or belief of a fiery place of eternal torment, nor does the Hebrew language have a word that describes such a place. Let’s take a closer look at the Hebrew word Sheol that appeared in the original text of the Old Testament. The first thing we know is the word Sheol and its meaning was in existence long before the word hell. The other thing we know is that anytime the word hell appears in the Old Testament Sheol originally was there. Sheol (se’ol) is defined as: Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates. Grave, pit, hell. We have learned that the Jewish faith along with the Old Testament scribes do not have a belief or word that supports the ideology of a fiery place of eternal torment, where unrighteous men upon their mortal death receive a fiery everlasting punishment. So we know that when Sheol appears in the bible or the word hell appears in its place in the Old Testament the scripture does not have the meaning of hell applied to it. For example let us take a look at Jonah 2:1-2 “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: ‘I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol (hell) I cried and You heard my voice.” The first verse informs us that Jonah is alive and in the belly of a fish. So when we read the second verse we know that Jonah is not deceased and in a fiery place of eternal torment. Taking into account the definition of Sheol and the state of mind Jonah is in we can interpret Jonah believes that the belly of this fish may be his final resting place (grave) or the darkness he is surrounded by he relates to a pit. It reads in Deuteronomy 32:22 “For a fire is kindled in My anger and shall burn to the lowest Sheol (hell); It shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundation of the mountains.” If we apply the meaning of the word hell to this scripture we can interpret that God is going to burn a place that is supposedly already on fire. If we apply the meaning of the word Sheol here we can interpret that God is telling us there is no escape from His wrath and He does this with the analogy that His wrath can reach the lowest part of Sheol (pit) to the mountains. If apply the meaning of grave is applied to the world Sheol we could also interpret a symbolism that God’s wrath can reach the dead (Sheol) or the living (mountains). Then in Psalm 139:7-8 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (hell), behold, You are there.” When interpreting this Psalm it is good to remember that David is of the Jewish faith so his beliefs and vocabulary do not include the concept of hell as we know it. David is teaching his listeners using an analogy, just as Moses did in the earlier scripture in regards to God’s wrath and David is telling us there is no escape from God’s Spirit. One other thing to notice is that David talks about an ascension into heaven but makes no mention of a descent into Sheol (hell), only that one makes a bed in it. Does it make sense to us that one would make a bed in a lake of fire or is it more likely that David is talking about making a bed in one’s grave?
It says in Psalms 55:15 “Let death seize them; let them go down alive into Sheol (hell), for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.” Then in Psalm 116:3 “The pains of death surrounded me and the pangs of Sheol (hell) laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.” In the first psalm David is telling us that the wicked are alive into Sheol (hell). If we stay within the definition and/or meaning of hell we know that one is not alive going into it. The more likely interpretation is that David was calling for the wicked to be buried alive or thrown alive into a pit which were not uncommon forms of execution/punishment in those days. The psalmist in the second scripture is still alive and yet the pangs of Sheol (hell) laid hold of him. The interpretation that the psalmist was experiencing pangs that come from fiery torment is not likely, rather he was describing to us the physical pains of dying and emotional pangs of thinking one’s death is upon them. Also the psalmist was using analogies to relate the thoughts and feelings that the finality of death and the grave bring to his listeners. There are many more examples in the Old Testament where Sheol (hell) is used and its context remains within the definition of grave or pit but we must move along. The point of the Old Testament scriptures used is to establish that if hell is a translation of the word Sheol then the meaning of hell should be equivalent to that of Sheol. This Old Testament study has shown us 1 of 3 things. One that when the word hell is used it does not mean a fiery place of eternal torment, two that hell is a word with many flexible definitions that can mean different things in different scriptures and our dictionary’s with their commonly accepted definitions of the word are wrong or have failed to recognize hell’s flexibility or three the doctrine of hell as we know it is only a New Testament teaching.
As we move into the New Testament we come across some Greek words that hell is translated from. The first we are going to look at is the Greek word Hades. Hades is defined as: Place of the dead. And in another reference: Place of departed spirits. Greek equivalent of Hebrew “Sheol,” unseen world. Hades (hell) appears in the New Testament at Matthew 11:23, 16:18, Luke 10:15, 16:23, Acts 2:27, 2:31, Revelation 1:18, 6:8, 20:13, 20:14 and in 1Corinthians 15:55. While doing this study we should keep in mind that in pre-Christian times the word Hades was used in Greek mythology also considered pagan worship as the underworld residence of the brother of Zeus and his followers who were excommunicated by Zeus. One of the first questions I asked myself as this study went into the New Testament is; why the meaning of the word Sheol did not remain at the root of this translation of Hades even though it is suppose to be an equivalent? The reason the root word Sheol is not in the New Testament is because the New Testament was written in Greek. Let us ask ourselves, why was the New Testament written in Greek? The scribes of the New Testament were primarily Jewish, however they did not write down the scriptures for some time after Christ’s ascension. When the writing began, in an effort to reach as many people as possible, the scribes used the most universal language of that time which was Greek. The writers of the New Testament selected Hades as a translation for Sheol because it must have been the closest translation available to them in Greek not necessarily an exact equivalent. When comparing biblical definitions of Sheol and Hades we do find that the intention was that the translation was to be an equivalent. Now let’s turn to scripture to see in what context Hades is used and if the word hell when translated from Hades which is translated from Sheol maintains its meaning.
Let us start by first citing an Old Testament scripture. It reads in Psalm 16:10 “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol (hell), nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Then Luke in the book of Acts cites this same Psalm with one difference. It says in Acts 2:27 “For You will not leave my soul in Hades (hell), nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” This scripture comparison confirms that Hades was intended to be an equivalent translation of the word Sheol and the meaning of Hades for biblical purposes was to be an equivalent of Sheol. In the study of the content of these two scriptures it is helpful to look at a third scripture. We are told in Acts 2:29-31 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades (hell), nor did His flesh see corruption.” When considering these 3 scriptures we find that our Savior was in Hades until the point that His soul was not left there. Are we to interpret that the soul of Christ was in a fiery place of eternal torment until it was removed? Or was the soul of our Savior in the grave (earth) 3 days before His resurrection. It reads in Matthew 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (hell) shall not prevail against it.” And in Revelation 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades (hell) and of Death.” In this first scripture Hades is described as being a force and if we stay within the definition and meaning of hell what we have is hell is a place and not a force. If there was any force that would threaten the church of Christ it would be Satan himself. We know that the way to life is through Christ and His church, so what force is opposite of life? That would be death. Therefore what Christ is telling us is that the “grave” will not prevail over His church, because He is life. The interpretation we just made for the scripture in Matthew we can apply to the use of the word Hades in the passage from Revelation. First let us take a look at the word keys that is used in this verse. When we look at the commonly accepted definitions of key we find 2 primary ones. First one is: a means of gaining or preventing entry, possession or control. The second: Explanation, solution. The definition that most likely applies to this scripture is the second one because if we approach Hades in this scripture like we did in the verse from Matthew, Christ has the solutions or keys to death and the grave. Once again reiterating that Christ is life.
At this point in the study we have given scriptural examples that the meaning of Sheol is not a fiery place of eternal torment, rather a grave or pit. We also have scriptural examples that Hades does not mean a fiery place of eternal torment, rather a grave or pit like its equivalent Sheol, as the writers intended. We know now that the word hell is not consistent in definition, meaning and scriptural context as that of Sheol and Hades. So where did this doctrine and teaching come from? Let us now take a look at the Greek word Gehenna also referred to as the Valley of Hinnom or Topeth. We are going to take an extensive look at the word Gehenna and its references because it helps to understand its history and what Gehenna meant to the people of that time. This way we can better understand why Christ and His disciples used Gehenna in their teachings. Gehenna appears in the New Testament at Matthew 5:22, 5:29, 5:30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33, Mark 9:43, 9:45, Luke 12:5 and James 3:6. Gehenna is defined as: Valley of Hinnom, a valley of Jerusalem, used figuratively as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment: —hell. Gehenna is a Greek word derived from the Hebrew word Ge-Hinnom which means Ge: a gorge; valley. Hinnom: Probably of foreign origin; Hinnom apparently a Jebusite:— Hinnom. The practical bible dictionary defines Hinnom as: A narrow valley south and west of Jerusalem, where Molech was worshipped, hence called Tophet, “drum,” noise, defiled, and called ge-hinnom, Gehenna, “Place of Hinnom,: to type a place of eternal torment. The word Tophet is defined as: Part of the valley of Hinnom east or south of Jerusalem. Perhaps once a garden, but afterward polluted by abominations incident to the worship of Baal and Molech and turned into a dumping and burning place of the city’s refuse. Hence a place of judgment. It is apparent by some of these definitions that Gehenna has a lot of stigma and taboo associated with it, so let’s see why that is.
Gehenna has been around since the times of old. It says in Joshua 15:8 “And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (which is Jerusalem).” We are told in 2Kings 23:10 “And he defiled Topeth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or daughter pass through the fire of Molech.” Then in 2Chronicles 33:6 “Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke Him to anger.” It reads in 2Chronicles 28:3 “He burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.” And in Jeremiah 7:31 “And they built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command nor did it come into My heart.” In the first 2 scriptures we have an account of the abominations Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Israel committed during his reign. These events helped to forge Gehenna’s reputation, lore and stigma among the people of the land. This pagan place represented vileness and impurity among residents and it was known throughout the land. Then we have king Ahaz of Israel contributing defilement, shame and abomination to Gehenna in the third scripture. Then we have Jeremiah recounting the atrocities that took place in Gehenna by the children of Judah. We also learned from the definitions we referenced earlier that Gehenna is more than a city dump where garbage was burnt day and night, it is also a place where the unrighteous and impure meet their end.
In the definition of Gehenna we see it described as “figuratively a place or state of everlasting punishment.” Then in Hinnom’s definition “to type a place of eternal torment.” And in Tophet’s definition “hence a place of judgment”. Gehenna is not hell, the fiery place of eternal torment, it is a valley outside Jerusalem, however to the people of that day it has developed a meaning and stigma and to the prophets, disciples and Christ a useful analogy. To the people, Gehenna represented evil, defilement, vileness, abomination and if anyone’s grave was Gehenna the stigma of their burial place would follow them throughout the generations. Also if anyone was alive while they were thrown in to Gehenna, this would mean a death by intense fire and heat. Brimstone was also used in Gehenna to keep the fires burning constantly. We can also be sure that the majority of the listeners of the disciples and Christ were familiar with its history and associated meanings.
It reads in Matthew 5:22 “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ Shall be in danger or the council. But whoever says, ‘you fool!’ Shall be in danger of Gehenna (hell) fire.” Then in Matthew 23:33 “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of Gehenna (hell)?” And in Luke 12:5 “But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who after He has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna (hell); yes, I say to you fear Him!” In this first scripture Christ is teaching us the dangers of false witnessing. In Matthew chapter 5 prior to this verse, Jesus ministered to us the beatitudes that teach us the importance of not letting the world keep you from doing the will of God and to avoid hypocrisy by not following one of God’s commandments more than another. This lesson has continued on into our verse of study. Let us start by defining raca for those who are unfamiliar with the term. Raca is a Hebrew term of contempt and reproach. We can gather from this scripture that the consequences change from falsely showing raca for one’s brother to falsely calling one’s brother a fool. One puts you in front of a council for judgment and the other could end in a death at Gehenna which we learned carries with it a stigma associated with that death. Christ was also familiar with Gehenna or as He would have said it ge-Hinnom and its meaning, history and stigmas. This is why He used it in His lesson, to stress the importance of not bearing false witness against one’s brother. Using Gehenna as a metaphor for undesirable self condemnation in Jesus’ sermons apparently had the desired understanding He wanted or He would not have chose this wording. In the previous scriptures we referenced in Matthew 23 and Luke 12 Christ used Gehenna as a metaphor to instruct both the Pharisees and His disciples that they should avoid exalting themselves to the point where they feel they are above a dishonorable death. The Pharisees may not fear what men can do to them but God can give them a disgraceful worldly death and the stigma that follows them. The lesson we received from Matthew 5:22 and Luke 12:5 is similar to the one Christ gives to us in Matthew 18 8-9 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into Gehenna (hell) fire.” If we were to take this lesson literally and follow these commands there is not a God fearing Christian that would not be blind or maimed. So lets study this verse under the assumption that Christ is speaking to us figuratively. When it comes to the body parts and sins Jesus is teaching us to do all that is necessary and sacrifice whatever we need to in order rid our lives of our sins. We cannot to get caught up in their indulgence or in other words keeping ourselves in the environment where we know we are susceptible to sin. Now if Jesus is speaking to us in a figurative sense regarding sin it is my inclination that when He uses Gehenna to teach His listeners about the need to live a righteous life with the use of extremes like He did previously in His lesson to sin. A similar lesson can also be found in Mark 9:43-48 and in Matthew 5:29-30.
There are only two differences in the scriptures of Mark and Matthew. One in Matthew 18:8 Christ had opted not to use Gehenna instead uses the words everlasting fire in verse 8 then uses Gehenna in verse 9 when the context and meaning are identical. It is my contention that Jesus was using the metaphoric value of Gehenna in both verses however in verse 8 He was making a connection with His listeners to drive home the importance of thinking beyond this life and an eternity without God can be compared to though not the same as an eternity amongst the brimstone fires of Gehenna burning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The second difference between the Mark and Matthew scriptures is in Mark, Christ references Isaiah 66:24 “And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” Let us examine this scripture for context during which we must also keep in mind that Isaiah is Jewish and has no belief in the concept of a fiery place of eternal torment nor is he familiar with a word that describes such a place. We can however, with Isaiah’s knowledge of scripture assume he knows the valley of the son of Hinnom, its history, meanings and stigmas. The word worm in this verse is translated from the Hebrew word tola’at: a maggot. There are a couple of interpretations to consider when studying this verse. One is the literal which has Isaiah telling us of worldly humans looking upon worldly corpses. These corpses are always in the presence of maggots and the worldly fire that consumes their bodies, does not go out. The other interpretation which I consider more likely is that Isaiah is using symbolism to contrast the righteous and the unrighteous. The maggots are symbolic of the transgressions of the corpses and how they were not blotted out. The fire is symbolic of the disgrace that will never leave them and the dishonorable death that was the result of an unrighteous life and possibly a reference to Gehenna. Then we have the righteous looking upon this haneous scene that serves as an example to them to live in righteousness. This was not the only time the Lord will use this type of scene to serve as an example.
It reads in Jeremiah 7:31-32 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord ‘when it will no more be called Tophet, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter; for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room. The corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth. And no one will frighten them away.” Then in Revelations 11:9 “Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.” And in Revelation 11:11 “Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.” The connection between the lesson Christ was teaching in Mark and the verse in Isaiah, is both are ministering the value of a righteous life and Christ also making mention that it leads to the kingdom of God. Both Christ and Isaiah contrast righteousness with a disgraceful, dishonorable and shameful death. For Jesus this contrast was Gehenna and for Isaiah it was the burning, maggot ridden corpses which very well could have been a description of Gehenna. These verses stress putting sin away from oneself and Isaiah and Christ were not the only ones to use this type of contrast in their teachings to put sin away from oneself.
It reads in James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by Gehenna (hell).” Both Christ and James are stressing if that we do not control our actions, thoughts and environments we are susceptible to the temptations of sin. Gehenna in this scripture I believe to be symbolic of the temptation of pagan beliefs and practices similar to those who worship Molech and Baal and the looming repeat of the abominations of king Manasseh and Ahaz. James also highlights the danger of speech and how it can be used for gossip, lying and manipulation. The tongue not only can bring us to sin but can bring others to sin as well. We have learned from both of these teachers that sin can lead individuals as well as a body of believers to a disgraceful burial in Gehenna or a shameful death like it. Whether the listeners viewed Gehenna as literal or figurative, the lesson does not change or lose its value. We have thoroughly covered Gehenna, its references and the contexts in which it was used. We have determined that Gehenna is a geographical location outside Jerusalem where the city’s refuse was burned constantly and is not hell as we know it. We have also learned that Gehenna has a history of evil, shame, disgrace, judgment and dishonor that has implanted stigmas and meanings in the hearts and minds of people who know of it. Lastly we have learned that Gehenna was used by the prophets, Christ and His disciples to metaphorically contrast the righteous and unrighteous life. Also Gehenna was familiar to most of their listeners so it was a commonly used metaphor.
Now in our study we are going to analyze the several compelling scriptures for the existence of a fiery place of eternal torment and as irony would have it most do not have the word hell in them. It reads in Luke 16:19-26 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feared sumptuously everyday. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abrahams bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades (hell), he lifted up his eyes 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.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.” I find it easiest to break down a scripture in succession, then discuss it as a whole. Jesus in all of His sermons has an object lesson for His listeners. Did Christ want His listeners to hear this parable and focus on the possibility that He has told us a detail of a place where the wicked go after death? Or was Jesus using an analogy that encourages a righteous life of character development. This lesson is similar to the one found in Proverbs 21:13 “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.” Then in Proverbs 28:27 “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” And in Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The comparison Jesus is using is a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. At this point the only thing we know is that the rich man was blessed with worldly goods and Lazarus was not. The rich man did not try to help Lazarus even though he was presented with many opportunities. Both men died and they had completely different experiences. Lazarus was immediately carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham and it makes no mention of a burial. On the other hand we are told that the rich man was buried. Then we are told the rich man was in torments while in Hades (grave or pit). The rich man’s request for water is not consistent with that of being burned alive like the word flame would suggest, but rather a dryness of blessing due to flame that left his spirit parched. One could also interpret that he had the blessings of the Lord withheld from him such as light, air, comfort, peace and other spiritual blessings. Jesus is trying to encourage His listeners to think about eternal life while we are still on earth because our works reflect our priorities. Christ in this analogy uses a relatable story of extremes because He wants us to understand the difference of eternity with God’s light and without.
Take for example a discussion between a doctor and a patient’s wife. Her husband was soon going to pass a kidney stone and she wanted to understand the pain her husband would experience. So she asked the doctor what it would be like. The doctor observing she had children said, it is comparable to that of childbirth. It was not childbirth itself, rather comparable just as depriving oneself of eternal life is comparable to the experience of the rich man. Choosing death by ignoring the needs of our fellow man is like looking at paradise and not being able to reach it. This is why Jesus tells us of the gulf that the rich man made through unrighteousness. When we think about it, this is how Jesus taught many of His listeners; with parables, analogies and comparisons. When Jesus spoke of the parable of the vinedressers are we to assume there is a vineyard where we will get hurt or killed if we try to get fruits from it? Or was Christ teaching the Pharisees to respect the Son of God? Are we to assume that there is a wedding reception put on by God, where if we don’t have a wedding garment we will be thrown out? Or was Jesus teaching that we need to prepare for eternal life in order to receive it? The same logic applies to Lazarus and the rich man. The people Christ was teaching were mostly Jewish and had no concept of a fiery place of eternal torment. Do we really think that Christ was introducing a new doctrine with no precedent or foundation? Or was Jesus teaching His listeners to care for their fellow man especially the poor so we can avoid death and value eternal life? What is the likelihood that this teaching was there to teach Christ’s listeners righteousness from unrighteousness? The mere fact that Jesus chose this analogy depicting an afterlife scenario was to have us look more deeply at our works on earth and how they relate to eternal life, not to focus on the possible consequences of unrighteousness.
It reads in Matthew 25:41-46 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” This scripture comes across as very familiar. Where have we heard Christ ministering about taking care of our fellow man, especially the poor? The teaching in this scripture and the analogy used is nearly identical to that used in the rich man and Lazarus. There is one difference between these two scriptures and that difference is that in Matthew 25 Christ gives us a prophecy. Jesus tells us in this passage in Matthew that there is a place of everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels not for the unrighteous man, however the unrighteous will join the devil and his angels in this place. After learning this let us ask ourselves was this the first place prepared for the devil or his angels?
It reads in Isaiah 14:12-15 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit.” Then in 2Peter 2:4-11 “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to tartaros (hell) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) — then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.” Also in Jude 6-7 “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” And in Revelation 20:1-3 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” Here in these scriptures we have Isaiah, Peter, Jude and John all prophesying the same bottomless pit that the devil and his angels are going to be cast into. We have been exposed to a new word in the verses in Peter and this word is tartaros. This Greek word appears only once in the bible at 2Peter 2:4 and tartaros has no Hebrew equivalent. Tartaros is defined as: (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment; cast down to hell. This word was also translated into hell in this verse of the bible. Tartaros was also present in Greek mythology and the word was derived from it and was known as the deepest part of Hades where the brother of Zeus lived. I believe Peter was aware of the common understanding of tartaros and used the word in his writings as an analogy for the point he was trying to make; not to name or label an actual place. From what we know about the words Sheol and Hades we can interpret that tartaros is also referring to a pit.
In Jude we are reminded about these angels referred to in this scripture. It reads Genesis 6:1-2 “Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.” Then in the verses from Peter he goes on to say that this abomination nearly led God to wipe out the entire human race, but the righteousness of Noah saved us. Peter also tells us that there are major differences between us and angels. One is that they are immortal and we are mortal and as Peter pointed out they are greater in power and might, thus it appears they are held to a higher standard. Both Peter and Jude touch on the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah but it is Jude’s version I want to focus in on. Jude says that the citizens of these cities were set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. When interpreting this scripture are we to understand the fire itself that destroyed these cities as eternal or the vengeance? Or did the fire produce an eternal result, meaning the fire made it so there was no eternity for these cities and the people in them? I believe the second interpretation to be most likely. Isaiah, Peter, Jude and John have established a pit where the devil and his angels will be held for a 1,000 years. So what is this place that Jesus is talking about in Matthew 25:41 that is made of everlasting fire prepared for the devil? The place that the cursed are going to go away into as it reads in Matthew 25:46.
It says in Revelation 20:7-10 “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Then in 1Peter 4:5-6 “They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” And in Revelation 20:12-15 “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades (hell) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Let’s start by defining Gog and Magog. Gog in Hebrew is: of uncertain derivation; Gog the name of an Israelite, also of some northern nation: —Gog. Gog in Greek is: Magog, a foreign nation, i.e. (figuratively) an antichristian party:—Magog. In this first Revelation scripture we are told of the release of Satan from the pit we previously discussed. One thing we can ascertain is that the lake of fire also known as hell, was not present through the first resurrection, the 1,000 year reign of Christ and the captivity of Satan. It first appeared on the other side of the 1,000 years. We also learn of the continued torture of Satan, the beast and the false prophet. Here we have a prophecy from John agreeing with the prophecy of Christ from Matthew 25:41. In the scripture from Peter, we hear a prophecy from the day of judgment. Peter also tells us that the dead have had the gospel preached to them while in Hades (grave) to bring salvation to those who believe. Many of us may be wondering why is there those who are in heaven and those who are in the grave.
It reads in John 20:29 “Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed.” There are those who have passed before the coming of Christ, those who have not had the gospel preached to them and those who have not believed without seeing. I believe that these people that are in Hades (grave) until they have been given the opportunity to be introduced to the Savior and choose to believe in Him and are not being tormented in an eternal fire until they are preached to. It reads in 1Peter 3:18-20 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.” These two scriptures from Peter tells us Christ was in Hades/grave preaching to the dead who were formerly disobedient while on earth and also may not have heard the gospel of Christ. Jesus did this to bring more into eternal life; therefore we can say that the dead in Hades/grave have not been judged yet and were not in the place prepared for the devil, so they were not receiving torments. What we learned here in these scriptures gives more weight to our interpretation of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. It said in the parable that the rich man was in torments in Hades/grave, when the torments don’t begin until the unrighteous are judged and cast into the place prepared for the devil. Therefore I believe it is likely Christ was using metaphors and analogies to teach His listeners between righteousness and unrighteousness. We must remember our Lord was among those in Hades/grave preaching. Let us ask ourselves, was Christ in fiery torments while ministering or His listeners in torments while hearing His ministry?
Now in our second scripture from Revelation 20 we learn more of the judgment process of those who were not part of the first resurrection. This prophecy from John agrees with the prophecy from Peter in 1Peter 4:5-6. Those who have died and those who were buried in Hades/grave were raised up for judgment. Then we hear of an interesting development, that of Death and Hades being cast into the lake of fire prepared for the devil. Why would God do this? I believe God did this because there is no longer a need for death or a grave because the sheep and goats have been sorted like it says in Matthew 25:32 or in other words everyone has either moved to eternal life or eternal death. When we look at verse 15 in Revelation 20 there are two interpretations that we can look at. One we can connect this verse with what Jesus told us in Matthew 25:46 “And these will go away into everlasting punishment.” We can assume that those who are not written in the Book of Life will be tormented forever and ever like the devil, the beast and the false prophet. Or we can look at the conjunctive word ‘and’ that connects verses 14 and 15. This conjunction lets us know that verse 15 is a continued thought of verse 14 so we can interpret the lake of fire that Death and Hades is cast into is the same lake of fire that those not in the Book of Life are thrown into. Therefore those not written in the Book of Life are receiving the same second death as Death and Hades/grave received. As it reads in Revelation 21:8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death.”
You may be thinking what I am thinking, that if all those that are not in the Book of Life are destroyed, how can they receive eternal punishment like we are told in Matthew 25:46? One interpretation is that like in Jude 7 when the terms of eternal fire were used to express the finality of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction; Christ when He uses the terms eternal punishment in Matthew 25:46 He was telling His listeners that the destruction of oneself in the lake of fire prepared for the devil is irreversible and lasting, thus everlasting. It reads in 2Peter 3:10-13 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” And in Revelation 21:1 “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.” In these two scriptures we are told that the heavens and the earth will be dissolved by fire. Therefore we can interpret that if Death, Hades, the unrighteous, the heavens and the earth are destroyed and only the righteous remain; then the lake of fire with the devil and his companions are destroyed as well, thus bringing into question our concept of eternity. The description that Peter gives us of the end of heaven and earth is also reminiscent of the second death. We also learn that the only things that are made new are the heavens and the earth, where only righteousness dwells. Therefore we can interpret that there is no longer a lake of fire with evil in it because it was destroyed and not made new. It is likely that our concept of time, eternity, everlasting, forever and ever may not be the same as God’s. The words eternity and eternal may in fact represent the period of time up until the end of things.
An interpretation of the existence of hell can also be formed by combining 4 scriptures; Matthew 25:41 where we are told by Christ the unrighteous are put in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil. Then in Revelation 20:10 where we are told of the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his companions and they will be tormented forever and ever. Also in Revelation 20:15 where we are told that those not written in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire. And in Matthew 25:46, where we are told the cursed will go away into everlasting punishment as described in Matthew 25:41. It is my belief that the doctrine of hell was formed and taught without taking into account the second death, the destruction of all things and the new heaven and earth. One thing I think the religious majority can agree on is that there is an undesirable consequence for leading an unrighteous life. For some this consequence is eternal torment in a lake of fire or the separation from the blessings and light of God or a death in a lake of fire ending one’s existence, or the choice to reject the gift of eternal life is within itself the greatest consequence.
We must remember our salvation is not contingent on our beliefs in an afterlife consequence, but we do have to be cognizant that we are not practicing faith by fear. In other words if we are trying to live a righteous and godly lifestyle because we are frightened of the consequence we believe in, then our beliefs are to our detriment. For example if I read my bible, go to church, tithe when possible because I am scared of an eternal consequence then my faith would be misguided. We should live in righteousness and do good works because we love our God and want to glorify Him. Which expresses the greater love; to love without a fear of consequence or to love due to a fear of consequence; for example I believe in God just incase there is a hell? I believe it is the first. To express this love we use the blessings and love God gives us and express that same love to our family and neighbors. When I formed my beliefs in spiritual consequence I wanted to make sure I kept these things in mind. I also kept in the forefront of my mind the character of our God that I have come to know.
Here are two scriptures of the many that highlight our Creator’s character that I felt pertinent to this study. The first is 1John 4:8 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” The second is Luke 6:35-36 “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful just as your Father is also merciful.” These scriptures helped drive me in this study, because I could not imagine that God could preach these two things, then turn around and create and maintain a fiery place of eternal torment used to torture the very creations that He breathed life into whom are instruments of His will, because of disobedience. When it comes to an afterlife consequence I believe that those who do not believe in the salvation given us by Christ will miss out on the eternal life described in Revelation 21:4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things will pass away.” To not believe in this bliss and not experience it would be tragic and the ultimate consequence. Those who are obsessed in doing evil and completely content and stubborn in their unrighteousness will receive the second death in the lake of fire prepared for the devil only after their rejection of Christ and final judgment. There is no tormenting of their souls leading up to this judgment and there is no torment beyond their final spiritual death in the lake of fire. I also believe the second death is not a prolonged tormented death as reserved for the devil and his companions but similar to that of jumping into a lava lake of an active volcano. This lake of fire I believe will cease to exist at the destruction of all things and will not be remade in the renewal of the heavens and earth.
Let us pray: Father, help us to live a righteous life by loving You with all our hearts and all our souls and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Please guide all of us on our spiritual paths and help us to respect our differences in beliefs from one brother in Christ to the next. We pray this to you in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.
Doctrines of Division 