THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE – 76 Hell Clarified
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28, KJV).
Introduction
Loved ones, in our Spiritual Battle it seems to be getting more common every day for people in the religious world to not just doubt, but to outright reject the idea that hell is real. Among such people are even some who are religious leaders. Also, it is not all that uncommon to find folks who will admit that there is a hell, but who do not believe that it will be eternal or everlasting.
NO HELL...An Appealing Doctrine
If we could find evidence to support the idea that there will never be a hell, a place of punishment, that would definitely be attractive, wouldn't it? However, before we immediately jump on that bandwagon, we need to see what we can find regarding these beliefs in the Bible. In this brief article we will review what has been revealed to us in the Scriptures on this matter of HELL. We all need to know what God's Word actually says. This is too critically important to take lightly or to be willing to take a chance on.
The Bible Definitely Talks About "Hell!"
There are three Greek words translated by the common term “hell” in the KJV of the New Testament. Transliterated and anglicized, the first word translated “hell” is HADES. This word exactly corresponds to the Hebrew “sheol” which is used in the Old Testament. The Greek “hades” is translated “hell” ten times in the authorized King James Version (KJV). Unfortunately this has brought about a good bit of confusion and misguidance regarding this word.
Many assume that the words “hades” and “hell” are referring to the same place; i.e., that hades is just a less harsh-sounding word that means the same as hell. However, that is NOT correct. The words are different. Hades is a different place from hell – different in name, in purpose, and in duration. It means the unseen state, the abode of the disembodied spirits. Hades is used in the New Testament to identify a temporary place for souls after death, but before the final Judgment. Though it is one-time translated grave (1 Corinthians 15:55), it never means the grave alone.
The second word translated “hell” is Tartarus. This word is used only once and is translated “cast down to hell” (2 Peter 2:4). Here, it is used of the abode of evil angels prior to their banishment to Gehenna, their ultimate destiny (cf. Matthew 25:41). It is a place where WICKED souls are kept until judgment, and is evidently a division of Hades, the other division where GOOD spirits are kept being called paradise (Luke 23:43) or Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:19-31).
The third word rightful translated “hell” is Gehenna. The word is found twelve times in the Greek New Testament. In eleven of these instances, it is Jesus Christ Himself who employs the term (Matthew 5:22; 23:15, 33; etc.). The Bible says Gehenna is the final and eternal abode (destiny) of everybody who is disobedient to the will of God, be it man, woman, angel, or demon. This is the place of eternal punishment for the incorrigibly wicked, and is the only word which ought to be translated “hell” for the sake of clarity.
John says, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). The Bible says that the place of eternal punishment is a lake of fire. However, it also describes the same place as one of outer darkness (Matthew 25:30). We are sure both of these expressions could not be literal since where fire is there could hardly be complete darkness, and if either expression is literal, it is more than can be proved. The fire probably is figurative, but do not be deceived, the suffering is literal enough.
The Duration Of Both Heaven And Hell
The Jehovah Witness cult and others believe that the punishment of the lost, the unbelieving and the unfaithful, will actually be brief, because they teach that the punishment will be in the form of annihilation (total destruction). This is in direct conflict with what the Scriptures say quite clearly. Those who contend that the wicked will be annihilated are in error. But is the issue one of importance? Yes. Any theory of divine retribution which undermines the full consequences of rebelling against God has to be most dangerous.
The words "eternal" and "everlasting" (Greek, aionios) are used repeatedly with reference to how long HELL will last. This word means “till the end of the age,” and in reference to temporal things may be limited in its scope. But in reference to that which lies beyond this life it is always unlimited. Both words mean “ceaseless, forever, never ending.” Hell shall be a prison from which there can never be an escape. It shall hold the unredeemed sinner just as long as heaven shall hold the saved. One shall not outlast the other. How trifling, then, are the cares of this life in view of eternity!
It is clear enough from the Bible that man will be conscious in hell. The Bible employs a number of expressions to describe the emotional state of Gehenna, which can only imply the concept of conscious agony. Punishment implies consciousness. It would be absurd to describe those who no longer exist as being “punished.”
The wicked will be “tormented” with the fire of Gehenna (cf. Revelation 14:10-11). Torment certainly implies awareness (cf. Revelation 9:5; 11:10). While the punishment of the wicked is called destruction, it could NOT be annihilation, for the person who ceased to exist could hardly be in torment. Everything the Bible teaches about the immortality of the spirit of man goes to prove that he will be conscious in eternity, and if his fate is that of the unrighteous, he is to be conscious in his torment.
The Bible says man will have a body in hell. There is to be a resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:35-49; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Since the spirit of man never dies, this is to be a bodily resurrection. The bodies of the righteous will in some manner beyond our present knowledge be changed from vile to glorious bodies, fitted for heaven (Philippians 3:20-21; cf. 1 John 3:2).
What change if any shall take place in the bodies of the wicked we are not informed in the Bible, but the body will be cast into hell with the spirit. “Fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
In Matthew 25:41 Jesus was describing somewhat what the judgment scene will be like, and He said to the unfaithful, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” John describes what the torment and punishment in hell will be like as he writes in Revelation 14:11, "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever.”
Jesus provided some enlightenment on this matter by dealing with the duration of both heaven and hell in the same verse. We find this in Matthew 25:46 where He declared that the unfaithful "will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Since the words everlasting and eternal mean the same (for they are translated from the same Greek word), it becomes obvious that the punishment of the wicked is going to last the same length of time as the reward of the righteous! They will both be without end!
Who Needs This Lesson?
First, everyone who does NOT KNOW God or has NOT obeyed the Gospel. Second Thessalonians 1:7-9 says, “7 …and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”
Second, everyone who DOES KNOW God and HAS obeyed the Gospel. Why do these need this lesson? Because “he who thinks he stands should take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Also, only those who endure “to the end” will be saved (Matthew 10:22). Therefore, Christians are told to “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10)
Let's Summarize...
There is a place the Bible calls "hades," where all the dead souls go on a temporary basis to await the resurrection of all the dead.
There is another place the Bible calls "hell" (Gehenna), and this is an eternal, everlasting, permanent, never-ending place of punishment which will be occupied by all who have rejected God and those who have fallen away from God.
Then there is still another place which the Bible calls "Heaven" (Philippians 2:10). “20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).
Heaven is that place that most everyone wants to go to, but Jesus says that only few will find and inhabit it (cf. Matthew 7:13-14). WHY? Because most have been unwilling to obey the Gospel and submit themselves to the will of God (Romans 10:16; Matthew 7:21).
Each one of us needs to make up our mind for sure as to which place we want to occupy forever — heaven or hell. Assuming that heaven is our choice, by faith we then need to be diligent in making the necessary preparations so that our desire is fulfilled (READ 2 Peter 1:5-11; cf. Galatians 5:22-26).
The churches of Christ are neither Catholic, Protestant, nor Jew (Romans 16:16; Matthew 16:18-19). We are the loving suffering body of Christ (Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:4-6) – CHRISTIANS: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16; cf. Acts 11:26; 26:28).
Through the free gift of God’s grace by Jesus’ blood (Ephesians 2:8; Revelation 1:5) and your obedient faith (Romans 1:5; 10:17; 16:26), salvation is offered. If you have questions or wish to comment, please do so. Lord willing, a Bible answer will be provided for every Bible question.
Shared with you by Samuel A. Matthews, preaching with the Liberty NW church of Christ, meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. The God of Heaven and Earth is so good, and His love reaches all. He is in control, so trust Him. We love you with the love of the Lord (John 13:34-35).