Hell

The word “hell” certainly appears in Scripture but doesn’t always mean the place of eternal torment.  The English word “hell” is often translated from three different words, one in Hebrew and two in Greek.

Sheol is the word usually translated as “hell” in the Hebrew of the Old Testament.  Sheol is a very general word and is used as just the resting place of the dead, not as the grave but where spirits dwell after physical death.  The word describes the place where both the righteous and unrighteous dwell (See Isa. 38:10 and Numbers 16:33 for comparison).

Hades is one of the Greek words often translated as “hell.”  Like sheol, hades is a general term meaning the state between death and physical resurrection.  We see this best defined by Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.  In verses 22 and 23, we get a brief description of what this hades is like:

Luke 19:22, 23   The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

Both the rich man and Lazarus are here and can see each other.  The righteous Lazarus is in a place of privilege, at Abraham’s side.  The unrighteous rich man is tormented but can communicate with Abraham.  Verse 26 tells us there is a great chasm separating the two areas of Hades, the Abraham’s area and the area where the unrighteous are punished.

Some believe this is a parable of Jesus and as a parable the facts and description of Hades are not accurate.  I don’t think so.  There are some commonalities in Jesus’ parables we don’t see here.  The major one is the fact Jesus never used names in His parables but did in other stories.  He also never used unrealistic situations in His parables.  They weren’t fairy stories but actual situations to which He applied spiritual lessons.  We don’t see this here.

Hades is where God has sent angels when they sinned.  They are in chains there in gloomy darkness until the judgment:

2 Peter 2:4   For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment

Ephesians 4:8, 9 tells us Jesus descended then led captives to heaven.  The early church believed this to have been Hades where Jesus during the time His body was in the tomb; went to Hades, preached to the lost explaining the prophecies of old had been fulfilled in Him, and led the righteous from the side of Abraham to heaven:

Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?)

One line of the Apostles Creed says “He descended into hell [Hades].”  This may be a reference to that early belief.

Gehenna is the second Greek word often translated as “hell.”  This is a reference to the valley of Hinnom, a place of Jewish apostasy, their celebration and worship of the false gods Chemosh and Molech took place (1 Kings 11:7).  King Josiah converted it into a place where dead bodies were thrown and burned, an example of eternal fire for the lost:

2 Kings 23:13, 14  And the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. ¹⁴ And he broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with the bones of men.

Gehenna is different from Hades in that it is clear Gehenna is solely a place of punishment and fire:

Matt. 5:22  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell [gehenna] of fire.

Jesus uses the idea of eternal punishment by fire when speaking of the future of the lost:

Matt. 3:12  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Matt. 25:46  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Why is this important?

A story is told of how famous evangelist and founder of Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishers, D. L. Moody, ran into an old seminary friend.  They talked about old times until Moody asked “How’s your theology?”  His friend replied, “Oh, I don’t believe in hell anymore.”

Moody became very agitated and poked his finger into the man’s chest pushing him against the wall.  “Who can turn,” Moody said, “Who can turn from telling the lost of what awaits them should they deny the free gift of God?”

The gospel is not just about what the saved are headed to.  The gospel is also about what we are saved from.