10/21/2025
There are a few things we have to remember when we attempt to describe hell: None of us have actually been there. No one who might be there will ever return to tell about it. And everything we really know about hell is written in the Bible. It gives a graphic description explaining something no one can adequately describe, at least not in the sense that we could fully grasp. In fact most of what is written uses symbolic references that the early church would have understood. But the fact is, to describe the horrors of hell is almost like trying to describe the color blue to someone born blind.
So what happens after death? It's a fact of life that we all must face death some day. We also know that everyone "has sinned and fallen short of God's glory" (Romans 3:23). But scripture says that, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:16-17). We have a way to be saved, if we believe "Jesus is the Christ" (John 20:31), "God with us" (Matthew 1:23) and God made flesh (John 1:14). The gift of salvation isn't forced but received by grace through faith when we "repent and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15). And if someone dies without faith in Jesus and His work, scripture says they will be condemned to hell.
The Bible is clear that there is no way to be saved after someone dies (Hebrews 9:27). To illustrate this, Jesus told a parable about a rich man who was in Hades and another man (Lazarus) who was carried to Abraham’s bosom. The story tells about a "great chasm” between heaven and Hades that is “set in place,” so that no one can cross from one side to the other. (Luke 16:19-31)
In the Old Testament, the King James Version translates שְׁאוֹל as "hell", but this is more correctly translated as Sheol. Sheol means "underworld" or “place to which people descend at death”. In the New Testament, which was written in Greek, it's translated as Hades, which also refers to the "place of the dead".
The word "hell" in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word "Gehenna" (גיא בן הינום) which is Hebrew for the Valley of Hinnom (or Valley of the sons of Hinnom). This was a place outside of Jerusalem where pagans once worshipped Molech by sacrificing children (Leviticus 18:21; Leviticus 20:2-5; Deuteronomy 12:31). It was turned into a dumb where garbage was burned. Bodies of those who were executed by the Romans as well as those who had no place to be properly burried were thrown in as well. The fires, maggots, worms and other verom along with the stench of rotting garbage and flesh made an extremely graphic description of what hell would be like.
What seems to be indicated is that hell and Hades are not actually the same place. Two different words were used showing they could be two separate places.
The Bible warns about hell, describing it with images of darkness, gnashing of teeth, fire, and complete separation from God. Darkness is consistently associated with hell. Job tells of a "land of darkness and deep shadow, the land of utter gloom as darkness itself, of deep shadow without order, and which shines as the darkness,” (Job 10:21-22), "darkness” (Job 17:13), even a “day of darkness” (Job 15:23). Other references to darkness that can be found in the Bible include: Nahum 1:8; Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30; Jude 1:13; Revelation 16:10.
Jesus spoke about hell more than any other person in the Bible. Several times He used the phrase "gnashing teeth" to describe the intense pain and suffering in hell: Matthew 8:12; Matthew 13:41-43; Matthew 13:50; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 24:51; Matthew 25:30; Luke 13:28.
Isaiah prophesied about hell as the place where “their fire will not be quenched” (Isaiah 66:24), which would indicate that hell and its punishment is eternal. This "unquenchable fire" is also referenced in Mark 9:43 and Mark 9:48. Other fire references in the Bible include: Matthew 13:42; Matthew 13:50; Matthew 5:22; Matthew 18:9; Matthew 18:8; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 14:10.
In this life, both believers and unbelievers experience God’s blessings on earth (Matthew 5:45; Luke 6:35; Romans 2:4). But in Hell, there is an eternal separation from God’s presence, His love, and every other blessing: “away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
“Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41)
“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)
Jesus also described hell and punishment to be eternal (Matthew 18:8; Matthew 25:41; Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:48)
Now what is the Lake of Fire? The “Lake of Fire” is mentioned in the last few chapters of Revelation (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10, Revelation 20:14-15; Revelation 21:8). It’s described as “the second death” in Revelation 21:8, where all the unrighteous will be thrown. Revelation 19:20 tells us “the beast” and its “false prophet” will be thrown into the lake of fire for final punishment of evil. The devil will be thrown in with the beast and false prophet and they will be "tormented day and night forever and ever." (Revelation 20:10) This is another indication that hell is a place of eternal punishment.
As I mentioned earlier, the words hell and Hades don't seem to necessarily refer to the same place. At the final judgement, "death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them." The dead are judged "according to their deeds". Death and Hades are then "thrown into the lake of fire", perhaps because their purpose has been served and they are no longer needed. Then anyone whose name "was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:13-15). The Lake of Fire seems to more clearly model the description of the place we call hell than Hades or Sheol.
Whether Sheol, Hades or the lake of fire is hell or they are all interchangeably referring to what we think of as hell, there is one thing we can be sure of; Hell is an eternal place of unimaginable pain and suffering that was made for Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41) and not intended for us, but it is clear that God will have the unrighteous thrown in as well.
Russel Moore once asked a question, “Scripture is quite clear that hell is indeed everlasting. Yes, Scripture speaks of hell as ‘death’ and ‘destruction’ but defines these in terms of a place where ‘they will be tormented day and night forever and ever’ (Revelation 20:10). Why must this go on forever?”
Then he gave two reasons why hell is eternal:
First, "sin is more serious than we realize.
Humanity’s rebellion against God is more serious than we realize. An insurrection against an infinitely holy and worthy Creator is an infinitely heinous offense."
Second, "sin does not disappear.
Those in hell do not love the Lord their God with all their heart, souls, and mind (Matthew 22:37), but are completely handed over to the fullness of human nature without God’s grace. The condemnation continues for eternity because the sin does too. Hell is the final 'handing over' (Romans 1) of the rebel to who he wants to be, and it’s awful."
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)
God bless
