What is hell?  Where do bad people go when they die? Most people think hell equals eternal fiery torture, demons pitchforks tormenting mankind for all eternity, but the Bible says something very different. 

It might be worth it to take another look. Your picture of hell may be based on medieval poetry rather than Scripture, Let’s take a look at a few things. First, what hell is. Then we’ll talk about what it isn’t. And we’ll finally finish with why it matters. 

First things first, in the Bible there are four words that are translated into hell. Four words, one translation, a lot of confusion. These 4 words first begin with Sheol, which is Hebrew. The second is Hades, which is Greek, and both of those mean the same thing–the grave.

The next word that we find in the Bible that is translated into hell is tartarus. It’s only used one time in the book of 2 Peter, and that is a reference to demons being restrained or imprisoned. The final word, Gehenna, is the hell of final judgment, an unquenchable fire where those who reject God face ultimate destruction. Mixing these four words up can really lead to a big misunderstanding in who God is, His justice, His mercy–all of it. 

Let’s talk about Gehenna for a second. Gehenna wasn’t an imaginary place. It was referencing the Valley of Hinnom which is just outside of ancient Jerusalem, was once a site of pagan child sacrifice to Molech. You can read about that in Jeremiah 7 & 2 Kings 16 & 21. Gehenna was a cursed place never used for worship. 

In 2 Kings 23. In Jesus' day, Gehenna–this Valley of Hinnom–was a trash dump with an ever burning fire. To the listeners, the followers of Jesus Christ, Gehenna was a literal place. It had a direct reference, and it led them to the idea of total destruction. They understood that. A place that left nothing but ash. 

Gehenna is actually used in prophecy as well. It’s not just history, it’s prophecy. If you go to Isaiah 30, Gehenna is referenced as a place prepared for Satan or the King of Assyria. In Revelation 19:20, Gehenna is a place where the beast and false prophet are thrown in alive at the end. In Revelation 20, Gehenna is referenced as a place of final judgment where the wicked are destroyed forever. So Gehenna, or this place of hell, it refers to eternal punishment, not eternal punishing. It’s a big difference between those two things. So where did this other hell come from?

This concept that we find in most of Christian theology… the first place was from Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. We can find it in medieval manuscript art. The second: Dante’s Inferno, a satirical poem. These nine rings of ironic punishments are just pure fiction, and yet somehow people treated it as doctrine. It became something that people casually believed until it became something entrenched in the minds of the people. 

The theory of Thomas Aquinas and Dante‘s version of hell twist 4 core biblical truths. Number 1: humans there never die. That’s not what the Bible says. Jesus said God destroys both body and soul in Gehenna. That’s Matthew 10: 28. Number 2: people are in hell now. The Bible says the dead know nothing until the resurrection.  Ecclesiastes 9:5 & Acts 2:29. The 3rd false theory is that Satan is in hell now, but the Bible clearly says by the apostle Peter, that Satan is roaming the Earth seeking to destroy. That’s 1 Peter 5: 8, & you could also reference Job 1:6 -7 & 2: 2 of Job. The 4th false theory is that the demons run hell, but Jesus says that He will judge all people. Take a look there at John 5:21-23. 

Dante’s hell gives demons the power to punish. The Bible gives that authority to Jesus Christ, the one who died for us. There's a big difference, once again, between what the world has taught and what the Bible says. John 5: 22 says the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the son, not Satan. Romans 12:19 says Beloved, do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it is written vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord.

Hebrews 10:30 for we know him who said vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord, and again the Lord will judge His people. That means judgment is carried out with perfect righteousness, mercy, and understanding not by sinful demons or even Satan himself. 

So why is this lie dangerous? This false view of hell fuels other false beliefs: the idea of the immortal soul, the idea that there are no resurrections. Another false belief: that the Earth is under God‘s current rule rather than Satan still being the ruler of this age. And finally the demons have a God-given role in judging people. Again, it’s just not there. These distortions twist God’s character and separate people from truly understanding His plan. So the bottom line: hell, it’s real, but the truth is so much better. Mankind is not set for eternal torment. In God‘s mercy, He brings eternal finality to those who refuse Him.