The Biblical View of 'Hell' (2)

A word does refer to burning—burning up, that is

It is only with the remaining word translated “hell”—the Greek word gehenna —that we see some elements people commonly associate with the traditional view of hell. However, this word also has significant differences from the popular conception.

Gehenna “is derived from the Hebr[ew] expression, ga-Hinnom, Valley of Hinnom … Religiously it was a place of idolatrous and human sacrifices … In order to put an end to these abominations, [Judah’s King] Josiah polluted it with human bones and other corruptions (2 Kings 23:10-14)” (Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, 1992, p. 360).

Thanks in large part to its evil reputation, this valley bordering Jerusalem on the south came to be used as the city garbage dump. Trash was burned there, along with the bodies of dead animals and criminals. Fires day and night consumed the refuse.

Gehenna is used 12 times in the Bible, with 11 of those recording Christ’s words. When Jesus spoke of gehenna, His listeners knew that this “hell” was a consuming fire in which garbage and the bodies of the wicked were destroyed. He bluntly warned that this destroying fire would be the fate of the incorrigibly wicked (Matthew 5:22-30; Matthew 23:15-33; Luke 12:5).

But when would this take place? The book of Malachi reveals that the future age to come is when the unrepentant wicked will be incinerated in an all-consuming inferno and turned to ashes on the earth (Malachi 4:1-3).

The book of Revelation calls this inferno “the lake of fire”—with those cast into it at the end experiencing “the second death,” a death from which there will be no resurrection (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10-15; Revelation 21:8).

In the time frame revealed in the Bible, this follows 1,000 years of Christ’s reign on the earth (Revelation 20:1-6) and a resurrection to physical life of all those who have never known God and His ways (Revelation 20:5; Revelation 20:11-13). Those resurrected at that time will have the opportunity to learn God’s ways, repent and receive His gift of eternal life. Some, however, will refuse that gift. The Bible records their tragic epitaph: “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

Those who with full understanding willfully choose to reject God’s way won’t be allowed to continue living in the misery their choice will bring. They will die and cease to exist, not suffer forever.

We see, then, that an examination of all the words translated “hell” and of related concepts in Scripture shows that the traditional view of an ever-burning place of torment where the wicked are punished for eternity cannot be found in the Bible.

God bless you all.