Is There Fire in Hell?
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- Category: Bible Studies
- Published on Monday, 12 September 2011 02:58
- Written by Aurelius Raines
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Is There Fire in Hell?
This study is made up of scriptures that contain the word hell. I will explore the possibility that Hell does not have any fire. I will seek to find out if hell is simply the grave.
One of the words that the English word “hell” is translated from is the Hebrew word “sheol.” Consider the following definition of sheol.
In the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament Vol. II No. 2303, one finds these words, “The etymology [of the word hell] is uncertain. The word does not occur outside of the Old Testament, except once in the Jewish Elephantine papyri, where it means ‘grave.’ The word obviously refers in some way to the place of the dead.” This definition is a beginning to understanding how the scriptures use the word “hell” and the meaning it conveys.
The Hebrew word sheol must be understood in the context that is used. By doing this one will come to understand that sheol is used to define more than the simple grave. The following list of words are all translated from the Hebrew word sheol. This list of words includes the words: hell, grave, and pit.
Strong’s 7585 she'owl (sheh-ole'); or sheol (sheh-ole'); from 7592; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates: KJV-- grave, hell, pit.
Gen 37:35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the GRAVE unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
The above verse expresses the emotions of Jacob. After learning about what he thought was the death of Joseph, Jacob said he would go to Sheol. There is no fire in the sheol that Jacob mentions in this verse. Sheol in this verse is the realm of the dead. Sheol, as used here, is common to all men.
Gen 42:38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the GRAVE.
Once again sheol is used to describe the realm of the dead. There are no thoughts of fire or punishment here. Everyone that dies goes to sheol as it is described here.
Gen 44:29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Gen 44:31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the GRAVE.
Num16:30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the PIT; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
Here the word pit does not seem to express the traditional Christian view of hell. Sheol in this verse is used to describe the opening of the earth to receive the rebels against Moses. The opened earth not only became a grave for the rebels, but it carries the implication sheol is a place of punishment for the wicked.
Num 16:33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the PIT, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
Deut 32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest HELL, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
We read about a fire that God will send that will burn unto the lowest hell. However, this verse does not seem to have reference to the traditional Christian view of hell either. This verse is really talking about the severe judgment of God against Israel for forsaking Him and following after false Gods. The language of this verse describes the thorough and complete punishment of Israel for their sins against the God of heaven.
1 Sam 2:6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the GRAVE, and bringeth up.
This verse shows the power of God to bless or curse. The thing that man fears the most is death. Sheol in this verse is the realm of the dead. This verse shows that God can bring man’s worst fears upon him. God can also exalt a man.
2 Sam 22:6 The sorrows of HELL compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
The word “sorrows” in this verse is translated from the Hebrew word “heber.” Heber is more correctly translated as a cord or a rope. Here sheol is liken to a rope that binds. In other words, David is concerned about his well being because of the wicked men that wanted to take his life. On one occasion David declared that there was only a step between him and death. Hell is used in this verse to describe death.
1 King 2:6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the GRAVE in peace.
Sheol in this verse is simply referring to the tomb.
1 King 2:9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the GRAVE with blood.
Job 7:9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the GRAVE shall come up no more.
In this life death is forever. Job is expressing a thought in this verse that many of us feel at the death of someone we love. As long as we are on this earth, we will not come into contact with the ones that have already died. This is what Job is talking about in this verse. In this verse sheol is the home of the dead.
Job 11:8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than HELL; what canst thou know?
Zophar gives us some insight into hell. In this verse Zophar tries to give an idea about the greatness of God. His greatness is more than the height of heaven. It is greater than the depth of hell. I am sure that man at that time dug wells that were deeper than the holes they dug to bury men. What I am trying to say is that the graves that men were put in back in those days were not very deep relatively speaking. Zophar gives us a picture of hell being a very deep low place in the same sense that heaven is a very high place.
Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the GRAVE, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
Sheol is simply the tomb in this verse.
Job 17:13 If I wait, the GRAVE is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.
Job 17:16 They shall go down to the bars of the PIT, when our rest together is in the dust.
Job 21:13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the GRAVE.
The three verses above use sheol to describe the tomb.
Job 24:19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the GRAVE those which have sinned.
It is a fact of life that every one dies. Death is common for the righteous as well as the wicked. This verse teaches that sheol is for the sinner. Sheol in this verse seems to go further than just the grave or death. Sheol as it is used in this verse is the home of the sinner once he dies. It carries the thought of punishment here.
Job 26:6 HELL is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.
One can cover someone up in a grave or a pit. God still can see that individual. This verse seems to suggest that sheol is used to express more than the grave or pit. When people are in sheol they are out of the sight of the living. However, God still knows about them.
Ps 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the GRAVE who shall give thee thanks?
No fire in this sheol either. This verse is talking about the grave.
Ps 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into HELL, and all the nations that forget God.
Once again we find a verse in the Bible that suggest that Sheol is the place where the wicked go because of their wickedness.
Ps. 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in HELL; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
This verse is talking about the tomb. Reference is being made here of Jesus the Christ. Note that sheol is not used in this verse to describe the permanent home of the righteous. The thoughts of punishment and fire is lacking here.
Ps 18:5 The sorrows of HELL compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
Ps 30:3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the GRAVE: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
This verse describes how God has preserved the Psalmist from death. The grave here does not have any fire.
Ps 31:17 Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the GRAVE.
Ps 49:14 Like sheep they are laid in the GRAVE; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the GRAVE from their dwelling.
Ps 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the GRAVE: for he shall receive me. Selah.
Ps 55:15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into HELL: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
Ps 86:13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest HELL.
Ps 88:3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the GRAVE.
Ps 89:48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the GRAVE? Selah.
The previous verses all use sheol to describe the tomb. In none of these cases is there fire in the tomb. However, this is not the extent of the use of the word sheol.
Ps 116:3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of HELL gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
Ps 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in HELL, behold, thou art there.
This verse teaches that God is everywhere. There is no attempt to teach that hell is used here as a fiery place of eternal punishment. However, hell is the direct oppose of heaven.
Ps 141:7 Our bones are scattered at the GRAVE’S mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.
Prov 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the GRAVE; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
Prov 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on HELL.
Hell is used here to describe the home of the wicked dead.
Prov 7:27 Her house is the way to HELL, going down to the chambers of death.
Prov 9:18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of HELL.
The term depths of hell seem to suggest more here than just the tomb. In this verse the inhabitants of hell are alive and on the earth. It seems that those who live contrary to the will of God are described as in the depths of hell. Hell is used in the scriptures to describe more than the grave.
Prov 15:11 HELL and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
Prov 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from HELL beneath.
We all know that the wise man will eventually die if Christ doesn’t make his second return. Sheol in this verse has reference to more than just the tomb. Hell in this verse conveys a way of life that will lead to a spiritual eternity outside of the presence of God.
Prov 23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from HELL.
This verse certainly is not teaching that a child that is beaten with a rod will not die and be buried. Even the most obedient child will eventually die of old age. The hell that the obedient child is saved from must be the place of eternal punishment for the disobedient.
Prov 27:20 HELL and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Prov 30:16 The GRAVE; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
Eccles 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the GRAVE, whither thou goest.
This verse teaches that sheol is the place where everyone goes at death. Once someone dies, his physical ability to influence things on this earth does not exist. When one considers other verses, some already listed, sheol is used to describe the home of the dead. It is also used to describe the permanent home of the wicked.
Song 8:6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the GRAVE: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
Isaiah 5:14 Therefore HELL hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
We learn in this verse that sheol is where God will put the people that live contrary to the will of God. Sheol in this verse describes more than the simple grave. It describes the place that must be enlarged to receive the religious wicked.
Isaiah 14:9 HELL from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
Once again hell is used here to describe the place of the dead. In this verse we find proof for the thought that the inhabitants of sheol are conscious when we consider the words “it stirreth up the dead for thee.”
Isaiah 14:11 Thy pomp is brought down to the GRAVE, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
Isaiah 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to HELL, to the sides of the pit.
Isaiah 28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with HELL are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
When a person lives contrary to the will of God, they have made an agreement with the Devil. The Jews in Isaiah’s day were living in rebellion to the will of God. Living in rebellion to God automatically creates a covenant with the powers of Hell. Sheol is personified in this verse as the powers of evil. Once again we see that sheol is used to describe an evil habitation.
Isaiah 28:18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with HELL shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
Isaiah 38:10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the GRAVE: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
Isaiah 38:18 For the GRAVE cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
Isaiah 57:9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto HELL. Sheol is used here to describe a low place.
Ezek 31:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the GRAVE I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
Ezek 31:16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to HELL with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.
In this verse Ezekiel makes an difference between sheol and the pit. The pit as used here is common to all men. Sheol is not only the grave in this verse. It is also a place of punishment.
Ezek 31:17 They also went down into HELL with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
Ezek 32:21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of HELL with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
Ezek 32:27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to HELL with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
The preceding verses describe hell as a place of the spiritual dead.
Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the GRAVE; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O GRAVE, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
Amos 9:2 Though they dig into HELL, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:
Hell is used here to describe a low place.
Jonah 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of HELL cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
In this verse the whale’s belly is a hell for Jonah. Hell is a place of torment.
Hab 2:5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as HELL, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:
People are always dying. The numbers of people going to hell are always increasing. Hell is used here to describe the place of the dead. The English word hell is translated in the New Testament from three Greek words. They are gehenna, hades, and tartaroo. Let us consider some definitions concerning these words. The Unger’s Bible Dictionary has these words concerning Hades, “The ancient Greek view of Hades, and the Roman view of Orcus, or Inferna, is that of a place for all the dead in the depth of the earth; dark, dreary, cheerless, shut up, inaccessible to prayers and sacrifices, ruled over by Pluto. This presiding god was the enemy of all life, heartless, inexorable, and hated accordingly by gods and men. The Hebrew sheol is the equivalent for Hades.”
We know from Greek mythology that the realm of Hades was separated from the land of the living by five rivers. These rivers were Acheron, Kokytos, Lethe, Pyriphlegethon, and the Styx. The souls of the dead had to cross one of these rivers to go to Hades. Once in Hades the dead had reached their eternal home. My purpose in revealing these facts is so we can understand the use of the Greek word Hades in scripture. The Hebrews associated the Greek word Hades with the Hebrew word Sheol when they thought of the place where the dead goes. The dead in Hades were conscious. Hades was a place that souls went to after they were buried. If Hades was simply the grave, I am sure that another Greek word would have been used to describe the Hebrew word sheol. The Greek words mnemeion, semnos, mnema all are words that represent the thought of the grave better than the Greek word Hades.
Strong’s # 86 haides (hah’-dace); from 1 (as negative particle) and 1492; properly, unseen, i.e. “Hades” or the place (state) of departed souls: KJV—grave, hell.
Matt 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to HELL: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
This verse describes hell as a place of destruction. Hell as used in this verse is the direct opposite of being exalted. Instead of saying Capernaum would be exalted, Jesus teaches that Capernaum will be destroyed. We know that Capernaum is a city. Cities as a rule are not buried. However, they are destroyed. Another way to convey this thought is to say that Capernaum would be brought low. The sins of the people will cause Capernaum to be destroyed. Hell in this scripture defines the place where the wicked will go since Jesus had particular reference to the people living in Capernaum.
Matt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of HELL shall not prevail against it.
This verse lets us know that hell is more than just the tomb. We know that dead people do not feel anything or know anything in this time world. Dead people do not have the power to love or hurt. Dead people don’t think or cause living people any trouble. The word “gates” is used in a figurative sense. In this verse it describes strength or power. A gate is the means to allow one in or keep one out. This is how we come to understand the word “gates” as it is used in this verse to refer to strength or power. We understand Jesus to be teaching in this verse that hell has power. This power will make an attempt to overthrow the Church that Jesus Built. Hell contains the forces that fight against the Christian Church. These forces will not be successful in their attempt to overthrow the Church.
Luke 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to HELL.
Luke 16:23 And in HELL he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Many people believe this passage of scripture concerning the rich man and Lazarus is a parable. However, the form of a parable is not used here. Jesus was talking about people that had lived sometime in history. In this passage of scripture, the rich man died and was buried. Yet the rich man was able to see spiritual things like Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom. In this scripture hell is a place where the wicked go. Hell is a place where one burns without being destroyed. Hell is a place where people are conscious and can remember what they did while they were living. Hell is an awful place!
Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in HELL, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
In this verse Hell is the tomb.
Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in HELL, neither his flesh did see corruption.
1 Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O GRAVE, where is thy victory?
In this verse Hell is called the grave or the place of the dead.
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of HELL and of death.
In this verse Christ makes a difference between death and hell. Hell is used to describe the realm of the dead. Hell also describes a place where the wicked go after death for punishment. Since this verse makes a difference between death and hell, we must conclude that hell as used in this verse describes the eternal home of the wicked.
Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and HELL followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
In this verse hell is used to show the place where the dead go.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and HELL delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
This verse simply lets us know that all the dead, wherever or however they died, will be in the great white throne judgment.
Rev 20:14 And death and HELL were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
The realm of the dead will empty its contents into a lake a fire. This lake of fire is traditionally called hell by the people of God. Gehenna is a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jerusalem. Ancient Israel offered their children to Moloch there. Josiah put an end to this abomination by making the valley ceremonial unclean by spreading human bones over it. In time, Gehenna became a place where garbage and sewage was thrown. Unclean things were burned there. At no time in the history of Gehenna was it used as a graveyard. Therefore, it is not proper to think of gehenna as the common grave. A study of the scriptures should show that gehenna became a symbol of a place of eternal punishment for the wicked.
Strong’s # 1067 geena (gheh’-en-nah); of Hebrew origin [1516 and 2011]; valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment: KJV—hell.
Matt 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of HELL fire.
In this verse Jesus speaks of a hell that has a fire. This verse in the light of other scriptures leads one to believe that there is a place where the wicked are punished for their deeds. I can’t accept the argument that this fire has reference to the fire that burned in the valley of Hinnom. The Jew’s method of capital punishment was by stoning. The Roman method of capital punishment was death by hanging on the cross. If one did something worthy of death, one of these methods was used to punish the offender. However, the punishment that Jesus speaks of in this verse is not punishment that would be delivered by man. Jesus was not giving civil law in this verse. The transgressor of the first two offenses in this verse has to deal with man. The person that transgresses the last offense mentioned in this verse must deal with God.
Matt 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into HELL.
Matt 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into HELL.
In the two verses above, note the phrase "cast into hell.” It is not normal usage to say we cast the dead into a tomb. We normally bury people or put them away. We do not cast them anywhere. This lets us know that hell in this verse is not the grave. Death is a natural occurrence in nature. The Bible teaches that it is appointed unto man once to die. Therefore, we don’t have to cut off a hand to escape the grave. Since most people bury their dead, we can be assured that this verse isn’t talking about the grave. In this verse hell is a place where the unrepentant sinners go.
Matt 10:28 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.
In this verse we learn that hell is a place where the soul is destroyed. The tomb is the place where you put people that are already dead. The hell that Jesus mentions here is a place where you put the soul that has life. This verse is not talking about the tomb. The word destroy in this verse is translated from the Greek word “apollumi.” Apollumi is a word that carries the thought of not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being. This lets us know that Hell is a place where a soul experiences ruin and the loss of well-being.
Matt 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into HELL fire.
The hell mentioned in this verse has a fire. It is a fire that awaits those who sin against God. Man will not be the one that cast people into this fire. As noted above, men are not cast into the tomb. The sinner will be cast into hell.
Matt 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of HELL than yourselves.
Hypocrites are children of hell. A hypocrites’ place in hell is guaranteed.
Matt 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of HELL?
This verse teaches that hell is a place of damnation for the wicked. We have yet to find a verse in the New Testament that teaches the righteous are going to hell. Hell is the place for the wicked. The righteous will die but they won’t go to gehenna.
Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into HELL, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
This verse is much like the companion scripture that is found in the book of Matthew. However, we find Jesus speaking of a fire that can not be quenched. This cannot be the fire of Hinnom. This hell is a place where the sinner will be punished because he refuses to separate himself from his sins.
Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into HELL, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into HELL fire:
Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into HELL; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
When the average man dies someone buries him. There is a place called hell where men do not have the power to throw anyone. This hell, God alone has the ability to throw people.
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of HELL.
In this verse hell is used to describe the destructive power of evil that is instigated by the tongue. This is only further proof that hell refers to more than the grave. At the same time it informs us that hell has a fire.
Hell is also translated from another Greek word. This word only appears in the Greek text once. The word is Tartaroo and is translated into the English hell. Tartaroo was the name of a lower level of Hades in Greek mythology. It was a place where the Titans were punished. Later it was used in the same manner in which the word Hades was used. Tartaroo was not used to describe the grave. It was a place where spirits were tormented. Therefore, it would not be proper to use Tartaroo to describe the conditions of the grave. Let us study the scriptures so we can make a proper conclusion of just what hell really is.
Strong’s # 5020 tartaroo (tar-tar-o’-o); from Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment: KJV—cast down to hell.
2 Pet 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to HELL, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
This is the only place in the scriptures where the Greek word Tartaroo is used. Tartaroo was a place in Greek mythology where the Titans were punished. In this verse it describes the place where angels are punished for their transgressions.
A careful study of the scriptures above forces us to conclude that hell is used in the scriptures to describe the eternal home of unrepentant sinners. It is a place where sinners will be ruined and suffer the lost of well-being forever. Hell is a place of fiery torment for sinners.
APPENDIX A
Article Text on Sheol from the Nelson Bible Dictionary
SHEOL
[SHE ole] (meaning unknown)-- in Old Testament thought, the abode of the dead. Sheol is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek Hades, which means “the unseen world.” Sheol was regarded as an underground region Num. 16:30,33; Amos 9:2, shadowy and gloomy, where disembodied souls had a conscious but dull and inactive existence 2 Sam. 22:6; Eccl. 9:10. The Hebrew people regarded Sheol as a place to which both the righteous and unrighteous go at death Gen. 37:35; Ps. 9:17; Is. 38:10, a place where punishment is received and rewards are enjoyed. Sheol is pictured as having an insatiable appetite Is. 5:14; Hab. 2:5. However, God is present in sheol Ps. 139:8; (hell, NKJV). It is open and known to Him Job 26:6; Prov. 15:11. This suggests that in death God’s people remain under His care, and the wicked never escape His judgment. Sheol gives meaning to Psalm 16:10. Peter saw the fulfillment of this messianic psalm in Jesus’ resurrection Acts 2:27.
Also see HELL.
(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
(Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
APPENDIX B
Article Text on Hell from the Nelson Bible Dictionary
HELL
The place of eternal punishment for the unrighteous. The NKJV and KJV use this word to translate Sheol and Hades, the Old and New Testament words, respectively, for the abode of the dead. Hell as a place of punishment translates Gehenna, the Greek form of the Hebrew word that means “the vale of Hinnom”—a valley just south of Jerusalem. In this valley the Canaanites worshiped Baal and the fire-god Molech by sacrificing their children in a fire that burned continuously. Even Ahaz and Manasseh, kings of Judah, were guilty of this terrible, idolatrous practice 2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6. The prophet Jeremiah predicted that God would visit such destruction upon Jerusalem that this valley would be known as the “Valley of Slaughter” Jer. 7:31-34; 19:2,6. In his religious reforms, King Josiah put an end to this worship. He defiled the valley in order to make it unfit even for pagan worship 2 Kin. 23:10.
In the time of Jesus the Valley of Hinnom was used as the garbage dump of Jerusalem. Into it were thrown all the filth and garbage of the city, including the dead bodies of animals and executed criminals. To consume all this, fires burned constantly. Maggots worked in the filth. When the wind blew from that direction over the city, its awfulness was quite evident. At night wild dogs howled and gnashed their teeth as they fought over the garbage. Jesus used this awful scene as a symbol of hell. In effect he said, “Do you want to know what hell is like? Look at the valley of Gehenna.” So hell may be described as God’s “cosmic garbage dump.” All that is unfit for heaven will be thrown into hell.
The word Gehenna occurs 12 times in the New Testament. Each time it is translated as “hell.” With the exception of James 3:6, it is used only by Jesus Matt. 5:22,29-30; 10:28; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43, 45,47; Luke 12:5. In Matthew 5:22; 18:9; and Mark 9:47, it is used with “fire” as “hell fire.” So the word hell (Gehenna) as a place of punishment is used in the New Testament by Him who is the essence of infinite love.
In Mark 9:46 and 48, hell is described as a place where “their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” Repeatedly Jesus spoke of outer darkness and a furnace of fire, where there will be wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth Matt. 8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28. Obviously this picture is drawn from the valley of Gehenna.
The Book of Revelation describes hell as “a lake of fire burning with brimstone” Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8. Into hell will be thrown the beast and the false prophet Rev. 19:20. At the end of the age the devil himself will be thrown into it, along with death and hades and all whose names are not in the Book of Life. “And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” Rev. 20:10b. Because of the symbolic nature of the language, some people question whether hell consists of actual fire. Such reasoning should bring no comfort to the lost. The reality is greater than the symbol. The Bible exhausts human language in describing heaven and hell. The former is more glorious, and the latter more terrible, than language can express.
(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
(Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
APPENDIX C
Article Text on Valley of Hinnom from the Nelson Bible Dictionary
HINNOM, VALLEY OF
[HEN nahm]-- a deep, narrow ravine south of Jerusalem. At the HIGH PLACES of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom, parents sacrificed their children as a burnt offering to the pagan god Molech 2 Kin. 23:10. Ahaz and Manasseh, kings of Judah, were both guilty of this awful wickedness 2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6. But good King Josiah destroyed the pagan altars to remove this temptation from the Hebrew people. The prophet Jeremiah foretold that God would judge this awful abomination of human sacrifice and would cause such a destruction that “the Valley of the Son of Hinnom” would become known as “the Valley of Slaughter” Jer. 7:31-32; 19:2,6; 32:35. The place was also called “Tophet.”
Apparently, the Valley of Hinnom was used as the garbage dump for the city of Jerusalem. Refuse, waste materials, and dead animals were burned here. Fires continually smoldered, and smoke from the burning debris rose day and night. Hinnom thus became a graphic symbol of woe and judgment and of the place of eternal punishment called HELL. Translated into Greek, the Hebrew “Valley of Hinnom” becomes gehenna, which is used 12 times in the New Testament (11 times by Jesus and once by James), each time translated in the NKJV as “hell” Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6.
(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
(Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)