What is hell?
Question 10056
Hell is perhaps the most uncomfortable doctrine in Christianity, and many today prefer to ignore it or redefine it away. Yet Jesus spoke more about hell than about heaven, and the Bible is clear and consistent in its teaching. Hell is the place of eternal punishment for those who reject God. Understanding this sobering reality is essential not only for our theology but for our evangelism, for if hell is real, then sharing the gospel is the most urgent task we have.
The Biblical Terms for Hell
Scripture uses several different terms that we translate as “hell,” and understanding these helps us grasp the full biblical picture. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word sheol (שְׁאוֹל) refers to the realm of the dead, the grave, or the place where departed spirits go. It’s used in passages like Psalm 16:10, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,” quoted in Acts 2:27 regarding Christ’s resurrection.
The New Testament uses three Greek words. First, hades (ᾅδης) is roughly equivalent to the Old Testament sheol, referring to the realm of the dead. Jesus uses this term in His account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:23). Second, tartarus (ταρταρόω) appears only once (2 Peter 2:4), referring to the place where fallen angels are held. Third, and most significantly, gehenna (γέεννα) is used twelve times in the New Testament, eleven times by Jesus Himself, and refers to the final place of punishment.
Gehenna comes from the Hebrew Ge Hinnom, the Valley of Hinnom, a ravine south of Jerusalem where, in Old Testament times, some Israelites engaged in the horrific practice of child sacrifice to Molech (2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31). King Josiah desecrated the site, and it became the city’s rubbish dump, where fires burned continually to consume waste. Jesus used this vivid, known location as an image for the final place of punishment, calling it “the hell of fire” where “the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).
Hell as Eternal Punishment
Jesus taught clearly that hell is a place of eternal, conscious punishment. In Matthew 25:46, He says, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Notice that the same word “eternal” (aiōnios, αἰώνιος) describes both hell and heaven. If heaven is endless, so is hell. We cannot honestly claim to believe in eternal life whilst denying eternal punishment; the same Greek word governs both.
The book of Revelation describes the lake of fire as the final destiny of the devil, the beast, the false prophet, and all whose names are not written in the book of life (Revelation 20:10-15). It emphasises that “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). The phrase “forever and ever” (eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn) is the strongest expression of eternity in Greek.
Some argue that the fire imagery suggests annihilation rather than eternal suffering. However, this contradicts Jesus’ repeated emphasis on the unending nature of hell’s punishment. In Mark 9:48, quoting Isaiah 66:24, Jesus describes hell as the place “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” The undying worm and unquenchable fire point to ongoing, not temporary, punishment.
The Nature of Hell’s Punishment
Hell’s punishment has several aspects. First, it involves separation from God’s presence. Paul writes that those who reject the gospel “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). This separation from God, who is the source of all goodness, light, love, and joy, is itself a form of torment beyond our comprehension.
Second, hell involves conscious suffering. The rich man in Jesus’ account in Luke 16:23-24 was “in torment” and cried out, “I am in anguish in this flame.” This was not symbolic language; Jesus was describing real, experienced suffering. The fact that the rich man could see, speak, reason, and remember shows that hell is a place of conscious existence, not soul-sleep or annihilation.
Third, hell involves degrees of punishment. Jesus said it would be “more tolerable” for some cities than others in the day of judgement (Matthew 11:22, 24). This suggests that whilst all unbelievers go to hell, the intensity of their punishment corresponds to their guilt. God’s justice is perfect, and each person receives exactly what they deserve.
Fourth, hell is described with imagery of fire, darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 25:30). Whether the fire is literal or metaphorical, the reality it represents is worse than we can imagine. If these are only symbols, they must point to something even more terrible than literal fire, for God uses symbols to help us understand realities beyond our experience.
Who Goes to Hell and Why?
The Bible is clear that people go to hell because of their sin and their rejection of God’s provision for salvation. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). The issue is not primarily the quantity or quality of one’s sins but one’s response to Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:18-32 shows that all humanity is guilty before God. We have all “exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Romans 1:25) and “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23), and without Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we all stand condemned.
Some object that it seems unfair for finite sins to receive infinite punishment. However, this misunderstands the nature of sin. Sin is not just breaking arbitrary rules; it is rebellion against an infinite, eternal, holy God. The severity of a crime depends partly on whom it is committed against. To sin against the infinite God deserves an infinite punishment. Moreover, sinners in hell do not stop sinning; they continue in their rebellion for eternity.
It’s crucial to understand that God does not delight in judgement. “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). God has provided a way of escape through Jesus Christ. Those who go to hell do so despite God’s persistent offers of mercy, having trampled underfoot the Son of God and outraged the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29).
Responses to the Doctrine of Hell
The reality of hell should affect us in several ways. First, it should drive us to evangelism. If hell is real and eternal, then the most loving thing we can do is warn people and point them to Christ. Paul’s urgency in preaching makes sense only in light of eternal consequences: “knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others” (2 Corinthians 5:11).
Second, it should deepen our gratitude for salvation. When we grasp what we’ve been saved from, not just what we’ve been saved to, our appreciation for Christ’s sacrifice intensifies. The cross was Jesus taking the hell we deserved.
Third, it should move us to holiness. If we truly believe in hell, we won’t be casual about sin, either in our own lives or in our witnessing to others. The reality of eternal judgement is meant to produce “the fear of the Lord,” which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).
Fourth, it should give us perspective on suffering. Whatever hardships we face in this life pale in comparison to the eternal suffering of hell. This doesn’t minimise our present pain but puts it in eternal context.
Conclusion
The doctrine of hell is not something we should be eager to preach or gleeful about. It should grieve us, as it grieves God. Yet we cannot be faithful to Scripture whilst ignoring or redefining this teaching. Jesus spoke of hell repeatedly, not to frighten people for no reason but to warn them of real danger. Hell is as real as heaven, as eternal as God’s existence, and as certain as His Word. But hell also magnifies the glory of the gospel. The good news is truly good only when we understand the bad news we’ve been saved from. God has provided a way of escape through Jesus Christ, who bore the wrath of hell on the cross so that all who trust in Him might be saved. That is why we preach Christ crucified with such urgency and joy.
“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46