Is There Really a Hell? (Part 2: What is “Eternal Punishment”?)
As we noted in the previous article of this series, the term “hell” may represent one of two things in Scripture (depending on which Bible version one is using). For example, the King James Version uses the term in reference to (1) Hades and (2) Eternal Punishment. In our previous article (Part 1) we learned that the terms “Hades” (Greek) and “Sheol” (Hebrew) refer to “the common receptacle of disembodied spirits” (Online Bible Greek Lexicon). This is where a person’s soul goes when they physically die between now and the Judgment Day (Lk. 16:19-31; Acts 2:27). In this article we want to examine the subject of “hell” as it is used in reference to eternal punishment.
Believe it or not, there are many people who deny that there is a place of eternal punishment, in spite of the fact that the Bible frequently refers to such a place. Others, who believe it exists, deny that lost sinners will suffer there forever and ever. Rather, they believe that the lost will be annihilated on or shortly after the Day of Judgment. As a result of the denial of Hell or of “everlasting” punishment there is little preaching on it in many places; and countless people have no fear of it. (Think of it, what better tool could Satan use than to persuade people to believe that there are no consequences of sin? Isn’t that what he did to Eve in the Garden of Eden, Gen. 3:1-7)? But what does the Bible say?
The Bible offers many descriptive expressions of the place it calls “eternal (everlasting) punishment” (Matt. 25:46). Hell is referred to as the “lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15), “lake of fire and brimstone” (21:8), and “furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:42, 50). It is described as a place of “unquenchable fire” (Mk. 9:43-44, 46, 48), “weeping (wailing) and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12; 13:50), “outer darkness” (8:12; 25:30), etc.
The most common Greek word used in the original language of the New Testament to reference hell is the word “gehenna.” “Gehenna” derives from the “valley of the son of Hinnom” (it was a valley outside of Jerusalem). Here Ahaz and Manasseh sacrificed their sons by fire to Molech (2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6). Eventually, the valley became a place for dumping and burning refuse (so much so that it is said that the fire burned day and night). After the Old Testament period, Jewish apocalyptic writers began to call the Valley of Hinnom the entrance to hell, and later it represented hell itself. Twelve times the New Testament uses the term “gehenna” in this way (Matt. 5:22; Lk. 12:5; Jas. 3:6; etc.).
As you can clearly see, the Bible affirms that Hell is an actual place – just as it assures us that there will be a place of eternal life for those who will be saved (Rev. 21). In Matthew 25:46 Jesus spoke of both heaven and hell when he said (concerning the wicked), “and these will go away into everlasting punishment (a.k.a., hell), but the righteous into eternal life (a.k.a., heaven).”
Now let me ask you this: do you believe in “heaven”? Friends, if hell doesn’t exist, then heaven doesn’t exist either, for Jesus spoke of them both in the same verse! What you do with the one you must do with the other. Obviously, they both exist. Which one would you prefer to spend eternity in?
Please look for “Part Three” in this small series as we will discuss the duration of hell.
Aaron Veyon
