What is the truth behind hell
and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2nd Thessalonians 1:7–9)
If you were to die today, would you go to heaven or hell? This is a question often used by Christians evangelizing attempting to get people thinking about what happens after death and turn people’s attention to God. This question assumes that hell is both real and fair. Many people don’t believe they are going to hell and what could be part of the reason for this is how severe the punishment of hell is. What would qualify for an eternal insufferable burning, and who would believe it is fair for them to receive that punishment?
some Christians, who struggle with the concept, may hold the view that hell is just a place where there is no connection with God, however, most Christians believe that hell is a secluded area in which people burn eternally. I guess those who don’t believe in Christianity, have several more pressing questions about Christianity and so don’t even get to the point where they question fairness in the concept of hell.
The idea of hell also doesn’t seem to fit with a God who is all loving and all about free choice. God has given us free will to choose if we believe in Him, but if you don’t you will forever burn in a pit of molten sulfur. Something as questionable as this surely would require a full explanation in the Bible. The truth is a deeper search about the subject of hell shows the Bible doesn’t teach of an eternal fire but something vastly different. The word hell is the English translation of the Hebrew word “Sheol” and the Greek word “hades” both of which mean grave, this is the place all dead people go (righteous or unrighteous). It’s also important to know that the soul also dies at death rather than becoming an out-of-body soul “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing,(Ecclesiastes 9:5) and so he lies down and does not rise;
till the heavens are no more, people will not awake
or be roused from their sleep.
. (Job 14:12)
The Bible does indeed teach of a time of destruction by fire but not an eternal one. Look at the opening verse in this article and note the juxtaposition of everlasting and destruction which needs resolving. There are several destructions or deaths mentioned in the bible (destruction of Jerusalem, destruction of the temple, etc.) but none of these are eternal as everyone will be raised at one time or another (quote). The eternal destruction is the one that lasts forever, this is why Jesus can say “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.” (Matthew 10:28). The eternalness of this destruction is the fact that its consequences are forever and there will be no resurrection.
This still doesn’t explain all the questions around hell as we still have to explain the “no rest day nor night” and everlasting fire” mentioned in Revelation 14 and Matthew 25. The Greek word for everlasting is “aionios” which also could be translated as age. This word is used to describe a continuous action without interruption such as an emperor’s reign may be continuous until death. This explains why those who receive this punishment have no rest for the duration of the burning.
The example we are given of this destruction is Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis. This was a physical destruction that took place on earth of which they are suffering until today “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 7) No place on earth is eternally burning. This imagery is also used by John in the revelation describing the fire as ascending forever.
In pagan religions, hell is a fiery underworld that is normally kept by a pagan god. The introduction of hell into Christianity was the result of certain Christian theologians such as Augustine. I don’t know how much people feel comfortable about the idea of an eternal fire, however, the lack of talking about the topic suggests people are fine with it. I also think as a Christian it is important to question things we don’t understand about the bible because then we reach a point where it is hard to even make changes to our own beliefs which is something that is so lacking in the world today.
