Yes, you read the title correctly. The Bible speaks nothing of a place of eternal torment in the afterlife. You might be thinking “Wait! Doesn’t the Bible talk about Hell?” Many translations of the Bible do contain the word Hell, but neither the definitions nor the biblical contexts of these words describe these words as places of eternal torment. The same goes for the other terms associated with the final punishment such as the unquenchable fire and lake of fire.
In this article, we will shortly discuss the definitions of original Hebrew and Greek words translated to Hell, as well as discuss how all the terms that speak of the final punishment are used throughout Scripture to gain a better understanding of their meaning.
Sheol
The Hebrew word Sheol (7585) can be found 66 times in Hebrew Scripture (i.e. the Old Testament). Most versions translate it as "grave," while some just transliterate it as Sheol. Some versions like The King James translate Sheol as "Hell." According to the dictionary portion of Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, Sheolmeans/refers to the "underworld (a place into which people descend at death)." We could hastily say that this speaks of Hell; however, no-where in Scripture does it ever speak of a place of fiery conscious torment for the wicked after death.
All people, even the righteous, went to Sheol (Gen. 37:35; Psa. 16:10; & 49:15). And the scriptures say that when people (wicked or righteous) died, they slept (1 Kgs. 1:21; Psa. 13:3; Dan. 12:2; John 11:12-13; 1 Cor. 15:51). Sheol was never characterized as a place of fiery torture and punishment, and it couldn't have been since righteous people went there as well; rather, it was a state or place of unconscious rest.
Hades
Hades (86) is the Greek equivalent of Sheol and is used in place of Sheol throughout the New Testament: We find throughout the Old Testament that Sheol is simply just another word for "death" (2 Sam. 22:6; Psa. 6:5; 49:14; 89:48; Prv. 7:27; & Hos. 13:14), while in the New Testament Hades is also used as another word for "death" (Rev. 1:18; 6:8; & 20:13-14). The dictionary part of Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defines Hadés as "the abode of departed spirits.” Note that (just as with Sheol) all departed spirits went to this place, not just the wicked. And, as we found in the Old Testament, when people died, their souls/spirits rested or slept silently, awaiting the resurrection (Dan. 12:13).
Unless there's a whole other place of rest for the dead, the use of Hades in New Testament Scripture is referring to Sheol, the place where all dead spirits rested, not where they endured torment. (We will discuss the torment in Hades found in the parable of the rich man and the beggar later in this book).
Tartarus
The Greek word Tartarus (5020) is translated to "Hell" in Second Peter 2:4 (the only passage in which this word is found in Greek [New Testament] Scripture, in fact): "God didn't spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into Hell [Tartarus] and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment."
Although Tartarus was a mythological place of perpetual conscious punishment in Greek mythology, if we want to build a scriptural case for a place of torment, we must do so from Scripture, not Greek mythology; we must look at how the Bible uses this word and make a decision from there. Tartarus may only appear in this one place, but Jude did go on in verse 6 of his letter to say this: "Angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, God has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day."
A candid reading of both verses shows us that there was a place in which God held defiant angels to await judgment and Jude chose to use this Greek word to name this place where rebellious angels were being kept. We can be sure that Jude is not speaking of "Hell" as it's commonly understood, because it was a place to await judgment rather than a place of punishment after judgment. Also, neither Peter nor Jude said anything about torment, only darkness, not to mention that neither of them said anything about humans being in that place with those angels.
Gehenna
This is the only Greek word that does refer to the final punishment, but when we look at its definition and how it is used in Scripture, we find it does not mean what many think it does. Whenever we find Jesus using the word "Hell,” it's almost always from the Greek word Gehenna (save for a few times the word Hades is written). Gehenna is the Greek word for an actual valley on the southwest side of Jerusalem, just outside the city walls. The Hebrew name for this valley is Valley of the Son of Hinnom or the Hinnom Valley. We'll look more into its history later on, but for now, consider how it is used in these few passages:
In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said, "Don't fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; rather fear Him Who's able to destroy both soul and body in Hell (Gehenna)." Notice that Gehenna is a place of destruction rather than eternal torment, and the physical bodies of people could be destroyed there, rather than souls being tormented.
In Matthew 5:30 Jesus said, "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into Hell (Gehenna)." Notice again, the physical body could go to this place, meaning that it couldn't be a spiritual place of torment.
Jesus also called Gehenna the place where "the worm doesn't die, and fire isn't quenched" (Mark 9:48). This a reference to Isaiah 66:24. We can think this sounds like our idea of Hell, but if we consult the prophetic chapter of Isaiah 66, we find that the topic of this passage was the destruction of a city (vv. 15-16).
In verse 24, to which Jesus referred, we find it speaks of dead, biological bodies being piled up, burned, and eaten by worms, and very much alive people would walk by and look on this site in disgust; this clearly speaks of something happening on the physical earth. So, Gehenna also isn’t speaking of a place of everlasting spiritual torment in the afterlife, but of destruction; possibly a destruction on a city where dead bodies would be piled up, burned and eaten by worms.
You might be asking why Jesus would use the name of a valley to refer to destruction. In Jeremiah 7, the prophet Jeremiah himself is confronting the people of Jerusalem about their idol worship and corruption. We see in verse 31 of this chapter that they were making child sacrifices to pagan gods in a section of the Hinnom Valley called Topheth. Because of these actions, in verse 32 God names the valley, Slaughter; because the people of Jerusalem would soon be slaughtered, and their bodies would be thrown into the valley. The Hinnom Valley, or Gehenna then seems to be a euphemism for a destruction of the city of Jerusalem.
To translate this Greek word to an English word speaking of eternal conscious torment as many bible translators have done is to not honor the usage of Gehenna and Hinnom Valley throughout scripture, nor the immediate context in New Testament passages where Jesus uses this word to describe physical death and desolation.
Other Terms For Final Punishment
You might be wondering about the other terms for final punishment. Great question. Though I will not go into as much detail with these terms for brevities sake, I will provide references where each of these terms are used throughout Scripture, so you can look and see what they mean in those places. Please read a few verses before and after the verses referenced to get a better understanding of the context.
What you will find in these passages is that ALL of these terms describe judgments on cities on the physical earth, not eternal torment in the afterlife.
Unquenchable Fire
Isaiah 34:9-10; 66:24; Jeremiah 4:4; 7:20; and Ezekiel 20:47-48.
Fiery Furnace
Isaiah 31:9; Ezekiel 22:20; and Malachi 4:1.
Eternal/Everlasting Fire
Isaiah 33:14; Jeremiah 17:4; and Jude 1:7 (note what the eternal fire to Sodom and Gomorrah was).
Lake Of Fire
Though the only place you will find the term “lake of fire” is in the book of Revelation, the terms “fire and brimstone” and “drinking the wrath” are used interchangeably with the lake of fire; when can find these other two terms throughout scripture.
Drinking the Wrath: Psalm 75:8; Job 21:20; Jeremiah 25:15, 17-18; Isaiah 49:12; 51:17, 22; 63:6; and Lamentations 4:21-22.
Fire and Brimstone: Deuteronomy 29:23; Job 18:15; Psalm 11:6; Isaiah 33:30; 34:9; Ezekiel 38:22; and Luke 17:29.
So all of the terms in the Bible referring to the final punishment speak of a physical destruction of a city or nation. So now we might be wondering, “how can this possible?” and “what city or nation will this happen to if so and when?”
What Is the Final Punishment
Since the final punishment happens at the end of the age, to accurately pinpoint where and when the final punishment (destruction) will happen, it is imperative to understand what the last days are about. You may be familiar with a lot of end-times teaching, but let me ask you this: Did what you believe about the final punishment come from someone else or others telling you how to interpret the last days passages? Or did it come from you reading the passages yourself and applying hermeneutics (such as comparing scripture with scripture and reading in context) to come to your own conclusions? If the answer is no, or maybe not, would you join me in doing this now briefly?
Though one article is not enough time to explain everything, I will briefly share some thoughts that I hope you will consider.
Let us look at some key points in Matthew 24 (a pivotal passage on the last days) and the few chapters leading up to it:
In Matthew 21, Jesus tells the Pharisees a parable about a vineyard who sends his servants to his vineyard to reap the harvest. The tenants who were overseeing the property beat and killed the servants who came to keep harvest for themselves. The owner then sends his own son to the vineyard, but the tenants kill him as well. Jesus asked the Pharisees what they think would happen to the wicked tenants. They replied that the vineyard owner would bring them to a wretched end. In verse 45 it shows that Jesus was speaking of the Pharisees in this parable; they would beat and kill God's servants, as well as His only Son, and they would come to a wretched end.
In Matthew 22:1-7, Jesus was still speaking to the Pharisees, narrating another parable (which is obviously about them) about a king who hosted a wedding for his son. When the wedding was prepared, the king sent his servants to inform the invitees, but they refused to come, and some even beat/killed the messengers. The king then sends his army to destroy them and burn their city. By this, Jesus is again warning the Pharisees of a coming destruction.
In Matthew 23, beginning at verse 13, Jesus pronounced upon the Pharisees eight woes, warning them of a calamity coming upon them.
Jesus then said in verse 34, "I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes; some of them you will crucify and kill, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city." This is exactly what the wicked tenants and the wedding invitees did in Jesus' parables. Jesus was saying that the Pharisees were going to do what the wicked people did in the parables, and would be destroyed by an army.
In Matthew 23:36, Jesus told the Pharisees that a judgment would happen to them in their generation.
In Matthew 23:37 Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of the calamity soon befall her.
In Matthew 23:38 Jesus declared over her, "your house is being left to you desolate.” This is a direct quote of Jeremiah 22:5. Jeremiah 22 is a prophecy of an army destroying a Judean city. By citing that passage, Jesus was saying that this destruction was com
Matthew 24:
In verse 2 of this chapter, Jesus told His disciples that all the temple buildings would be demolished, with not one stone left on top of another. THIS statement is the subject matter for this chapter. It does not switch from speaking of the temple to speaking of an end of the world event thousands of years in the future.
Throughout chapter 24, Jesus told His disciples that they were the ones who'd see the signs, indicating that the end of the age was happening or about to happen. This means that the events of Matthew 24 (aka The Olivet Discourse) had to have occurred within the first century while some of the disciples were still alive.
In verse 16, we find Jesus only warning those in Judea to flee. Two questions here: Firstly, if this event were worldwide, what good would fleeing to the mountains do? Secondly, why wouldn't Jesus also say something about those in Galilee, Samaria, Damascus, Ephesus, New York, L.A., Hong Kong, Moscow and London needing to flee? Unless of course, these events were only taking place in Judea rather than the whole world.
In verse 34 (just as He did in 23:36), Jesus said ALL these things would occur in "this” (his) generation. This means Jesus could not be projecting all these into some future generation who'd witness these signs, but to the generation of time in which He was then living. How do we know? One of the things to happen in the generation Jesus is speaking of would be the destruction of the temple (vs. 2); the temple was demolished in the year AD 70 (more on this in a second), and so the generation Jesus is speaking of had to exist at that time. Also, every other time Jesus used the phrase “this generation” (Matt. 11:16; 12:41, 42, 45; & 23:36), He was always speaking of His own generation.
You may be asking at this point, "What in the world is Jesus talking about?" In the year AD 70, because of a war that broke out in AD 66 between the Romans and the Jewish rebels, the Roman armies laid siege to Jerusalem. They burned the city and leveled the temple, literally not leaving one stone upon another, perfectly in harmony with Jesus’ parables, the warnings He gave in chapter 23, and with what He stated in Matthew 24:2.
Matthew 24 and the context of the chapters before it demands the last days are speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem and the time leading up to that point. I understand we don't have records of Jesus coming on the clouds, heaven and earth burning up, the antichrist appearing in the temple, etc., but Jesus said all of the things in Matthew 24 would happen in the generation that would see the temple destroyed (vs. 34). Either Jesus told the truth or he lied.
So let us reflect. If the final punishment is a destruction of a city to take place in the last days, and the last days were about the destruction of Jerusalem, then it seems like the final punishment was the destruction of Jerusalem, not eternal torture in the afterlife.
I understand there are a lot of aspects that were not covered in this article; it would take a whole book to do that. I also understand that you may have a lot of questions. But please keep in mind, the way Gehenna and the other terms for final punishment are consistently used throughout the scriptures demands that the final punishment speaks of a destruction of a city. It doesn't matter what the words mean to us or any biblical authority; If we are trying to figure out what the Bible says, we need to look to how the Bible uses the words or terms as our ultimate guide on how we interpret the words and terms in it.
For more information on Hell and the last days, feel free to visit my blog. I also have two books available on Amazon that are always very low priced. Click on the links below to get a copy.
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