Different Christian conceptions of Hell are formulations of earlier ideas. They were shaped by themes and trends found in early Jewish and Christian writings, the writings of the early Church Fathers, and medieval portrayals.
Their development has also been influenced by philosophers and writers of different times. Many Christian traditions take some inspiration or descriptions from these writers whom they believe are in line with the Bible, while rejecting aspects that are not.
These processes, unfolding over thousands of years, gave birth to conceptions and emphases that the Bible did not intend to convey. But what does the bible say about Hell, and how should we go about figuring it out?
Our focus will be to trace the historical development of the Hebrew and Greek terms commonly used to depict Hell. In doing so, we aim to formulate an accurate conception of Hell according to the Bible. Five terms in the New Testament are commonly associated with Hell and used to construct the idea of it: Gehenna, Hades, the Abyss, Tartarus, and ‘a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ We will examine their origin, development, and the contexts in which they appear in the New Testament.
Gehenna
Gehenna comes from the Hebrew Ge-Hinnom (‘Valley of Hinnom’) or Ge ben Hinnom (‘Valley of the Sons of Hinnom’). In the Septuagint, the phrase ‘the valley of Hinnom’ or ‘the valley of the sons of Hinnom’ is rendered with different Greek words or phrases in various places throughout the Old Testament. Among all the translations for Gehinnom, Gehenna (‘Γαιέννα’) is the term used in the New Testament.
Gehinnom is the name of a geographic location situated southwest of Jerusalem. The name appears 13 times in the Old Testament. Of these 13 occurrences, five refer to the border or extent of Israel (see Joshua 15:8; 18:16; Nehemiah 11:30). In the remaining instances, in pre-exilic Judah, the place was a site of idol worship. The kings and people of Judah burned their sons and daughters there as sacrifices to Moloch (see 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31; 32:35).
Because of their ongoing idol worship and rejection of the laws of the Lord, the prophet Jeremiah proclaims judgment on the people of Judah. He uses graphic imagery to depict the coming judgment in the Valley of Hinnom.
Jeremiah announces that the days are coming when there will be slaughter in the valley and the burning of the dead in Topheth until there is no room left to bury any more bodies. The carcasses of the people will become food for birds and wild animals, and the Babylonians will be the sword through which God will accomplish His judgment.
This vivid image of Gehenna as the valley of slaughter later became the basis for its representation as an end-time scene.
Gehenna in early Jewish writings
There do not seem to be many references to Gehenna in early Jewish writings before Jesus. The Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran do not contain any mention of Gehenna. Even the ‘War Rule’ text, which describes the final war between the ‘sons of light’ and the ‘sons of darkness,’ does not mention Gehenna once. This is surprising, considering the close association of the word Gehenna with a place of war and destruction for the wicked.
The Mishnah/Talmud are inconclusive about Gehenna. They contain many references to it, but most are attributed to writers from well after the second century AD. Some references are said to come from writers as early as the second century BC, but it is very difficult to confirm if this is true.
The association of Gehenna with final judgment appears only after the time of Jesus. 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch, both written after the destruction of the Second Temple, mention Gehenna. 4 Ezra compares the two final places where people go after death, identifying Gehenna as the place for the wicked. In 2 Baruch, God shows Moses the mouth of Gehenna, along with other places. In this instance, Gehenna is described as a place of torment for the wicked where repentance is impossible.
In the Ascension of Isaiah, there are two references to Gehenna. One describes the return of the Messiah after a short reign of Beliar and his hosts. As the Messiah returns from heaven, the righteous will leave their physical bodies, and their souls will meet the Messiah in the air. Beliar, his hosts, and the wicked will suffer the torment of Gehenna, where they will be consumed as if they had never been created.
In 3 Enoch 44, Enoch is shown the wicked souls taken to Gehenna by the angels Zaakriel and Samkiel to be tormented with a rod of iron. After a gruesome depiction of their torment, these souls will eventually be purified.
The Apocalypse of Abraham describes Abraham riding on a pigeon, witnessing a fiery Gehenna aflame and seeing many wicked souls suffering there. The vision assumes this place has existed since the earliest days of creation.
Gehenna in the New Testament
In the New Testament, Gehenna is mentioned 12 times. Except for the Letter of James, all mentions are by Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels (7 times in Matthew, 3 in Mark, and once in Luke). To understand how Gehenna is used in the Synoptic Gospels, we first need to know the historical context of first-century Palestine.
During the ministry of Jesus, the political situation in Judea and Galilee was highly unstable and tense. Judea was ruled by a Roman governor named Pontius Pilate, and Galilee was ruled by a client ruler for Rome named Herod Antipas. The living situation of the common people was dire. There was heavy taxation, military oppression, and violence, particularly crucifixion and exploitation by the Temple elites (chief priests, Sadducees, and some scribes) and Herodian rulers.
The time was marked by many messiahs, prophets, and banditry movements. Some movements were playing the political game, some were trying to fulfill the messianic hope of restoring the kingdom of Israel from the hands of their oppressors, and others were doing whatever was necessary to get by. Each group employs its own way of accomplishing its aim.
There were prophets who promised salvation and gathered followers for liberation movements. Others pronounced oracles of impending doom. Those with followings engaged their followers in symbolic enactments. These rites involved going to the wilderness, reentering the promised land around the Jordan River, or undergoing baptism in the Jordan. Just as in the days of Joshua, they hoped God would liberate their generation as He had done for the earlier one.
John the Baptist and Jesus, traveling around announcing the coming judgment and paths to deliverance, fit the common people’s expectations of a prophet.
The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that John the Baptist was a well-known, respected prophet who had many followers. He said that John urged the Jews to live virtuously, treat one another rightly, and be faithful to God. He also mentions that some people believed the destruction of Herod’s army was God’s judgment for his killing of John.
In the Bible, John the Baptist announced the coming wrath on the Israelites and warned that their family identity would not be enough to save them. He offered baptism of repentance as a way for people to be vindicated from the coming wrath and spoke about the arrival of someone greater, whom he was preparing the people to receive.
Besides prophets, there were also widespread banditry movements of various kinds in both Galilee and Judea. Some bandit groups were supported by peasants, at least for a time. Revolutionary bandit types were more active in Judea than in Galilee, though Galilee had its own share of bandits. The Roman and Jewish authorities regarded the bandit movements as a significant threat.
When Jesus began his ministry by saying that the kingdom of God was near, he had the entire history of Israel in mind. He was proclaiming that Israel’s story was reaching its climax in and through him. The Israelites of that time would have understood this perfectly. The narrative that shaped the people’s outlook was that Israel would at last be liberated, a second exodus, evil would be defeated, and the God of Israel would visit his people once more.
But Jesus had a surprise for these common beliefs. He was redefining the borders of the kingdom of God to include the whole world. The barrier to entry was no longer descent from Abraham, but faith in God’s anointed. Seeing that their many desperate prophetic, messianic, and banditry movements were leading to a clash with their oppressors, which would ultimately result in the destruction of Jerusalem. He offered the way of his kingdom as an escape from the trouble they had stored up for themselves.
Jesus takes the imagery of Gehenna from the prophet Jeremiah, who painted a picture of the destruction of the kingdom of Judah as slaughter in the valley of Hinnom. He uses this imagery to warn of Israel’s impending destruction by Rome. And this is where we get all our Gehenna mentions, not as a place of eternal torment after death but as destruction and slaughter by Rome if they don’t turn and follow his ways (see Matthew 5:22, 5:29, 5:30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 23:33; Mark 9:43, 9:45, 9:47; Luke 12:5).
When the people refused to listen, Jesus, continuing in the tradition of the prophets of old, pronounced judgment on those who did not repent and change their ways (see Matthew 23:15, 23:33, 23:37–38; Luke 19:41–44). But he also promised that those who followed him would be vindicated (see Matthew 24:9, 13; Luke 21:28).
Hades
The Greek word Hades means “the unseen,” derived from an ancient root related to “to see.” Hades is used in Greek literature to depict the realm of the dead in different ways, depending on the account. However, its use in the Bible comes from the translation of the Hebrew word Sheol. In the Septuagint, Hades is almost always used to translate Sheol, except in a few instances where it translates silence(dûmāh), pit(bôr), and death(mût).
For much of the Old Testament, there was little conception of ideas such as resurrection from the dead, a distinction between the final destinations of the righteous and the wicked, or the separation of the soul from the body. Hades (or Sheol) did not refer to a place of eternal torment but to the grave in which people are buried.
It was envisaged as a resting place, a place of silence and lifelessness where people cease to exist (see Job 7:6–9; Ecclesiastes 9:5; Psalm 88:11). Both the righteous and the wicked, including figures such as Jacob, Job, David, the king of Babylon, and others, went to Hades (or Sheol).
Hades in early Jewish writings
The Testament of Abraham reflects the same understanding of Hades or Sheol found in the Old Testament, describing it as a place where both the righteous and the wicked go after death. 2 Baruch 42:8 implies that all the dead lie in the dust, echoing Genesis’s statement, “from the dust you came.”
The Sibylline Oracles depict Adam and his generation as going to Hades and being covered by the earth. There is also a motif in which the earth gives back the dead it was entrusted with for the final judgment (see 1 Enoch 51:1; 4 Ezra 7:32; 2 Baruch 42:8).
Sometimes Hades is depicted as a hollow place in the earth where the souls of the dead go. Phrases such as “soul chambers” and “soul treasuries” are commonly used in these passages. Although the soul chambers are often shared by both the righteous and the wicked, some texts also depict distinct chambers that separate the righteous from the wicked.
For example, 1 Enoch 22:1–14 describes four chambers beneath the earth to which the dead are assigned according to the lives they lived. In Pseudo-Philo, there is a chamber called “the chambers of darkness” for the wicked and “the secret dwelling places of souls” for the rest of the dead.
Hades in the New Testament
Hades is mentioned ten times in the New Testament (two in Matthew, two in Luke, two in Acts, and four in Revelation). Its use in the New Testament aligns with its use in the Old Testament, functioning as a synonym for both the grave and death.
The mention of Hades in Acts 2:27 and Acts 2:31 refers to Sheol in Psalm 16:10. Peter compares the state of David, who remains buried in the grave, with the resurrected Jesus. He does this to show that Psalm 16 is a prophecy about the descendant of David who is the Messiah. This comparison shows that Peter is using the understanding of Hades in the same way it is used in the Old Testament.
Revelation personifies Death and Hades as two separate but allied powers. This shows apocalyptic writing’s common use of symbolism to give abstract forces agency.
In Revelation 1:18, during John’s vision, Jesus describes himself as the living one. He says, “I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore,” then declares, “I hold the keys to death and Hades,” signifying his authority over them through his resurrection.
In Revelation 6:8, the rider of the pale horse is Death, and Hades follows behind him. This verse references Ezekiel 14:21, where God sends sword, famine, plague, and wild animals to kill the people of Jerusalem as judgment for their idolatry. John uses this imagery poetically in his depiction of the pale horse.
In Revelation 20:13–14, at God’s command, Death and Hades give up what is buried in them, which is the resurrection of the dead for the final judgment. In the end, Death and Hades themselves are thrown into the lake of fire, signaling the absence of death in the coming age.
The depiction of Hades in Acts and Revelation appears to refer to a temporary abode for the dead until the resurrection.
In Matthew 16:13–20, the reference to Hades comes from the phrase “the gates of Hades shall not overcome it.” This phrase is a metaphor that draws on a commonly understood image. In ancient cities, gates were the strongest points of defense that invaders had to break through.
This means the church will not be hidden behind its own gates but will advancing into the realm where death rules. Because he was going to conquer death through his resurrection, securing ultimate victory and endurance for his people. This idea is reinforced by the fact that this story marks a turning point in the narrative. From this point on, Jesus begins to speak openly about his coming death and resurrection.
The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19–31 uses Hades in a way that differs from other New Testament references. While other mentions of Hades generally align with its Old Testament use, this parable appears to draw on extra-biblical sources. To understand its use of Hades, it helps to review key themes in Luke’s gospel and the extra-biblical influences on the parable.
For a Detailed exploration of the parable – The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man
As for the source material, stories of reversal of fortune in the afterlife were common folktales across the ancient Mediterranean world. In Egypt, the story of Si-Osiris, son of Setme Khamuas, recounts how he and his father witness two funerals. One funeral is for a rich man and the other for a poor man. Setme envies the honor bestowed upon the rich man and wishes he could have the same. However, Si-Osiris shows him Amenete (the land of the dead), where the rich suffer torment while the poor stand beside Osiris (one of the gods of Egypt).
A Jewish tale tells of a rich couple who are warned not to open a door in their basement that leads to hell. The wife’s curiosity causes her to open it, and she is taken to hell, where she is tormented. There, she meets a boy visiting hell who agrees to warn her husband of the place, prompting him to change his ways.
There are also Hellenistic folktales of reversal of fortune, including one about three men taken to Hades. One is a rich tyrant named Megapenthes, another a poor shoemaker named Mycilus, and the third a cynical philosopher. They appear before the judge for judgment. Mycilus and the philosopher are found spotless and sent to the Isles, a place of paradise, while Megapenthes is condemned for his guilt.
A large number of reversal-of-fortune stories circulated in the first century AD. These stories warned people to repent and avoid a dreadful fate. They also showed how money can corrupt good character.
Jesus’ portrayal of these reversal-of-fortune stories seems to differ from how they were understood in his time. It is not referring to something that takes place after death, but to a present reality. The poor and the outcast are being welcomed into the kingdom, while those with wealth and status are being cast out.
Those with wealth and status whom Jesus specifically has in mind are the Pharisees. They are the ones living in luxury and comfort, unaware of the destruction that awaits them, as Jesus predicts in Luke 19:43–44.
The Abyss
The word “Abyss” is a transliteration of the Greek ἄβυσσος (ábyssos). It means “bottomless,” “unfathomable,” or “a very deep place.” In the Septuagint, it translates the Hebrew word תְּהוֹם (tehóm), which denotes deep water or underground water (see Genesis 7:11; Deuteronomy 8:7).
In extra-biblical Jewish literature, ἄβυσσος is most often used in the same way as in the Old Testament. In 1 Enoch 60:7, Leviathan is said to dwell in the ‘Abyss of the oceans.’ In 4 Ezra, the writer describes the power of God by referencing nature as the work of God’s creative power. It mentions, among other things, God’s ability to dry up the Abyss.
There are also descriptions of the Abyss as sometimes a temporary and other times a final place of judgment. It entails fiery place and heavy chains prepared there for the fallen angels, the bad shepherds of Israel, and those who follow them blindly (see 1 Enoch 54:5; 1 Enoch 90:24–27; 1 Enoch 88:1–3; Jubilees 10:7). But in these uses, the word Abyss is not employed as a proper noun but rather as a descriptive term for the places of judgment.
The Abyss in the New Testament
The term ‘Abyss’ occurs nine times in the New Testament(once in Luke, once in Romans, and seven times in Revelation).
The use of the word in Romans 10:7, which references Deuteronomy, describes the grave or the ground. Deuteronomy 30:12-13 uses the vastness of the sea to illustrate the nearness of the word of God.
While quoting this passage, Paul intentionally changes “going over” to “going down” and “the sea” to “the depths” (the Abyss). He does this to relate it to the death of Jesus by connecting it to the grave, yet he still retains the original idea that the word is not far. Paul can do this because of the threefold Jewish cosmology, which includes the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. In this conception, the underworld is often closely associated with the sea and the deep.
In Revelation, there are several occasions of evil spirits coming out of the Abyss. Although not explicit, the association of the deep or the sea with evil spirits is alluded to in the Old Testament. The waters or the sea are depicted as representing chaos or serving as the habitation of chaotic forces that oppose God and life. God tames these forces and sets boundaries for them (see Job 3:8; 41:1–34; Psalm 74:13–14; 104:26; Isaiah 27:1; Job 9:13; 26:12; Psalm 87:4; 89:10; Isaiah 30:7; 51:9; Genesis 1:21; Exodus 7:9–12).
There is also a theme in the Bible that the kingdoms of the earth are often influenced by evil spirits working in the background (see Daniel 10:13, 20–21; Deuteronomy 32:17; Ezekiel 28:12-19). Before John’s Revelation, the book of Daniel had already connected the idea of the sea as a prison for chaotic forces with their influence on human institutions. Daniel depicts beasts coming out of a “great sea,” which the text explains represents the kingdoms of the earth.
In Revelation, the great sea is identified as the Abyss. It is a place from which evil spirits come and where they are imprisoned (see Revelation 9:1; 9:2; 9:11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1; 20:3).
In Luke 8:26-31, Jesus encounters a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. As Jesus commands the impure spirits to come out of him, the legion of demons possessing the man pleads with Jesus not to send them into the abyss. In this description, the demons seem to fear being sent there. The use of the term in Revelation points to it being some kind of prison, such as when Satan is confined there to prevent his influence over the world.
Tartarus
Tartarus originated in Greek mythology. In its original context, it is described as a place beneath the earth, far deeper than Hades. It is said to have bronze-barred prisons guarded by the Hecatoncheires (the Hundred-Handed Ones). It is the place where Zeus imprisoned the Titans who sided with Kronos. The distance of Tartarus from Hades (the place of the dead) is described as being as far beneath Hades as the earth is beneath the heavens.
Tartarus is used three times in the Septuagint, twice in Job and once in Proverbs. In Job, it appears in connection with God’s impressive creatures, Behemoth and Leviathan. It represents the deep or watery places where these two creatures dwell (see Job 40:20 and 41:22-23). Proverbs 30:16 mentions Tartarus in the Septuagint, but the Masoretic Text has no Hebrew equivalent for it. In the context of the proverb, Tartarus appears to symbolize the sea.
In the Old Testament, Tartarus refers to the deep or the sea, which is different from its original meaning in Greek mythology. In this usage, it is closely related to the Abyss.
Tartarus in early Jewish writings
In the Sibylline Oracles 1:9–10, Tartarus is described as the water that has surrounded the earth since creation. This may represent the waters above and the waters below mentioned in Genesis 1.
Later, in Sibylline Oracles 1:109-119, the fourth generation from Adam is portrayed as wicked. Some people from this generation who died in battle were sent by God to a place of punishment called Tartarus. This generation was named the Watchers, though the term often refers specifically to angels who rebelled by lusting after human women (see 1 Enoch 1:5; 12:4).
In Sibylline Oracles 2:303, Tartarus is depicted as a dark and murky place closely associated with Gehenna, though it is unclear whether the two are identical. Gehenna and Tartarus appear together again in Sibylline Oracles 4:186, which speaks of a coming day when “murky Tartarus,” a “heap of earth,” the “black recesses of hell,” and Gehenna will cover all sinners.
The early Jewish writings show that Tartarus is used a few times in various ways. It seems that the original meaning of the word becomes detached in its usage within these texts. Sometimes it is associated with Gehenna, sometimes with Hades, and sometimes with the deep or the sea.
Tartarus in the new testament.
There is only one mention of Tartarus in the New Testament, found in 2 Peter 2:4. Peter does not use the term directly but rather alludes to it as an example of God’s judgment. He does this to reassure believers of the coming judgment on false teachers who have infiltrated the church.
The fate of these false teachers is contrasted with that of the angels who sinned and were imprisoned in Tartarus. Along with other examples of divine judgment, such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the flood in Noah’s time, this demonstrates the certainty of their coming doom.
Peter’s portrayal depicts Tartarus as an inescapable place. Beyond that, both Tartarus and the abyss are described as cosmic prisons for rebellious evil spirits.
A place of Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth
The phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” appears seven times in the New Testament, once in Luke and six times in Matthew (all in the parables). The phrase does not appear together in any other early Jewish literature.
In the Greek Old Testament, the word for “weeping” (κλαυθμός) is mostly used to express sorrow. The Greek noun translated as “gnashing” is βρυγμός (brugmos) and its related verb is βρύχω (bruchō). The term “gnashing” appears only a few times in the Old Testament and often describes the anger and hatred of the wicked toward the righteous, especially in the Psalms (see Psalm 35:11-16; 37:12; 112:10).
Although the phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is often associated with a place of eternal torment, a closer look suggests otherwise. As we will see, the phrase is not about hell but serves as a metaphor for the exclusion of Israel’s people and religious leaders who did not accept Jesus. The setting of the metaphor is key to understanding its meaning.
The parables that employ ‘outer darkness’ or ‘darkness’ alongside ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ are set in the context of a feast or wedding banquet(see Matthew 8:12; 22:13;25:30). The imagery, drawn from cultural norms, envisions the banquet being brightly lit halls filled with people feasting and celebrating. Outside would be dark and cold, since many feasts were prepared at night.
In Matthew 8:12, the mention of the phrase occurs in a banquet setting where the subjects of the kingdom are cast outside into the darkness, symbolizing their exclusion from God’s kingdom. There, they weep because of their loss and gnash their teeth at God and the righteous who are accepted. Their gnashing is intensified because Gentiles, once thought not to be God’s people, are included, while the subjects of the kingdom are rejected.
In the parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14), the same methodology of interpretation is followed as in Matthew 8:12.
The last mention of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” alongside “outer darkness” is found in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30). Although the setting is not explicitly stated, clues suggest a banquet. First, it was customary to prepare a feast when a master returned from a long journey.
Second, the master’s response to the faithful servants, “Come and share your master’s happiness,” implies that the settling of accounts took place just before some kind of celebration, most likely a banquet. By contrast, the lazy servant is cast out from the banquet and will not share in the celebration.
Matthew 24:51 offers a similar warning of exclusion. This time, however, it concerns not the people and leaders of Israel but the Christian leaders whom Jesus is appointing. The use of the phrase without its proper setting suggest, through the retelling of Jesus’ parables, that the phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” has come to express exclusion.
Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43 describe a judgment scene in which the wicked are removed from God’s kingdom. The imagery of a furnace of fire, drawn from Daniel 3, symbolizes complete destruction by the rod of God (Rome). This act is portrayed as a necessary cleansing of the kingdom from “everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” In contrast, the righteous will shine like the sun, reflecting their vindication and triumph.
The Parable of the Net (13:47–50), while echoing the judgment theme of the Wheat and Tares, uses distinct fishing imagery. The term sapra (“rotten”) highlights moral decay, linking to the tree imagery in Matthew 7:17–19. The phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” which appears frequently in Matthew, expresses the sorrow and anger of those shut out of the kingdom and serves as a recurring marker of the judgment of exclusion.
Background for Hell
If Gehenna symbolizes the coming judgment on Israel of Jesus’ generation, if Hades refers to the grave, if the Abyss and Tartarus are places of imprisonment for spiritual rebels, and if “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is a metaphor for the exclusion of the people of Israel and the religious leaders who rejected Jesus, then where could we find the passages that point to an accurate conception of Hell in the Bible?
First, it is important to clarify that the New Testament offers little discussion about the ultimate fate of those who rejected Jesus. To illustrate the brief allusions to Hell in the Bible, we will use a theater analogy. The stage is where the drama takes place. Behind the curtain are the director and his assistants, who guide and influence the drama. In the backstage area, there is also a green room (a waiting area for the actors).
The Bible mainly tells the story of the drama unfolding on the stage. Sometimes it gives us a sneak peek of what happens backstage; this is called Revelation. The ultimate revelation is said to have happened when the Director joined the stage as Jesus of Nazareth.
The backstage is not only the realm of God and His angels but also home to evil spirits that influence the drama as well. At the end of the drama, God and His angels join the faithful on a renewed stage, the New Creation. Although the Bible does not provide many details, it points to rebels, both human and demonic, being exiled to a locked green room, separated from the ongoing story.
Here is a summary of the stories in the Bible that will help us understand the nature of the backstage green room.
In the beginning, in the garden, God created humans in His own image and made them heads over all His creation. He did this so they could be His representatives on earth and rule with Him, guided by His wisdom. However, they forfeited that honor by pursuing their own ideas of good and bad. From that point on, we see an exponential growth in people’s bad choices as humans multiplied and filled the earth, making it a place of injustice and bloodshed.
As the story continues, God chooses Abraham to restore the earth to its original blessed state. Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, were chosen to be a kingdom of priests and a light to the nations. God intended His rule to extend to the whole world, with Jerusalem at its center.
However, the Israelites did not follow the way of righteousness. Like the Gentiles who did not know God or His ways, they consistently pursued their own selfish desires, which led them to their ruin. In response, God promised a day when He would make a new covenant with the people, when He would change their disposition toward sin and deal with it at its root.
31“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
Jeremiah 31:31–34
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them, ”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
Ezekiel 36:26–27
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
These promises find their fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth. Traveling throughout Galilee and Judea, he announced the good news about the coming of the kingdom of God. He taught the way of life in his new kingdom, addressing the root causes that led the people of Israel and the world to ruin, such as anger, greed, lust, falsehood, and envy, and invited them to participate in it.
For the forgiveness of sins, he offered himself as atonement. And after his resurrection, he gave the gift of the Spirit to anyone who believed in him to teach and guide them in his ways, fulfilling the promise, “I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
what does the bible say about hell in light of the kingdom of God
In the end, heaven and earth will be united as they were meant to be, and God’s dwelling place will be with His people in the renewed creation. But what happens to those who refuse to enter the kingdom or to let Jesus remove the roots of evil present in every one of us? These are the ones who chose to follow their own ways and rejected their calling to bear the image of God. Instead of reflecting God’s life-giving power, they pursued their own will.
This is where the notion of the final separation comes in. By following their own desires, they have turned the earth into a place of greed, lust, and murder. God has firmly determined that anything that causes sin, and anyone possessed by sin, will be removed from His good world. At the end of this age, they will be cast into a place where they can no longer corrupt the earth.
In Revelation, Hell is described as “the second death,” “the lake of fire,” and a place outside the kingdom. The phrase “outside the kingdom” expresses the removal of sinners from God’s kingdom. The terms “second death” and “lake of fire” point to the most terrifying aspects of Hell. They do not depict literal fiery places but symbolize the loss of the first and most important gift humanity was given by God. They lose the very purpose for which God created them.
As it is written in Romans chapter one, the wrath of God is revealed against the godless and the wicked. They are given over to a “depraved mind,” and “their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened,” so that they degrade everything of worth within them. The same consequence will persist into the coming age for those who reject Jesus. Their humanity will be continually degraded until no flicker of goodness remains.
For this is Hell, filled with desires that can never be satisfied, anger that can never be quenched, and hate that turns in on itself. Without hope and without end, they distort into becoming something else entirely. That is the ultimate loss, the second death.
Reference Books
- Jesus and the Victory of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 2)
- The Geography of Hell in the Teaching of Jesus: Gehena, Hades, the Abyss, the Outer Darkness Where There Is Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth
- The Formation of Hell: Death and Retribution in the Ancient and Early Christian Worlds
