The Bible Truth about Hell

When we come to the New Testament, we find that the term “hell” is also used in a different sense and to translate a completely different word: gehenna . In contrast to sheol and hades , gehenna has been translated as “hell” in many Bible versions. This term comes from the Hebrew word Ge-Hinnom , which means “Valley of Hinnom,” a real historical place that you can see today on the south side of Jerusalem. At one time in this valley, unfaithful Israelites offered up their children as sacrifices to pagan gods (2 Chronicles 28:3). The prophet Jeremiah predicted that this place would come to be known as “the Valley of Slaughter” (Jeremiah 7:32). It was eventually turned into a garbage dump, in which dead animals and trash were burned to ash. When Is Hell? With gehenna , we are introduced to the idea of a final judgment that will occur sometime in the future. In fact, Jesus repeatedly used this term in this context: “in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22), “cast into hell” (vv. 29, 30; Luke 12:5), “cast into hell fire” (Matthew 18:9). All of these referred to a time that had not yet occurred. Now, let’s take a look at a powerful parallel that Jesus described in one of His parables, the Parable of theWheat and the Tares, found in Matthew 13:24–30. SHEOL: A Hebrew word in the Old Testament depicting a burial or resting place of the dead; some translations, such as the King James, render it as “hell.” (See Deuteronomy 32:22; Psalm 139:8; Proverbs 15:11.) ABADDON: A Hebrew word that means “destruction” or “ruin.”The term is used only once in the King James translation, in Revelation 9:11. In the Revised Standard, of its seven mentions, it is once associated with a fire that consumes “to the root” (Job 31:12 NRSV) and often runs parallel to the word sheol— and, thus, the grave and death. (See Job 26:6; Proverbs 15:11; 27:20.) GEHENNA: A Greek term designating a place of utter destruction. Seen 12 times in the New Testament, it refers to the “Valley of Hinnom,” a gorge near Jerusalem where trash was burned. Jesus used the place to illustrate the destructive fires of the final judgment. (See Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5.) HADES: A Greek word that refers to an unseen world, the world of the dead, or the grave. It is equivalent to sheol . Some translations, such as the King James, render it as “hell.” (See Matthew 11:23; Luke 10:15; Revelation 1:18.) TARTAROO: This Greek word is used only once and is interpreted as “hell,” but it literally means “to cast into Tartarus,” the destination of rebellious angels. (See 2 Peter 2:4.) Take a look at all the words associated with “hell” in the Bible: 8