Hell part 2

Chapter
 

Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     4
Chapter 2. EXAMINING THE OPTIONS: THE LITERAL VIEW . . . . . . . .     7
Chapter 3. EXAMINING THE OPTIONS: THE METAPHORICAL VIEW .    20
Chapter 4. EXAMINING THE OPTIONS: THE CONDITIONAL VIEW . . .    30
Chapter 5. CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   40
Chapter 6. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   48
 

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION

 In your mind’s eye, picture the following two scenarios for the unsaved. In the first, a man is in the middle of a dark immense chilling ocean all alone, paddling and staying afloat, with no help in sight. Day in and day out he survives. No help ever comes, and the terror in his heart is that this condition will go on day after day. The horror is it does go on forever. The second scene is a picture of a man who undergoes anaesthesia for an extensive operation. Time seems to stand still for him as the hours tick by in the operating room, and he is unaware of anything while waiting to be awakened in the recovery room. If he does die before awakening, he understands that he will just go to sleep forever, never to awaken again.

The unsaved condition of the dead is pictured in an illustrative way in the above scenarios. The historic Christian doctrine on the condition of the dead has been challenged by those who believe that the Bible teaches that the soul is not eternal, but dies and is in a sleep-like state when the body dies. This belief, in turn, affects the doctrine of hell. Those that promote the doctrine of soul-sleep would tell you that Hades (which includes the Hebrew equivalent Sheol) is no more than the common grave of mankind where one is resurrected or awakened from and is judged at the Final Judgement. They say that hell, also known as the lake of fire, is the final judgement of eternal separation from God by going into non-existence forever. They believe that this is the only teaching that satisfies God’s judgement and love.

 In contrast, those that adhere to the concept of eternal separation and punishment hold that we cannot understand God’s infinite holy love if we minimize His holy wrath. Each side of the debate will point to Scripture to prove their side of the issue.

 For nineteen hundred years the orthodox teaching on hell has been accepted, but in this twentieth century, secularized faith and heretical teachings have crept into the church. These different beliefs that Christians have on the destiny of the wicked affect how we magnify God’s love and understand and appreciate all that He has done for us. It also affects our evangelizing efforts as our view of the destiny of the unsaved can either motivate us to reach them or make us apathetic to their final outcome. The solution to solving this theological question is found in examining Scripture and researching the various articles and publications written by evangelical Christians on the subject. In the final analysis, we must be true to our Lord and Saviour's teaching on this vital subject, as it is inconsistent for us as Christians to reject any aspect of His teaching.
 Not only are some evangelical scholars such as John Stott and Clark Pinnock promoting the soul-sleep view, but there are also cultic sects, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, that actively promote the soul-sleep doctrine and use this as a basis to win over many converts. People are taken in by these false teachers by not understanding the biblical teaching on the subject. Their answers to these questions seem so loving of God to an unsuspecting ear. Deceptive use of Scripture can lead one into believing falsehoods, which is a danger for someone's eternal salvation. It is very important that we examine and understand both sides of the issue, so that we are ready to make a defence of our faith (1 Pet. 3:15). We must guard our hearts and minds by being well grounded in our faith in order to discern error, as our enemy Satan would like nothing better than for us to be fooled (1 Pet. 5:8; 2 Cor. 11:13-15).

 The ultimate question before us is, what does the Bible teach about hell; is it an eternal place of suffering and punishment, or an eternal place of non-existence for the unsaved? This question needs to be examined biblically with verses of the Bible understood in the context in which they were written. By examining the scriptural teaching on what death is, and whether the soul is eternal, we will be brought to a correct biblical understanding of the ultimate destiny for the unsaved. These are the options that will be examined in light of Scripture.

 In the first view being considered, hell is believed to be a place of literal unending fiery torment, and is most commonly referred to as the literal view. The second view, known as the metaphorical view, also believes hell to be an unending place of torment for the unsaved, but does not subscribe to the literalness of fiery torment. The third view being examined is the belief in all unsaved people being annihilated, and is also known as the conditional view. This belief says that hell is unending in that the unsaved go into non-existence forever.

 Proponents of each view believe that their view is scriptural. As we journey through the various teachings by explaining each one, let the Bible answer which account is the correct one. Prayerfully remember that while each view quotes Scripture to support its teaching, we are warned in 2 Pet. 3:16, “as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

 To lay a foundation for the biblical teaching of the reality of hell being a place of conscious eternal torment, we must understand the biblical perspective of what death is. To do this, we must first look at what man was at the creation, what he is after the fall, and what he is after redemption. This will help one to understand why the unredeemed will suffer everlasting torment in hell.

The account of man’s creation in Gen. 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” So man was created in the image of God to do and be on a finite level what God is and does on an infinite level. Man was to reflect God in the created order. Seeing that man was created as an image - bearer of God, man was created uniquely different from the animals. Man was created with a nature that was perfect and he could be a true reflection of God’s holy character.

The fall of man detailed for us in Gen. 3 explains how man fell into a state of sin and condemnation. Man as God’s image - bearer became marred with sin, and now became Satan's image - bearer as well. That is why Christ could say in John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” The fall of man explains why people are sinners by nature and why they are described as “by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3). All people after the fall are rebel sinners (Rom. 3:23). There is no way to escape this reality.

Understanding the biblical truth that all people are sinners helps us to understand the meaning of death. Death is a direct result of man’s disobedience; it is a judgement, a consequence of sin against a holy, just God. Gen. 2:16-17 says, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” Romans 5:12 so aptly puts it, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (cf. Rom. 6:23; James 1:14-15). “It is appointed for men to die once” says Heb. 9:27. God in His sovereign will has even ordained man’s time of death (Job 14:1-5; Ecc. 3:1-2). So sin is the ultimate cause of all human death. Before the fall, man didn’t die; death is not natural.

Remember that God told Adam in Gen. 2:17 that death would happen in the day that the fruit of the tree was eaten; yet Adam and Eve did not physically die on that day. In fact they continued to live on the earth for several hundred years. God makes it clear in Gen. 3:16-19 that He knew they would physically live longer than just that particular day as they would work and bring forth children. So then, what could death have meant?

Well, God said that they would die the moment they sinned, and they did. A presupposition by many is that death means cessation, when the biblical term actually means separation. Adam and Eve experienced spiritual separation from God the moment that they sinned which was spiritual death (Gen. 3:8). That is, their souls were now separated from God (cf. Isa. 59:2; Eph. 2:1). Physical death would come later, which is the separation of the soul from the body. God explained that to Adam in Gen. 3:19 when He said, “By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

There are other verses that describe physical death as the leaving of the soul or spirit from the body. A few examples are Gen. 35:18, which says, “And it came about as her soul was departing (for she died).” Ecc. 12:7 says, “then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” James 2:26 reads, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” When Stephen was stoned to death he called out in Acts 7:59, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Additionally, Rev. 6:9-10 gives us a vivid description of the righteous souls in heaven after death calling out to the Lord. It says, “And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Also because of inherited sin, we are all born spiritually dead. Physical death is used to describe man’s spiritual death. Eph. 2:1 tells us that are saved, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Later in verse 12 of that chapter it brings out that when we were dead it meant that we were “at that time separate from Christ,” “having no hope and without God in the world.” Prior to coming to a saving faith in Christ we were spiritually separated from God.

So to recap, death means separation, not cessation; physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, while spiritual death is the soul separated from God. Death occurs because it is a judgement against sin. Therefore at death, condemned sinners are to remain separated from God in Hades, and eternally in hell.

But we are not without hope. Those that put their faith and trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross are adopted by God to become His children (John 1:12; Gal. 3:26). We are made spiritually alive in Christ as He suffered in our place and nailed our sins to the cross (1 Pet. 2:24; 1 John 1:7). Christ made atonement for our sins once for all time (Heb. 10:10, 12, 14). Death is called “an enemy” and will be abolished (1 Cor. 15:26). Until death is abolished, for the Christian it brings comfort in that when he dies his spirit departs to be with Christ, as Phil. 1:23 reads, “But I am hard - pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.”

In understanding what death is, we see in the creation account that man was created as a compound being, possessing both a material and a spiritual nature. Gen. 2:7 says, “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Adam's life began with the union of his material and spiritual natures.

The word “being” in Gen. 2:7 is the Hebrew word nephesh and occurs over 750 times in the Old Testament and is translated by about thirty different words in English. The Greek equivalent to nephesh is psyche, and is found over 100 times in the New Testament. Sometimes they mean nothing more than the invisible life principle that animates the bodies of men and other living creatures (Gen. 1:20, 21,24, 30; 2:19; 9:10). Approximately 150 times in the Old Testament, nephesh was used to refer to the principle of physical life.  Sometimes nephesh or psyche is used in figurative language to describe the whole person, such as in Gen. 36:6 and Acts 2:41. Also, with blood being used as a symbol of life, the nephesh could be said to figuratively be in the blood (Lev. 17:11).

With men, it can also mean something more, called a soul. This is what separates man from the animals and likens man to God Himself. In Jer. 51:14 (NWT) it says, “Jehovah of armies has sworn by his own soul.” The soul of God is His transcendent self and in no way can be reduced to physical life, as God does not have a physical body. By rendering nephesh or psyche as the inner being of a man, it describes the part of man that transcends the life principle. Man is both soul and body, with the spiritual and physical connected into one united whole.

The biblical authors used the word soul to describe the immaterial side of man, as that word was commonly used in their day to mean such. If the biblical authors understood man to be only his body, then why would they choose to use a word that was commonly used in the culture at that time to mean the immaterial part of man?

A mistake that people make when discerning the meaning of the word nephesh, is to take a simplistic hidden assumption that once a particular meaning is given to a word in a particular passage, that is the meaning of the word in every other instance.  Some believe that in Gen. 2:7, nephesh is used in a way that indicates a life principle, and therefore want to interpret it to mean that in each and every instance, but when a contextual approach is used it is seen that nephesh carries with it a wide range of meanings. This would be easily seen if we were to take the word nephesh and insert “life principle” in every instance where it is found. What is interesting is that while nephesh can mean life principle, the inner being or soul, or the whole self, no lexicographical material ever restricts its usage to just meaning the principle of life.  If nephesh only applied to physical life, then why wasn’t the Greek word for physical life, bios, ever used in the Septuagint as its equivalent? The translators instead chose the word psyche, which meant the transcendent self.

Evidence of the soul not being the same as the body is found in Matt. 10:28 where it reads, “And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” When the body is killed, the soul isn’t.

Another word which is used to describe the immaterial part of man is the Hebrew word ruach, and the Greek equivalent pneuma, and is translated in those instances as “spirit.” These words have several meanings, depending on the context. However, as with the word for soul, no lexicographical material could be found which restricted ruach or pneuma to describe the mere principle of physical life or the breath of the body.  In many places, the spirit of man is what is described as going back to God at death (Ps. 31:5; Ecc. 12:7; Acts 7:59). When the spirit leaves the body, the body dies. Ps. 146:4 says, “His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish.”

There is discrepancy among theologians as to whether man is made up of body and soul, or body, soul, and spirit. 1 Thess. 5:23 is appealed to for the latter. It reads, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Heb. 4:12 is often cited with the verse in Thessalonians to emphasize that the soul and spirit are different. But when the whole verse in Heb. 4:12 is read, it also separates “thoughts and intentions of the heart,” which we know are not different entities. It is obvious that these verses are emphasizing the fullness of the person (cf. Deut. 6:5; Lk. 10:27; Acts 4:32). It is believed that when “soul” is used it refers to man’s relationship to his body, and when “spirit” is used it refers to his relationship with God (cf. Heb. 10:39; 1 Pet. 2:11; 2 Pet. 2:8; Rom. 8:10; 1 Cor. 7:34; Gal 6:18).

Various verses of Scripture in the Old and New Testament are appealed to in viewing hell as a literal fiery place of conscious torment for the unsaved. Since this view takes these verses literally, they say that to believe otherwise is to reject Scripture. To understand the literal biblical teaching on hell, it is necessary to examine the words that are used in our English versions of the Bible that are translated “hell.” They are Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word that is used in reference to life after this life is Sheol,
which occurs in the Old Testament sixty-five times. There is considerable uncertainty as to how Sheol should be interpreted. Some English translations of the Bible will at various times translate Sheol as “hell”, “grave,” “pit,” or “death,” while the New American Standard chooses to leave the word untranslated, which allows the reader to determine what the word means from the context of the passage.

Sheol was used in the Old Testament as the place where all people go at death. Ps. 89:48 says, “What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?” Sheol is also used as a place where the wicked will go at death (Job 21:13, 24:19; Ps. 9:17; Proverbs 5:5). When examining the various uses of the word Sheol, it is difficult to see this as just meaning “death” or “grave.”

It is interesting to note that Sheol is always spoken of as being “under the earth,” or as the “lower parts of the earth,” or similar expressions (Job 11:8; Isa. 44:23; 57:9; Ezk. 26:20; 31:14, 16, 18; 32:24). Notice that when Jacob thought that Joseph had been killed by wild beasts, he said he would “go down to Sheol” in mourning for his son (Gen. 37:25). Graves in Old Testament times were built above the earth in caves or in holes; they were not buried under the earth as is the custom today.

There are those in Sheol that are pictured as conversing with each other, such as in Isaiah 14:9-10, which show that the Babylonian king that is killed in divine judgement will be greeted by those killed earlier in Sheol. It says, “Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. They will all respond and say to you, Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us.” This points to consciousness in Sheol while the dead person's body lies unconscious in the grave (cf. Ezk. 32:21).

Sheol is also seen as a place where one can reunite with their loved ones and ancestors (Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 35:29; 49:33; Num. 20:24; 31:2; Deut. 32:50). 2 Sam. 12:23 records King David speaking of his dead infant son, “But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” While death meant separation from the living, the Old Testament prophets understood that it also meant reunion with the departed.

Another point that the Old Testament teaches us is that Sheol is a place that God’s people would be delivered from. A good example of that is found in Ps. 49:15 which says, “But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; For He will receive me.”

Another helpful tool is to examine the historical context of Sheol which enables us to identify how the word was rendered in the time period it was written. According to Dr. Robert A. Morey, comparative studies have been done on the word Sheol, and its parallels in other languages always meant the place that the soul goes at death. Never did its parallels mean grave or non-existence.  In its historical context, it can be seen that God did not find it necessary in His revelation to man to clarify that Sheol meant something other than what it was commonly known to mean; in other words, that it was the place for conscious departed spirits. Nowhere in Scripture can we find God condemning belief in a conscious afterlife, yet we do find Him condemning polytheism which was rampant in the days of Israel.

Even looking beyond the Old Testament to the rabbinic writings we find that rabbinic tradition, including before, during, and after the time of Christ, as well as modern Talmudic scholars, describe Sheol as the place where righteous and wicked alike are conscious after death.

Hades occurs ten times in the New Testament and is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word Sheol. Some English versions translate it as “hell,” “grave,” “depths,” while the New American Standard chooses to leave the word untranslated. Both terms, Hades and Sheol, have to do with the intermediate state after death before the Final Judgement. To render Hades as “grave” is inaccurate, as the Greek word for grave is mneema in the New Testament. It also cannot mean “death,” as thanatos is the Greek word for death.  Furthermore, death and Hades are seen together in Rev. 1:18 and in Rev. 20:13-14, so they couldn't mean the same thing.

An interesting point made is that during the intertestamental period, the Pharisees were a group of Jewish theologians that believed in the everlasting punishment of the wicked. The concept of Sheol had progressed to where it was believed that it had two distinct compartments; one for the righteous, called “Abraham's bosom,” and one for the wicked which was a place of torment. It was to this group of people that Jesus spoke of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The Pharisees then could understand Jesus’ words to be literal as regards the fiery torment undergone by the rich man in Hades.

There is some discussion between theologians however, over whether Sheol (along with the Greek equivalent Hades) had two compartments prior to the death of Christ. Some believe that Abraham's bosom is actually a metaphor for heaven, and that when Sheol is used in reference to the saved it always means the grave. In any event, no matter which view is taken, there is the concept in the Bible of judgement for the unsaved after this life, otherwise it would have been pointless for Jesus to talk to the Pharisees about such things without that common understanding.

Jesus also used Hades two other times, once when denouncing the city of Capernaum when He said in Matthew 11:23-24, “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall DESCEND TO HADES” (parallel passage Luke 10:15). This appears to be a condemnation of Capernaum for their indifference to Christ. Hades is seen in direct contrast to heaven. In Matthew 16:18 where Jesus said that the “gates of Hades” would not overcome His church, He uses the term Hades as the headquarters of evil which will never be able to destroy the Christian church.

Hades, like its Hebrew equivalent Sheol, is a temporary, intermediate state. It apparently used to be the intermediate state for both the wicked and the righteous previous to Christ’s death, but now is the intermediate state for the unsaved only. The saved souls since Christ’s death now go to be with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). Hades is not eternal, and is spoken of as being thrown into the “lake of fire.” This will happen at the Day of Judgement. Death gives up the body, and Hades gives up the soul for them to be reunited when standing before God in judgement (Rev. 20:11-15).

 While Sheol and Hades refer to the intermediate state,Gehenna is the term that has to do with everlasting punishment and is usually translated “hell.” It is the only word in the Bible that describes eternal punishment of both body and soul.

The word Gehenna originally meant the Valley of Ben Hinnom (the valley of the son(s) of Hinnom) and became synonymous with hell. The Valley of Hinnom (shortened form) was a garbage dump that continually smouldered outside Jerusalem, and was also used as a burial place for criminals considered undeserving of a proper burial. King Josiah turned it into this after getting rid of it as a place of idol worship where human sacrifices were offered by King Ahaz and King Manasseh before him.

Jesus is the one who refers to Gehenna more than any other person (Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9, 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5). In fact, Jesus uses Gehenna eleven times out of the twelve times that it occurs in the New Testament. He shows us in Matthew 10:28 that hell is worse for someone than getting killed as He says, “And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
 Our Lord also taught in other verses punishment by fire as well. In Matthew 13:30, 40-43, Jesus gives the parable about the tares and the wheat. He says that the weeds will be burned up, which suggests that the unsaved will experience punishment by fire. In fact, Jesus does not say that the tares are consumed by the fire, but rather it says in verse 42, “and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This speaks of pain, not of consumption.

Another Scripture that speaks of eternal fire being the certainty of the wicked’s fate is in Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus explains what will happen to the sheep and to the goats, with the goats going off into the eternal fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels (vs 41). In verse 46, Jesus contrasts “eternal life” with “eternal punishment,” so just as we know that it is the “life” that is eternal, so will the “punishment” be eternal.

The book of Revelation does not use the word Gehenna, but rather the term lake of fire when speaking of everlasting torment (Rev. 20:10, 14, 15). Revelation 21:8 describes this lake as the second death. Torment is also described in Revelation 14:10-11, where it tells what will happen to those who worship the beast and receive its mark. It reads, “he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

Finally, Jude 7 refers to the punishment of the wicked as being a punishment of eternal fire as it says, “Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” Here God’s judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah is an earthly example of the final state of the wicked.

After studying all the verses that Jesus taught regarding the fire and torment of hell, we then come to verses of Scripture that speak of divine wrath and eternal judgement. Never do any of the verses explain judgement by God to be annihilation of the wicked. 2 Pet. 2:9 says, “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgement.” 1 Thess. 5:9 reads, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Heb. 6:2 brings out that this judgement is eternal, and Heb. 9:27 tells us that this judgement occurs after death.

2 Thess. 1:9 calls the judgement of the wicked “eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” To be destroyed is not to be annihilated, as then there would be no need to add that the one that suffers eternal destruction will be away from the Lord's presence. Destruction actually refers to one suffering eternal ruination from before the Lord.
 On the positive side, a literal view of hell puts in the Christian's heart the urgency of reaching the lost for Christ. This view also gives one more appreciation and love for God, as He deserves from us, for saving anyone from this deserved state as condemned sinners. The literalist view of hell also accepts a literal view of prophecy. As every fulfilled prophecy has happened literally, so will the fires of hell be literal for the unsaved.

People who subscribe to the metaphorical view feel that a literal view of the fires of hell limit the reality of what hell actually is. Conditionalists will point to the moral problem with the doctrine of a literal hell. They say that it makes God worse than Hitler and makes Him one that gets pleasure in torturing people, which is morally repugnant.

The metaphorical view also adheres to Scripture teaching that hell is a place of unending conscious torment of the unsaved, but does not take the language to describe hell as literal fire. Fire is used a lot in the Bible to describe eternal punishment but it is not the only descriptive term used to describe hell. Jude 13 describes hell as “blackest darkness,” while the book of Matthew not only uses fire as a descriptive term, but also uses darkness to describe hell (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). There are also passages that describe it as a place where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12, 13:42; 22:13, 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28), and as a place where “their worm does not die” (Mark 9:48).

To have a high view of Scripture does not mean that the Bible does not use words sometimes in a symbolic or figurative way. We can see the use of hyperbole, a way of exaggerating or using colorful language that drives the point home to the audience, is something that Jesus Himself used. For example in Matt. 5:29 He said, “And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” The context of the passage has to do with lust (Matt. 5:28). If taken literally, that would mean that a man couldn't lust if he couldn't see, which we know is not true. Lust comes from the heart, not from an eye. He was in actuality describing the seriousness of the sin of lust and the eternal consequences. Many other such uses of hyperbole are found in Scripture (Matt. 7:5; 19:24; Mark 11:23).

So the point being made is that when fire is used in speaking about hell, it is done in a symbolic, not a literal way. We must remember that in Jewish writings, fire is often non literal, and that is the way that the Jews understood it in Jesus’ day. For instance, they knew that in Deut. 4:24, God is described as a “consuming fire,” but they did not take that literally. Fire is regularly used to create an atmosphere of reverence, awe, and fear. The way that verses in Scripture can be said to be taken literally or metaphorically is by taking verses in context of the surrounding verses. The context should rule in determining what is meant, as we neither want to dilute Scripture or overliteralize it.

Fire is used by Jesus to describe the eternal torment of the ungodly. We can see this in His parable of the tares in Matt. 13:40-42. It says, “Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all STUMBLING BLOCKS, AND THOSE WHO COMMIT LAWLESSNESS, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” If Jesus had wanted to use this parable to teach annihilationism, for example, He could have said something to the effect, “and will cast them into the furnace of fire, and they will be no longer,” but He didn’t.

The way He put it, there will be untold anguish and pain in hell. For example, Jesus also used another image of hell in Matt. 24:51 where He speaks of the evil slave being cut into pieces and going where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Are we to conclude that those who go to hell are all literally cut up into pieces? Then why is it assumed that to be true to Scripture we must adhere to the literalness of fire?

An interesting point is that heaven is also described in symbolic words just as hell is, so we can picture heaven in a most glorious way and hell in the most abhorrent way. In verses that describe heaven, we see a “high wall, with twelve gates” (Rev. 21:12). The foundation stones are described as adorned with precious stones, and each of the twelve gates is one pearl (Rev. 21:19-21).

First - century people could relate to this explanation of heaven, as walled cities with sturdy gates were a must until the time of gunpowder. Heaven wouldn’t need walls for protection, of course, but this description would convey in terms understood by the people of that time the message that it meant to convey; one of safety. Pearls were the preferred adornment in those days, not diamonds, and that along with the precious stones conveyed to the people the beauty and exquisiteness of heaven. Heaven is actually beyond description, yet word pictures could help those get a glimpse of the glorious reality.

Likewise with hell. The descriptions of hell are shocking and horrifying, as they should be. Hell is described in a way to paint the most horrific picture imaginable, with the reality being worse, not better, than the word pictures. With hell having descriptions such as a rubbish dump, a place of utter darkness, where unsaved ones will suffer unstoppable pain by fire while their worm gnaws away at them forever depicts the most horrible reality.

The Valley of Hinnom is an excellent example of becoming a metaphor for hell. The Valley of Hinnom used to be the place where people would sacrifice their sons and daughters to the false god Molech (2 Ki. 23:10; Jer. 7:31; 32:35). Because of these practices, the prophet Jeremiah pronounced God’s judgement on the place (Jer. 7:32; 19:5-7). As time passed, it came to be used as a garbage dump, a place of burning refuse. The Hebrew word for canyon of Hinnom, ge-hinnom, evolved into Gehenna, which is the familiar Greek word for hell (Matt. 5:22,29; 10:28; 18:9; Mark 9:43, 45; Luke 12:5).  The Valley of Hinnom had gained an evil reputation for its past use and became the place that was used metaphorically to describe eternal punishment.

Jesus also spoke of varying degrees of punishment as He told of the parable in which one slave received many lashings according to the understanding he had of his master’s will, while another slave received less lashings as he did not know or understand the master’s will (Luke 12:47-48). Another text that shows this point is Mark 12:38-40 where Jesus says of the hypocritical scribes that “these will receive greater condemnation.” The reasoning is that if there are varying degrees of punishment in hell, then how could someone literally be burned in a fire more or less than someone else?

Other verses that point to gradations of punishment are Matt. 11:24 where it says, “Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement, than for you,” and Rev. 20:12 which says, “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” These verses would not make any sense if everyone in hell suffered the same punishment of burning eternally in a literal lake of fire.

Of interest is the way both fire and darkness are used to describe hell. Take for example Jude, verses 7 and 13. Verse 7 depicts hell as “punishment of eternal fire,” whereas verse 13 says, “for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.” How could a literal fire also at the same time be utter darkness?

Hell is also described as a place where “their worm never dies” (Mark 9:48). The whole verse reads, “where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.” If we are to take the fire as being literal, why not accept that the worm spoken of is literally alive forever in hell also? An interesting comment is that almost every interpreter of this verse agrees that the worm is a metaphor that Jesus uses, yet how could Jesus in the same breath mean that fire was literal and not a metaphor too?

And how about the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28)? This expression is commonly understood to mean extreme sadness, sorrow, pain and anger, not literal weeping and gnashing of teeth. So the point is, why take fire literally, and every other expression metaphorically? When Rev. 14:10 speaks of “the wine of the wrath of God,” do we have to believe that God’s wrath is literally alcohol? Of course not. Scripture is not minimized when words are interpreted as metaphors if the context fits.

If the fire and everything else in hell is metaphorical, then what are the pains of hell? They are the pains of varying punishment. The pains of hell are all part of the punishment which God gives to all unrepentant sinners. God’s justice is satisfied and His glory is seen in this. Throughout human history, punishment has been part of God’s dealings with the wicked. In the Old Testament we find warnings of punishment. Isa. 13:11 says, “Thus I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity.” Hosea 9:7 records, “The days of punishment have come, The days of retribution have come.” The condemned on the Day of Judgement are said to “go away into eternal punishment” (Matt. 25:46). God also allows the civil authorities to inflict punishment on the wrongdoer (Rom. 13:4). To the one who rejects the Son of God the Bible tells us, “how much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God” (Heb. 10:29).

The “undying worm” of Mark 9:48 could possibly signify a sinner’s suffering conscience, as the worm is described not as “a worm,” or “the worm,” but rather as “their worm.” This seems to imply something internal rather than external. Consciences can be terrible tormentors. This appears to go along also with what Daniel recorded in Daniel 12:2 where it says, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” Emotions can cause such agony in the sinner.

Hell is spoken of in the New Testament as banishment. Matt. 8:12 says that those unfit will be “cast out into the outer darkness” (cf. Matt. 22:13). Some think that because the sinner wants to reject God, that he won’t care if he’s banished. But what they don’t understand is that here on earth the sinner that rejects God still receives a measure of enjoyment in life because God still provides common grace to all men, unrepentant and repentant sinners alike (Matt. 5:45). In hell, sinners will not receive anything of value from God; they will be banished. They will be totally separated from God as Matt. 25:41 brings out by saying, “Depart from Me, accursed ones.”

In addition to being separated from God, apparently sinners will be separated from one another as well. God is the one who decided that it was not good for man to be alone, and since none of His blessings will be given to those in hell, specifically that of loving relationships, everyone will be alone in isolation (Gen. 2:18; Ps. 68:6).

Another aspect of the pains of hell will be deprivation. Whereas in heaven there “are pleasures forever” (Ps. 16:11), and an “unfailing treasure in heaven” (Luke 12:33), the unrepentant sinner will have no reward in the life to come. All hope will be gone (Prov. 11:7). Prov. 24:19-20 puts it best, “Do not fret yourself because of evildoers, Or be envious of the wicked; For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.”

This terrible destiny of hell is also the sinner’s own choice. Jesus says it point blank in John 3:19, “And this is the judgement, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.”

We are told that in Hades, as well as in hell, the wicked suffer torment. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man is seen “in torment” (Luke 16:23). Revelation 14: 9-11 portrays those that worship the beast will be “tormented with fire and brimstone” and “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have not rest day and night.” The devil, the beast, and the false prophet are also going to “be tormented forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10).

Hell is definitely a place of unending pain and punishment. The endlessness of hell can be seen from the figurative language in Mark 9:48 which says, “where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.” Fires go out when their fuel is used up, and a maggot dies once it consumes its prey. But if the fuel and the prey (the wicked) are in hell forever, then the fire and worm will always be there too.

The eternality of hell is evident when we see how Jesus compared the destinies of the saved and unsaved together in Matt. 25:46. It says, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Both will last forever. The English word eternal is translated from the Greek word aionios (the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word olam). Another form of aionios is aion. Though it is true that these words can have the meaning of a definite period of time, whenever they are used in the context of the final age to come, they always carry the meaning of eternal in duration. In the final state, “time” as we know it ceases to exist.  Whenever the word is used in connection with earthly, temporal things in this age, it has to do with a long indefinite period of time.

As has been said before, the biblical context must be looked at in its entirety to know the correct understanding of a given statement. Take for example, the word aion in Matt. 24:3 and 28:20. It is evident from the context that in these instances, the word is used to denote a specific amount of time that is age - long in duration. But in 2 Cor. 4:18, the word “eternal” (aions) is used in contrast to the word “temporal” and can be understood in context to mean of endless duration.

So in Matt. 25:46, Jesus is using the same word, aionios for both the righteous and the wicked. The context gives us proof, therefore, that the word is used as endless duration, not for an age that will come to an end.

The final state of the wicked in hell is also depicted as destruction. 2 Thess. 1:9 says, “And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” To some, the word destruction signifies extinction. However, the Greek word here used, olethros, means “ruining.”  When something is ruined, it can no longer be used for the purpose intended; it doesn’t just go out of existence. A great illustration of this is when a light bulb is dropped and it shatters on the ground. The light bulb can no longer be used as a light bulb; its function is destroyed. But the material itself that made up the light bulb is still in existence, however “ruined” it is.  So when the wicked are brought to eternal destruction, all that is worthwhile in human existence is ruined eternally.

The wicked are also seen as perishing. Jesus said in Luke 13:5, “I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” John 3:16 is an often quoted passage that says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Looking at the Old Testament, we can read verses such as in Ps. 37:20 that say, “For the wicked will perish; and the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish -- like smoke they vanish away” (cf. Ps. 1:6; 49:10; 68:2). These verses, when taken by themselves, are made out to mean that the wicked go out of existence. But is that the case, in light of what has already been studied?

In the original Greek, the word for perish or ruin is apollumi. This word carries with it the connotation of “rendering unfit for the intended use.” It does not carrying the meaning of non-existence. This is the word used in Matt. 9:17 when Jesus speaks about putting new wine into old wineskins. Apollumi is used here to say that the wineskin is ruined for its intended use; not that the wineskin no longer exists.

Apollumi is also used in the New Testament to mean “lost” as it does in Matt. 10:6, 15:24, and at Luke 15:24. In none of the above cases does destruction, perish, or ruin teach that the wicked will go out of existence. Rather, we can see that they do teach that the unsaved will no longer be fit for their intended use; they will be ruined for all eternity.

On the positive side, the metaphorical view also convicts a Christian of the love and mercy of God by saving them from hell, very similar to the literal view. Scripture is adhered to as the final authority. Punishment in hell is not watered down; rather it is realized that the reality of hell must be greater than the symbol of hell, which is primarily fire.

On the negative side, the literalist will feel that Scripture has been compromised and that the fires of hell need to be taken literally in order for Scripture to be inerrant. The literalist also states that the metaphorical view requires interpretation of prophecy to be non literal as they take hell in a non literal way. Additionally, the literalist somehow sees treating fire symbolically as minimizing the punishment of hell.  The conditionalist feels that this view is just as abhorrent as the literal view, with a sadistic God torturing those who refuse His means of salvation forever.

 There are those that believe that the wicked will suffer for a temporary time in Hades, but will be annihilated once for all time when thrown into the lake of fire, also called the second death (Rev. 20:14). This is known as the conditional view. Also there are others who believe that in the grave which they consider Sheol and Hades to be, there is no conscious torment, but rather a time of soul-sleep where the person is in a state of unconsciousness awaiting either heavenly bliss in the resurrection for the saved, or eternal annihilation in the case of the wicked. The basic reason that this view can hold to annihilationism is that the soul isn’t believed to be eternal. Only those persons who have been accepted by God will be granted immortality and live eternally, hence conditional immortality, while the wicked will be destroyed into non-existence forever in hell.

The true nature of hell from this point of view is that self-destruction is the ultimate result of rejecting God.  The Bible clearly says in Rom. 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This position of final extinction of the wicked is taken using the Bible as its guide, believing that the doctrine of hell is taught in Scripture. The actual meaning of hell is what is at issue, not the fact that hell does exist and that Jesus spoke of it as a reality.

To understand the biblical view from this perspective, one must first comprehend what death is and how it came about. When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, their lives were conditional on their obedience to Him. Notice what it says in Gen. 2:12-17, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” God had stated that death was the penalty for disobedience. Adam was no longer a perfect creature, and could only pass on to his offspring his imperfection due to sin.

Death is exactly what it appears to be; the opposite of life. When the Old Testament is looked at to see if torment after death is ever seen as a penalty for disobedience, not one verse can be found to support it. We can, however, find support that the penalty for disobedience is death. Deut. 30:19-20 says, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

The reason that people want to believe otherwise is because they have been taught that man has an inner immaterial part of him called a “soul.” The Hebrew word for soul is nephesh, while the Greek word is psyche. Bible verses will now be used to teach what the soul actually is.

When Adam was created by God, he was said to be a “living soul” (Gen. 2:7 NWT). It does not say that Adam received a soul, but rather that “man came to be a living soul.” The word nephesh is used to describe man himself. Likewise with the Greek word psyche. In 1 Cor. 15:45 we read, “So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” With the soul being the word to describe the whole man, it can be seen why various English translations will sometimes translate nephesh or psyche with words such as “being,” “person,” or “creature.”

Animals are also called souls. One of the places where it can be readily seen that animals are also called souls is found in Gen. 1:20-24 (NWT) where it says, “And God went on to say: “Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls and let flying creatures fly over the earth upon the face of the expanse of the heavens.” And God proceeded to create the great sea monsters and every living soul that moves about, which the waters swarmed forth according to their kinds, and every winged flying creature according to its kind. And God got to see that it was good. With that God blessed them, saying: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the waters in the sea basins, and let the flying creatures become many in the earth.” And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a fifth day. And God went on to say: “Let the earth put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic animal and moving animal and wild beast of the earth according to its kind.” And it came to be so.” What is thought to be the basic meaning of the Hebrew word nephesh is “to breathe.” So anyone who is a soul is a breather, which animals and humans are.

We can find many verses in the Bible that use the word soul to mean the entire person. A soul is born (Gen. 46:18), it can eat or fast (Lev. 7:20; Ps. 35:13), it can sob and faint (Jer. 13:17; Jonah 2:7), and it can fear (Acts 2:43). These verses, along with many others, help to confirm that the soul is the entire person.

In fact, the soul is mortal, not immortal. Scripture actually speaks of the soul being rescued from death. Ps. 78:50 says, “He levelled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death” (cf. Ps. 116:8; James 5:20). This shows us that the soul does die. Ezk. 18:4 puts it rather clear, “The soul who sins will die.”

There are verses that speak of the soul leaving at death (Gen. 35:18; 1 Ki. 17:21), but these verses do not bring a different meaning to the word “soul.” “Soul” in those cases is used in a figurative sense to mean the life of that person. When the soul leaves, it is like saying that the life of that person has left at the time of death. Notice Gen. 35:18, and substitute the word “life” for “soul” and it will become quite plain. “And it came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.” Job 33:22 parallels “life” with “soul” and shows that they at times can be used interchangeably. It reads, “Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death.” When someone loses his soul, it is the same thing as saying that one loses his life. It is just an expression to say that someone has died.

If the soul dies, then what goes on after death? The Bible says “then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecc. 12:7). The word “spirit” is taken from the Hebrew word ruach, and the Greek word pneuma. This “spirit” is definitely something which man is dependent on as Ps. 104:29 says, “Thou dost take away their spirit, they expire, And return to their dust.” Also, James 2:26 tells us, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

Evidently, this spirit inside man is the life-force which keeps him alive. It is the same life-force that keeps animals alive as can be seen from Gen. 7:22. Ecc. 3:19 says very plainly, “For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.”

This life-force can be illustrated by a flow of electricity running through a machine. The electricity never takes on the characteristics or qualities of the machine, but enables it to function.  This life-force, or energy, is what enables man and animals to function and be alive; without it we are dead. Ps. 146:4 says, “His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish.”

How does the spirit return to God, as said in Ecc. 12:7? Well, when we use a word such as “return,” it doesn’t always mean a literal returning. Take for example when God told the unfaithful Israelites in Mal. 3:7, “‘Return to Me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord of hosts.” This type of “return” has to do with God turning His favourable attention back to the Israelites when they turned around from a bad course and conformed to the Lord's ways once again. So, in the case of the spirit returning to God once a person is dead, the person's prospects of future life are in God’s hands (Ps. 31:5; Luke 23:46). This is also illustrated by a defendant in a courtroom saying to the judge, “My life is in your hands.” What he means is that what happens to his life, whatever sentence is handed down to him is out of his hands; it now rests with the judge. It is the same way our life prospects lay with God when we die; only He can give us life back or not.

With all of the above in mind, what possibly could the final judgement be for those who are unsaved sinners? How could there really be torment after death, if death really is the opposite of life? The answer lies in examining the biblical words, Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna.

Sheol is the Hebrew term that tells us where the dead go; to the common grave of mankind. Ps 6:5 tells us that there is no activity in Sheol as it says, “For there is no mention of Thee in death; In Sheol who will give Thee thanks?” Additionally, Ecc. 9:5, 10 makes it very clear that there is no activity in Sheol. It reads, “For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. . . . Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.”

Hades is the Greek equivalent to Sheol, and means the same thing; the common grave of mankind. A good verse to verify this fact is Acts 2:31 where Peter quotes Ps. 16:10 when referring to Jesus not being left in Hades. All that are in Hades (Sheol) will come out to a resurrection; some to a resurrection of life, and others to a resurrection which puts one into “the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:12-15; cf. Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29). As we shall see, this “lake of fire” is nothing more than “the second death,” death that lasts for eternity (Rev. 20:14).

Many have come to think of Hades as being a place of fiery torment due to Luke 16:19-31. There it speaks of a rich man in Hades suffering fiery torment while a beggar named Lazarus enjoys the place at Abraham's bosom. If we take these words literally, we will have to assume that all rich persons go to Hades and all poor beggars are rewarded with heavenly bliss. This however, does not make sense. Also, we would have to believe that one small drop of water would cool the tongue of the rich man who is in anguish in the fire. What then, can this story mean in light of what has already been said about the condition of the dead?

The way to harmonize this story with the rest of the verses considered is to see this as a symbolic parable that is directed to the money - loving Pharisees. The rich man symbolizes those Pharisees, while the beggar Lazarus symbolizes the humble people that repented and accepted Christ as Savior. Their deaths did not have to do with real death, but rather are symbolic of dying to their former condition. The “Lazarus” class came into a position of divine favour, while the “rich man” class came into disfavour because of their persistent unrepentance. The “rich man” class was tormented by the judgement messages proclaimed by Jesus’ followers.

Gehenna is another term which is spoken of as eternal torment, but it is actually a symbolic way to describe eternal destruction. The word Gehenna comes from the Valley of Hinnom, a place where fires were burning perpetually in a garbage dump, reserved for refuse and criminals not deserving of a proper burial. The Judean Kings Ahaz and Manasseh previously used the site for pagan child sacrifice, something that is and was detestable to God (2 Chr. 28:1, 3; 31:1, 6 Jer. 7:31; 19:2, 6). King Josiah later put a stop to these practices, and made the place unfit to use for worship (2 Ki. 23:10). After this is when it became known as a garbage dump.

Jeremiah references the Valley of Hinnom (also called Topheth) when he speaks of the destruction of faithless humans. He never once infers that the dead will suffer conscious torment, but rather that the dead carcasses will be food for the birds and the beasts (Jer. 19:2-7). Gehenna is an apt description of eternal destruction, not of conscious eternal torment. To underscore this point, 2 Thess. 1:9 brings out, “And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”

Once it is understood that eternal destruction awaits those who are not saved, other verses become even clearer in meaning, such as 2 Pet. 3:9 that says, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Another verse is John 3:16 where it says, “that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” The opposite of eternal life is to be destroyed, which means to perish, or go out of existence. In the Old Testament, the wicked are seen as being “cut off” and being “no more” (Ps. 37:9-10). It couldn't be any clearer from these texts cited that annihilation is the destiny of the wicked.

Now we come to the passages in the Bible that speak of a lake of fire where there is torment. How does this hold up with the other verses that have been considered?

The way that this problem is explained by the conditionalists is to clarify that Revelation is a very symbolic book. The lake of fire is seen to be a place of conscious torment for the devil, false prophet and beast in Rev. 20:10 (cf. Rev. 19:20). Nevertheless, this lake is understood by reading Rev. 20:14 where it says, “And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Since death is but a state or condition and cannot be literally thrown anywhere, so likewise the lake of fire cannot be literal either. By the term second death it is then understood that this kind of death is one that is final. Those that go into the second death will be annihilated forever. Death will finally be “abolished” (1 Cor. 15:26).

The lake of fire is seen as total and final destruction of the wicked where one goes out of existence. Theologians who espouse this view state that they are on biblical grounds and cite many verses that describe death of the wicked as destruction, of ruin and perishing. Fire is said to be symbolic of total ruin, as much as paper thrown into a fire gets totally consumed and is utterly destroyed.

So, if the lake of fire is not literal, then its torment could not be literal. Death inherited from Adam is likened to a sleep-like state, otherwise known as soul-sleep. Jesus Himself used the expression of sleep when He spoke of His friend Lazarus who had died. John 11:11, 14 reads, “This He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awaken him out of sleep.”. . . Then Jesus therefore said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” 1 Cor. 15:20 likens Christ to being asleep after His death and before His resurrection by saying, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” The reason that death is likened to a sleep is because the one sleeping is not conscious of anything but will awaken at a future point in time. Those that go to the second death however, will not be in a sleep-like state. There is no hope of resurrection from this death and that is the torment that will be endured forever. The punishment is eternal, not the punishing (Matt 25:46).

Jesus’ teachings are also appealed to in support of the conditionalist view. Jesus spoke of both body and soul being destroyed in hell (Matt. 10:28). Where Jesus speaks of the wicked being thrown into the fire, the annihilationist will say that this is a strong picture of the wicked being destroyed by God, just like weeds are burned up by fire and no longer exist as weeds (Matt. 13:30, 42, 49-50).

The apostle Paul is also quoted in verses such as 2 Thess. 1:9 where it says that “they will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power.” Again the word destruction is key to this reasoning as the conditionalist will point to passages that say that God will destroy the wicked (1 Cor. 3:17; Phil. 1:28; 3:19). Peter also wrote of destruction of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:7), and pointed to Sodom and Gomorrah as being destroyed by fire, the same as would happen to the ungodly (2 Peter 2:6).

On the positive side, the conditionalist view softens the horrors of hell, and makes the doctrine more palatable for people to accept. Scriptures are cited throughout the Bible to support this view.

On the negative side, the literal and metaphorical view will point to the fact that even though the conditionalist will use the Bible to support their doctrine of hell, they ignore verses that show that there is life after death. The main problem with this view is that those who hold to it do so because they take the Bible and read into it their theology, called eisegesis, instead of letting the Bible itself dictate their theology, called exegesis.

This view is quick to jump on the words destruction and perish, but cannot explain the other descriptions of hell, such as darkness, fire, separation, punishment, and weeping and gnashing of teeth. The conditionalist view also denies the Bible teaching that there are degrees of punishment. If the wicked are to be put out of existence, then all wicked will be punished alike. The definition of death is at variance with traditional orthodoxy. Death is seen as unconsciousness, not as separation.

Another problem with the conditionalist view is that if non-existence is the punishment because of incurring an everlasting loss, then what they are saying is that animals are punished as well, because when they die they go out of existence. The conditionalist (annihilationist) will say that the substance of the punishment is in the result, and not in its being felt or experienced.

We have seen a description of three different views regarding the meaning of the true nature of hell. Our view of this doctrine is essential to understanding the reality of what befalls the lost, those who do not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. All sides of this issue point to Scripture to validate their points. What is one to believe as truth?

The only way we can come to an accurate understanding of this controversial doctrine is to thoroughly examine what the Bible says on this matter, and not just what one or two verses say that, taken on their own, could skew the meaning of hell. I know, as I was one who used to take verses out of context as they were taught to me by Jehovah's Witnesses. They taught me the doctrine of soul-sleep, one that I embraced wholeheartedly. For twenty years I accepted and defended that teaching as Biblical truth. It was a doctrine that I believed was God - honoring. I couldn't see how anybody could understand the Scriptures as teaching differently.

Then I embarked on a study of the Scriptures which was independent of the JW organization. What I discovered was life - changing! After becoming a real believer in Jesus Christ, He, by the Holy Spirit, brought me to the realization of so many things, including the reality of hell. To understand hell, I first had to comprehend what death was, a term that I formerly believed was non-existence, with the second death meaning total extinction forever.What I found was that death is none other than separation. We are born physically alive, but spiritually dead as the Scriptures say (Eph. 2:1; Col 2:13). Adam died spiritually as soon as he partook of the fruit of the tree (Gen. 2:17). Our physical bodies die and decay, but our spirit goes back to God (Ecc. 12:7). I began to see with clarity the reality of existing eternally, that true believers after death would be at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:23). This truth brought home to me the realization that I had always made a presupposition regarding the meaning of death, one that was in error. I had to face the biblical truth that the unbeliever likewise faces an eternal destiny, which is hell.

The conditional view quickly jumps on the words destruction and perish to solidify their position, and I must admit that their arguments were convincing to me at one time (Matt 10:28). How enlightened I was to learn that those words do not indicate non-existence, but rather, that the purpose for which it was intended is utterly ruined, or destroyed. It reminds me of a car that is involved in an accident and is “totalled.” The car is still a car, but is totalled or destroyed for the purpose of being a car. So likewise for those who end up in hell.

Conditionalists will also point to fire as completely obliterating and consuming a person. They take passages such as found in Matthew 25:41, 46 to prove their point. But when taken in context it is seen that Jesus spoke of those ones going into the “eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). Compare that verse with Revelation 20:10 where fire is seen as tormenting the devil, false prophet and the beast forever. So wicked ones will share the same destiny as the Devil, which is eternal torment.

One of my own favourite verses to use when I believed in the conditional view was Ps. 37:9-10 which reads, “For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there.” I sincerely believed that these verses taught the annihilation of the wicked. I was reading into the text what Jehovah's Witnesses preconditioned me to see. But when taken in context, one sees that it has to do with the wicked being extracted from the literal land that was promised to Israel by being killed or by their eventual physical death. Nowhere does it speak of final judgement, but it speaks of the earthly destiny for the wicked.

Looking back at verse 2 of Psalm 37, it says that the evildoers will “wither quickly like grass and fade like the green herb.” Annihilation isn’t a slow, withering process; even annihilationists would agree with that. The verses are not teaching annihilation at all as I previously believed.

Another place that I was convinced meant that the dead are unconscious is found in Ecc. 9:5, 10, “For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. . . Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.” This seemed to spell it out in no uncertain terms; the dead are unconscious until the resurrection.

Though the above verses in Ecclesiastes appear to teach that the dead are unconscious, they must be read in light of the surrounding text. This Bible book teaches two contrasting views; one is a secular, humanistic view with no hope that does not recognize God, while the other is a godly spiritual view, and this is the view that triumphs at the end of the book (Ecc. 12:13-14). In Ecc. 9:5, 10, the earthly humanistic view is being propounded. If looked at closely by the conditionalist, they will have to admit that if they take verse 6 in that same chapter by itself, which says, “Indeed their love, their hate, and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun,” then they are saying that the dead are forever gone, something that they don’t believe; as the conditionalist does believe in the future resurrection of the body. Then back at verse 2 it says, “It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean, and for the unclean.” The conditionalist also doesn’t adhere to there being one fate for both the righteous and the wicked. So clearly, these verses teach the earthly, humanistic view of life, not God’s perspective at all.

As a Jehovah's Witness I felt that this position of soul-sleep was solidified in 1 Thess. 4:13-14 where it says, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” Since death was likened to a “sleep,” not only did I believe that the saved were unconscious, but also the lost were, which meant that Hades was nothing more than the grave, and it strengthened my position that the “second death” must be as the Witnesses taught, a death to which there was never an awakening.

What I realized is that I never looked carefully at what those verses actually said. Verse 14 brings out that “God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” The key preposition in Greek is the word sun, and its main meaning is “together with.” If God is going to bring “with Him” (sun auto), then this implies that there is something to bring, which is the souls of those who had died in Christ. Their physical bodies are asleep in death, but at this time their bodies will be reunited with their souls. In verse 17 of that same chapter, sun is used twice again when explaining that those “who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them,” and again when it says, “we shall always be with the Lord.” This makes it quite clear that the saints that died prior to the Rapture of the church are with Christ in heaven since their death and will come together with Him and will be reunited with their physical bodies.

The opposite also became obvious to me; that those that die without Christ are also consciously existing as the Bible says in Hades, awaiting the resurrection of their bodies for the Great White Throne Judgement. Once I could see that the soul does survive the death of the body, my eyes were opened to the truth of God’s Word.

A deceptive practice among those who adhere to soul-sleep is to change the English punctuation by the use of a comma at Luke 23:43. This verse is where Jesus is speaking to one of the criminals that is being crucified with Him that put faith in Him. It normally reads, “And He said to him, ‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.’” But this rendering goes against the soul-sleep view, so it became necessary to change the comma to after the word “today.” This changes the whole meaning of the verse! Jehovah's Witnesses did this in their own translation of the Bible (New World Translation). They say that they are inserting the comma correctly since there was no punctuation in the original Greek of the New Testament. They have to say that because if they leave the comma after the word “you,” then that would imply that there is conscious existence after death, which goes completely against the soul-sleep doctrine.

However, upon examining the other times the expression “truly I tell you” is used, the comma in every other instance is place after “you.” This expression is used 74 times in the gospels and comes from the Greek words amen soi lego. It was always used as an introductory phrase.  Why would it be any different in Luke 23:46? This is a clear case of the Bible being changed to fit doctrinal error.

One last Scripture that convinced me that soul-sleep is not biblical is when I examined Matt. 17:1-3, which speaks of the Transfiguration. Jesus is seen speaking with both Moses and Elijah by Peter and John. This used to be explained to me that it was a vision only, and that Moses actually represented the Law, while Elijah represented the Prophets. The context nowhere indicates this! We know from Scripture that Elijah, like Enoch, never saw death (2 Ki. 2:11, Heb. 11:5). Moses did die (Deut. 34:5-6), yet both are seen alive and speaking with Jesus. This could not occur if there was truly soul-sleep until the resurrection of the body.

So, just as we can only know about heaven from a study of Scripture, we can only know about the reality of hell from Scripture. So while I believe that the most biblical view of hell is that it is a literal place of eternal punishment, I do subscribe to the metaphorical view, as I see the Bible as describing hell in terms in order that we can understand to some extent the ultimate horror of it. What must be kept in mind is that when something is spoken of in metaphors, or symbols, the reality is more intense than the description. That is to say, I do not believe that while not taking the “fire” of hell in a literal way I am in any way at all softening the picture of hell; if anything, hell must be much worse, similar to heaven being described a city of “pure gold” and “precious stones” to give us a feeling for the magnificence of heaven (Rev. 21:18-21).

Gehenna is a term used to describe hell, which was taken from the place called the Valley of Hinnom where the city’s garbage dump was located. Corpses of criminals, those not fit for a decent burial, along with all sorts of refuse were thrown there, and fires were kept continually burning. Jesus used this word several times when describing the wicked’s eternal destiny (Matt 5:22, 29; 23:15, 33; 10:28).

Hell is also described as darkness. Jesus spoke of the fate of those that rejected Him as going into “outer darkness” (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). 2 Peter 2:17, as well as Jude 13 also describe hell as “black darkness.” This is definitely a negative description of hell as 1 John 1:5 in part says, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

Hell is also described as a place where “their worm” never dies (Mark 9:48; Isa. 66:24). This is a vivid picture of endless destruction, pain, and anguish.

Fire is the most frequently used descriptive word in the Bible to describe hell (Matt. 18:8-9). Eternal fire shows that the torments of hell will have no end. Jesus used fire in parables that depict hell (Matt. 13:40-42; 13:50). He also spoke about eternal fire on the day of judgement (Matt: 25:41). In Hebrews 10:27, fire is also related to judgement. And in Jude 7, we see that Sodom and Gomorrah give us an example of punishment of eternal fire. In fact, in the Book of Revelation, hell is described as “the lake of fire” (Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15).

From this we can see that hell is a place of horrific pain and suffering, nothing like what the conditional view depicts. Admittedly, it is a disturbing prospect that anyone would choose to spend eternity in hell, and man’s reasoning would like to take that away. But we have to accept truth as truth is, from what God says in His Word and not from what man wants it to say. The terminology of Scripture clearly says that hell, like heaven, is a real place that will exist for eternity (Matt. 18:8; Rev. 14:11).

So, how shall the truth about hell affect the ministry of the church? Well, the church is Christ’s Body on earth and is a representative of His teachings. To confess Him as Lord and Savior and then to reject His teaching on the subject of hell is inconsistent. He came to save those that would believe in Him from the horrors of hell. The church was given the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” So, the church is to teach all, which includes the true doctrine of hell. Jesus Himself spoke a lot about hell as He is the Savior that will save those who believe in Him from eternal judgement of God (Matt. 1:21). We must get back to preaching all of the Word of God, and that includes warning the unsaved sinners of impending judgement.

The truth about hell reflects God’s holiness, which in turn, reflects His great love for us in giving His Son. We cannot understand nor comprehend God’s magnifying love without first understanding His holiness and His holy wrath against unrepentant sinners. Sinning against an eternal, holy God requires eternal punishment. True believers will not want to water down God’s message to make it more palatable to the tolerant modernistic age we are now living in. The church must uphold God’s teachings and not fall into the trap of remaking a faith into the likeness of man.

Knowing the truth about hell gives urgency to evangelism. We should want to warn people of their need of the Savior, because if they die unforgiven, a horrible fate awaits them. Jesus Himself preached about hell because of His love for the sinners that they might turn to Him and be saved. We too, as the Body of Christ, the Church, should tell unbelievers the truth and look for opportunities to share the bad news of hell in order to share the Good News of Christ.

Ankerberg, John. Hell: Real or Imagined. Steeling The Mind of America, Tape 8, Compass  International, 1996. Cassette.

A dissection of the explanation Jesus gives of hell (Hades) in Luke 16 regarding the rich man and Lazarus. Emphasizes from Scripture that being forever in hell is conscious torment, not being annihilated forever by studying the words “destroy,” “perish,” and “ruin.” Exposes that there are evangelicals that no longer hold to the orthodox doctrine. Gives reasons for the metaphorical view of hell.

Blanchard, John. Whatever Happened to Hell? Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1995.

 An excellent theologically sound book that compassionately announces the reality of hell. A book that is intended to help unbelievers understand what happens to the lost, and help believers combat the false teachings concerning hell and give them a sense of urgency of reaching the lost and realizing the immense love of God in saving them. Adheres to the metaphorical view.

Crockett, William, ed. Four Views On Hell. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.

 An excellent examination of the various views of hell. Each author explains his Scriptural view (literal, metaphorical, annihilationism, purgatorial) and responds to the other three views.

Fickett, Harold L., Jr. A Layman’s Guide To Baptist Beliefs. Grand Rapids: Zondervan  Publishing House, 1965.

 An excellent look at why Baptists believe in hell from a Scriptural viewpoint. It leaves open the possibility that hell is either a literal fire or a symbolic fire of torment. The book also brings out the false views of universalism, purgatory and limbo.

Fudge, Edward William. The Fire That Consumes: The Biblical Case for Conditional  Immortality. Carlisle UK: The Paternoster Press, 1994.

 A detailed analysis of the case for conditional immortality. Attempts to utilize biblical and nonbiblical writings to prove their view.

Hunt, Dave. In Defense Of The Faith: Biblical Answers To Challenging Questions. Eugene:  Harvest House Publishers, 1996.

 An outstanding exploration of biblical truths, including hellfire. Helps the reader to defend his faith Scripturally. This book takes the metaphorical view.

Lutzer, Erwin W. One Minute After You Die. Chicago: Moody Press, 1997.

 A thorough look at eternal destinations for both the believer and unbeliever. Explains the difference of Sheol and Hades to hell. Emphasizes the Scriptural basis for hell and takes a metaphorical and possible literal view of hell.

MacArthur, John F. The Glory of Heaven: The Truth About Heaven, Angels and Eternal Life.  Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1996.

 Though written to describe the afterlife for believers in heaven, the book also touches on the reality of hell for unbelievers. In addition, by understanding the reality of heaven, the reality of hell becomes ever more clearer from a study of Scripture.

Martin, Walter. The Kingdom of the Cults. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1965.  Revised, 1997.

 An outstanding source of information for various cult beliefs, including their beliefs on hell. Gives an accurate understanding of soul-sleep from the Jehovah's Witness and Seventh Day Adventist points of view.

McGee, Dr. J. Vernon. Hell--Fact Or Fancy? Thru The Bible Radio, Cassette.

 A Scriptural look at the words of Jesus on the subject of hell and what it means. Exposes hell as a terrifying reality. Examines past theologian’s conclusions that the fire of hell is symbolic. Concludes with a metaphorical belief of the reality of an eternal torment in hell.

________. Revelation Volume III: Chapters 14-22. Pasadena: Thru The Bible Books, 1979.  Reprint, 1984.

 A verse - by - verse commentary on chapters in the Book of Revelation. McGee brings out that reality always exceeds the symbolic description of something, including that of hell, known also as the lake of fire.

Moody, Dale. The Word Of Truth: A Summary Of Christian Doctrine Based On Biblical
 Revelation. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1981.

 A systematic theological discussion of Christian doctrine from differing views. Does not lead one to a clear conclusion of the correct Scriptural view.

Morey, Dr. Robert A. Death and the Afterlife. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1984.

 An excellent book that examines the biblical language used to describe death and the life after. Goes through word studies of Hebrew and Greek words that describe the future condition of the lost in order to combat universalism and annihilationism.

Peterson, Robert A. Hell On Trial: The Case for Eternal Punishment. Phillipsburg: P & R  Publishing, 1995.

 An excellent source for the case of biblical orthodoxy on the doctrine of hellfire. The author takes a metaphorical view rather than a literal view of hell. Brings one into a realization of the importance and significance of this doctrine.

Reed, David A. Answering Jehovah's Witnesses: Subject by Subject. Grand Rapids: Baker  Books, 1996.

 Brief articles that refute scripturally Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. Very good for teaching one to use a couple of verses to expose error. Useful for understanding JW position on hell, soul, and spirit and how to counter.

Rhodes, Ron. Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses. Oregon: Harvest  House Publishers, 1993.

 An excellent source for combating the false doctrinal beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. Uses a superb questioning format to lead one into a correct Scriptural view of what the soul is, which takes apart the view of soul-sleep, and therefore annihilationism.

Sabiers, Rev. Karl G. Where Are The Dead? Hollywood: Hollywood Radio Evangelist, 1938.

 One of the most excellent expositions of Scripture on what the Bible teaches concerning the condition of the dead. This book refutes the idea of soul-sleep that is taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses. In detail the book outlines what death is, and the difference between Sheol / Hades and hell/lake of fire/Gehenna.

Shed, W.G.T. The Doctrine of Endless Punishment. Great Britain: The Camelot Press Ltd,  Trowbridge, 1885. Reprint, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1990.

 A comprehensive examination of Christ’s teaching on the doctrine of hell as endless punishment. Shed deals with the history of the doctrine, as well as biblical and rational arguments. Does not subscribe to the two - compartment theory of Sheol.

Spencer, Jeff. “The Destruction of Hell: Annihilationism Examined,” Christian Apologetics  Journal 1, no. 1 (1998). Database on-line.

 The author’s biblical response to the question of annihilationism considering the annihilationist’s moral, linguistic, and exegetical arguments. Quotes teachings of Clark Pinnock and John R.W. Stott. Spencer takes a literal view of the fires of hell.

Sper, David, ed. Where Do We Go From Here? Future: Life After Death. Grand Rapids: Radio  Bible Class, 1987.

 An excellent brief biblical presentation of what happens at death, resurrection, judgement, and eternity for believers and unbelievers.

. What Does the Bible Say About Hell? Spirit World: The Afterlife. Grand Rapids:  Radio Bible Class, 1990.

 An excellent brief biblical study of the subject of what hell is. Focuses on the “destruction” passages and the “forever and ever” passages to give an accurate rendering of the biblical meanings.

Sproul, R.C. Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers,  Inc., 1992.

 Sproul explains over 100 Reformed Christian doctrines, one of which is the doctrine of hell. In a concise way, Sproul describes hell as, not a place where there is separation from God; but rather where God’s presence will torment the sinners. Biblical passages are cited for reference.

Swindoll, Charles R. Eternity: Knowing Your Place in God’s Forever Plan. Portland:  Multnomah Press, 1986.

 A very good simplified theological explanation of what happens to believers and non-believers after death, with study questions after each chapter to reflect on. Bases most of the explanation using the text from Luke 16:19-31.

The Voice of Prophecy, Discover Guide 23: What And Where Is Hell? Los Angeles: The Voice of  Prophecy, 1995.

 A simple glimpse into why Seventh Day Adventists believe in the view of soul-sleep and annihilationism. Basically takes words such as “destroy,” “perish,” and “devour,” to make their point.

Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Insight On The Scriptures, Vol 1, II.  Watchtower Bible and  Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1988.

 A Bible encyclopaedia from the viewpoint of Jehovah's Witnesses. Useful for researching the cult's beliefs on the lake of fire, the soul, death. Hades, and Sheol.

. Is This Life all there is? Brooklyn: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New  York, Inc., 1974.

 A complete examination of Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs on the condition of the dead and the understanding of what the soul is. The book describes why Witnesses believe in annihilationism, and in unbelievers receiving a second chance for salvation after death. Contains a whole chapter on a symbolic description of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. An excellent reference work for seeing how Bible verses can be used to teach a false theology.

. Reasoning from the Scriptures. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York,  Inc., 1985.

 A book that explains subject - by - subject the doctrinal beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses using Scripture to uphold their view. Excellent for demonstrating how the JW's can take verses out of context and use them to lead unsuspecting ones into false teaching. Also includes incomplete quotes from various other works to support their stand.

. You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society  of New York, Inc., 1982.

 The book commonly used by Jehovah's Witnesses when first conducting home Bible studies with newly interested ones in the cult. Attempts to lead one into their line of reasoning for why they believe the soul dies and awaits a resurrection of the dead, along with other false doctrinal viewpoints.