What Does the Bible Actually Say About Hell?

A bare, wind-twisted dead tree leaning over a foggy desert dune, its dark bark stark against a hazy grey sky.

I decided to resurrect my blog (pun somewhat intended). I say somewhat intended because I’m actually not trying to be funny. The topic I’m writing on is a sobering one. And a troubling one. But it’s been heavy on my heart for the last few days as I’ve been wrestling with the topic myself. It’s been unpleasant, to say the least. But it has been weighing heavily for the last couple of days, in a way that it never has before. To the point where I struggled even going to sleep last night, because I felt such angst for those who are perishing or who have already perished.

There’s a subject that none of us like to think or talk about. Not even most pastors. And I understand why. It’s probably the most uncomfortable thing a person can ponder. Just death itself is a taboo subject. We’re so sanitized from death; more so than any other time in human history. Back in the day, death was familiar. People lived in mostly agrarian societies where they slaughtered animals. Even the common cold or a routine infection could easily result in death for the young or the elderly.

When family members died, you had their funeral in your living room. Then, you buried them in your backyard in the family cemetery. What’s an even touchier subject than death? The second death. Yes, the death of your body is not the final death for someone who isn’t saved from God’s judgment. There’s a second death: the death of one’s soul. You’re not just a body. You’re composed of 3 parts: a spirit, a soul, and a body. There’s a bit of a mystery when it comes to the differences between the spirit and the soul, but the Bible suggests they’re separate from one another.

Your soul is made by God to last for eternity. It never ceases to exist once it’s created at conception. Your soul is who you are. Namely, your consciousness, your personality, your heart, your will, your emotions, your desires/passions, etc. It’s “you.” Your spirit has a soul that lives in a body, and your body is a shell that simply allows you to interact with our 3D + 1 (time) physical dimension. Your soul didn’t exist in eternity past like God. Sorry to break it to the new age folks who believe in “old souls” and reincarnation. However, it will exist from now into eternity. And where your soul will spend eternity is the most crucial question a person can ever contend with.

The Bible is clear. We will either spend eternity with God or eternity separated from Him. What does the Bible say about hell? Jesus himself actually talks about hell more times than he does heaven in the New Testament. And that was actually loving for Him to do so. He didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it. Save it from what? His own wrath. He came to save the world from Himself. What is he saving us from, exactly?

Passages on Hell

Hades (NT: Often Equivalent to Sheol; Temporary Realm of the Dead)

Hades appears in contexts of death, gates, and (in one key parable) torment.

  • Matthew 11:23/Luke 10:15: Capernaum brought down to Hades (judgment imagery).
  • Matthew 16:18: “The gates of Hades shall not prevail against” the church.
  • Luke 16:23–24, 28 (most descriptive): The rich man “in Hades, being in torment,” lifts eyes, sees Abraham and Lazarus afar; begs for water to cool his tongue “for I am in anguish in this flame”; a great chasm fixed; warns brothers lest they come to “this place of torment.”
  • Acts 2:27, 31 (quoting Psalm 16): Christ’s soul not abandoned to Hades; no decay.
  • Revelation 1:18: Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades.”
  • Revelation 6:8: Death and Hades follow the pale horse, given authority to kill.
  • Revelation 20:13–14: Death and Hades give up the dead for judgment; then “Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”

Gehenna (Fiery Judgment, Often “Hell”)

Jesus uses this term (valley of Hinnom imagery) for a place of fire and destruction.

  • Matthew 5:22: Liable to “the hell of fire.”
  • Matthew 5:29–30/18:9: Better to lose a body part than for the whole body to be thrown into hell (Gehenna).
  • Matthew 10:28/Luke 12:5: Fear God “who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
  • Matthew 23:15, 33: Hypocrites deserving “the sentence of hell”/“how will you escape being sentenced to hell?”
  • Mark 9:43–48: “Unquenchable fire” where “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (quoting Isaiah 66:24).
  • James 3:6: The tongue “set on fire by hell.”

Lake of Fire/Eternal Fire/Outer Darkness (Final Destiny)

This is the ultimate place of punishment (after the final judgment), into which Death, Hades, the devil, and the wicked are cast.

  • Matthew 13:40–42, 50: Fiery furnace with “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
  • Matthew 25:41: “Depart from me… into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
  • Matthew 25:46: “Eternal punishment” vs. eternal life.
  • 2 Thessalonians 1:9: “Punished with everlasting destruction” from the Lord’s presence, with flaming fire.
  • Revelation 14:9–11: Tormented with fire and sulfur; “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night.”
  • Revelation 19:20; 20:10: Beast, false prophet, and devil thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur; “tormented day and night forever and ever.”
  • Revelation 20:15; 21:8: Wicked thrown into the lake that “burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

What Do These Passages Mean?

I’m not a Bible scholar or a theologian, so you’ll have to bear with my public-school-educated brain. From what I understand as a casual Bible reader for the last 20 years, I will do my best to break some of these passages down. However, do not take my word for everything, and please study and read the Bible for yourself!

Sheol

Sheol was often referred to as the place of the dead throughout the Old Testament. It would seem that it was separated into two places that had a large, impassable chasm fixed between them (Luke 16:23–24, 28). On one side of Sheol was Hades (where the unrighteous went after death). The other side of Sheol was known as “Abraham’s Side or Bosom” and was where the pre-Messiah men and women of faith resided (guys like Moses, David, etc.). Abraham’s Bosom was paradise, because in Luke 23:43 Jesus told the one thief on the cross next to Him, “Today, you’ll be with me in paradise.” Abraham’s Bosom was paradise, but separate from Heaven.

After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, I believe Abraham’s Bosom was emptied, and those Old Testament saints were brought to Heaven, where they currently reside. Similarly, any Christian believers who die today immediately go to be with Jesus in Heaven. However, I believe that Hades still exists and is where the unrighteous currently reside, temporarily, in torment. After the Final Judgment, death and Hades will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Hell) for eternity.

One of the clearest passages that talks about Hades is found in Luke 16:24-31.

“And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

This does not seem to be a parable like many of Jesus’ other teachings. It seems to be a real story. The rich man is in Hades, in torment, and Lazarus is in Abraham’s Bosom/Abraham’s side. Both had died, and these are their temporary resting places. Notice that both are also fully conscious. In Hades, it says that the rich man “lifted up his eyes.” This means he could see. He calls out for mercy to Abraham and asks him to send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water to cool his tongue because he’s in anguish “in this flame.”

This means that he has all of his senses. He can see, touch, taste, etc. Moreover, it’s evident from the passage that he’s conscious of his former life back on Earth. He begs Abraham to send him to his father’s house so that he can warn his 5 brothers lest they also end up in this place of torment. I heard recently from a teaching on this that what it also implies is that there’s no fellowship in Hades. Even though unbelievers are there with many others, there seems to be isolation. Misery loves company, so if he could actually experience company in torment, wouldn’t he have wanted his brothers to join him there? There’s a lie that the world likes to tell you. Namely, “Hell is one big party.” Nothing could be further from the Truth. There is no party in Hades.

Also, since God’s presence is absent from Hades, there’s no light, no life, and no love. It’s known as “the outer darkness,” where there’s “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The Bible also makes it clear that worms and maggots are present in Hades and that they never die. We know on Earth that maggots die quickly after they have no more flesh to feast on. Therefore, if maggots and worms never die in Hades, that implies that they constantly have flesh to feast on. Although there are souls in Hades, it seems that people have some type of “physical body” as well if they have flesh to burn or for maggots to feast on. And from near-death experiencers (NDEs, more on this later), they claim that Hades feels even more real than our current reality and that senses are heightened even more. Essentially, their flesh is constantly on fire and/or rotting and never fully wastes away since maggots constantly have flesh to feast on.

Gehenna (Hell)

“Gehenna,” “Hell,” “Lake of Fire,” and “Outer Darkness” all seem to be used interchangeably in the Bible. This is the final resting place of the unrighteous, including Satan and demons. It’s the place where death and Hades are “thrown into” after the Final Judgment. The conditions seem to be vastly similar to Hades. Namely, complete absence of God’s Light, Love, and Life. Hell was originally created by God specifically for Satan and demons, and was never meant for humans. Humans are unique because we’re the only part of creation made in God’s image.

God’s desire has been for no human to perish or end up in Hell. So much so that the Father sent His only Son on a rescue mission into humanity to save the world from this awful place. If you think about it, there will be complete hopelessness and regret for the dead in Hell. There’s no way to escape. You’re constantly in anguish/pain. You probably know the Truth about everything and regret having rejected God, with no way to repent. You’re hungry, but you can’t eat. You’re thirsty, but you can’t drink. You’re tired, but you can’t sleep (Revelation 14:11: “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night…”).

And after the Final Judgment, everyone’s soul is actually reunited with their bodies, so people will be in some type of physical form in Hell. And this torment lasts 24/7, 365 days per year, forever. Even 10,000,000 years after the Final Judgment, they will still be there, in anguish. The Greek word for anguish is odynáō, pronounced “oh-doo-NAH-oh,” which means “to cause intense pain, to torment, to grieve severely, or to suffer sharp pain.”

My brain cannot truly fathom or conceptualize this. And when I try to, the angst of the idea is honestly more than I can bear.

What About Near-Death Experiences (NDEs)?

There are stories of doctors/surgeons being converted to Christianity due to witnessing NDEs. There are even peer-reviewed articles on people being revived who experience similar “hellish” and distressing visions or imagery while being revived. These journals include: Memory, Frontiers in Psychology, Journal of Near-Death Studies, Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition. Oftentimes, the scientific community chalks these up to natural “misfiring of neurons” or purely natural effects of experiencing near-death trauma.

Many of the descriptions of what they hear from NDEs are similar across the board: darkness, caves/pits, fire/flames, grotesque/demonic beings, tormenting figures, foul smells, wailing, hopelessness, and isolation. There have even been unconfirmed reports of doctors seeing patients come in and out of consciousness screaming for them to “revive them” because it’s awful where they are. The patients come out completely traumatized. Not all popularized NDE stories are going to be real or accurate (some people just want attention or money), but you can find many out there that appear to be genuine, and their descriptions of what they saw and felt align with how the Bible describes Hades.

Would a Loving God Actually Send People to Hell?

According to the Bible, it would seem that “many” will spend eternity in Hell, away from God’s presence. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus Himself says:

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Think about Noah’s day when God flooded the Earth due to pervasive wickedness on the Earth. God only saved Noah and his family, along with 2 of each species of animals. This means that all the rest of the humans and animals who were alive perished from the flood. There are patterns in the Bible where past historic events also symbolize spiritual realities and future events. Much like in Noah’s day, it’s likely that only a remnant will be saved. I understand that’s a hard reality, but it seems to be the reality that the Bible paints. As some have said before, the question shouldn’t be, “Why wouldn’t God save everybody?” but instead should be “Why would God save anybody?”

Moreover, people who go to Hell essentially send themselves there. God created hell for Satan and demons. It was never meant for humans. However, people have free will, and many willingly reject God:

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.”

Many people think of themselves as “good people.” However, God’s standard of “good” is much higher than ours. Even if you’ve never physically broken the 10 commandments, Jesus says in Matthew 5:27-28:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Therefore, it’s not just in deed that we sin, but also in our thoughts. And it only takes 1 bad thought over your entire lifetime to be considered unrighteous before God. But if we’re honest, we know that our sin is much greater than that. In Romans 3:23, Paul quotes the Old Testament and says:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

“As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’”

This is why the Gospel is so important and why it’s “Good News.” God has made a way for sinners to come to Him and spend eternity with Him in paradise. The Bible also makes it simple. In Romans 10:9-10 it says:

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

It just takes a sincere confession of faith. Then, we “go and sin no more” and follow Jesus until He calls us home!

Warning to Professing Christians

What about warnings for professing Christians? There are many verses for us:

1 John 1:5-10

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

1 John 2:3-6

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

1 John 2:9-11

“Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

1 John 3:3-10

“And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Philippians 2:12-13

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

James 2:26

“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

Matthew 3:8-10

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Many of these verses are sobering for me. If we are living in any kind of unrepentance, it’s right that we should have concern. If we truly abide in Him, we don’t make a practice of sinning. As Christians, we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and somehow, with confidence, draw near to the Throne of Grace (Heb. 4:16).

So What Now?

As Christians, understanding the realities of Hell should move us to share the good news of the Gospel with non-Christians. Jesus is very clear that there’s only One Way to Salvation. Namely, Jesus is the ONLY way that a person can be saved. He’s the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Having a burning heart for unbelievers is following one of the two greatest commands: “Loving our neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

We MUST share the hope of Jesus with the lost. How unloving of us would it be to have the antidote in our hands, know the realities of Hell, and not share it with those who are perishing?

Paul pleading with tears is a wonderful example for us in 2 Corinthians and Romans 9:

“For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.”

“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

Look at Paul’s heart here. As Christians, let this be our heart for the lost! That we wouldn’t just be okay with our ticket being “punched,” so to speak, but also ache for our family and friends who have yet to be saved. We can’t save people; only God can give the growth, but we can plant and water!