DOES HELL EXIST?

1. Does Hell Exist?

a) In the King James Old Testament, the original language word translated as hell in all thirty-one places it occurs is Sheol. Its literal meaning is that it is a reference to a common grave. The word has no relationship whatsoever to our modern definition of a place of eternal punishing. In the KJV New Testament, only three Greek words are translated a total of twenty-three times as hell.

b) The Greek word Tartaroo, which is used only once in the entire New Testament (2 Peter 2:4), means the deepest part of Hades.

c) The second Greek word from which we get the English word hell is Hades. Used ten times in the New Testament, it is exactly equivalent to the Hebrew word Sheol and has an identical meaning (Acts 2:27, Revelation 1:18, 20:13, etc.). The last original language word is Ghenna (Gehenna - Strong's #G1067) which is found twelve times in Scripture. Jesus referred to this place in Matthew 5:22, 18:9 and other verses.

d) Gehenna, which in not translated as "hell" in several modern translations, was the name of a deep, narrow valley (the valley of Hinnom) that existed outside the gates of Jerusalem's southern end. In ancient times, Israelites used it as a place where they could worship and offer sacrifices to pagan gods like Baal and Molech.

e) One way these idols in "hell" were thought to be appeased was through the practice of burning babies and children alive by placing them in the red hot hands of these evil idols (see 2 Kings 16, 23, and 2 Chronicles 28). The valley eventually was held in such disgust that Jews would use it to get rid of trash and dead bodies.

f) By the time of Jesus, the area of the Gehenna valley had become incredibly offensive. Fires were kept burning in the valley day and night (which is where the phrase "unquenchable fire of hell" is drawn from, Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17) in order to consume what was thrown in it. Jesus referred to this "fire of Gehenna" in his Sermon on the Mount when he taught about the ultimate consequences of putting others down (Matthew 5:22).

g) God has something far better planned. His plan is to bring back to life, in a future resurrection, the countless billions who never had a full chance to understand the gospel. It is at that time that their minds will be opened. They will be made to understand to truth and then given their first real opportunity to live forever.