No, there is not just one Hell.
This new series will reveal the truth behind Heaven and Hell. Both are extremely misunderstood and surprisingly, the people who understand the least are Christians.
In Part I, we will exclusively discuss Hell. Or more specifically, the three kinds of Hell. The English-translated Bibles have combined all three types into the single English word "Hell". This has completely wiped out the true understanding of this evil place. Understanding the different types will give us unique insight into Hell, and better equip us to explain to others the dangers that lurk for those who are not in Yeshua.
The Two Kinds of Hell in the Old Testament (in Hebrew)
Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. The word we find used for "Hell" is Sheol & Bore. The definition from the Blue Letter Bible shows:
- shᵉʼôwl, sheh-ole - H7592; hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates:—grave, hell, pit.
Example verses:
Gen 37:35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” (Actually Sheol) So his father wept for him.
Psa 16:10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead (Actually Sheol), nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
- bôwr,bore; from H952 (in the sense of H877); a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or a prison):—cistern, dungeon, fountain, pit, well
Example verses:
Psa 30:3 You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead (Sheol); you spared me from going down to the pit. (Bore)
Isa 38:18 For the grave (Sheol) cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit (Bore) cannot hope for your faithfulness.
What becomes very clear, is that Sheol and Bore are two separate places. Bore is described as a place deeper than Sheol. Sheol describes the place where all the dead spirits go. Bore describes a place deeper and darker than that.
Interestingly, in English-translated Bibles, only Sheol is translated as Hell. Bore is never directly translated as Hell, but only as "deep pit" or "hole".
In summary,
Sheol = grave or death. It is where our spirit goes when we die, and where all dead spirits reside.
Bore = deep pit, which is deeper than Sheol.
So far, no mention of Satan, fire, torment, or burning sulfur.
The Three Kinds of Hell in the New Testament (in Greek)
The New Testament is mostly written in Greek, so we now have some new words to translate. There are three of them:
- Hades, háidēs, hah'-dace; from G1 (as negative particle) and G1492; properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:—grave, hell.
Example verses:
Luk 16:23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
1Co 15:55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death (Actually Hades), is your sting?”
Hades means grave or hell. This lines up well with the Hebrew word of Sheol. If we look at the example verses above, we can also see this link. So we can therefore say:
Hades = Sheol = grave or death. It is where our spirit goes when we die, and where all dead spirits reside.
- Gehenna, géenna, gheh'-en-nah; of Hebrew origin (H1516 and H2011); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:—hell.
Example verses:
Mat 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).
Mar 9:43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell (Gehenna)., where the fire never goes out.
Rev 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Here, Gehenna is described as a place of fire. From the definition shown above, Gehenna means "Valley of Hinnom". This is a place where they performed child sacrifice with fire. This was done to worship the pagan god, Molek. This is the first time we see Hell associated with fire and eternal punishment. This is a purely evil place. Based on this, we can conclude:
Gehenna = Place of Fire. It is not the same as Sheol/Hades. This is even more clear in Revelation:
Rev 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
In other words, Death and Hades, which are indicating SHEOL, will be thrown into the lake of fire, which is Gehenna. Again, this shows that these are two different things and places. It signifies that death has been destroyed once and for all.
- Tartaroo, tartaróō, tar-tar-o'-o; from Τάρταρος Tártaros (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment:—cast down to hell.
This is only mentioned once in the New Testament, and is exclusively mentioned in 2 Peter:
2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell (Tartaroo), putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
We see that Tartaroo is exclusively reserved for the fallen angels, and is similar to Bore, it is a deep pit or a type of dungeon. The angels are chained up here waiting until the day of judgement. More of Tartaroo is revealed in the Book of Enoch. We might do a teaching on Enoch, as the book is very insightful. However, since it is not part of the traditional Bible, we will exclude it from the scope here.
In Revelation, the book speaks of Tartaroo, indirectly referring to it as the "abyss":
Rev 9:1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.
Rev 9:2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.
The prophecy then foretells that the king of the Fallen Angels will rise out of Tartaroo:
Rev 9:11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).
The beast also comes from the same place.
We can see that Tartaroo is not the same as Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna.
Tartaroo = Deep Abyss = Bore. Where fallen angels reside in chains, waiting for the day of judgment. The beast and Apollyon will come from Tartaroo.
In Summary
Examining the Hebrew and Greek languages gives us the THREE true definitions of Hell:
1) Sheol (Hebrew) OR Hades (Greek) = Grave. Where all deceased souls reside. This is above Tartaroo.
2) Gehenna = Place of fire. The place where all who are not in Yeshua will be destroyed. The location is not given.
3) Bore (Hebrew) OR Tartaroo (Greek) = Deep Pit/Abyss. Where fallen angels reside. This is below Sheol.
So, where is the Hell we are all taught?
If we look at the definitions above, one can't help but think - Where is the Hell we are taught about in Church? The one where Satan sits on his thrown, overlooking lava lakes and red clouds, all while commanding his demons to torment souls and humans alike.
It doesn't exist.
No one resides in Gehenna. It will be used to destroy the beast, Apollyon, and all who are not in Yeshua. Sheol is just a place where all deceased souls reside, awaiting Christ's return (this is also another reason why divination is forbidden as it awakes souls in this realm). Tartaroo is a dungeon with fallen angels. Satan does not sit over a lava thrown in Gehenna. Mainline Christianity has dreamt up this scenario - mainly for fearmongering and control.
Looking at the scriptures and their original meaning gives clarity on what the real Hell is - a place without God. Everyone not in Christ will be destroyed (thrown into Gehenna - the lake of fire). This includes Satan. However, in Part III we will define who or what "Satan" is - and if he really will be thrown into Gehenna, or even if he exists at all...
My Theory on Hell - Torment for Sinners is NOT Eternal
How can Satan rule forever and torment you forever when he is destroyed? That does not make logical sense. And this is the big revelation - Hell might not be forever. Once everyone is destroyed in the lake of fire, that is the end of it. No more sin, just living eternal life with God. Eternal life was always the reward for following Christ:
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Even in the most recited verse in the Bible, it also gives us a clue to Hell NOT being eternal:
Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
What is your understanding of perish? Do you think of it as describing suffering eternally or more like passing away or dying? The early church understood this. Eternal life was always the gift.
Three misunderstood verses can seem contradictory to the above, which I will clear up below:
- Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
This verse shows that the beast and false prophet will be tormented forever and ever. If they are being tormented, how will they have the time to torment the other souls? Therefore, this does not apply to our souls.
If we read in Matthew, Yeshua also says something profound:
Mat 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna)
Notice the wording - who can destroy both soul and body
Destroy - apóllymi, ap-ol'-loo-mee; from G575 and the base of G3639; to destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively:—destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.
It means to destroy fully, die, or perish. If something is destroyed, it will not be brought back. Once it is gone, it is gone. This implies that God will destroy your soul (i.e. make it not exist). Yeshua never states that this is an eternal punishment.
- The story of Lazarus in Luke 16:19
This story is quite clearly a parable warning people to turn back to the Law of Moses. It is not a literal event. If you would like a teaching on this, please reach out via the contact form in the menu.
- Wailing and Gnashing of teeth parable in Matthew 13 / Luke 16.
Mat 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Mat 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Gnashing of teeth is used multiple times in parables in the Bible to refer to the Pharisees and religious leaders. Crying and grinding your teeth sounds like something you would do if you were thrown into Gehenna, and since there is no indication of eternal torment, this verse does not provide anything against the theory. Again, if you want a full teaching on this specific verse, reach out in the contact page.
Degrees of Punishment
However, even though eternal punishment is only reserved for the beast and the false prophet, degrees of punishment still exist for the souls not covered by Yeshua.
A good example to illustrate this point would be to imagine some wood. One is a small twig. If you light it up, it will burn quickly, and within no time, it will turn to ash.
The other piece of wood is a huge log. If you set this on fire, it will continue burning for days.
This is the illustration of degrees of punishment. The truly evil people of this world will be like the big logs of wood - their punishment will be to burn longer, and more intensely than someone who is a good person, but does not believe in Yeshua.
But once the wood is burnt out, it is over. You and your life officially end there, and the people under Yeshua will continue to live with Him and everyone else who believed. That is the eternal gift. That is the truth about Hell.
For some people, this removes a huge obstacle to accepting Christianity. People do not want to hear that they will burn in Hell for all eternity. They don't want to believe in a God like that. However, this was never the case. As shown above, God loved us all so much that even if people did not believe in Him, he would show mercy on them, by destroying them, rather than letting them suffer eternally. This is the God we serve. Of course, this is my belief based on what scripture teaches and I encourage you to read these passages yourself and let the Holy Spirit guide you.
Conclusion
Many Christians do not understand the different meanings of the word "Hell". This word has been simplified from 3 words into one in the English Bible. Looking at the Greek and Hebrew words to describe Hell, we arrived at three clear definitions:
1) Sheol (Hebrew) OR Hades (Greek) = Grave. Where all deceased souls reside. This is above Tartaroo.
2) Gehenna = Place of fire. The place where all who are not in Yeshua will be destroyed, and the beast and false prophet will be tormented forever.
3) Bore (Hebrew) OR Tartaroo (Greek) = Deep Pit/Abyss. Where fallen angels reside. This is below Sheol.
None of these describe the mainline Christian view of Hell - Satan dwelling on a throne surrounded by demons, lava, and red hues. This is not real, as shown by the scriptures. The actual events that will happen at the end will be that the beast and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire (Gehenna), and all the would not in Christ will be destroyed, not tormented forever. This destruction will be appropriate to the person you were on Earth. This shows us what a merciful God we serve. The rest of those who believe in Yeshua will receive their reward - Eternal Life.
Be blessed!
