The Doctrine of Hell
Hell is a real place only if the Bible is true.
The Bible testifies to its reality.
Hell is real only if Jesus tells the truth.
Jesus talks about Hell more than Heaven.
Believing in Hell will increase your burden for lost souls and lost family members.
Believing in Hell will cause you to glory in the Cross and rejoice in the fact that God spared you from this terrible place.
There is lots of confusion in the Doctrine of Hell among believers. This is partly because in English Scripture the word hell is translated for at least three different words which are totally different places and different functions.
Let's look first at the Hebrew word translated often by the English word Hell.
Sheol lAav. she'owl {sheh-ole'} or laov. sheol {sheh-ole'}
Meaning: 1) sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit 1a) the underworld 1b) Sheol - the OT designation for the abode of all the dead 1b1) place of no return 1b2) without praise of God 1b3) wicked sent there for punishment 1b4) righteous not abandoned to it 1b5)
Over 50 times in OT it is described as somewhere beneath the earth or in the earth. It is a place for all dead to go so we understand that it has two compartments. Let's look at some examples.
Psalm 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. David
Psalm 86:13 For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
Proverbs 9:18 But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell.
Proverbs 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Isaiah 14:9 "Hell from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones All the kings of the nations.
Isaiah 14:11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.'
Isaiah 14:15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
Grave
Psalm 30:3 O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah
Therefore the concept in the OT is that the redeemed go down into Sheol awaiting to be taken out sometime in the future. The lost are condemned to Sheol and actually suffer there without hope of future rescue.
This makes it clear that in Sheol there are two compartments; one where the redeemed are sent and one where the lost are sent. Two compartments in one place called Sheol.
Hades a[|dhj The word Hades is simply the Greek word for the Hebrew word Sheol.
Matthew 16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Luke 16:23 "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Acts 2:27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. David's words
Acts 2:31 "he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
Revelation 1:18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
Where do these people go that were cast down into Sheol or Hades?
First, all redeemed were placed into Abraham's Bosom or Sheol (Hades) temporary.
Ephesians 4:8 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Ephesians 4:9 (Now this, "He ascended" -- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Even as late as the Cross those who died redeemed were sent to Abraham's Bosom called sometimes Paradise. NO one could still go to heaven because redemption had not been paid. Only after Jesus' death and resurrection was redemption paid.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Second word: Gehenna derived from word Hinnom
Matthew 5:22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.
Valley of Hinnom which Israel was familiar with. At end of Jerusalem walls where trash, dead animals and sometimes criminals were put and set afire. Picture of Lake of Fire.
Third word: Tartaroo Tartarus
Only used one place in Scripture:
2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
Deepest abyss of Hades or the great gulf fixed between Abraham's Bosom and Hades.
So we have Sheol (Hades), Gehenna, & Tartaroo.
Lets finish by seeing what happens to the second part of Sheol (Hades)
Abraham's Bosom was captured by Christ after His crucifixion and taken to Heaven by Him and upon His sprinkling His blood on the real Mercy Seat the saints were invited in and still today live on the planet Heaven.
The Hades left behind containing all the lost from creation until today will someday be taken out of Hades.
Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Matthew 8:12 "But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Prepared by: Dr. M. Dennis Ellis
Open Light Ministries
128 Jenny Drive
Madisonville, TN 37354
[email protected]
The Bible testifies to its reality.
Hell is real only if Jesus tells the truth.
Jesus talks about Hell more than Heaven.
Believing in Hell will increase your burden for lost souls and lost family members.
Believing in Hell will cause you to glory in the Cross and rejoice in the fact that God spared you from this terrible place.
There is lots of confusion in the Doctrine of Hell among believers. This is partly because in English Scripture the word hell is translated for at least three different words which are totally different places and different functions.
Let's look first at the Hebrew word translated often by the English word Hell.
Sheol lAav. she'owl {sheh-ole'} or laov. sheol {sheh-ole'}
Meaning: 1) sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit 1a) the underworld 1b) Sheol - the OT designation for the abode of all the dead 1b1) place of no return 1b2) without praise of God 1b3) wicked sent there for punishment 1b4) righteous not abandoned to it 1b5)
Over 50 times in OT it is described as somewhere beneath the earth or in the earth. It is a place for all dead to go so we understand that it has two compartments. Let's look at some examples.
Psalm 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. David
Psalm 86:13 For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
Proverbs 9:18 But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell.
Proverbs 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Isaiah 14:9 "Hell from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones All the kings of the nations.
Isaiah 14:11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.'
Isaiah 14:15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
Grave
Psalm 30:3 O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah
Therefore the concept in the OT is that the redeemed go down into Sheol awaiting to be taken out sometime in the future. The lost are condemned to Sheol and actually suffer there without hope of future rescue.
This makes it clear that in Sheol there are two compartments; one where the redeemed are sent and one where the lost are sent. Two compartments in one place called Sheol.
Hades a[|dhj The word Hades is simply the Greek word for the Hebrew word Sheol.
Matthew 16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Luke 16:23 "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Acts 2:27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. David's words
Acts 2:31 "he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
Revelation 1:18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
Where do these people go that were cast down into Sheol or Hades?
First, all redeemed were placed into Abraham's Bosom or Sheol (Hades) temporary.
Ephesians 4:8 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Ephesians 4:9 (Now this, "He ascended" -- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Even as late as the Cross those who died redeemed were sent to Abraham's Bosom called sometimes Paradise. NO one could still go to heaven because redemption had not been paid. Only after Jesus' death and resurrection was redemption paid.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Second word: Gehenna derived from word Hinnom
Matthew 5:22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.
Valley of Hinnom which Israel was familiar with. At end of Jerusalem walls where trash, dead animals and sometimes criminals were put and set afire. Picture of Lake of Fire.
Third word: Tartaroo Tartarus
Only used one place in Scripture:
2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
Deepest abyss of Hades or the great gulf fixed between Abraham's Bosom and Hades.
So we have Sheol (Hades), Gehenna, & Tartaroo.
Lets finish by seeing what happens to the second part of Sheol (Hades)
Abraham's Bosom was captured by Christ after His crucifixion and taken to Heaven by Him and upon His sprinkling His blood on the real Mercy Seat the saints were invited in and still today live on the planet Heaven.
The Hades left behind containing all the lost from creation until today will someday be taken out of Hades.
Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Matthew 8:12 "But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Prepared by: Dr. M. Dennis Ellis
Open Light Ministries
128 Jenny Drive
Madisonville, TN 37354
[email protected]