What Is Hell?

Hello Guys and Gals!

What is Hell? First I'd like to explain that there are two 'places' which are translated into the word Hell in the English language: Hades and Gehenna!

Now Hades is the Greek word and Sheol is the Hebrew word for the same place. This place is where the souls of the departed go to stay until the great white throne judgment which happens in Revelation 20:11-15. But there are two aspects of Hades as well. There is Hades before Christ came and Hades after Christ.

Before Christ came, all the souls of the departed were in Hades but divided by a great chasm where on one side were those who trusted and believed in God and the other side for all the others and that no one can cross from one side to the other.

Yet we also know that there was a change in the place where departed believers went from Ephesians 4:8-10. All departed believers are now in the presence of Christ! Yet the non-believers are still in Hades!

Gehenna on the other hand is literally translated to 'of fire', in the Greek language. It also refers to a place in the Valley of Hinnom where, anciently, human sacrifices were offered (2 Chronicles 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31) and where the continuous burning of rubbish illustrated for the Jewish people unending judgment upon the wicked. Jesus used this term as a most solemn warning and described the place where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched'. (Mark 9:48) It is most often referred to as the 'Lake of Fire' or the 'Second Death' referring to the death of the soul!

But what makes Hell truly so bad? The key element in the 'Second Death' that makes it such a horrible place is the withdrawal by God of His presence from those whom He is punishing for their unbelief and rejection of Him! (Revelation 20:14) Please note that this is not an annihilation or total destruction, but eternal torture forever and ever. It states that after 1,000 years in the Lake of Fire, Gehenna, the beast and false prophet are still there, personally existing. (Compare Revelation 19:20 with 20:10) We also see Satan thrown into Gehenna in verse 20:10!

So that is a brief description of Hell. But what about Hell on Earth? Is there such a place? I say that there is and I will give you a simple definition of it. Hell on Earth is when a person does not believe or rejects God! They are not fully separated from God in their sin until tossed into the Lake of Fire, but there is still a separation there.

As we see in Romans 1:28, in reference to sinners who did not see fit to acknowledge God any more, that God has given them over to a depraved mind and to do those things which are not proper. I believe that when God gives you over, that is a form of separation from Him. For God is so holy that sin cannot enter into his presence. Which is the whole need for a sin offering to cover our sins. This is what I believe Hell on Earth to be: living in your sin so that God has given you over to the depravities of your own mind!

How shall we then escape Hell? Even Hell on Earth? There is only one answer: Jesus Christ! Jesus paid the full price of sin and is the only one who truly knows what full separation from God is! In Matthew 27:46 we see Jesus on the cross crying out, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' which is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' This was the full punishment of sin! God withdrew His presence even from Jesus Christ so that Jesus would know the full price of sin and take the punishment of it onto Himself so that we might be saved!

There is only one way to escape Hell, that is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is the only way to escape from Hell, either in Hades, Gehenna, or even here on Earth!

God bless you all this day!