Part 1 of a 3 part series on Hell

Is Hell a Biblical Teaching?

Over the centuries the doctrine of hell has evolved into becoming  one of the staple teachings in Christianity – both in Catholicism and Protestantism .  In fact, some well-known preachers today lament the fact that the teaching of hell is not being given enough of a hearing in our day, insinuating that this represents a departure from the truth of scripture.  There is no doubt that we are living in the age of compromise and it is evident that many have indeed departed far from the foundation of scripture, but when it comes to the doctrine of hell, is this an accurate assertion?

According to many, Hell has been defined as on one of two final destinations for all of mankind, with heaven being the other.  Because of the significance of this claim, this doctrine should be evaluated seriously.  The theory of everlasting torment is believed by millions.  If it is true then it should be widely preached.

So, the aim of this post is to explore if the Bible validates this key doctrine.

As Paul says in Ephesians 2:20, we are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”  What does this mean?  That there should be agreement across the spectrum of scripture, especially as it pertains to the final destinations of mankind.  The Bible does an excellent job of addressing the two final destinations, but it will surprise many that they are not heaven and hell, but eternal life and oblivion (eternal death without consciousness).

Here is our outline for exploring the doctrine of Hell:

• Old Testament references (below)
• Part 2: New Testament Books with no reference to Hell
• Part 3: The Gospels: Gehenna & Hades

The Old Testament:

The word Hell in the Old Testament is always a translation from the word Sheol.  The word Sheol occurs 64 times in the Old Testament, and is rendered “hell” 32 times, “grave” 29 times, and “pit” 3 times.

So it is important to know what Sheol actually means.  It is defined as the place or state of the dead, without distinction of who the person is or how they lived.  This means that King David, a man after God’s own heart is presently in Sheol (see Acts 2:29).  And so is King Ahab, an unrepentant individual who offered his children in sacrifice to idols.  Every man and woman referred to in the Old Testament, whether evil or righteous, is presently in Sheol – theplace or abode of the dead.  In itself, it has no connection whatsoever with future punishment.  It is simply death – the absence of life.   There is no consciousness or suffering.

In his physical torment, Job uttered these words (Job 14:13):

“If only you would hide me in the grave (sheol)
and conceal me till your anger has passed!”
If only you would set me a time
and then remember me!”

Speaking of the wicked, Job says: ”They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave (sheol) in peace.” (Job 21:13).

The writer of Ecclesiastes (9:10) had this to say of the state of the dead: ”Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”

This is quite different than what we are told today.  The truth is that the Old Testament writers all consistently spoke of Sheol – a state of death with no consciousness – as the place we go when this life is over.  They believed in the resurrection at the end of the age.  In the following, notice how both the righteous and unrighteous go to the same place – the grave.  In the “morning” (the resurrection), the righteous receive their reward (eternal life).

Like sheep they [who trust in themselves] are destined for the grave,
and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning;
their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.

But God will redeem my [soul] from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself. (Ps 49:14-15)

There are dozens of other instances we can look to.  In all them, it becomes clear that in the Old Testament, the doctrine of Hell as a place of torment is as foreign as the reincarnation or any other pagan teaching.  It is represented as death, the complete absence of life, just like darkness is no more than the absence of light.  A helpful consideration is that while the concept of a burning underworld does not make an appearance in the Old Testament, pagan religions were full of this imagery.

Conclusion of Part 1: As we have seen, Sheol is simply the abode of the dead.  It is a temporary, unconscious place that all people go when they die, irrespective of how they lived or what they believed.  At the time of the resurrection, “the earth will give birth to her dead.” (Isaiah 26:19b).  The word ‘Hell’ is never used, nor is the word Hades.  Sheol is the grave.  King David is there (Acts 2:29, 34); Abraham is there; Isaiah is there.  Every man or woman who has ever lived goes to the grave at the time of their death, awaiting judgment at the time of resurrection.  (Heb 9:27).

Go to Part 2 >>

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