In many New Testament passages the word “hell” refers to gehenna, but not in every instance. One must understand exactly what the word rendered “hell” by the translators meant in each case in order to know exactly what the writer is saying. As is always the case when dealing with God’s Truth, exactness is important. In many cases the word rendered “hell” in Greek is “hades,” meaning the grave/tomb. In the Old Testament the word for the grave/tomb is “sheol.” The translators confused the two entirely different words–gehenna-place of fire/hades (sheol)-the grave–by rendering them both as “hell”–a place of fire. Failing to study the Scriptures in order to learn the truth about the hell issue, the church adopted a singular description of hell as described by a writer named Dante in his book titled Inferno. However, Dante was as confused as his readers. I spent most of my life believing what I was taught about hell. I am sure that this is the case with most church people. As is the case in many instances, we were taught error. Let us use God’s Word to correct the error.

In Ecclesiastes 3:19,20 and Genesis 3:19 we are told that the bodies of both human beings and animals return to the same substance following death–dirt. From dirt each comes, to dirt each returns. In Ecclesiastes 9:10 we are told that man is placed in “sheol”–the grave–upon dying.

Jesus Christ was made flesh–totally human–upon His arrival on earth. Because He was flesh like any other man, He was placed in an earthly grave (hades) following His crucifixion (Jn. 1:14/Heb. 2:14/Acts 2:31). In Acts 2:31 and First Corinthians 15:55 the word rendered “hell” by the translators is the Greek word “hades” (grave/tomb). Unlike other men, Jesus’ body did not decompose because, and only because He was resurrected before decomposition could set in, which normally begins on about the fourth day. Recall that Jesus was warned not to disturb the tomb of Lazarus because he had been dead four days, and therefore would stink. We are told that no corpse stinks like a human corpse.

A mysterious phrase uttered by the Lord concerning the fate of sinners–both churched and unchurched–is found in Mark 9:43-48: “… where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.” The word “worm” is used in reference to man in several places throughout the Scriptures (Job 25:6/Ps. 22:6/Isa. 41:14;66:24). We know from numerous Scriptures that the bodies of sinners will be burned up–consumed–by the fire of gehenna. We also know from Scripture that man has a conscience–that non-physical part of his being by which God reveals good and evil. By continuing to sin, God-rejecting man sears his conscience to the point that he can no longer hear Him (1 Tim. 4:2). It is the conscience of man–the “worm”–that will live forever in a fiery hell. Throughout eternity, the “worm” will regret the choices that were made while in the flesh, which will have been burned to ash. It is this ash that God’s saints will walk upon (Mal. 4:1-3). The burning of the flesh to ash is what is referred to in Revelation 2:11 as the “… second death.”  Who are those whose bodies will be burned to ash in gehenna following the Day of Judgment? As with all things relative to spiritual Truth, the Lord tells us. To be continued. L.J.