Hell and the Lake of Fire! Old Testament view of Hell

Hell and the Lake of Fire! Old Testament view of Hell first,  New Testament view of Hell and Lake of Fire to follow. 

What are they? What aren't they? 

The common and popular teaching of Hell, is that it is a spiritual underworld of torment where the unbelieving deceased go to await their final judgment at the White Throne. The Lake of Fire is taught as a place where Hell will be cast into and also all unbelievers after the White throne judgment. The Lake of Fire is taught as an unending place of torment, a literal separate place from the earth.

Those are the commonly held beliefs about Hell and the Lake of Fire by most of Christendom as well as Catholicism. What does the Bible teach on the subject of Hell and the Lake of Fire? You may be suprised!

The questions to be asked are:
What is Hell?
What is the Lake of Fire?
Is the judgment of these unending or final?

The word Hell has been attributed in culture as a ghoulish underworld of unending torment and suffering for bad people. The word in the mainstream Christian world has the same connotation however substitute bad unbelievers for bad people. Unlike popular belief the word "Hell" in the Bible is never described as a spiritual underworld.  The word Hell in the Bible is often referred to as the "grave". Let's look at the definition of Hell in the Hebrew and Greek from Strong’s. 

Hebrew word for Hell= "sh'owl" sheh-ole-or shol sheh-ole transliterated "Sheowl" which means Hades or world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including it's accessories and inmates: grave, hell, pit.

Greek  word for Hell= "haides" which means properly, unseen, I.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:-grave, hell.

Another Greek word for Hell= "geena" gheh'-en-nah- of Hebrew origin; valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem,  uaed (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:-hell.

 Psalm 9:17 (KJV)

17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

The meaning of Hell in this passage is simply the grave as the Hebrew word Sheowl is used in this text. It is not describing a spiritual underworld. 

The Restoration Study Bible translates the verse as such:

Psalm 9:17
"The wicked shall be turned into the grave, and all, the nations that forget Elohim."

 Psalm 16:10 (KJV)

10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Again, the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which means the grave. King David here is comforted knowing his soul (his body) will not be left in the grave as his hope is the resurrection of the last day. It would be pretty ridiculous to think that David was talking about a spiritual underworld of torment. Remember, David was a man after God's own heart so if he is talking about being sent to a spiritual underworld of torment rather than the grave, then we don't have much hope for ourselves. The second part of this refers to Jehoshua as he didn't see the corruption of death as he was raised in the third day after being buried. We know that the Father would never send his Son to a evil spiritual underworld upon his death at the cross, so again this corruption is in reference to his body in the grave "Hell" (Sheowl). 

Note the Hebrew word for soul here is "nephesh" which means properly, a breathing creature, I.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):-any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature. 

When scripture speaks of the soul, it doesn't mean a disembodied spirit floating around but it is an actual living being which includes body and spirit.  Once a person dies, they become a dead soul (body). This process of death is the spirit (breath of God, life force) leaving the body and going back to Jehovah. The body returns to the dust and becomes a dead soul. The process of birth is the opposite as Jehovah breathes the spirit of life into the nostrils of the body (dust from the ground) which then constitute a living soul (animated body). By the very definition,  a soul cannot survive without a body. Spirit + Body = Soul.

Part 2

Without either the spirt or body, the soul cannot exist. The existence of the soul depends entirely on the spirit and the body coming together. This coming together of spirit and body happens twice in our existence. At birth and at the resurrection (first or second). Each time, it starts with Jehovah breathing his life force (spirit) into the body which comes from the dust. This creates a living being also described as a "living soul". Once the life force (spirit) leaves our body at death we are no longer a living being (living soul) but we are a dead body (a dead soul).

Realizing the above about what a soul constitutes is important, because it confirms further that when Hell is spoken of with the words sheowl and hades itnis actually talking about the literal grave not a spiritual underworld as we cease to have consciousness at death as our soul dies. Our soul (living soul/being with a body or dead soul when body returns to the dust) will not live again until we get our bodies resurrected at the last day for believers. 

 Proverbs 15:24 (KJV)

24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

Again the word used for Hell here in this passage is "sheowl" which means the grave. This departing from the grave beneath is in reference to the resurrection of the just at the last day. This is not talking about a spiritual underworld of torment but simply the grave as we have noted due to the meaning of sheowl. 

Proverbs 23:14 (KJV)

14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

The word for Hell here is "Sheowl" which again means the grave. This proverb is talking the discipline of children so that they don't go to the grave prematurely due to death, which would be expedient if the child was rebellious as the consequences of rebellion often lead to early death. 

 Proverbs 15:11 (KJV)

11 Hell and destruction are before theLord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

Again, the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which means the grave not a spiritual underworld of torment. 

So,  we get the point here that when the word "Hell" is used in the old testament it is simply talking about the literal grave not a spiritual underworld. Translators would be better served to render the word Hell in these old testament passages as the "grave". That's why I like the Restoration Study Bible as they do this. It gives readers of the Bible a more proper understanding of what the passages mean. The RSB is based on the old and New Testament versions of the King James. They restore The  Father and The Son's name as well as restore meanings of certain words such as the example above. 

 Deuteronomy 32:22-24 (KJV)

22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Again the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which in this case means "pit". Again the word Hell in this passage doesn't mean a spiritual underworld of torment. 

The RSB (which is based on the KJV) reading of this scripture is more correct

Deuteronomy 32:22

"For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest pit, and shall consume the earth with her increase,  and set on fire the foundations of the mountains."

Let me ask this question,  if the word Hell used in the KJV was talking about a spiritual underworld, then why does it state that this fire will consume the earth?  It wouldn't make sense to say that if the word Hell here in this text means a spiritual underworld.  It would make sense however if the word Hell simply means "pit". For Jehovah's fire (anger) extwnds to the pit of earth (literal grave and earth below that) to consuming the earth and the foundations of the mountains. The entire reference here of Jehovah's fire (anger) is that it consumes the earth from the lowest pit of the earth to the foundations of the mountains. No mention at all of a spiritual underworld.

Isaiah 14:9 (KJV)

9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

Again the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which means the "grave". This passage here is not talking about a spiritual underworld of torment. Read Revelation 20:13 for a corresponding passage to the above scripture in Isaiah.  This passage here is talking about a future resurrection from the grave of dead ones including those who were Kings of the earth and chief ones.  We know this because the first part of this passage  says "for three to meet thee at thy coming". This scripture is reference to the resurrection of the unjust (second resurrection). The grave from beneath is moved literally as the dead rise to meet their judgment at the White Throne. 

 Revelation 20:13 (KJV)

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

So what is beneath the earth? Is it a spiritual underworld or the grave? We'll common sense along with scripture clearly says it's the grave, which goes in line with the resurrection of the unjust dead leaving their literal graves to meet their judgment. So again, nothing here is talking about a spiritual underworld but rather the grave which is literally beneath the earth's surface  and it is literally moved as the dead bodies of unbelievers rise to face their judgment. 

 Isaiah 14:15 (KJV)

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Again the word for Hell here is "sheowl" which correctly translated is the "grave". This passage is talking about Lucifer being cast into the "grave". Remember, Lucifer will be cast into the bottomless pit (abyss) see Revelation 20:1-3. 

 Revelation 20:1-3 (KJV)

20 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

The word "Pit" here in the greek is rendered "abussos" which means depthless, i.e. (specially) (infernal) abyss, deep, (bottomless) pit. 

This pit and grave spoken of in Revelation 20:1-3 and Isaiah 14:9 have nothing to do with a spiritual underworld but rather the literal earth. Satan will be sealed and locked up here on/in earth (pit and grave) during the millennium until loosed for a final deception. Remember, pit is often described in the Bible as being literally beneath the earth's surface as is the grave.

 Isaiah 28:15 (KJV)

15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

Here is a more correct renderering of this verse from the Restoration Study Bible (which is based on the KJV translation)

Isaiah 28:15
"Because ye have said,  We have made a covenant with death, and with the grave are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through,  it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:"

The word Hell in the KJV in Hebrew is "sheowl" which means the "grave". It makes sense to link death with the grave as they go hand in hand. Again, this passage has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment. The word Sheowl means grave and pit not a spiritual underworld of torment.