New Testament study on Hell and the Lake of Fire! Part 1

Part 1 of my New Testament Study on Hell and the Lake of Fire!  What are they?  What aren't they? 

 Matthew 23:15 (KJV)

15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

So the word for Hell here in the greek is "Gehenna" which means valley of (the son of) Hinnom; gehenna or (Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem,  used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:-hell.

There is nothing about Gehenna that is described as a spiritual underworld of torment. Rather, it was a literal place outside Jerusalem where garbage, dead animals and dead bodies of criminals were burned. When Jesus speaks in this case of Gehenna (Hell), he is speaking figuratively in the sense of geography. The fire that will consume the wicked after the day of judgment, will not just be contained in the literal valley of the son of Hinnom outside modern Jerusalem but will be outside the Holy City Jerusalem after it is brought down to earth from Heaven. This Lake of Fire will be a consuming fire in the literal and figurative valley of the son of Hinnom (the whole earth will be a Lake of Fire-Gehenna- Valley of the son of Hinnom) This Lake of Fire is the punishment of unbelievers after their resurrection (second resurrection) which follows the millennium. The literal Valley of the son of Hinnom was outside modern Jerusalem. It was a type of the coming "valley of the son of Hinnom"-Gehenna-Lake of Fire, which will be outside the Holy City Jerusalem which comes down from Heaven. The coming "valley of the son of Hinnom" will be located on the whole earth as one big Lake of Fire to consume all unbelievers after thw White Throne judgment. 

So, we see that Gehenna has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment but it is a consuming fire of destruction that will be on the earth after the White throne judgment of unbelievers. 

Ditto for the below scripture:

 Matthew 23:33 (KJV)

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Damnation is final judgment which we know from Revelation takes place in Gehenna also known as the Lake of Fire. The word for Hell in the above scripture is translated from the greek word "Gehenna". From the above description we then know that Hell in this passage does not refer to a spiritual underworld of torment, but actually the consuming fire of judgment which will take place right here on earth after the judgment of unbelievers. This consuming fire will be one big Lake of Fire that spreads over all the earth until it destroys in finality all the wicked and at the same time purifies the earth from sin. After this Jehovah will restore the earth to it's edenic beauty hence the term New Heaven and New Earth.

Notice what Jehoshua says to the scribes and Pharisees asking them "how can ye escape the damnation of Gehenna?" So Gehenna is a judgment of damnation and not necessarily a spiritual underworld of torment. Again, from the meaning we have looked at in the greek concerning "Gehenna" we see that it is described as the valley of the son of Hinnom and not a spiritual underworld. The judgment spoken of here by Jehoshua is a future type of the valley of the son of Hinnom which will be consuming fire here on earth. The valley of the son of Hinnom "Gehenna" sits outside earthly Jerusalem, the future judgment of Gehenna will be a worldwide valley (Lake) of Fire outside the Heavenly Jerusalem after it comes down to earth and the unbelievers are resurrected.  So the future judgment of Gehenna is at the same time, in the literal valley of the son of Hinnom and all over the earth. The valley of the son of Hinnom is just a small type of what Gehenna will be at the judgment. The valley of the son of Hinnom is just used as an miniature example of the future judgment of Gehenna which will be worldwide and it will be a spiritual judgment for destruction of the wicked. The valley of the son of Hinnom was used for garbage refuse, burning of dead animal bodies and dead criminals. The end time judgment of Gehenna will be for those who rejected Jehoshua Messiah. Just as there was a consuming fire in the biblical times "Gehenna" that destroyed the dead bodies of animals and criminals, the fire that burns in the future judgment of "Gehenna" will be a consuming one that destroys the wicked once and for all. The future Gehenna will be world wide not just constrained to a specific valley. What the two Gehenna's have is that they are both outside of their respective Jerusalems. The biblical times Gehenna was/is outside earthly Jerusalem and the furture judgment of Gehenna is outside Heavenly Jerusalem. 

 Matthew 18:7-9 (KJV)

7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Hell in this passage is translated from the greek word "Gehenna". As stated previously, Gehenna is the valley of the son of Hinnom which was a burning garbage refuse outside Jerusalem in biblical times. Jesus here is speaking of the future Gehenna which will not only be directly outside the Holy City Jerusalem but all over the earth as one big burning Lake of Fire. Gehenna in biblical times was a type of future Hell fire. 

Biblical times Gehenna was a garbage refuse outside of modern Jerusalem where dead animal bodies were burned and the bodies of criminals as well.

End times Gehenna will be a Lake of Fire outside of the Holy City Jerusalem which will burn and consume once and for all, those who rejected Jehoshua and took the mark of the beast. This Lake of Fire will be spread the breadth of the earth. The biblical times Gehenna was a type of fire that was strictly contained to the Valley of the son of Hinnom outside modern Jerusalem. The biblical times Gehenna was used to burn garbage,  dead animals and dead criminals. The end times Gehenna will be used to burn and destroy all unbelievers. Gehenna will destroy all unbelievers once and for all. Again, Gehenna has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment but is simply an "end times" type of the valley of the son of Hinnom version of Gehenna which was/is located outside modern Jerusalem. Nothing burns anymore in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. The "end times Gehenna" as a type of the "biblical times Gehenna" will also be here on earth but unlike it's "biblical times type" the future Gehenna will be a world wide Lake of Fire instead of being restricted to a valley. 

 Matthew 24:45-51 (KJV)

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This passage speaks of end time judgment which is burning in Gehenna (The Lake of Fire on the earth). There is nothing here about a spiritual underworld.

 Matthew 25:41 (KJV)

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

This everlasting fire is here on the earth in the Lake of Fire "Gehenna" outside the Heavenly Jerusalem not in a spiritual underworld of torment. 

 Matthew 25:31-46 (KJV)

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Again, this everlasting punishment is here on earth "Gehenna" in the form of one big Lake of Fire. This punishment has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment. Punishment (Gr. Kol'-as-is)- from Greek "kolazo"; to curtail. Everlasting punishment-the Greek shows a lopping off or cutting off of the wicked,  not an endless agony of horrors in hellfire. Punishment is a condition of being punished,  not an active infliction.  Destruction is everlasting. This punishment has an ending which is once the wicked are completely consumed. The wicked do not have everlasting life but they persih (utterly destroyed, meaning no more consciousness). This everlasting fire of Gehenna (here on earth) has to be final destruction rather than unending torment, as the earth will be needed so that Jehovah can restore it to it's edenic beauty for his people to dwell in. The fire of Gehenna has a twofold effect, final destruction of unbelievers and the cleansing of the earth so that it can be restored to a eternal paradise.


Matthew 5:21-30 (KJV)

21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Hell in this passage is translated from the greek word "Gehenna" which is a Lake of Fire here on earth after the second resurrection. It is not referring to a spiritual underworld of torment. Notice that Jehoshua says "thy whole body should be cast into hell." He didn't say a disembodied soul or spirit creature but he said "body". This is a warning to those who live in sin, that if they don't repent their whole body (after being raised to life in the second resurrection) will be cast into Gehenna (here on earth as one big Lake of Fire). Again this passage has nothing to do with a spiritual underworld of torment of disembodied souls but rather a final destruction of fire here on earth for unbelievers. Remember, Gehenna (Hebrew origin) is described in the Greek dictionary as located in the valley of the son of Hinnom outside Jerusalem. This means that Gehenna is an earthly place not a spiritual underworld.