Examining the word “hell” in the NT The term “hell” is found 23 times in the KJV Hades is translated “hell” ten times in the KJV Two possible meanings 1. “not to be seen” 2. “all receiving” Revelation 1:18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Rev. 6:8 John sees death riding a pale horse and Hades following after. Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire The grave will give up the body, and the spirit realm will surrender the soul
Hades consist of two areas a place of punishment and a place of reward. Jesus warned Capernaum they would go down to Hades (Mt. 11:23; Lk. 10:15) The rich mans spirit was found in Hades (Lk. 16:23-24) Christ body was in the tomb (Acts 2:27-31) and his soul was in Hades (Acts 2:27-31) This part of Hades is referred to as Paradise (Lk. 23:43) and Abraham’s bosom (Lk. 16:22). There is a great gulf between these 2 areas (Lk. 16:26).
Tartarus comes from the Greek word tartaroo 2Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; Strong's dictionary – the name of the subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds.
Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 2 Peter 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, Those that are in this realm are being punished right now Gehenna describes the eternal dwelling place of those who die apart from God
Out of the 12 times this word is used Jesus says it 11 times Gehenna comes from an Old Testament Hebrew expression, “the valley of Hinnom” Children were offered into the fiery arms of the pagan god Molech (2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6; 2Kings 28:3). Josiah considered this valley a dreadful abomination (2 Kgs. 23:10-14). Gehenna represents the place of suffering to which all evil people will be sent after Jesus comes back again.
Matthew 5:22 whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. The word “fool” is used in several places (Psa. 14:1; 1 Cor. 15:36; Gal. 3:1) Matthew 5:29 "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Matthew 23:15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves Matthew 23: 33 "Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? The final use of Gehenna in the New Testament is where James tells us that the tongue “is set on fire of hell” (James 3:6).
Things we need to know about the punishment in Gehenna. 1. The punishment involves both the soul and the body. John 5: 28 "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 "and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. See also Acts 24:15 Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. See also Mt. 5:29-30
2. There will be Consciousness there. Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. The Greek word used here is apollumi and is used about 92 times in the NT. When the prodigal son was in the far country, he was “lost”, that is seperated from the blessings of his home, but he was not annihilated. Jesus affirmed in Mat. 18:11 that he came to save that which was “lost”.
Vine notes: “The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being” Thayer defines this word in connection with Matthew 10:28, as follows: “to devote or give over to eternal misery” 3. Gehenna a place of “unquenchable fire” (Mk. 9:44) 4. Gehenna as a place “where their worm dies not” (Mk. 9:48). 5. Gehenna as a place of “everlasting punishment.” (Mat. 25:46).
Revelation 14: 10 "he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." The punishment of those in Gehenna is unending!
"But some are of the opinion that this punishment shall have an end: this is as likely as that the glory of the righteous shall have an end; for the same word is used to express the duration of the punishment, as is used to express the duration of the state of glory.