Hell is the place God has appointed for the devil, his angels, and all who are not written in the book of life: eternal punishment described in Scripture as fire, darkness, destruction, and the second death. Jesus spoke of it more than anyone, so we cannot treat it as an embarrassment or an exaggeration. Its reality is terrible, and that is exactly why the gospel is such good news.
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
1
Jesus spoke of it more than anyone
The word Jesus used most was Gehenna, the valley outside Jerusalem whose history of judgment made it a picture of God's final wrath. He said it is better to enter life maimed than to be cast 'into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm doesn't die and the fire is not quenched,' and He warned against anger and lust in the same terms. He spoke this way because He loved people enough to tell them the truth about where sin leads.
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be quenched— ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehennaof fire, ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.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.
If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.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. 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.
Scripture piles image upon image to make us feel the weight: the 'eternal fire' prepared for the devil and his angels, the 'outer darkness' where there is 'weeping and gnashing of teeth,' and 'eternal destruction from the face of the Lord.' Each picture is a different angle on the same reality: separation from God's presence and blessing, experienced by a person who was made to know Him.
Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;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:
but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
It is for the devil and his angels, and for the unrighteous
Hell was not made for people; Jesus calls it the fire 'prepared for the devil and his angels.' But those who love unrighteousness share the destination: everyone 'not found written in the book of life' is cast into the lake of fire. In the story of the rich man, there is torment, thirst, memory, and a 'great gulf fixed' that no one can cross. It is a place of conscious separation, of anguish, and of regret.
Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;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:
If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Revelation calls the lake of fire 'the second death,' and Jesus says the condemned 'will go away into eternal punishment' just as the righteous enter 'eternal life': the same word modifies both destinies. Daniel saw those who awake 'to shame and everlasting contempt.' Scripture means an endless ruin, not a quick end; judgment carries the weight of the infinite One who is rejected.
Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
God does not delight in it; that is why the gospel is urgent
God declares, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked,' and Peter says He is patient, 'not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' He 'desires all people to be saved.' Hell is real, and its reality is the measure of the rescue: the cross is where Jesus bore what our sins deserved, so that whoever believes in Him 'should not perish, but have eternal life.' We flee from the wrath to come by running to the One who was judged in our place.
Tell them, As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, house of Israel?Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;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:
If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehennaof fire, ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;