Hell is a pretty controversial subject. Some people question its very existence, and some just don't like to think about it. I'd like to just jot down a few little known facts about Hell from the Biblical perspective.
1) The English word "Hell" occurs 54 times in the King James Version of the Bible.
2) The 30 times in the Old Testament where "hell" appears it is used to translate the Hebrew word "She-ol", meaning the underworld, or abode of the dead, or grave. Men of God such as Jacob (Gen. 37:35), Job (Job 14:13), and David (Psalm 16:10) went there. Even though men of God went into hell, or Sheol, they expected God to redeem them from the power of the grave (Psalm 49:15, 86:13).
3) 15 of the 24 times 'hell' appears in the New Testament it is used to translate the Greek word "Had-es", meaning the underworld, or abode of the dead, or grave. It is similar to the Hebrew word Sheol, and is used instead of Sheol in the Greek Old Testament.
We know that this place (Sheol, or Hades) is not the place of everlasting punishment or the lake of fire, because the Word of God tells us that men of God have gone there, and because the Word tells us that "death AND HELL" (i.e., Hades) will be ultimately cast into the lake of fire, the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Mt. 25:41, Rev. 20:14).
I thought these tidbits might either be of interest, or might cause you to do a little studying of your own.
By the way, both Matthew 25 and Revelation 20 each mention a group of people that will be cast into that lake of fire right along with the devil and his angels. Do you know which groups these are?
Thank God that if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Yours in Him,
Pastor B.
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