As stated previously, the error into which the carnal mind falls is a misconception of how God will achieve His benevolent ends. Often, when people are confronted with God’s intention to gather all things into Christ at the end of the ages, they assume it is being said that there is no hell, no judgment, and no wrath upon the ungodly. Brethren, let me solemnly declare I am saying no such thing. We must ever seek out the whole counsel of God, and the Bible undeniably presents the element of righteous judgment, and indeed severe judgment. However, the nature and purpose of these judgments have long been twisted and perverted by centuries of religious dogma, and many of our traditional doctrines are based on mistranslated words and misapplied parables and metaphors.

So much of the orthodox perception of judgment is bound up in this place called ‘Hell’. The glory of Christ’s atonement has sadly been largely ignored in favor of an unbiblical game of Heaven and Hell, which operates on many of the same principles as ‘Snakes and Ladders’. Conversions are attempted on the basis of "where would you rather go?" as if Christians are selling timeshares in Acapulco rather than freely stating the Good News of Jesus Christ.

But what is this hell? Is this place really the fiery inferno of Dante? Has God really created a place where the majority of His creatures will be tortured in hideous fashion without end? Brethren, the import of the answers to these questions is profound. If tradition has deceived us, and if we have not comprehended what God is saying by the Spirit, we may well find ourselves in the awful position of proclaiming God’s love to consist of the most unloving act possible (ceaseless torture) – or that God is divided against Himself, having opposing streaks of love and justice that cannot be harmonized. Bearing this in mind, let us give our very hearts to the seeking out of God’s truth!!!

The original old English word ‘hell’ was derived from the Saxon word ‘helan’ (to cover), and referred to a ‘hidden place’ or ‘covered place’. It is commonly applied to four words from the scriptures: Sheol, Hades, Tartaroo, and Gehenna. Sheol and Hades are the same place in Hebrew and Greek – the abode of the dead, or the state of the dead. There is nothing of endless punishment in the Sheol/Hades scriptures, nor indeed any glimpse of the ever popular ‘hellfire’. This is, rather, more of a place of darkness. Indeed, Sheol is just as commonly translated as ‘grave’ in the Old Testament.

Tartaroo is used only once, and that by Peter when describing the angels who fell being reserved in chains of darkness. The Greek word denotes something along the lines of incarceration, and is not accurately translated ‘hell’.

It is with Gehenna, however, that we are primarily concerned in this particular study. This is the ‘fiery hell’ of religious mythology, and within this mistranslation many hidden truths have remained concealed for long centuries.

Gehenna was actually a real valley (Ge-Hinnom ‘Valley of Hinnom’) located to the Southwest of Jerusalem. The valley is mentioned thirteen times in the Old Testament, usually as ‘the valley of the son of Hinnom’. During the course of time, apostate Israel began sacrificing to a pagan god named Molech. This abominable deity was fashioned with a man’s body and bull’s head, and burnt offerings were presented into his outstretched hands – and the ceremonial customs of Molech-worship involved human sacrifices. His belly was heated up and babies were placed in his fiery hands. God warned His people not to be found in such detestable practices:

But eventually, despite this solemn command, corrupt kings of Israel did honor Molech, including David’s own son, Solomon:

Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, probably the most evil king to sit on the throne of Judah, sacrificed his own son to the demonic entity:

When the righteous young king Josiah took the throne in around 640 BC, he desecrated Topheth, the place within the valley where the altar was:

And thus, the valley of Hinnom became the city garbage dump, a place where all the filth and sewage of Jerusalem was taken to be discarded. Because of the impurity, a constant fire was kept burning, and dead animals and executed criminals were often thrown into the flames. Thus, we begin to see how the place would have been regarded by the Jews to whom Jesus spoke – a place of filth, punishment and degradation. It is very important to realize when studying this subject of Gehenna, that it is never mentioned to the Gentiles! Only two men in the Bible spoke of Gehenna, and they were Jesus and His half brother James (who wrote his epistle to the Jews). The apostle Paul, who set sound doctrine among the churches, never alludes to Gehenna! The book of Acts, containing many stories of the early church missionaries, never mentions it! It is easily determined that Gehenna was a parable for the Jews, not the Gentiles!

In examining this, let us look at a passage where Jesus mentions Gehenna:

Now, most versions of the Bible, as we have seen, erroneously interpret Gehenna as ‘hell’, so it is assumed that Jesus is speaking regarding the Pharisees going to hell to be tormented for ever and ever. However, we must remember that these are the same Pharisees of which Jesus later said, at the cross:

It is important to understand that the reality of Jesus words bespoke an impending time of national judgment upon the Jews. In 70 AD, the Romans raised Jerusalem to the ground (after the Christians, heeding the prophecy of Jesus, escaped), and slaughtered its inhabitants. It is believed that the bodies of many of the dead Jews were thrown into the valley of Hinnom. Thus, we see that the words of Christ concerning their judgment were fulfilled in a very literal manner!

However, though we see the national judgment poured out upon the Jews, where they experienced Gehenna in a very real sense, it is important to note that the parables of Jesus also offer a deeper, underlying symbol of God’s judgment upon His people. Understand that Jerusalem, the Holy City, is a type of the dwelling place of God among His people. Let us look at the Gehenna-antitype in the book of Revelation:

It is important, firstly, to make something absolutely clear – Revelation is a self-proclaimed book of symbols.

Types, symbols, and signs are given to illustrate spiritual truths. Thus, if we see a ten-headed beast appear on the scene, we should not be looking for the ugly brute to arise literally at the climax of this age, lamenting his tenfold hairdressing bill. If we find a seal put on the foreheads of God’s servants, we should not expect to be visibly ‘tagged on the noggin’ any time soon. And Saints, if we see a lake of fire, especially a lake of fire that has the power to destroy Death and Hades, we should certainly, unequivocally, NOT be looking for a literal, fiery lake! We must learn the spiritual language of God! Let us always remember that admonishment of Paul, who by the Spirit declares that God:

Men have twisted this word of God into such ruin, because they take the wrong passages literally and the wrong passages symbolically. Paul can state as clear as a bell that he trusts in the Living God, "WHO IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN, ESPECIALLY THEM THAT BELIEVE’, and religion finds ways to dull the beautiful clarion call of that eternal message. But, given symbols concerning fire and brimstone, the carnal mind has been quick to ‘keep the letter of the law’, and thus the terrible lie of eternal torment has been given birth. Saints of God – we must humbly recognize that the Word of God is only revealed by His Spirit:

I truly imagine that if an unbeliever read the Bible, he would see the doctrine of eternal torment. He would read and comprehend with the natural mind, reason with his human intellect, and thus, arrive at a carnal conclusion. Does this itself not tell us that the truth must be deeper, wider, and higher? The truth must be beyond the discernment of the natural, revealed only in the Holy Spirit! We have just read Paul boldly declare by the Spirit that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit, nor can he!!!! Brethren, I implore you to think deeply upon this scripture. The Word of God has been handled with such casual arrogance, with so little supplication to it’s writer as to the revelation of what He has written, that it is high time we all repented and acknowledged that the truth is only discernable in the Spirit – and thus, we must humble ourselves before our Maker and ask for aid in seeking out the sublime wonders of His Word.

Returning to the theme at hand, it is vitally important that we understand something concerning these parables and symbols. Fire, in prophetic language, is a symbol for JUDGMENT. Behold:

He will purge His own holy people by a spirit of judgment and burning! Let me clearly state, for emphasis, that our judgment is spiritual, and our ‘burning’ is a spiritual refinement! Dear Saint – meditate upon the many scriptures where Christ is declared to be a refiner of gold and silver. Let us also remember what He said to the church at Laodicea:

It would be ludicrous to suggest that the fire our Lord refers to is anything but spiritual. The church at Laodicea, having worldly wealth, is declared to be poor, and Christ advises them to buy the true gold – the nature of Christ, which we can only be conformed to by the fire of affliction, as we experience the fellowship of His sufferings.

Let’s look again at His judgment upon His own people:

Now this ‘Day’ Paul speaks of will be expounded upon in later chapters, but suffice to say at this juncture, we can see fire and burning again being used with regards to God judging His own people. None of the religious folks ever suggest that we believers will all be thrown into a literal fire to test our works, yet that symbolic ‘lake of fire’ is REAL and LITERAL to them! They really see a Lake, in their minds eye, with fire rising up instead of serene water, and hideously tormented humans instead of fish and old Wellington boots! Saints of God, I declare again that we must learn to understand the spiritual language of God, else we will never be able to search out the secret mysteries of Him who will be All in all. We must see in the fires of prophecy, the Holy One Who Judges Righteously, and in beholding His judgments, we must perceive the destruction of the carnal man! Listen to the Spirit speak through the prophet Isaiah:

³³For Tophet was established of old,
       Yes, for the king it is prepared.
       He has made it deep and large;
       Its pyre is fire with much wood;
       The breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone,
       Kindles it. (Isaiah 30:33)

We again see Topheth (in Gehenna) used as a symbol of judgment, this time against the king and nation of Assyria (another strong type and anti-type used in prophecy, for the carnal man and the pride of man). And again, we see the ‘sinners in Zion’ – God’s own hypocritical, backsliding people, fearful of Him scripture calls both ‘devouring fire’ and ‘everlasting burnings’. We see God’s very breath described as ‘brimstone’!!! Can we not see that these are symbols? Believe me, Saints, the judgment and righteousness of God is very, very real, and I would never seek to de-emphasize His just punishment of the carnal man in any way. But we must understand the language God uses is not intended to be taken literally, but it must be comprehended with the spiritual mind!

We must understand the spiritual import of such declarations as these. Esau here is a symbol for the carnal man, and Jacob for the new creature in Christ. Understand that Jacob was as sinful as his brother, deceptive and cunning. Yet God laid hold of him and gave him a new name (nature) – ‘Israel’. The story of Esau and Jacob is a beautiful lesson on symbology that could be expanded upon in greater depth, but let us simply state here that we see that the primary judgment and wrath of God is against the carnal, unregenerate man, and that man shall cease from the earth utterly, becoming ashes under the feet of the righteous, who have gone through the fires of judgment to that very end!

One major issue regarding the judgments of God, and a rallying point for those who believe in a ceaseless hell, are the many places where punishment is said to be ‘for ever’, or ‘for ever and ever’. However, when we delve into the Hebrew and Greek, we find that the words so translated are actually far more ambiguous than our English perception of ‘for ever’.

The Greek word used to denote ‘for ever’ (and justify the doctrine of eternal torment) is ‘aionos’. This is derived from the word ‘aion’ which generally is an ‘age’, or sometimes a ‘world’. The corresponding word in the Hebrew scriptures is ‘olam’ which refers to a concealed, or hidden time. The general intent of this word is to describe a time of indefinite, lengthy duration, very similar to the English word ‘perpetual’ in some ways. Taking a look at some of the places where these words are found, we can easily determine that they do not mean ‘for ever’ in our sense of the expression:

Here we see Jonah referring to his time in the belly of the whale as ‘for ever’. Yet this was only a seventy-two hour period! Of course, if we see ‘for ever’ as a ‘lengthy time of indefinite duration’, for ever makes perfect sense! It is interesting also to note that after ‘for ever’, Jonah declares that God had brought him back up "from the pit"! This is a foreshadowing of God’s ultimate mercy upon all mankind.

There are a multitude of examples as to the mistranslation of ‘aionos’, but we will let another two suffice for now:

The Passover has clearly and undeniably been fulfilled by Jesus Christ the true sacrificial lamb, and yet here we see the Lord God telling the Israelites that the Passover shall be observed as an ordinance ‘for ever’. Are we to believe that we will keep the Passover ceaselessly, though the true Passover lamb is among us? We are still going to sacrifice animals as an ordinance without end?

Later in Exodus we find a law of God concerning slavery:

Are we to believe that the slaves who so loved their masters are doomed to serve them for all eternity? Of course not! Thus, we begin to see behind the curtain of our translation errors. Brethren, there are ‘scholars’ on both sides of this issue, but rather than add up the letters after all of their names to see which side wins, I would admonish you to pray that the Spirit may open your eyes as to the meaning of this word.

An extremely important point to hold in full view is that of who judgment is committed to. In what manner is God taking vengeance, and using what instruments and vessels?

In these two passages we see very clearly that the Father has committed ALL judgment to the Son, Jesus Christ, with the intent that ALL should honor Christ even as they love the Father. As we marvel at that awesome purpose for judgment, we then see the Lord taking vengeance on those who do not obey the Gospel, in flaming fire. In the book of Revelation we find the great symbol of Christ’s judgment – the two edged sword:

Brethren, this is a very important issue. We have here a two edged sword that appears again and again in scripture, obviously symbolic, and seen coming out the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ in judgment. This is a key that unlocks a very beautiful truth indeed. Let us first identify the sword:

The Bible interprets itself so clearly here! The two edged sword, is the Word of God! Hence, it comes out of the mouth of the Christ, and we also see why it is a sword of judgment, because it can pierce even to the division of soul and spirit, and discerns all thoughts and intents of the heart! What a perfect instrument of judgment! Awake, and see the spiritual truth evident here! And Saints, were that not enough, we see the two edged sword appear again in the second to last Psalm, shedding even more light on the judgment of God:

What glory! This same sword of judgment, this piercing Word of God, is committed to the Saints of the Most High! It is they, the corporate Body of Christ, ruled and governed by the perfect Head, who are given the judgment, the vengeance, and the punishment of the nations! The World shall be judged by the Word!

Having understood this, O Saint of God, consider carefully. If the punishment of the unrighteous is simply to be tossed into a burning lake, what "honor" is this to us Saints? And what does that have to do with wielding the two edged sword of His word? Brethren, we must see with spiritual eyes and be babes no more. In the words of Paul, by the Spirit:

Not only the nations, but angels, shall be judged by the saints! And yes, those same angels that the Spirit speaks of in the second chapter of the second book of Peter. Surely we can begin to see that the judgments of God, as committed to His Son and the Body of His Son, are something to be hoped for?

The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness! That is a beautiful promise, and it comes as a result of these judgments.

Again, we see the harmony and beauty of God’s judgements. They are to be desired! Did we not earlier hear the Christ admonish a church to buy that gold refined in the fire? Shall we not glorify God for His judgments, that bring life? Praise His name!!!

Saints, recognizing and seeking out the judgments of God is an important aspect of our faith. We must understand the nature and purpose of God’s chastisements, and we must also never detract from His wrath, be it ever so severe. And we must rejoice as we see the veil pulled back, little by little, and we behold the desirability and magnificent perfection of His judgments. What honor is ours when we realize that the judgment of the world shall be committed to us! The Body of Jesus Christ, ruled by our blessed Lord Himself!