Hell Fire

Index Page one: (index blue are internal links)

Definitions
- Vocabulary Discussed
- Strong's Dictionary Definitions
Interpretation
- Introduction
- History of Gehenna
- Arranging things Orderly
  - First Death (0905) Hades and Sheol, Sea and Death may be grouped
  - Second Death, Gehenna, and the Lake of Fire

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Definitions

Vocabulary discussed

This discussion becomes out of necessity a little technical.

In the KJV the root words for A. hell and for B. hell fire are usually totally different. One slightly different alternate hell fire is found, that is B. fire of hell, the two are of identical purpose and the root words are for all practical purposes identical as is shown below in the B section. In KJV the expression hell fire occurs more than once as most Christian know. When other translations are consulted for their translations, this may be found:

WARNING: It must be emphasized though that the KJV is inconsistent in its translation of the word hell. Only an individual check of each occurrence against Strong's numbers reveals which root word is used. Of course, the OT word is restricted to Sheol, but the NT employs A. the Sea, Hades, B. Gehenna, and C. Tartarus, (English spelling) B. Second Death, and Lake of Fire . Thus, serious Bible students do well to employ more modern translations.

A final word is used in Revelation in regards to death, the word is ironically and naturally, A. death. It is included under this subject so as to treat all subject related matter in one location, here:

Strong's Definitions

A.a. In the OT, the Hebrew word is Sheol and in the NT the Greek is Hades for hell. Link to page.

Strong's Greek: 00086:
86 haides hah'-dace from 1 (as negative particle) and 1492; properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:--grave, hell. see GREEK for 1 see GREEK for 1492

Strong's Hebrew: 07585:
7585 sh'owl sheh-ole' or shol sheh-ole'; from 7592; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates:--grave, hell, pit. see HEBREW for 07592

A.b. Death

Strong's Greek dictionary: 02288:
2288 thanatos than'-at-os from 2348; (properly, an adjective used as a noun) death (literally or figuratively):--X deadly, (be...) death. see GREEK for 2348

B. Hell fire or fire of hell are only found in the NT. The concept is found in the OT in Isaiah 66:24, but the expressions are absent. Strong's dictionary is consulted below in regard to the two expressions.

Matthew 5:22 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.

(Rotherham) shall be, liable, unto the fiery gehenna.

This use hell fire or fire of hell alternates with gehenna in these translations. In fact, when Strong's numbers are checked for the KJV Bible in the above case as well as the others, this is what is seen that pertains to this study: hell <1067> fire <4442> or <5394>

Strong's Greek Dictionary referencse:

1067 geena gheh'-en-nah of Hebrew origin (1516 and 2011); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:--hell. see HEBREW for 01516 see HEBREW for 02011

4442 pur poor a primary word; "fire" (literally or figuratively, specially, lightning):--fiery, fire.

5394 phlogizo flog-id'-zo from 5395; to cause a blaze, i.e. ignite (figuratively, to inflame with passion):--set on fire. see GREEK for 5395

The terms Lake of fire and second death are the same in the various translations, and thus need not Strong's explanations.

C. There is just one last word distinct from the above ones that is used in one place only in the KJV and other Bibles as well. (Unless you read the LXX Greek translation that uses Greek throughout the whole of the Bible) It is found here:

II Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

In Strong's Greek this is revealed:

05020:
5020 tartaroo tar-tar-o'-o from Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment:--cast down to hell.

This subject has already been discussed on it's own page. That page link is here: Jesus in Hell?

Interpretation

Introduction

Among those that study this compiled material, it is certain that perhaps only a few will agree with the conclusion reached here. Still, it may provide all Bible students with the joy of such study. So, enjoy and agree or disagree as you see fit.

As demonstrated above the KJV uses the words in an inconsistent and confusing manner. For this reason, another or a parallel translation demonstrating clearly what expression is being used in a particular scripture shall be employed.

History of Gehenna

There is a reason that accounts start at their beginnings. It makes later explanations easier to understand. So, this is the origin of the term Gehenna.

The information that pertains to the valley of Hinnom or Gehenna in Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language 1913 says this:

Gehenna /Ge·hen´na/ (gē̇·hĕn´nȧ), n. [L. Gehenna, Gr. Γέεννα, Heb. Gē Hinnōm.] (Jewish Hist.) The valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem, where some of the Israelites sacrificed their children to Moloch, which, on this account, was afterward regarded as a place of abomination, and made a receptacle for all the refuse of the city, perpetual fires being kept up in order to prevent pestilential effluvia. In the New Testament the name is transferred, by an easy metaphor, to Hell. (Coloring and font change by me)

Thus we are looking at a garbage dump where as it states above that “perpetual fire” burned the refuse, dead animals, and bodies of criminals. The last part is true, but not part of the quote. It is a historical fact that anyone may verify in Wikipidea or other personal encyclopedias.

Point: Gehenna is a garbage dump, the valley of Hinnom, where criminals, dead animals, and refuse was perpetually being burned.

Arranging Things Orderly

First Death – Hades and Sheol, Sea and Death may be grouped

Revelation groupes Hades, the Sea, and Death. Various Bible translations and Strong's dictionary permit us to understand that the Hebrew Sheol equals the Greek Hades which again equals Death which is equal to the Sea (when referring to those that died in the sea).

The reason Death is used in Revelation and not in any other place is because the dead of the sea is being introduced for the first time (Rev 20:12). Hades and Sheol refer to man's common grave so that the distinct use of Death tells us that all of these references (including the Sea) have equal function as man's common.

Here in Gen 37:35 we see that Sheol is being equaled with the grave:

About Jacob: . . . but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave <07585> unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him:
Strong's Heb: 07585:
7585 sh'owl sheh-ole' or shol sheh-ole'; from 7592; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates:--grave, hell, pit. see HEBREW for 07592

That Hades equals Sheol, Strong tells us, but so does the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:27, "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell <86>, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Here Strong's Greek dictionary says, "86 haides hah'-dace from 1 (as negative particle) and 1492; properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:--grave, hell. see GREEK for 1 see GREEK for 1492."

This scripture Peter quoted from the OT's Psalm 16:10 where the word Sheol of course is used as just previous seen in Genesis. Thus through meticulous research, it is seen that Hades is Sheol, that is Death, that is the grave, the common grave of all mankind.

So for orderliness and logic, the above may be termed first death since below the second death is associated differently.

Important*
It should be understood that Hades, Sheol, the dead of the Sea, and Death – all refer to mankind's common grave. All therein must be judged. (this subject is further discussed below and on the Rev 20:11-15 page.) The judgment of the dead will empty these virtual places which when emptied cease to exist for all eternity. If you need to see what the condition of the dead in Sheol, Hades, etc is, please look at the scriptures on this page: Sheol and Judgment

Second Death, Gehenna, and the Lake of Fire

In the Bible, God kindly numbered this one to take some of the confusion away -- because in regard to being confused about this, many are. Truly, God wants us to seek for the truth wholeheartedly.

Matthew 5:22, but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother (1) shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, (2) Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, (3) Thou fool, shall be in danger (4) of the (5) hell of fire.(1) Many ancient authorities insert without cause 2) An expression of contempt 3) Or Moreh , a Hebrew expression of condemnation 4) Gr unto or into 5) Gr Gehenna of fire ) (ASV)

Revelation 20:14, And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Fortunately, the Bible itself associates the second death with the lake of fire, since both it and gehenna of fire are used for the damned. The conclusion is that they are one and the same – particularly since only two kinds of death are taught to exist !

Hell Fire -Page Two