Is There Any Biblical Basis For the Idea of Human Beings Burning In Hell?

Question

Can any Christian cite for me the biblical reference to a place called hell, where unsaved human beings burn for all eternity? I'm know you'll be able provide such a reference. You certainly wouldn't believe in something that is totally absent from the Word of God. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

The bible teaches that "hell" is *NOT* a fiery place of torment, but is actually the common grave of mankind.

There is no suffering in "hell", or the grave. Sometime after the resurrection, death and "hell" will themselves be destroyed.

(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all

(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]

(Revelation 20:14) And death and Hades ["hell"] were hurled into the lake of fire

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2002/6/1/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_07.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2001/9/1/article_02.htm

Answer 2

The Scriptural concept of hell originates from the valley of hinnom which then translates, in the Greek, to gehenna. This valley was an actual valley outside the city walls of ancient Jerulsalem. The Israelites would throw their garbage over the city wall into this valley, & it would burn down there. As time progressed & the Israelites fell into idolatry, they placed an image of the pagan god molech in this valley. He had an open stomach in which they would place a fire to heat up this giant metal diety. It's arms were held out & the Israelites would place their child sacrifices into it's red-hot arms & offer their children to this god molech.
The shrieks & cries of the burning babies moved the Mother's to compassion, so they began playing drums down there to drown out the baby's cries.
As a result of all this burning filth & rotten flesh, worms naturally gravitated to this area.
NT references say "where the worm does not die", in reference to hell.
Does this help bring some clarity?
If you go to my 360 page & look at my last picture, it is an actual picture of the Valley of Hinnom.

Answer 3

John 3;36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever

Psalms 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Answer 4

Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Matthew 5:22 mentions "a fiery hell"

James 3:6 says the tongue "is set on fire by hell"

Revelation 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, there part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Answer 5

Sa 32:17 If the brain offend the pluck it out and cast it from the. It is better to enter Heaven a complete idiot without a brain than to be cast into Hell with half a brain where the worm never dies and the fire is not quenched. Saith the Lord. xx

Answer 6

No! Here are some scriptures that show there is no such thing as Hell-fire.

Webster’s Dictionary says that the English word “hell” is equal to the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word Hades.

English translators of the Authorized Version, or King James Version, translated Sheol 31 times as “hell,” 31 times as “grave,” and 3 times as “pit.” The Catholic Douay Version translated Sheol 64 times as “hell.” In the Christian Greek Scriptures “New Testament”, the King James Version translated Hades as “hell” each of the 10 times it occurs..

The question is: What kind of place is Sheol, or Hades? The fact that the King James Version translates the one Hebrew word Sheol three different ways shows that hell, grave and pit mean one and the same thing. And if hell means the common grave of mankind, it could not at the same time mean a place of fiery torture. Well, then, do Sheol and Hades mean the grave, or do they mean a place of torture?

Acts 2:31 uses Hades. Notice, too, that Jesus Christ was in Hades, or hell. Are we to believe that God tormented Christ in a hell of fire? Of course not! Jesus was simply in his grave.

Good people go to the Bible hell. For example, the good man Job, who was suffering a great deal, prayed to God: “O that in Sheol [grave, King James Version; hell, Douay Version] you would conceal me, . . . that you would set a time limit for me and remember me!” (Job 14:13) Now think: If Sheol means a place of fire and torment, would Job wish to go and spend his time there until God remembered him? Clearly, Job wanted to die and go to the grave that his sufferings might end.

In all the places where Sheol occurs in the Bible it is never associated with life, activity or torment. Rather, it is often linked with death and inactivity. For example, think about Ecclesiastes 9:10, which reads: “All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol [grave, King James Version; hell, Douay Version], the place to which you are going.” So the answer becomes very clear. Sheol and Hades refer not to a place of torment but to the common grave of mankind. (Psalm 139:8) Good people as well as bad people go to the Bible hell.

Can people get out of hell? What did Jonah mean by “out of the belly of hell”? Well, that fish’s belly was surely not a place of fiery torment. But it could have become Jonah’s grave.

WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT DEATH

Jesus Christ spoke about the condition of the dead. He did so with regard to Lazarus, a man whom he knew well and who had died. Jesus told his disciples: “Lazarus our friend has gone to rest.” The disciples thought that Jesus meant that Lazarus was resting in sleep, recovering from an illness. They were wrong. Jesus explained: “Lazarus has died.” (John 11:11-14) Notice that Jesus compared death to rest and sleep. Lazarus was neither in heaven nor in a burning hell. He was not meeting angels or ancestors. Lazarus was not being reborn as another human. He was at rest in death, as though in a deep sleep without dreams. Other scriptures also compare death to sleep. For example, when the disciple Stephen was stoned to death, the Bible says that he “fell asleep.” (Acts 7:60) Similarly, the apostle Paul wrote about some in his day who had “fallen asleep” in death.

Answer 7

That's Church Theology..not Biblical.

Answer 8

Many go there – Matthew 7:13 "... wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it."



A place of torment – Luke 16:19-31 [probably the most vivid account] "The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades ... 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.'" (Luke 16:23-24. Look up the other verses of this story told by Jesus in the Bible.)



Everlasting punishment – Matthew 25:46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."



Everlasting fire – Matthew 25:41 "And then He will say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'"



Furnace of fire – Matthew 13:41, 50 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practise lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matt 13:41)

"The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matt 13:49-50)



Lake of fire – Revelation 20:15 And anyone not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.



Fire and brimstone – Revelation 14:10 If anyone worships the beast ... he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.



Unquenchable fire – Matthew 3:12 "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."



Devouring fire – Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
"Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"



Prepared for the devil – Matthew 25:41 "And then He will say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'"



Devils are confined there until the judgment day – 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6 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 ...

And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.



Punishment there is eternal – Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
"Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"



Human power cannot prevent us going there – Ezekiel 32:27 ... who have gone down to hell
with their weapons of war.



Body suffers there – Matthew 5:29, 10:28 "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." (Matt 5:29)

"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." (Matt 10:28)



Soul suffers 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."



Wise avoid it – Proverbs 15:24 The way of life winds upward for the wise,
That he may turn away from hell below.



Try to keep others from it – Proverbs 23:14, Jude 23 Do not withhold correction from a child,
For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
You shall beat him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from hell. (Prov 23:13-14)

But others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire ... (Jude 23)



Associating with evil leads to it – Proverbs 5:5, 9:18 An immoral woman ... her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of hell. (Prov 5:5)

But he [who turns aside to the shameless woman]
does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of hell. (Prov 9:18)



Devil and all his angels will be cast into it – Revelation 19:20, 20:10 The beast and the false prophet were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone. (Rev 19:20)

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev 20:10)



Its powers cannot stand against the Church – Matthew 16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."



All quotations from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Check them in your own Bible.