is Hell in the OT?

Question

just curious if Hell was a new idea that came about with the writers of the NT? Hell to me seems that it was an idea that came out of the influence of Greek mythology & the idea of Hades. if Jews believe in Sheol, where did the idea of Hell come from in a religion that came out of Judaism?

Answer 1

The Jews of the Old Testament referred to Hell as "the Pit" and "Sheol", the place where all of the dead were sent. Some examples:

Psalms 28:1

1 Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

Psalm 30:3

3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.



However, God told Isaiah that the pit and Hell were in the same place:

Isaiah 14:15

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.



In the New Testament Jesus clarified this further in the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, in which it was shown that Hell and the Pit were in the same location, but separated by a huge abyss;

Luke 16:22-26

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 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.

25 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.

26 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.


Before Jesus' death and resurrection, ALL of the dead were sent to the Pit where they either went to Hell or to rest with Abraham.

The dead who went to be with Abraham, although they had died in obedience to the Law, were still not worthy to enter Heaven as their sins had been only covered by the animal sacrifices, they had not been removed.

With Jesus' death and resurrection, the righteous dead were now worthy to enter Heaven, their sins having been cleansed and paid for by Jesus' blood. They were now able to enter Heaven through His righteousness and through their obedience and faith in God.

So now when we die, we either go to Heaven or Hell to await our Judgment before Jesus Christ.

Answer 2

Debatable till the cows come home and the christians will never entirely agree.

Hel was, in the first instance, the female keeper of the underworld Hel, in Norse mythology. This is where the word Hell comes from.

But of course that only applies to "Hell" directly.

Answer 3

Its kinda like the Pharisees and Sadducee's.
The Pharisees believed that a person awaits the Resurrection but the Sadducee's believed one went straight to Heaven when one died.
Paul etc sided with the Pharisees.
Most churches today wrongly follow the beliefs of the Sadducee's.

Answer 4

The Bible is Gods word spoken through his Prophets. You can not take bits and pieces of it and say this is true and this is not. It is God's word and God is truth, God can not lie.
There is Good and evil, there is Heaven and hell, there is life and death. If you truly believe in God you must believe in all his word, he can not sin so he can not lie.He gave us his word for guidance in life here so we may have life after, If you do not believe all his word then you do not have full faith because you then must doubt that he is truth.

Answer 5

In the King James Version of the Bible, "hell" is mentioned more times in the OT than it is in the NT, starting with what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy, viz:

"For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest HELL, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains..." --Deut. 32:22.

Peace be with you!

Answer 6

Many aspects of the Bible, including the concept of hell, were derived from earlier pagan religions.

Answer 7

No eternal suffering

Answer 8

No, it's never in overtime. It mainly stays in the 4th quarter.

Answer 9

its those wacky christians again

Answer 10

Prov. 15: 11, 24
11 Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
• • •
24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Isa. 14: 9, 15
9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
• • •
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Isa. 28: 15, 18
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
• • •
18 ¶ And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
Ezek. 31: 16-17
16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.
17 They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
Ezek. 32: 21, 27
21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
• • •
27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Deut. 32: 22
22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
2 Sam. 22: 6
6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
Job 11: 8
8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
Job 26: 6
6 Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.
Ps. 9: 17
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Ps. 16: 10
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Ps. 18: 5
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
Ps. 55: 15
15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
Ps. 86: 13
13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
Ps. 116: 3
3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
Ps. 139: 8
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Prov. 5: 5
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Prov. 7: 27
27 Her ahouse is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
Prov. 9: 18
18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
Prov. 23: 14
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Prov. 27: 20
20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Isa. 5: 14
14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
Isa. 57: 9
9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
Amos 9: 2
2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:
Jonah 2: 2
2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
Hab. 2: 5
5 ¶ Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: