Rethinking the Traditional Views of Hell in the Bible
God is love… Most people would agree that the primary attribute of God is love. Every other attribute flows from this one (grace, holiness, justice, mercy, righteousness, etc…). Most, not all, will agree with that. But that leads to a glaring problem that I’ve personally wrestled with for close to a decade. What about hell? How the hell, can hell be loving? But… What if, hell is actually God’s final act of love? What if Hell in the Bible has been misread and misunderstood?
Bear with me… We have to do some groundwork first. Most of us grew up with a traditional view of hell so that statement probably makes no sense. Let’s start by looking at the most prevalent views of hell and the problems each of them present. And then we will look at what the Bible says about hell.
If you haven’t read What Jesus Said About Hell (and what it means) I would recommend reading that alongside this article.
The 3 Traditional Views of Hell in the Bible
Traditionally there are 3 prevalent views of hell that are accepted, albeit hotly debated, among Christians. You could also include the traditional Catholic view of purgatory as a forth option as it is growing among some Evangelicals. However for this article we will leave that option out.
Hell has always been a hot button issue (see what i did there?)… Since the beginning of the church the debate of what happens to those who do not believe in God when they die has been raging. The reality is we simply cannot be certain on this topic. The Bible does not say. If we were supposed to know, then I think God would have communicated it a little clearer. All that to say, that you should hold your view of hell lightly.
With that in mind let’s look at the prevalent views of hell. We will focus primarily on the first one, as that’s the most popular today.
Traditional View (Eternal Conscious Torment)
While many will know this view as the “traditional view” of hell, the better name is Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT). This view really has not been the “traditional” view of hell we think it has been. It’s been debated since the beginning. Although that’s an other topic for another time. This view holds the wicked (those that don’t follow God) will suffer eternal punishment. The primary text for this view is Matthew 25:46. This is the most prevalent view today among Christians and the one most often taught in most churches.
Annihilationism
This view holds that after a period of suffering people will be annihilated, or cease to exist. Another variation of this view is that the wicked will just be annihilated, no prolonged suffering. A case for this view can be made by looking at many of the descriptive words that Jesus uses when describing hell.
Universalism
This view holds that all will be saved. Like Annihilationism there are many variations to this view. Some hold that there is still a period of suffering before salvation. Others, like Rob Bell, hold that all will be in heaven but will fail to recognize it, thus being in their own “hell.” While proponents of ECT will call this heresy, it has been held by many prominent church leaders, including several early church fathers.
How These Views Play Out
Let’s think of this in the context of a marriage, since that’s the metaphor that the Bible often uses for how God pursues us.
Years ago I made a decision to propose to my now wife. She said yes… But let’s pretend she had said no. Let’s pretend she decided she wanted a life apart from me. I would have made some pleas. Made a few promises and tried to prove my love for her to change her mind. But let’s pretend, she would not change her mind. She wanted to live her life without me.
At that point… What would be the most loving thing for me to do?
Universalism
Universalism would tell me to force her to marry me. The most loving thing I could do is to force her to enter into marriage with me. Even if she doesn’t want it, I’m going to force it because it’s in her best interest.
Traditional View (ECT)
A traditional view of hell (ECT) would tell me to lock her in the basement for making the wrong decision. Since I can’t have her I’m going to make her pay.
Annihilationism
Annihilationism would tell me to put a bullet in her head. Since I can’t have her, no one can.
This is an oversimplification of course. And if you dig deep this illustration will eventually fall apart. But the point is there. If God’s primary attribute is love than these views of hell don’t add up.
At this point those that lean towards ECT will be thinking, Well what about God’s justice, sin has consequences and hell is punishment for their sins. I get that. That’s the view of most people that hold the traditional view. However, for that to work, one must downplay God’s love and elevate God’s righteousness and justice.
The other thing that is missing is Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. All of God’s wrath has been satisfied already.
I don’t want to downplay the seriousness of sin. (I’ve written on that here: The Seriousness of Sin) There are real consequences. Both in this world. And eternally. But, the whole punishment and torture thing doesn’t seem to fit the Biblical narrative. I think the emphasis is not on being tortured, rather being in torment. Torture is something oppressing you from the outside. Torment is something internal. That’s a key difference we cannot miss. The Bible holds up torment, but not torture.
A Better Understanding of Hell
Many, if not most, of the images that come to your head when you hear the word hell are not Biblical; they are from culture. Fire, torture, a red dude with a pitchfork are not biblical absolutes. Sure, some are found in Scripture. But never in the sense that hell is… Rather it is hell is like… That’s an important differentiation In other words, those images aren’t literally telling us what hell is. Rather describing an aspect of hell.
The main point that the Bible makes about hell is separation from God.
Maybe you are thinking, what’s the point of all this? Why does this matter? I think it has huge implications on how we approach people. If hell is ECT then most people will want to use hell as a threat to get people to follow God. To summarize and simplify that approach, turn or burn.
The problem is that’s not the approach Jesus took. In fact, he rarely warned people of hell. Of course, there are a few exceptions. But by and large Jesus’ approach was not a threat of hell if they refused to follow him. I think we’ve missed something central about what hell is.
What if, Hell is Actually God’s Final Act of Love
Let’s go back to the previous example. At the point of my rejected proposal, what would be the most loving thing for me to do? To let her go. To let her live life apart from me. Even if that’s not in her best interest. That’s what love would require me to do. Because love cannot be forced. Love has to be a choice. And she chose life without me, so I must let her go.
That’s what I suspect hell to be like. Eternity apart from God. Those who reject God will get what they want. Life without him. That’s what they wanted. So that’s what God gives them. Even if that’s not in their best interest.
Tim Keller sums this up nicely… Hell, then, is the trajectory of a soul, living a self-absorbed, self-centered life, going on and on forever… In short, hell is simply one’s freely chosen identity apart from God on a trajectory into infinity.
This is the picture the Bible often paints. Maybe most clearly in Luke 16:19-31… The rich man is separate from Lazarus and Abraham. He’s in hell, and they are in heaven. The picture this passage paints is one of the rich man living in a self-absorbed world. He’s not being tortured. But he is living in torment. Even in this state he doesn’t ask for forgiveness or mercy. Rather he makes demands for Lazarus to serve him. Because he chose life apart from God, a life of self. And that’s what he got. And still in this state he doesn’t get it, he sees Lazarus beneath him.
That’s hell. A place of torment, yes. But torment that we place ourselves in because we want to be our own god. We want to be served and not to serve others. We place our needs above the needs of others. The Kingdom of God requires the opposite. And some refuse to live in a kingdom in which they are not the center.
This view of hell should shift our focus. We aren’t warning people of impending doom and coming torture. Hell isn’t a place were God eternally beats his children due to their disobedience. It’s more like a break up. A break up that God doesn’t want. He wanted a relationship, but they called off the marriage. So out of love he gives them what they want, life apart from him. A kingdom in which they are the king. Are they tortured there? Not in the sense of someone/something torturing them. But there is a sense of torment in Jesus’ illustrations. Not that God is tormenting them. No, hell is a place of self-torment. They brought it on themselves.
Christians often take the approach that we are saving people from outside torture. We aren’t. We are pointing to healing for an internal ailment. We are pointing to a savior that wants to save them from themselves. We are pointing to a God that loves them more than they could ever imagine. We are pointing towards what is a better path.
I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below and let me know what you think!
When I write I pull from a lot of sources and some of my own thoughts. A few of the ideas of this article stemmed from Joshua Ryan Butler’s book Skeleton’s in God’s Closet. If you haven’t read it I HIGHLY recommend picking it up!
I agree with your comment on hell. I was hoping to add a thought. Your example would be similar to the prodigal son being too proud to return to his father. Had he stayed in his torment, caring for pigs and eating their food eternally he would’ve chosen His hell. Luckily, he chose to return to his father.
Hi, It’s 2025 and just stumbled on your site. I am agnostic but open to believing. The concept of Hell has always got in the way–if God really loves people, why would he banish them to a torture chamber for eternity, even if they don’t believe? That isn’t loving! And, I don’t want to believe out of fear. That isn’t love either, to be afraid of the person who supposedly loves you. This is the most reasonable explanation of Hell I’ve come across. Thank you.
Dear Pastor Jeffrey, thank you so much for your wise and intelligent views on important Christian topics. I have read your articles on doubt and how we should view the biblical truth about hell. What you say makes perfect sense and has answered many important questions for me. God bless you, love from Ruth, Worcester, UK XXX
Having been to and lived in both…I choose Heaven…hands down!
Towards the beginning of this article Jeffery writes, “The primary text for [ETC] is Matt. 25:46.” By revealing the fallacy of how that text has been taught, then, one is able to expose the fallacy of ETC.
Jesus’ teaching in Matt. 25:31-46 includes Himself and two main groups of characters, one of which is then divided into two subgroups. In verse 31 we see “all the angels”; it is of key importance that the word “holy,” which the KJV inserts before “angels,” is correctly excluded by translations succeeding the KJV. In verse 32 we see “all nations,” referring to humans.
In verse 40 and then in verse 45, Jesus points the attention of each of these subgroups to the other main group – referring to the latter as “these (His brethren).” In fact, Jesus was teaching that He would one day judge each subgroup by how they treated the other main group. Was Jesus saying that humans would be judged according to how they treated angels or that angels would be judged by whether or not they ministered to humans?
Since all angels were sent to minister to humans (Heb. 1:14), they are going to be be judged according to whether or not they did so. Throughout the millenia, “righteous” angels have ministered to humans in the ways listed here by Jesus. Biblical examples of this include when Jesus was fed by an angel after His forty day fast and when, in jail, Peter was visited by an angel who then helped him escape – as was Daniel in the lions den; and history is replete with stories of angels ministering to the sick, the stranger, the thirsty, and the naked.
On the other hand, “cursed” angels are those who choose to follow Satan in his mission to kill, steal and destroy humans. These demons are the “goats” (cp. Lev. 17:7) on Jesus’ left hand. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (verse 41).
The common error that persists to this day is that humans will be the main group that is divided into subgroups and subsequently judged. This false teaching persists despite the Holy Spirit’s continued efforts to expose this error, replacing it with the truth that it is Satan – and his angels, not humans – that will be judged and sentenced to eternal torture (John 16:11). I am thankful to the Holy Spirit that He is, through articles such as this one that Jeffery wrote, is able to get this truth across!
Addendum: In addition to the judgment Jesus speaks of in Matt. 25:31-46, “The Lord shall judge his people” (Heb. 10:30). All those who receive Jesus as Lord and therefore belong to the Church are represented by those to whom He writes the warnings found in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Therefore, the judgment described at the end of Revelation is against those who belong to the Church but who do not heed those warnings – and who therefore are not conquerors. They will spend eternity in Gehenna; they will not be allowed into the City (Rev. 21:27).
I understand what you mean about the difference between torture and torment but Luke 16 does use the words “tormented in this flame”
The question is whether Jesus is painting a literal picture. Or is he painting a picture to show how bad hell will be?
In May of 2014, I began writing an article in which I have continued to add to and update. My article is now 30 pages in length. Below is a small portion of the contents of my article. If anyone would like a copy of my article, just email me at: (candy33alan@aol.com) and I will email you a copy.
Philippians 2:10-11 “That at the name of JESUS every knee will bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth: And that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
There is absolutely nowhere in this Passage of Scripture that states or even suggests that every knee will be FORCED to bow the knee to the name of JESUS. In ALL religions, bowing the knee is a voluntary form of worship.
As explained in the next several paragraphs, we will come to understand more clearly that Philippians 2:10-11 is revealing to us that bowing the knee and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord is not going to be forced upon ALL, but that ALL will do so willingly. Throughout the Bible we find that the Scriptures clearly state that God only accepts a willing heart.
A word study of confess (ἐξομολογήσεται) in the Greek language (in light of the way that this same verb is used in other New Testament Scriptures) reveals that this verb in the context of this Passage of Scripture is rendered to thank. That meaning growing out of the sense of open, joyful acknowledgement.
The sense here is that of frank, open confession. An individual cannot praise and joyously proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord if they are being forced to do so, especially if that individual knows that eternal torment & eternal separation from God awaits them. It is just that simple.
The traditional teaching on Philippians 2:10-11 has been that the enemies of the Cross will be forced to bow their knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This train of thought is in complete contradiction to the Word of God, because the Bible from Genesis to Revelation clearly teaches that the Lord only accepts praise and worship from a willing heart.
Forced praise and worship DOES NOT bring Glory to God.
Philippians 2:10-11 IS NOT proclaiming that ALL unbelievers are going to be forced to bow their knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
TO THE CONTRARY, God is proclaiming to us an astonishing & profound revelation, that because of the finished work of Christ on the Cross, that ALL will come to know Jesus Christ in such a way, that ALL will willingly (not be forced) acknowledge openly with praise and proclaim joyously that Jesus Christ is Lord. The true meaning of Philippians 2:10-11 has been greatly overlooked by the main-stream Christian Church today.
Isaiah 45:23 tells us that the Lord has taken an oath that every knee shall bow and that every tongue “shall swear allegiance” to Him. The Lord also states that His oath shall not fail. Not only does this verse tell us God’s eternal destination for ALL people, but the Lord strongly confirms what is stated in Philippians 2:10-11.
Take special notice that Isaiah 45:23 states that every tongue will swear allegiance to the Lord. If there are going to be people who will receive the judgment of eternal torment in a physical Lake of Fire, they certainly are not going to swear their allegiance to the Lord.
Isaiah 45:23 along with Philippians 2:10-11 strongly confirms that ALL will be RECONCILED to God. How can it be that today’s Christian Church has been so blind to the marvelous truth which is so clearly stated in these 2 Passages of Scripture in the Bible?
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for your insight on the biblical view of hell. But one aspect I’d like you to shed light on is the relationship men who are lost will have with Satan and his angels in hell. (Matt 25:41)
Second, kindly explain the second death – that death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14).
Your first question I think the answer will be satan and his Angel’s are in hell a land of self torment. And because they know they made the wrong choice thay want others to experience what torment is too, by leading them to make the wrong choices. I hope that helped in a way!
The view of hell you present, eternal separation from God, is certainly the most popular in the church today. But a closer look at Scripture shows that, of all the references to the final punishment of the unrepentant, “separation” is mentioned only a few times, while “destruction” is mentioned countless times (Matt. 10:28 being the most prominent). The word translated hell in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man is the Greek word Hades, which was taken from Greek mythology and used by the Church to mean simply the place of the dead, similar to the Hebrew word sheol. The word that Jesus used for the final destiny of the unrepentant is Gehenna, the image of which is taken from Jer. 7:30-33, and Is. 66:24. A more thorough study of these words and the passages that use them will guide us into a more informed understanding of this topic.
Hell, God’s final act of love? That’s an interesting viewpoint I haven’t read before ! (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world” Most christian’s will say –Yes God loves this world (people) but only if you believe in his only begotten Son and if not — you perish under God’s wrath! Really that thinking cancels out the idea God ever loved the world in the first place. Maybe you are onto something with hell being God’s final act of love. It’s God love and respect (I would add) for people to choose not to believe in his only begotten Son for everlasting life through a final and permanent death in the lake of fire where they perish and are destroyed out of existence.
I don’t know the method God will use on this destroying act on people — there might be suffering involved first. Hitler and all the other vile people of this world but as an example on the sweet little old lady you might see in your neighborhood who never knew the Lord — I don’t know how it works on those people.
Eternal conscious torment of fire for the lost — I discarded that teaching a few years ago. Shame on me for telling people that was there destiny for so many years when sharing the gospel of Christ with them.
Your explanation makes sense, and seems to simplify the whole thing, thank you for your time and ministry
Hi Jeffery. this is a great treatise on Hell – really clear and concise and you have confirmed for me some things I was pondering in that Hell is eternal separation from God. Just a comment: I think you nailed it in your first sentence 🙂 God is love – therefore Hell is eternal separation from Love. Most people think that hate is the opposite of love. Actually for me, fear is the opposite of love for hate proceeds from fear. Fear is intangible just like love but like love it manifests differing fruit. Anyway, my point is if we are eternally separated from God (love) – then we eternally live in (fear). Now to me, that is scary because we live with no hope of ever finding the fruit of peace, joy, happiness rooted in love. It is essentially pure fear found in the conscious, physical and spiritual realms rooted deep down in our soul – a fear that consumes every aspect of ourselves. This confirms for me the place of eternal self-torment.
Now the only question that some would ask is how can there be a place where there is no love – God is love and God is omnipresent right? Well to me, it is not an absence of love (God), it is an absence of a love FOR God existing within the soul of the creature that keeps the soul separated from the source (God). God does not wish us to be separated, it is our fault. We have a chance to put a love FOR GOD back in our soul during our life by following Christ, but once we die, there is no chance. No love FOR GOD then we fall into a space where we can no longer return to the source of love and like Cain become a wanderer living in fear.
Hope this makes sense – sorry you stirred up some thoughts. May God bless you and your family abundantly.
This makes so much sense, it answered a question I didn’t even know I had.
My name is Alan Finch. I became a Christian 42 years ago. I am adding another comment to my previous comment in August of 2018.
It is important to understand that the Lake of Fire is not a physical Lake of Fire. The Biblical phrase “Lake of Fire” is symbolic for a Spiritual Lake of Fire which is representative of the FIRE of God’s Spirit that is going to do a transforming work of “Divine Purification” in each individual that comes before the Great White Throne Judgment. This transforming work from God’s Spirit will give these individuals a full understanding of God’s Boundless Love for them and the entire human race. (Note: The Scriptures do not reveal how long that this process will take)
I have written a 26 page article that Biblically deals with this subject extensively. If anyone would like a copy, feel free to e-mail me and ask for a copy, and I will e-mail you a copy.
Candy33alan@aol.com
My name is Alan Finch. I became a Christian 42 years ago.
“WOW,” I was taught and believed that multitudes upon multitudes of humans will suffer “eternal torment” for 100 trillion years, and then another 100 trillion years, and then another 100 trillion years, and it goes on and on with no hope of it ever ending. I am certain that each one of us, deep inside of our very being, know that something just does not add up, but we just can’t quite figure out what is it that we are not understanding correctly from the Scriptures.
The true biblical teaching is neither the traditional Christian view of hell, nor the view of annihilation. Our great God is neither a great torturer nor a great annihilator, but He is the great Saviour of the world.
The mystery of the finished work of Christ on the Cross will one day reveal the perfect plan of God for the entire human race, which does not include “eternal torment” or “eternal annihilation” for one single person!
I have written an article upon this topic, but it is much too lengthy to post on this site (24 pages). Below is a sample. If anyone would like a copy in it’s original Word Document Format, feel free to e-mail me and request a copy, and I will e-mail you a copy.
candy33alan@aol.com
………. What is the “GOOD NEWS” of the Gospel of Christ? ……….(Re-examining the widely held belief of “eternal torment” in “Hellfire”)
My purpose for this writing is to Biblically “expound” upon (1) is there really going to be “eternal torment?” (2) is there really going to be “eternal annihilation?” (3) to give a Biblical answer to the question “If there is no “eternal torment,” and if there is no “eternal annihilation” of our very being, then what are we being saved from, and what is our being here during this present time on earth really all about?”
I was a Christian for 38 years before I gained a better “Scriptural” understanding of some Biblical truths that I had not properly understood in regards to the finished work of Christ on the Cross.
Renamed “The Birth of True Life Christianity”
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gods-wrath-vengeance-is-mine-i-will-repay-says-the-lord Have you read this message by John Piper
You do realize that Purgatory has nothing to do with hell, right?
Not sure where you got Purgatory from? That wasn’t mention in the article.
Very balanced and clear. Many thanks!
I am commenting on “A Better Understanding of Hell.”
Now, I have been a True Life Christian for 40 years. God surprised me at the age of 18 with getting into a severe, almost fatalistic car accident in which I received a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). In a coma for 1 month, I do remember parts of my coma.
Part of my coma was filled with darkness; although fully conscious, I could not move. It was frightening because until I cried out to God (using my inside voice) I could not spend an eternity being surrounded by darkness, unable to move yet fully conscious.
That was my experience of hell. Now, there are all kinds of medical explanations why this happened, all to diminish the power of God. As much as it is possble, I don’t want what I experienced in my coma to happen to anybody.
Just visit http://www.TrueLifeChristianity.com, under MENU, click on “The Story of How True Life Christianity Came To Be.”