When discussing most any idea we tend to come with images already imbedded in our minds. For instance, somehow the word “Heaven” conjures up images of clouds and harps. They are not images that actually reflect God’s world, but they are the images we often have all the same. Where those images originated I do not know (though there is probably a doctoral dissertation somewhere on the subject).
The concept of “Hell” also raises certain images in our minds. Fire. The Devil. Torment. Did those images arise from scripture or are they the result of the imagination of people such as Dante (See The Inferno)? Without naming Dante, Bell argues for the latter.
Bell rightly points out that there is not really a concept of Hell in the Old Testament.
But, simply put, the Hebrew commentary on what happens after a person dies isn’t very articulated or defined. Sheol, death, and the grave in the consciousness of the Hebrew writers are all a bit vague and ‘underworldly’. For whatever reasons, the precise details of who goes where, when, how, with what, and for how long simply aren’t things the Hebrew writers were terribly concerned with. (Love Wins, p. 67).
Nowhere in the Old Testament will you find the idea of someone eternally burning in torment after death. In fact, what is mostly found is the idea of people living in some gloomy underworld existence that holds both the righteous and the unrighteous (Sheol). The Jewish hope was that the righteous would be resurrected out of this gloomy existence. Wherever the idea of a fiery, eternal torment came from, it was not the Old Testament. For more reading on Sheol see “Shades of Sheol” by Philip Johnston. For more reading on the Jewish notion of resurrection, see “Resurrection” by Kevin J. Madigan and Jon D. Levenson.
The New Testament does use the word “Hell” on fourteen occasions (listed at the bottom). Twelve of those are the translation of the Greek word “Gehenna” which literally means “The valley of Hinnom” (Josh. 15:8). This valley was found on the south side of Jerusalem and was the place where trash was burned* and the place where some practiced child sacrifice in the Old Testament (2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chron. 28:3). Jeremiah had predicted that one day (likely during the conquest of Babylon over Jerusalem) corpses would be piled up there (Jer. 7:32).
The other two times that the NIV uses the word “Hell” it is a translation of the Greek word “Hades” (Lk. 16:23) or Tartarus (2 Pet. 2:4). Hades was the Greek equivalent to the Jewish word Sheol. In fact, the Greek translation of the Old Testament (The Septuagint) regularly translates Sheol as Hades. The New Testament actually uses the word “Hades” several other times (Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Lk. 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31; 1 Cor. 15:55; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14). For some reason the NIV chose to translate it as Hell in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:23), but maintained the idea of the grave/death/the depths in the other places. Tartarus seems to also have the same idea as Sheol (See Job. 40:13; 41:32).
Because trash was burned in the valley of Hinnom, it is easy to see why the notion of Hell carried the idea of burning (Matt. 5:22; 18:9), where there are always smoldering embers (Mk. 9:43). However, the question we must ask is how much of this was meant to be taken literally. If we are to take it at face value we would have to conclude that after death some will be sent to the valley on the south side of Jerusalem. This is not the position usually taken. Rather many Christians somehow make the leap from the valley of Hinnom to a spiritual place where people are going to be tormented with flames (are they real flames or just spiritual flames?). Is this a justified leap? If the afterlife for believers is not some spiritual, ethereal existence, why would we assume that the afterlife for unbelievers is?
At any rate, Bell is right in his observations about the uses of the term “Hell” in scripture. That is not disputed. What some will dispute is how Hell is to be understood. Bell questions the traditional interpretation.
We’ll spend more time in Hell with Rob Bell in my next post. 
Gehenna – Matt 5:22, 29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mk. 9:43, 45, 47; Lk. 12:5; Jas. 3:6
Hades – Lk. 16:23
Tartarus – 2 Pet. 2:4
* There is some debate over whether or not trash was burned in the valley. The only evidence that I am aware of comes from a 12th century Rabbi.
“Bell rightly points out that there is not really a concept of Hell in the Old Testament. … Nowhere in the Old Testament will you find the idea of someone eternally burning in torment after death.”
true. but Daniel 12:1-3 does demonstrate that the dead are raised and judged with two different possible outcomes – everlasting life and everlasting contempt.
“Rather many Christians somehow make the leap from the valley of Hinnom to a spiritual place where people are going to be tormented with flames (are they real flames or just spiritual flames?”
Well there is justifiable debate over whether the flames are real or metaphor for punishment I would think that Rev 20 and its description of a lake of fire would show that this idea or picture of what hell might be like (fire and brimstone) does come from Scripture.
Your other post asked if Bell is “picking and choosing passages to fit his agenda while ignoring others? ” – based on his analysis of hell what do you think? Might he have expanded his search to passages about eternal destruction, eternal punishment, and wrath before trying to draw theological conclusions?
Mike,
Good thoughts. Yes, I think that Bell could have looked further. However, I think that he is not trying to be exhaustive, but trying to paint a certain picture. Plenty of other authors do the same thing, but on less controversial subjects.
ALBHG
Curtis
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