Hell: what it is and isn't

The most common image of hell

The image shown above does not depict the typical portrayal of hell — and that is intentional. I believe much of what people imagine about hell is a caricature rather than the real thing. The first image that often comes to mind when we hear the word “hell” is one of fire and human souls being tormented by demons. However, the concept of hell held by many believers throughout history has frequently been shaped without proper understanding. Conclusions drawn from certain biblical texts have at times lacked sound exegesis. The resulting image of hell that we commonly encounter — not only in church but also in the media — is, in my view, a caricature rather than an accurate representation.

The most common image of hell is that of a fiery place where devils with horns gleefully torment people. The first problem with this caricature is that we must remember that hell is also punishment for Satan (a fallen angel) and his host of evil spirits (or demons). He and his angels will certainly not have a good time there after the coming judgment!

Secondly, “hell,” in essence, means separation from God. I do not deny the mention of a “lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels” in the book of Revelation, but in other passages hell is described as a place of “utter darkness and separation” (Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6). It should therefore be obvious that the popular image of hell stems from an over simplified and superficial reading of Scripture.

NB: Although the Bible makes it clear that only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can serve as the true mediator between us and God because of His unique nature and work, there are passages in Scripture that will be discussed next, that suggest that the final spiritual destination of those lost in their sin is not so clear-cut.

How will God judge the world?

While the Scriptures affirm that those who die without Christ’s redemption cannot share eternity in God’s presence, they also suggest that people will be judged according to the light they had been given. Biblical descriptions of Judgement Day state that books will be opened, and people will be judged based on what they have done, because this reflects whether or not they truly had faith in God or not. However, the words of Jesus make it clear that what we have done will be judged in light of what we knew we should have done. Consider the following verses:

• “For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He who despised Moses’ Law died without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy, who has trampled the Son of God, counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26–29)

• “For if they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and are again entangled, they are overcome by these; their latter end is worse than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.” (2 Peter 2:20–21)

These verses indicate that those who were fully aware of God’s laws but wilfully rejected them will face a harsher judgment than those who sinned in ignorance.

What Jesus had to say

Jesus made this clear in His response to the religious leaders of His day who wilfully rejected Him:

• “If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore, your sin remains.” (John 9:40–41)

• “They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.” (John 15:22)

He also contrasted how communities responded to God’s message:

• “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.” (Matthew 11:23–24)

Here, the inhabitants of Capernaum is condemned to a more severe punishment than Sodom because they witnessed Jesus’ ministry first-hand – yet still rejected Him. Clearly. Jesus judges people’s actions in light of the knowledge available to them. This is echoed in Luke:

• “A servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. But someone who does not know and then does something wrong will be punished only lightly. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” (Luke 12:47–48)

Here, Jesus teaches that those entrusted with greater knowledge of God will be held to a higher level of accountability than those with little knowledge. This is true for the Pharisees and experts of the Law that Jesus clashed with in his day; and it is true today for religious leaders and academia who reject the Gospel – they will have much more to answer to than their followers or students.

Paul’s teaching on knowledge-based judgment

Paul also expands on this idea:

• ·      “… for where no law is, there is no transgression.” (Romans 4:15)

• “… sin is not imputed when there is no law.” (Romans 5:13)

Thus, people will be judged according to their knowledge and understanding of God’s laws. Even those who have never heard of Christ will be judged by their conscience and how they responded to universal principles of right and wrong. Moral transgressions such as theft, cheating, rape, jealousy, lying, cursing, hate, murder and cruelty are universally recognized as wrong — regardless of culture or religious background:

• “For when Gentiles, who do not have the Law, do by nature the things required by the Law, they show that the Law is written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or defending them.” (Romans 2:14–15)

When preaching to the pagans in Athens, Paul confirmed that God has overlooked ignorance:

• “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30–31)

God is faithful to the sincere seeker

Certain atheistic populists have misrepresented hell in an attempt to discredit Christianity, claiming that the Biblical God is “unfair” for sending millions who never heard about Jesus to hell. This is a straw man argument that deserves a proper response.

From countless testimonies across the globe, it is clear that God reveals Himself in one way or another to anyone who sincerely seeks Him — even if that person does not yet have an accurate understanding of His nature. This is especially true in countries where religion, especially Christianity, is banned, such as China, North Korea, and much of the Middle East and North Africa. In such places, seekers have little or no access to the Christian Gospel.

Many ex-Muslims have testified that Christ revealed Himself through visions or dreams after they became dissatisfied with their religion and began seeking for the Truth. Well-known converts such as Kamal Saleem, Afshin Javid, and Nabeel Qureshi share their stories freely on YouTube, and theirs are but a few among many. Some have written books, such as Qureshi's Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus and I Dared to Call Him Father, written by Bilquis Sheikh, an ex-Muslim women.

Sometimes, God even reveals Himself to people who were not actively seeking Him. One of the best cases is the conversion of the apostle Paul, who used to persecute Christians. Such was the case for Rabi Maharaj, a former Hindu guru from India. In his 1977 autobiography Death of a Guru, he describes how God spoke to him while he was receiving adoration as a yogi, exposing the error of his ways. This encounter set him on a path of searching for Truth, which he ultimately found in Jesus Christ.

Mustafa – a convert I once knew 

Many years ago, while I was still living in South Africa, I met Mustafa (I fail to recall his surname) at my father’s reformed church in Johannesburg. He was an ex-Muslim who had fled Algeria because of his new faith in Christ. His story echoed many of the testimonies found in books and videos.

As a young man, Mustafa became disillusioned with Islam and prayed that the true God would reveal Himself. One night, he dreamt of a person in a public place who told him he carried the answer with him. The next day, Mustafa saw someone in public who matched the description from his dream exactly. Cautiously, he approached the man—who turned out to be a Christian—and heard the gospel for the first time. This man gave him a Bible, and soon after, Mustafa became a Christian.

When his family discovered his conversion, his life was in danger. He fled Algeria and, after a long and difficult journey, found refuge in South Africa, where he could freely practice his new faith.

Conclusion

What we can say with certainty is that hell is separation from God — being banished from His presence forever. This is why Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” as He hung on the cross while darkness fell upon the earth. In that moment, He experienced hell in our place to satisfy God’s justice for sin and rebellion.

There are various degrees of punishment for sins, depending on the degree of light given to each individual.

The passages cited in this article suggest that hell, understood as a place, is far more complex than the simplistic ideas we often imagine. Christians should refrain from anthropomorphizing hell in ways that create distorted impressions, which can alienate both potential believers and those already within the faith. Certain Christian leaders, however, have “thrown the baby out with the bathwater.” For example, Rob Bell has dismissed the idea of hell completely — I believe, because of this common distorted image of it.

We must be humble enough to admit that we do not know everything. The Bible has not disclosed all there is to know about the eternal realm and the afterlife. Even Paul wrote that we know only “in part” (1 Corinthians 13:12) and that not everything about the spiritual realm has been revealed.

Yet what has been revealed in Scripture is sufficient to guide us toward becoming children of God through faith in Christ (John 1:12–13) and enjoying His presence forever along with our loved ones. We should always remember that God is perfectly just and will never judge anyone unfairly. He desires that all people be saved and share eternity with Him.