There are various lines of thought in relation to Hell. Some believe that neither Heaven or Hell exist and that when we die that it the end of our existance. In Christian circles some teach that Hell is merely a ?separation from God?, others contend that it is a fiery place of eternal torture where sinners instantly go at the moment of death. According to this theology, the lost are sizzling right now, somewhere in the fiery bowels of this earth. Most Christians believe that Hell is an eternal place of suffering. Is this what the Bible really teaches?

In the New Testament there are three different Greek words that are translated into ?Hell? in English. They are ?Tartarus,? ?Gehenna,? and ?Hades.? Tartarus is used only once in 2 Peter 2:4 ?God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [Tartarus], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.? Tartarus means ?dark abyss? or ?place of restraint.? Notice also that it says the evil angels are reserved unto judgment, meaning that the day of judgment has not occurred yet, and they are not currently in the red hot fiery underworld. We know that in fact they are busy roaming the earth, actively tempting and attacking the people of God as well as the lost.

The second word used for Hell is ?Gehenna? which is derived from Hinnon, a rubbish dump outside of Jerusalem where trash and dead animals were burned. It continually smouldered during Bible times. Jesus used this word when He warned about the danger of Hell Fire at the ?end of the world? Matthew 13:40-42 ?The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the weeds are gathered in burned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.? This word does definitely relate to fire and being burned up or consumed away.

In the above verse you will notice that Jesus spoke of the Hell Fire being at the end of the world. Peter further clarified the timing of the Hell Fire to be at the day of judgment, not in the present time 2 Peter 3:7 ?But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men?.

The Bible clearly shows that ungodly men will be burned up by Hell Fire after the millenial reign of Christians in Heaven. Noone's loved ones are burning in Hell today. Our just and loving God does not sentence anyone to Hell Fire before they have been judged on the day of judgment.

The third Greek word translated to Hell is ?Hades? which means the grave. Revelation 20:14-15 ?And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire?. This verse clarifies that ?Hades? itself is not a fiery place, but will be cast into ?the lake of fire.? This verse is really saying that death and the grave will be consumed by fire and will be no more. There will be no longer be any more death and no more graves.