V. 8- GEHENNA

8- GEHENNA

Broad classification of Hell for wicked Human soul:

Origin of Gehenna:

    There was and is a small valley in southern Jerusalem city, which was named as Valley of Hinnom [Josh 15:8, 18:16]. In Israel history, Jews burn their child as a sacrifice to pagan god Molech/Baal in that valley [2Kgs 23:10, 2Chr 28:3, 2Chr 33:6, Jer 7:31]. Later Jews made it their burial ground according to the prophecy of God [Jer 7:32, Jer 19:6]. At the time of Jesus, Jews made that valley as the damping place of  the  waste/ garbage of Jerusalem city, and in that garbage, fire was set to burn throughout the year to destroy the waste.

    Valley of Hinnom where fire was burning the waste throughout the year was called Gehinnom in Hebrew.

John 5:28 …….for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 5:29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Bodily punishment in Gehenna:

Matt 5:29  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into Gehenna.

 30  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into Gehenna.

 Matt 10:28  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

    The above verses are self-explanatory that one day wicked souls undergoing punishment in Sheol will be punished again in bodily form for all eternity in Gehenna/Hell Fire/Lake of Fire. Today, no one is in Gehenna. Gehenna is empty today, but after final judgment, wicked people will be thrown into Gehenna in bodily form. This final judgment will take place after 1000 years of Jesus’ rule earth. It is as:

Rev 20:7 When the 1,000 years are completed, …….. 13 the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Matt 18:8  And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the Gehenna.

Note: Gehenna where wicked will be punished in bodily form is also called Eternal fire. No need to explain more.

Rev 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

Note: Who will go first into Gehenna? It is the Antichrist and the false prophet of the end time. The two men will go ahead of everyone into Gehenna in bodily form at the second coming. Here beast means the Antichrist, and alive means in bodily form.

Final destination of Satan:

Rev 20:7 And when the 1000 years are ended, Satan…..20:10  the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Miscellanies verses on Gehenna/Hell Fire/Lake of Fire/Eternal Fire:

Matt 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matt 5:22 ……….and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the Gehenna.

Matt 23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of Gehenna as yourselves.

Matt 23:33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to Gehenna?

Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, ……ignite by Gehenna.

Rev 14:10 ……. He (Unbelievers) will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night,……...”

Rev 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”