We can only speculate about the exact nature of Hell. In the Old Testament, there is no detailed description of Hell. “Sheol,” the Old Testament counterpart to the New Testament Greek word “Hades,” sometimes mistranslated “Hell,” simply means the grave, the literal meaning of which is “unseen.” It was described as a mysterious dark place where everyone goes when they die, the righteous and unrighteous alike. So, if you want to know the details about what life in Hell is like, you are not going to find them in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, the place of the unrighteous dead, is described in many different ways. Many of the descriptions use highly exaggerated, symbolic imagery, which most evangelical Christians do not take “literally.” The use of exaggerated, figurative language was a common literary device employed by the writers of the Bible, and this language probably was not intended to be taken literally, but, instead, was designed to emphasize the underlying truths which it represented. In the Old Testament the imagery of “refining fire,” was used to represent God’s future judgments in preparation for the establishment of His kingdom, the purpose of which was to refine and purify, not punish.
Zephaniah 3:8-9: “Therefore wait for me, declares the LORD, for the day I will stand up to testify. If have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them—all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.”
The interesting thing about this imagery is that it is also used in the New Testament to describe God’s future judgment of believers and non-believers alike. As you know, I believe that the Christian salvation experience may best be described as a process of reconciliation which continues into the next life. This process will not be complete until the final day of redemption at the conclusion of the ages. All people, both Christians and non-Christians alike, are at some stage in this process of reconciliation. The process began before the dawn of Creation when God decided that one day He would redeem and reconcile all of His created beings to Himself through Christ. On Calvary, the ransom was paid for the redemption of all mankind. The penalty for sin had been paid for all, and it only had to be paid once. Therefore, all of God’s judgments of mankind are not vindictive, but remedial in nature. Their purpose is to refine and purify. The following passage from I Corinthians describes a judgment by fire that Christians must endure in the next life:
I Corinthians 3:11-15: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has build survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
This next passage from Matthew, in my view, describes the same judgment, only in this description both Christians and non-Christians are represented:
Matthew 25:31-46: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal (literally: “age-during”) punishment, but the righteous to eternal (literally: “age-during”) life."
Notice that in both of the Scripture passages quoted above individuals are judged according to their works. Jesus clearly taught that all of us will reap, in exact measure, what we sow. What many evangelical Christians fail to realize is that both Christians and non-Christians alike will face this judgment. You might ask, what about salvation by grace apart from works? The passage in Matthew seems to describe salvation by works. Actually, no one is “saved” or “reconciled” to God on the basis of their works. It is all based on pure grace, based on the atoning death of Christ at Calvary. No one deserves salvation, but by the grace of God it is made freely available to all, no matter how great our sins may be. However, the “working out” of our salvation, and the “process” of experiencing growth in our relationship with Christ is in part determined by our works. Our relationship with God is the same as that of any loving parent and child. The parent loves and accepts the child unconditionally, not on the basis of merit. The parent still must lovingly discipline and correct the child. The process of divine discipline and correction does not suddenly stop after a Christian dies. It continues in the next age.
So, what is Hell like? Since the word, “Hell,” actually does not appear in the Old Testament or the New Testament, a better question to ask would be, “What will life be like for the unrighteous dead in the ages to come?” Two of those “ages” are described with lots of symbolic imagery in the Book of Revelation, the 1,000-year millennial rule of Christ on earth and period of the New Heavens and New Earth. There is also the period of time between the time we die and the beginning of the next age. After all the ages are completed, there is the time (or timeless period) of the complete reconciliation of all of God’s creation with God through Christ, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God and God finally becomes “all in all.”
What will life be like during those “ages” to come? No one knows for sure, because the biblical descriptions are incomplete and filled with exaggeration and symbolic imagery. My best guess, and this is only wild conjecture, is that there may not be any sharp dividing line between Heaven and Hell. Both Christians and non-Christians will coexist during these ages and there will be some degree of relationship among them. Some will be in higher positions of prominence and authority than others. Some non-Christians will not want to have any relationship at all with Christ and His followers. Others may desire a better station in life and sincerely want to experience the joys of “heaven,” but will not be permitted to do so until they are “ready” and have sufficiently repented of their wrong attitudes and actions. Many devoted followers of Christ may be spending most of their time in more “hellish” areas, acting as “angels of mercy,” and ministering to the needs of those who have lost their way. I would assume that Christ would still be engaged in seeking out His “lost sheep,” and doing it in partnership with His elected representatives, His Church members.
I believe that the terms “Heaven” and “Hell” refer mainly to our degree of relationship with or isolation from Christ. During the kingdom ages, Heaven and Hell will not be specific and distinct places. Heaven will be “where Christ is,” and Hell will be “where Christ is not.” Since Christ technically exists everywhere, the main difference between Heaven and Hell will be the level to which we subjectively experience nearness or isolation from Christ. Mankind will experience Heaven and Hell in varying “degrees.” Many may not even be aware that they are in “Hell.” They may be totally unaware of God’s nearness to them, or of His very existence, for that matter.
I would encourage you to read a book by C.S. Lewis, called “The Great Divorce.” It is a fantasy which takes the form of a dream. In this fantasy, a number of different individuals from Hell are given a bus ride to Heaven and given the option to stay there. Many different individual stories are described, and most of the characters refuse the invitation they receive to remain in Heaven, and decide to return to Hell, instead. In each case, there was some special sin, resentment, jealously, anger, and so on, that they were just not willing to let go of. They derive greater satisfaction from holding onto their sins than the joys of Heaven. Rather than submit to the “pain” of transformation, they decide to hold onto their sins and the unsavory pleasures they afford. If you read the article on this webpage about what Heaven is like, you will realize that, during the coming ages, Heaven will not at all be like most of us currently envision it. Those who wish to experience the “joys” of Heaven during the coming ages must become like Christ and unselfishly put the needs of others before their own. The “joys” of Heaven are unfortunately “indescribable,” and for that reason, most will continue to believe the lie of Satan that greater pleasure can be derived by living in sin.
Are there suffering, torment and mental anguish in Hell? The Bible clearly teaches us that this is the case. In the coming ages, life in Hell will be full of suffering and anguish, just as there is much unnecessary suffering and anguish in the lives of those who decide to live their lives apart from God in this present age.