Description
Print Length
47
Language
English
Publisher
DAWN BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
The booklet opens by questioning widely held beliefs about “hell” — particularly the doctrine of eternal fiery torment. It challenges the idea that a loving God would eternally punish sinners in unending agony, asserting that this concept is not only morally troubling but also biblically unsupported. Instead of relying on tradition or church creeds, the booklet encourages readers to examine the original biblical languages and contexts to uncover the truth about what “hell” actually means.
In the Old Testament, the word translated “hell” is often Sheol, which appears 65 times. The booklet explains that Sheol simply refers to the grave — the state or place of the dead — not a fiery place of torment. It is described as a silent, unconscious condition shared by both the righteous and the wicked. Patriarchs like Jacob, Job, and David spoke of going to Sheol, indicating it could not mean a place of punishment for the wicked only. Ecclesiastes 9:5 is cited to affirm this: “The dead know not anything.” Thus, the booklet emphasizes that Sheol represents death, not torment.
In the New Testament, Sheol is translated as Hades, which carries the same general meaning — the grave or the realm of the dead. The booklet clarifies that Hades is not a place of conscious torment either, but a continuation of the condition described in Sheol. It cites Acts 2:27 where Peter quotes Psalm 16, saying that Jesus’ soul was not left in Hades, affirming that even Christ entered this state of death and was later resurrected. If Hades meant a place of fiery suffering, then Christ’s descent into it would contradict His sinless nature. Again, the booklet asserts that Hades means the grave — a temporary condition, not eternal punishment.
The booklet next turns to Gehenna, another word often translated as “hell” in the New Testament. Unlike Sheol and Hades, Gehenna refers to a specific geographical location — the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem — which was used as a garbage dump where fire burned continually to consume refuse and dead bodies. Jesus used Gehenna symbolically to represent total destruction, not eternal torture. The fires of Gehenna destroyed what was thrown into them, not preserved them in torment. This word is used in warnings about the consequences of sin, but the booklet stresses that the punishment described is destruction, not eternal conscious suffering.
The word Tartarus appears only once in the Bible, in 2 Peter 2:4, where it refers to the condition of fallen angels who are “reserved in chains of darkness unto judgment.” The booklet clarifies that Tartarus does not apply to human souls at all. It is a symbolic expression representing the constrained condition of disobedient angels who await judgment. This passage, too, contains no support for the idea of a fiery underworld where human souls are tortured forever.
The booklet presents a key theological argument: death is not a place of consciousness but a state of unconscious non-existence. Drawing from Genesis 3:19, it emphasizes that Adam was told, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” The penalty for sin was death — not torment. Romans 6:23 reinforces this: “The wages of sin is death,” not eternal life in torment. The booklet stresses that immortality is a gift, not an innate human possession. Only those who follow Christ will be granted eternal life; the wicked will “perish” or be “destroyed,” not preserved in suffering.
One of the central teachings of the booklet is that the Bible consistently presents resurrection — not eternal torment — as the hope for the dead. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so too will all who sleep in the grave be awakened in due time. The resurrection is not from a place of fire and torment but from the unconscious condition of death. John 5:28–29 is cited to show that “all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth.” This promise of awakening affirms that death is a sleep, not an eternal torture chamber.
The booklet also addresses parables and symbolic passages that are often misinterpreted to support belief in hellfire. It particularly explains the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31), which many cite as proof of fiery torment. The booklet argues this is a symbolic parable, not a literal depiction of the afterlife. It was intended to illustrate moral lessons about pride, repentance, and accountability — not the geography of heaven and hell. By interpreting such passages literally, traditional theology has created doctrines that contradict the broader biblical narrative of love, justice, and resurrection.
One of the most powerful themes in the booklet is the nature of God Himself. It asks: Would a loving, just, and merciful God really torture His children forever? The answer, the booklet argues, is a resounding no. God’s justice demands punishment for sin — but that punishment is death, not unending torment. God’s mercy is evident in His plan of redemption through Christ, who offers life in place of death. The doctrine of eternal torture paints a cruel and inconsistent image of God and is incompatible with His character as revealed throughout Scripture.
The final chapters of the booklet look forward to the abolition of hell — or more accurately, of death and the grave. Revelation 20:14 is quoted: “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” The booklet interprets this as the symbolic destruction of death itself — not the torture of souls, but the end of the grave and all that it represents. Christ’s reign will result in the restoration of all things, where even death, the last enemy, will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26). The promise is not of eternal torment but of resurrection, judgment, education in righteousness, and eventual restoration for all who respond to God’s love.
Truth About Hell presents a compelling, scripture-based argument that the traditional doctrine of eternal torment is not only unbiblical, but incompatible with the character of God and the message of the gospel. The Bible teaches that “hell” refers to the grave — a temporary condition of death — from which all people will be raised. The ultimate punishment for the wicked is destruction, not unending agony. In place of fear, the booklet offers hope: through Christ, resurrection and restoration are coming, and death itself will one day be no more.
