When someone dies, a common concern is often raised; Where are they? Did they go to hell? Too often people are condemned to a tormenting hell if they do not confess faith in God or Jesus Christ. We have discovered in the previous two blogs that some Bible translations speak of a “hell,” while the Hebrew and Greek of Scripture do not note such a place or condition after this earthly life.
Since the original Scriptures do not speak of a “hell” in the next life, how did it become such an intricate part of the Christian belief? Where did it originate? Who created the after death hell?
The After-Life
It is helpful to remember the purpose of Scripture. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (a) [see endnotes for Scriptures] Scripture is given to help us navigate through this temporal life with instructions, enlightening insights, reassurances, and blessings for this natural life. Scripture is intended to help us be better people and live better lives.
While Scripture does not describe what our life will be like in eternity, it does say our next life is beyond our ability to really comprehend. “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (b)
We do not question the reality that everyone will be conscious after leaving this earthly life. From ancient history all the way into the current times, there have been hundreds of thousands of near-death experiences recorded. These are events where people of all faith persuasions die, experience a view into eternity, and return to this life. These are first-hand accounts of the reality of an after-life.
To search for the most common aspects of near-death experiences, a computer analysis was done on several thousand accounts. It revealed that most people see a greater light and feel a greater sense of love than ever known on earth. Many were told that if they passed a certain point, returning to earth was not possible. This indicates they were just previewing eternal reality. It was also discovered that if a person was not religious they became religious, and if they were religious they became less.
God has given us witness after witness that our consciousness continues after this life. When we die our body returns to dust. However, our consciousness does not end with this natural life. As our deposit of God’s Spirit returns to its source, our awareness remains attached to the spirit of life. Thus, our consciousness continues after this temporal life and there is no hell in God’s eternity.
God has given us witness after witness that our consciousness continues after this life.
History and Scripture
Written history verifies the idea of a hell in the after-life was formed by ancient Greek Mythology. Greek poets in the 4th and 5th centuries before Christ (BC) imagined and wrote many stories of imaginary heavenly beings that were good and bad. The bad gods that complicate our lives came from a dark underworld called aïdes (hades). The Greek hades means “place of the unseen.”
During an approximate 500 years 
before Jesus appeared, there were no prophets in Israel. From 450 BC until 146 BC, the Greeks ruled most of the areas around the Mediterranean Sea. During this time the Greek dialect became the common language for trade and schools of learning. Consequently many ideas from Greek philosophy worked their way into the religion of Judaism.
It was during those days that a division developed in Jewish thought. The Sadducees believed there was no life after death. The Pharisees however believed life continued after death and adopted the Greek idea of a tormenting hell after this life. Jesus Christ rebuked both groups for their error. (c)
The teachings of Jesus declared the Good News that the influence of God’s Kingdom reign is available to everyone during this life. (d) Jesus said we can sense eternal thoughts, have inspiring experiences, (e) and even live “in heavenly places” (f) above the muck and mire of this world.
Jesus also simplified God’s purpose for our lives by congealing the 613 Jewish Laws (the Torah) into two: “Love God with all your heart…and your neighbor as yourself.” (g) Even the uneducated could understand and pursue this reality. As multitudes partook of the Kingdom fellowship that Jesus encouraged, faith in God and His way of life flourished.
As people began to experience the freeing way of faith that Jesus promoted, some of their earlier beliefs began to complicate their ability to clearly perceive and understand. By continuing to expect an earthly type of reign they looked for Jesus to physically return as an earthly king. The Apostles John, Peter, and Paul addressed their mistaken ideas. (h)
Remember, when people were delivered from Egyptian slavery, they lived as free people under God’s Kingdom reign for nearly 500 years without dictating oversight or central controls. The renewed freedom to worship and live free that Jesus encouraged also lasted for almost 500 years.
Written history verifies the idea of a hell in the after-life was formed by ancient Greek Mythology.
Influence of Early Perceptions
In 325 AD the converted Roman Emperor Constantine gathered leaders of the faith, to form an official system of belief. Because perceptions of truth were so different, the councils continued to meet for over 200 years. History records that in 500 AD religious authorities seized all sacred writings and restricted scripture reading to officials. For the next 1000 years, the religious system reigned over Europe and the Mediterranean areas, dictating what to believe as truth.
During those years new ideas were introduced and became part of the official belief system. A few of the most recognized errors were:
Penance – continual confessions to pardon sin
Purgatory – an after-death place of cleansing
Indulgences – money paid to release relatives held in purgatory
It was in 1215 that an after-death hell became an official doctrine. It was promoted as a damnable place for everyone not aligned with the official system. If you believed differently, you were bound for hell. This included the Greek Orthodox Christians who broke from the official system in 540.
In the early 1300’s, an Italian poet Dante Alighieri wrote a story about the “perversion of reason,” called, The Divine Comedy. It depicts how twisted thoughts produce fiery conditions in our mind. The ruling religious order began to use the story as a pictorial depiction of an eternal hell.
While reformers discarded many of the unscriptural ideas that were introduced, the belief in an eternal hell was maintained. Since a tormenting hell had been ingrained in Christian thought and theology for several generations, translators inserted the word “hell” into our early Bibles.
All too often, we seem to be stuck in the perceptions we received earlier in life. We maintain the old time religion and continue to live with its mistaken beliefs. As we turn to God and better understand His ways, we are more able to discard our inappropriate beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.
God has always desired to be an influencing presence during this life’s maturing process. We just need to repent and be open to receive and partake of His enduring Love and insightful Light! (i) Let us choose to receive more light and be more loving, even in our bad settings. Our beliefs tend to affect everyone around us, so we want to improve our attitude toward God, this life, and each other.
As wandering offspring and disciplined children of God, we can receive God’s insights, respond to His guidance, and choose the best options available in our circumstances. We are invited to experience the anointing presence of God and live in “heavenly places” during this life.
There is more! Our next blog will elaborate on the actual sensibility of hell.
All too often, we seem to be stuck in the perceptions we received earlier in life.
a) 2 Timothy 3:16-17; b) 1 Corinthians 2:9; c) Matthew 16:1, 6, 11-12; d) Mark 1:15; Mathew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; e) John 5:24; 6:47-48; f) Ephesians 1:3; 2:6; 3:10; g) Mathew 22: 37-40; Mark 12:31-34; h) 1 Timothy 1:3-4; 6:20-21; 1 John 4:1-3; 2 Peter 2:1-3; i) 1 John 1:5; 4:8;
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder