Does Hell really exist? And if it does, what really goes on there? 

We’ve all heard it said, “All my friends will be there. It’s gonna be a big party for us sinners. I plan to live it up.” Sound familiar? 

Most major religions talk about some form of Hell. However, they vary widely on what it is. You can Google it out if you want. As always, my source is the Bible. If you don’t believe what the Bible says about Hell, you’re on your own. I hope you take a few minutes to really think about what you believe and why.

If you are a Christ follower, a Christian, when you die, you’ll immediately go to Heaven. End of story. If you’re not a follower of Jesus, read on.

The Bible uses several terms to describe the existence and nature of what we call “hell.” To be clear, the Old Testament is the period before Jesus’ birth. The New Testament spans from his birth to the present.

Sheol/Hades

• The “place of the dead or departed spirits.”
• Sheol, the Hebrew word for Hell in the Old Testament, was divided into two realms: one of comfort and the other of torment. Old Testament believers went to the comfort side and unbelievers to torment.
• Hades, the Greek word used in the New Testament, is where unbelievers now go when they die. Believers who die now go to Heaven.
• After the first Easter, when Jesus was resurrected, Old Testament believers who were in Hades went to Heaven.

Lake of Fire

• This is the final destination for the spirits in Sheol/Hades who rejected Christ as Lord. 
• At the final judgment, those who didn’t accept Jesus as savior are in Hades (Sheol). Satan, his demons, and all who are in Hades are thrown into the Lake of Fire, the final Hell. 

Okay, a lot of people are gonna end up in Hell. What’s it really like? This is tricky. After all, no human being has ever been there and brought back a credible description. The same can be said of Heaven. That means you each have to decide what you believe.

The Bible describes the depth of its eternal torment with images of:

• darkness, 
• gnashing of teeth, 
• pain as punishment for their rejection of Christ and the wickedness of their deeds.
• unending fire, and 
• complete separation from God. 

So, is hell eternal conscious torment? The message throughout God’s Word is clear. Hell is a very real, bad place, and you don’t want to go there. All who refused God’s mercy and didn’t accept Jesus must endure His wrath. Our choices matter, and God takes sin seriously.

© Jeff Lossau – April 2026