Concerning Hell by John Norton Loughborough

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 17, 1856

Concerning Hell.

By John Norton Loughborough

[From the Work entitled, An Examination of the Scripture Testimony Concerning Man’s Present Condition and his Future Reward or Punishment, by John Norton Loughborough]

For the consideration of those who may think there is at the present time a hell of torment, in which the wicked go at death, we give the following concerning hell. Vain have been the attempts to locate hell by those who believe that it now exists. The texts in the New Testament in which the word hell occurs, applied to the punishment of the wicked, not one of them refer to any place that is now in existence, but to one that will exist after the judgment. "Gehenna," the Greek word translated "Hell," and used in the New Testament in relation to the punishment of the wicked, occurs 12 times in the New Testament—7 times in Matt., 3 times in Mark, once in Luke, and once in James. Three of these appear to be used figuratively, viz; Matt. v, 22; xxiii, 15; and James iii, 6. The places where this word occurs are Matt. v, 22, 29, 30; x. 28; xviii, 9; xxiii, 15, 33. Mark ix. 43, 45, 47. Luke xii, 5. James iii, 6.

The word is used only in addressing the Jews, and was understood by them. What was their idea of Gehenna? Says THE POLYMICRIAN GREEK LEXICON to the NEW TESTAMENT, "Gehenna, properly the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem; once celebrated for the horrid worship of Moloch, and afterwards polluted with every species of filth, as well as the carcasses of animals and dead bodies of malefactors; to consume which, in order to avert the pestilence which such a mass of corruption would occasion, constant fires were kept burning." In this valley people anciently punished transgressors. See Lev. xx, 9, 14; Jer. vii, 30; xix, 1-13; xxxii, 35; xlviii, 8; Isa. xxx, 30-33. And people are again to be punished there. See Joel iii, 2. Zech. xiv, 1-3. Rev. xvi, 16-21; xx, 9.

The words which are rendered hell, and are used in regard to the state of the dead, simply signify the grave—"Hades" is a Greek word which occurs eleven times in the New Testament, and is ten times translated "hell" and once "grave," viz: 1 Cor. xv, 55. It is found in the following texts, viz: Matt. xi, 23; xvi, 18. Luke x, 15; xvi, 23. Acts ii, 31, 27. Rev. i, 18; xx, 13, 14. The Hebrew word "Sheol" is the word that is rendered "hell" 31 times in the Old Testament, and can never be understood to signify a place of punishment.