Where is hell? Does hell have a specific location?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

People often speak of heaven as "up" and hell as "down." But similar to heaven, hell exists beyond our physical universe as a place where the souls of humans continue to dwell. This view is also consistent with Ephesians 6:10–12, which speaks of the battle between forces in the heavenly realms. In other words, the realms of angels and demons exist in a dimension largely unseen by humans. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word sheol is used for the realm of the dead while the Greek word used in the New Testament referring to the unseen world of the dead, often associated with judgment, is hades . Gehenna is another Greek word used to describe hell, meaning the Valley of Hinnom (Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:43). When one dies, they either go to hades—or a temporary hell until the end of times when all who are against God will be cast into the lake of fire—or heaven. Hell exists in a non-physical realm where Satan is present, along with demons and unbelievers. Unbelievers experience ongoing torment and are unable to escape their judgment. At the end of time, Satan and unbelievers will experience the "second death" in which they will be cast into the lake of fire. This dreadful situation is one no person would desire. This is why God has offered salvation through Jesus to anyone who will believe (John 3:16) and patiently offers this salvation still today (2 Peter 3:8–10).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• While some passages speak of hell or the place of judgment being below the earth or downward (1 Samuel 28:13–15; see also Luke 10:15), hell exists in a non-physical realm.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• For unbelievers, hell includes ongoing torment (Luke 16:23) and is permanent (Luke 16:26).
• Those in hell appear to be able to see at least parts of heaven (Luke 16:23) and remember earthly events (Luke 16:25–28).
• Revelation 20 speaks in detail regarding the final state of Satan and unbelievers. Verse 7 notes that at the end of the thousand-year millennial kingdom, Satan will be released for one final battle, along with the deceived nations of the world. After he is defeated, "the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).
• Then, all unbelievers will be judged before the Great White Throne. Revelation 20:15 declares, "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." In the next chapter, Revelation 21:8 adds, "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Understanding that the tangible world is not all there is and that there is a real place called hell, where all who reject Jesus will go, should motivate us to take our faith seriously and live lives that reflect our commitment to God. Our earthly lives should reflect the heavenly reality that we are saved to experience, bringing a taste of God’s kingdom to this earth. It should also drive us to share the message of salvation with others out of love and concern for their eternal well-being. We should be moved to share God’s plan of redemption, so they have every opportunity to not go to hell. Just because hell is not seen does not mean it is not real, and that reality challenges us to examine our priorities and seek to live in a way that honors God and leads others to the hope found in Christ.

UNDERSTAND

• Hell is a real place but exists in the spiritual dimension.
• Hell exists in a non-physical realm in which Satan is present, along with demons and unbelievers.
• Hell is a permanent place with ongoing torment, but all who trust in Jesus for salvation will never go there.

REFLECT

• How does the concept of hell existing in a non-physical realm impact your understanding of its reality?
• What does the existence of hell beyond our physical universe teach us about the nature of spiritual warfare?
• How can we maintain a sense of urgency and compassion in sharing the message of salvation, given the reality of hell?

ENGAGE

• How does viewing hell as a non-physical realm influence our approach to evangelism and our interactions with others?
• What implications does the idea that hell includes ongoing torment have for our view of justice and God’s holiness?
• How can we live in light of the eternal realities of heaven and hell, with lives that reflect the hope of salvation and the seriousness of rejecting God?