EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT - THE PLACE

EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT - THE PLACE

• The Place of Punishment

The term chosen by our Lord -- Gehenna - trans. "hell"  geenna geenna gheh'-en-nah

Used 11 times by Christ - Matt. 5:22, 29, 30: 10:28; 18:9; 22:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5

"But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

Only once by a New Testament writer - James 3:6

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."

Meaning of the term: Aramaic form of the Heb. "Valley of Hinnom" Its Old Testament origin: Joshua 15:8 Origin of Place

"And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:"

Jer. 7:31 - Burned Children there

"And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart."

Evidently Topheth was the name of certain high places built in the valley of the son of Hinnom, just south of Jerusalem, on which human sacrifices were offered. Josiah defiled the place (2 Kings 23:10) and Jeremiah predicted that the valley would become known as "the Valley of Slaughter" (vs. 32). From the horror of the fires of its idolatrous rites, and its pollution by Josiah, the valley became a symbol of great burning in connection with sin. The Greek term <Gehenna> (formed from the Heb for ("Valley of Hinnom") means <place of fire> and is used twelve times in the N.T. as a designation for the place of eternal punishment (see Matt. 5:22, note; James 3:6), the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).

2 Kings 23:10 Garbage dump - Topheth - meaning burning

"And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech."

GeHinnom became synonym for a horrible place, and eventually the place of final punishment.

 

With full knowledge of this usage, our Lord chose this word to designate the place of final punishment.

 

Similar origin of "Paradise" for abode of saved. A beautiful Oriental park.

 

Argument -- if N.T. use of "Gehenna" is only a valley, then by the same token and logic, "Paradise" is only an Oriental Park.

 

• Christ's use of "Gehenna" proves it means more than a valley

Luke 12:5 Anyone could cast garbage into the Valley of Hinnom. Also the fire in the valley was eventually quenched and the worm died.

"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

Mark 9:47-48

"And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

Greek <geenna> equals Gehenna, the place in the Valley of Hinnom where, anciently, human sacrifices were offered (2 Chron. 33:6; Jer 7:31), and where the continuous burning of rubbish illustrated for the Jewish people unending judgment upon the wicked. The word occurs in Matt. 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6. In every instance except the last, the word was spoken by Jesus Christ in most solemn warning of the consequences of sin. He described it as the place where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48). It is called "lake of fire" etc. in Rev 19:20; 20:10,14,15.

 The "lake of fire" probably refers to the same place.

Gehenna - place of torment. Lake of fire - quality of torment.

Rev. 19:20, 20:10, 15 This is the second death.

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."