In the previous blog we saw that Gehenna, which is rendered as ‘hell’ in many translations in the New Testament, is a concrete place name. In Hebrew it is called Gehinnom, which is: the valley of Hinnom. This valley of Hinnom is known in the Old Testament as the place where child sacrifices were made to idols, a practice that Israel had copied from other peoples. It is said several times that these things did not enter God’s heart.
a devilish doctrine
It is therefore absurd that religion has turned this concrete place Gehenna, where the most extreme expression of godlessness was practiced, into a mythical place like hell. People attribute these godless atrocities to God, while He Himself sharply condemns them in His word. It is claimed that God would also do this endlessly.
Isaiah
Gehenna will also play a role in the future. The last chapters of Isaiah tell extensively about the rule of the Messiah in the coming aeons and the establishment of His Kingdom. In this Kingdom justice will be done and that means that injustice will be punished severely. Evil will be repaid and justice will be provided.
Isaiah 66
24 And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of the people who have transgressed against Me, for their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched, and they will become a repulsive thing to all flesh.
dead bodies
The dead bodies of the people spoken of here are those who have rebelled against the rule of the Messiah in the Kingdom. In a righteous Kingdom this will not be tolerated and their dead bodies will lie in the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna).
Pilgrims from the nations will go up to Jerusalem (Isa. 2:2; Micah 4:1) and as a graphic example the decomposing corpses of rebels will lie there. In another place this place is also called the valley of the dead (Jer. 31:40). It will be a gruesome sight, but it has nothing to do with hell.