How many times is Hell mentioned in the Bible? (How is Hell used in the Bible?)

Some years back, one of my church members invited his atheist friend to our church. I had a conversation with him, and he said he hates Christianity because it preaches a lot about Hell, yet the Bible does not even emphasize that much. So, I wanted to make him understand that we talk so much about Hell because, contrary to what he thinks, the Bible talks about Hell so many times. To eliminate his doubt, we went through the Bible verses about Hell and calculated the number of times it is mentioned. So, how many times is Hell mentioned in the Bible?

Join me in this article as I write about how many times Hell is used in the Bible and what the Bible says about Hell. I will also give verses that mention Hell in the Bible. Additionally, I will discuss whether sinners will go to Hell or not. Read on to find out more.

What does the Bible say about Hell?

Hell was meant for Satan and his Angels

The Bible says Hell was meant for Satan and the other angels who disobeyed God. The book of Matthew 25:41 says that the people who disobeyed God are under a curse, and they will join the eternal fire that was prepared for Satan and his Angels.

Hell is the eternal destination for the people who reject Jesus

The Bible says that the people who deny Jesus Christ and disobey the word of God have a place in Hell. They will experience second death in Hell, which is described as a lake of burning fire and Sulphur in the book of Revelations 21:8.

Hell is a place of eternal torment

Souls that will end up in Hell will experience eternal torment, according to the book of Revelation 14:10.

What terms does the bible use to describe Hell?

Fiery Furnace

There are some instances where the Bible describes Hell as a furnace of fire. The book Matthew 13:42 says that sinners will be thrown into a furnace of fire.

Place of Unquenchable fire

John the Baptist describes Hell as a place of unquenchable fire in the book of Matthew 3:12. He says that the sinners who are like chaff will be thrown in the fire. Also, Jesus says it is a place of everlasting fire in Matthew 18:8.

Lake of Burning Sulphur

The book of Revelation often describes Hell as a lake of burning fire. In Revelation 19:20, Hell is described as a lake of burning Sulphur.

Outer darkness

While referring to the future when sinners will be punished, Jesus called Hell a place of outer darkness in the book of Matthew 8:12

Other names include Sheol, Tartarus, Hades, and Gehenna, but it depends on the version of the Bible.

Why are there more references to Hell in the KJV bible version?

KJV Bible Version has more references to Hell because the Bible was translated from Hebrew. When you read the KJV Bible, you will find that Hell is mentioned 31 times in the Old Testament, unlike other versions. The word Hell is believed to represent the Hebrew word Sheol which means the grave pit. The mix-up comes in because modern-day English defines Sheol as a very different thing.

Is Hell mentioned in the Old Testament?

It depends on the version of the Bible that you read. When you read the KJV version, you will find Hell mentioned almost 31 times in the Old Testament. However, other versions barely have the word Hell in their Old Testament.

Where does Hell first appear in the Bible?

Hell is first talked about in Genesis. Genesis 37:35-36 describes a situation where Joseph’s father was being comforted by his children about losing Joseph and said he would go to Sheol to mourn for him. Sheol is a Hebrew word that describes a place where the dead go. However, some versions do not use the word Sheol in this verse; they use grave.

Instances of Hell appear in the Bible

Matthew 25:46 talks about sinners going to eternal punishment. Eternal punishment is another phrase that describes Hell.

Mathew 13:50 talks about throwing sinful souls into a blazing furnace. The blazing furnaces can be equated to the descriptions of Hell.

Mark 9:43-49 states that Hell is placed as a place of eternal fire. The verse urges Christians to cut off what makes them sin, even if it’s their hand, rather than carrying along what makes them sin, only to end up in Hell.

Proverbs 15:24 says that the prudent will go upward, where there is eternal life. However, the others will head down into the realm of the dead.

Matthew 13:42 describes Hell as a place of the blazing furnace

Matthew 25:41 says that Hell, a place of eternal fire, was meant for Satan and his Angels. However, those who will be on the left side of sinners will join Satan and his Angels in Hell.

2 Peter 2:4 says that God did not spare the disobedient Angels. He punished them by sending them to Hell.

Matthew 10:28 says that it is better to fear who has the power to destroy both our bodies and souls in Hell.

Revelation 20:13-14 describes what will happen in the end. The dead will rise from the sea and hades. After judgment, there will be second death which happens when death and hades are thrown into the lake of fire.

Jude 1:7 talks of Sodom and Gomorrah people burning in eternal fire.

What did Jesus teach about Hell?

Hell has no exit door

Jesus taught that Hell does not have an exit door. Those who will be condemned and sent to Hell will have no chance of getting out of that hot place full of suffering. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, we learn that there is something called a chasm that prevents people in Hell from escaping. In the book of Luke 16:26, Abraham tells the rich man who was in pain in Hell that there is no exit and there is a separation between those in Hell and Heaven. No one from either side can pass through it.

Sufficient time to avoid Hell

The book of Luke 16:27-30 records the teachings of Jesus about God giving humans enough time to turn to Him and avoid going to Hell. Once a believer dies and they are guilty of sin, they go to Hell, and there is no room for negotiation even if they realize that they were wrong and want to turn to God. In addition, the Prophets of God and the Bible are enough sources of information for people to use and make decisions. When the rich man wanted to send a warning to his people from Hell about Hell being real and painful, he was told that God’s prophets and the word of God were enough for humans to choose redemption.

Does the Bible mention that sinners will go to Hell?

Yes, the Bible mentions that sinners will go to Hell, and even Jesus Himself taught about it. In the book of Matthew 25:46, the Bible clearly states the righteous will get eternal life. However, the people who do not obey God will get eternal punishment in Hell. According to the oxford dictionary, sinners are people who disobey the divine law and commit immoral acts. Therefore, as the verse says, the disobedient, who are sinners, will suffer eternal punishment in Hell.

Also, the book of 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 records that the people who deny the gospel and disobey God will end up in eternal destruction of flaming fire—this describes Hell. Also, Matthew 3:12 describes the process of separating sinners and those who obey God’s word, and the sinners who are compared to chaff will burn in unquenchable fire, which is suggested to be Hell.