In contrast to some songs that say “hell ain't a bad place to be,” or “hell is a party place where I can see all my friends.” We can see from God's word that the Bible gives us a totally different picture.

The Bible says that we all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ when we die or when Jesus comes the second time (2 Corinthians 5:10); Revelation 20:11-12. The believers who repented and put their faith in Jesus will stand before God perfectly clean as if never done anything wrong (Romans 5:1) through Jesus' blood. They will be rewarded for the good things they have done. They will go to a place called heaven. Heaven is a place of paradise (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4). Revelation 21:4 says for these people that God shall wipe away all tears, there will be no death, sorrow, crying or pain. However, the people who rejected Jesus or who never asked Jesus to save them will go to a place called hell. Both these places are eternal. The people who go to hell don't just “burn up” and cease to be (annihilation) or become unconscious or “visit” for a temporary period of time. People's spirits go there which won't be destroyed only tormented. We are made up of body, soul and spirit. It will be conscious (Luke 16) with no change of destiny (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:26) or “penance.” The teaching of purgatory is a medieval teaching which has no biblical foundation whatso ever! Satan does not rule in hell, nor do people who go there! Revelation 21:8 says “but the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Geenna or Gehenna is the Greek word for hell and came from the valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem. This was the place where human sacrifices of children were offered to the pagan god Moloch in the days of Ahaz and Manasseth (2 Kings 16:3; 21:6). The dead bodies were thrown and burnt there. The prophets warned of judgment to come because of such sins. Because of these threats, the valley came to be a symbol for eternal judgment. Later, people were so disgusted with what went on, on this site that the area was then only used as a rubbish dump for all the rubbish of the city. There were constant fires at the rubbish dump that carried on burning day and night! Mark 9:43-45 was given expressly to show that the eternal fire of hell was different from natural fire: “Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).

Luke 16:24 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come to this place of torment.

Why with all the sin, wickedness and injustice in the world has God not come and judged us now? The Bible says that God is patiently waiting for all people to repent and ask for his forgivness (Romans 2:4) before it is to late!

Here are some scriptures to describe hell

Darkness (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; Jude 13).
Devouring fire (Isaiah 33:14).
Eternal fire (Isaiah 33:14; Matthew 25:41; Jude 7).
Everlasting destruction/punishment (Matthew 25:46; 2
Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:10).
Fiery furnace (Matthew 13:42,50; Revelation 21:8).
Fire and brimstone (Revelation 14:10).
God's wrath (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).
Torment (Luke 16:23; Revelation 14:11).
Unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12).
Weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; Luke 13:28).

Here are some more scriptures from the Bible.

Psalm 9:17.
Proverbs 5:5 9:18 15:24 23:14.
Ezekial 32:27.
Matthew 5:22,29; 10:28; 18:8,9; 19:29; 23:33; 25:30; 25:41.
Luke 16:9; 18:30.
John 3:16; 3:36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27; 6:40; 6:47; 12:50.
2 Peter 2:4.
Jude 1:6, 23.
Revelation 19:20 20:21.