Article — Heaven and Hell — Q & A
Is there a temporary heaven and hell?
Yes — there is an intermediate state between death and one's resurrected body
When one dies, the soul goes immediately to heaven or hell. This is the beginning of the intermediate state. Later, the soul will join their resurrected body, which ends the intermediate state.
The terms used in the Bible for describing these events, including simple words like heaven and hell, can be confusing and are subject to much debate. Let's dig in.
The grave is called Sheol or Hades, but sometimes hell
Upon death, the soul goes to what is commonly referred to as the “realm of the souls” or the “grave.”
The Hebrew term in the Old Testament for the location of departed souls is “Sheol.”
The equivalent Greek term in the New Testament is called “Hades.”
Both of these terms are sometimes referred to as hell and other times as just the grave.
The grave (Sheol/Hades) is divided into a torment side (hell) and blessing side (paradise)
Sheol/Hades may be further divided into two areas by a great gulf or chasm: a place of blessing and a place of torment. This division is derived from the story of the rich man in torment in Hades looking across a great chasm and seeing the blessing side with Abraham and the poor man Lazarus by his side (Luke 16).
The “blessing” part of Sheol/Hades is referred to in various scriptures as “paradise” or “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16; 23:43).
The “torment” part of Sheol/Hades is typically translated as “hell.”
A believer's soul on the paradise (heaven) side of the grave will receive a new glorified body in the future
Believers, whose souls are in heaven or “paradise,” will ultimately receive a new glorified body and enter the new heaven and new earth described in Revelation 21.
When this reuniting of the soul and body occurs depends on one's view of end times. Some see it occurring at three events: the rapture, the second coming of Christ, and at the end of the millennium. Others see it only at one or two of these events.
An unbeliever's soul on the torment (hell) side of the grave will be resurrected, judged and cast into the final hell
Unbelievers, whose souls are on the “hell” side of Sheol/Hades, have their bodies resurrected and stand before Jesus at the Great White Throne judgment at the end of the age.
"And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne" (Rev 20:12).
The graves are emptied when the Bible says,
"the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds (Rev. 20:13).
After the unbeliever's physical body and the spiritual soul are reunited, they are thrown into the final hell called the Lake of Fire. What this physical body in hell consists of is not clearly spelled out in scripture. However, the physical body in hell will be tormented day and night, and it will experience weeping and gnashing of teeth, whether literally or figuratively (Rev. 20:10; Matt. 8:12).
Jesus used Gehenna as a metaphor for hell
When the word “hell” is translated from the Greek word “Geenna,” or “Gehenna,” it generally points to the final hell, whereas Hades generally points to the grave.
Gehenna is a reference to the cursed “Valley of Hinnom” just south of Jerusalem, where children were sacrificed by fire to the god Molech. This location of detestable fire became a metaphor for future punishment in hell (Matt. 5:29; 23:33).
In the gospels, Jesus primarily used “Gehenna” (translated as hell) to portray one's ultimate destruction. He less frequently used the word “Hades” (translated as hell, or realm of the dead), such as in the story of the Rich Young Ruler and Lazarus, where there was the torment side and comfort side of Hades.
Our chart is repeated here to summarize everything
At death, a person's soul goes to heaven or to hell. Once in heaven or hell, a great chasm exists that never can be crossed.
At some time in the future, everyone's physical body will be resurrected and rejoined with their spiritual soul and sent to their final destination.
Believers — will go to the "New Heaven and New Earth."
Unbelievers — will go to the final hell, the "Lake of Fire."
(Revelation 20 and 21).
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Article • 2026 • BibleSurf.com (this site)
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