Random Popular Beliefs About Hell That Aren't Actually In The Bible (13 items)

(#13) Hell Is A Party

Even a cursory glance at scripture is enough to disprove this misconception, and yet many movies and TV shows portray hell as an endless, grimy party, conflating elements of our society that we deem "seedy" with true damnation.

Of course, the hell of the Bible is no party. While it is described sparingly in the Bible, it is clear that it is a place of fire where no appetites are fulfilled. It also a place of full consciousness and memory, which makes the pain even worse. Even the demons are there to suffer, too.
(#4) Satan Rules Hell

Lucifer was originally known as ha-Satan, a term that simply means "the Adversary." In the Bible itself, Satan's powers and provenance are not well defined. It is only much later, through Dante and especially Milton, that we get our image of Satan as a powerful, winged demon - AKA the King of Hell.

In the Bible, and in all mainstream post-Biblical theology, it is understood that hell is Satan's prison, not his kingdom. God rules over hell just as he rules over heaven. However, this is hard to square with events like Satan's temptation of Jesus during his 40 days in the wilderness. There are also moments in Genesis that seem to imply God allows Satan to be a kind of co-ruler of Earth for his own mysterious purposes.

Ultimately, there is no resolution for these contradictions. Some theologians have posited that Satan is used by God as a test or temptation to see who is worthy of entering heaven.
(#1) There Are People Being Punished In Hell Right Now

Many Christians believe that when we perish, we are judged by God and sent to either heaven or hell. Christian children worry about people who have passed, hoping they aren't in the Lake of Fire.

It turns out that God doesn't work that way. Instead, God withholds judgment until the final day. According to the Bible, no one is in hell right now except Satan and his demons. Every single human ever to have lived, from the very best to the very worst, is simply sleeping, waiting for Christ's return and the final day of judgment.
(#12) Hell Is Massive Land Of Torment

No serious theologian would argue that hell is a pleasant experience. However, there are those who push back on the idea that hell is simply one massive experience of physical pain, with men and women burning and writhing in agony.

Regardless of their position on physical pain, most Christian thinkers believe that the true torment of hell is a separation from God. The result of this separation is a spiritual pain far worse than the physical torments many associate with hell.
(#9) God Enjoys The Suffering Of Sinners

God shows many faces in the Bible. At times, he is full of wrath, eager to damn everyone in sight, and utterly unwilling to consider reconciliation or forgiveness. At other times, he is a benevolent father wanting the best for his children. So which are we to believe?

There is no easy answer to that question. However, there is significant evidence that God takes no joy in the condemnation of sinners, and is eager for their return to his arms. Consider this passage from Ezekiel 18:

"But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live... Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" declares the Sovereign Lord. "Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?"
(#7) There Are Different Levels Of Hell To Punish Different Sins

Blame this one on Dante. There is absolutely no indication in the Bible that there are multiple "circles" or zones in hell, or that there will be any modulation of the degree of punishment based on the sin. Rather, the Bible treats the entire host of the damned the same, as a mass of sinners and unbelievers who will be tossed, en masse, into the Lake of Fire.

Many religious traditions believe that punishment ought to in some way fit the deed. It is likely that Dante was influenced by Greek and Roman mythologies, such as the story of Tantalus. After taking ambrosia from the gods, Tantalus was punished to endure eternal hunger and thirst in Tartarus. He was placed in a pool of water that receded whenever he tried to drink from it and beneath a fruit tree that kept its fruit forever out of his reach.