Deathly Word Study
Scans featured below.
A few years ago I looked through Strong's Concordance in regard to 'Death' to see the connection with 'Hell'.
Hell is at times referred to within Christianity as eternal death or the term more accurately philosophically would be everlasting death.
Eternal means to have no beginning and no end, everlasting means to have a beginning and no end.
Interestingly in New Testament Greek, according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the same Greek word can be defined in English as either eternal or everlasting.
The Greek word aíwvios (aionios) is explained as meaning perpetual, used of past time or past and future as well, eternal, for ever, and everlasting. Strong (1986: 8). Strong provides only one word for eternal or everlasting from the New Testament.
Some key words for 'Death' from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament from Strong's.
Scan 1: Strong, page 8.
Scan 2: Strong, page 84.
Scan 3: Strong page 132.
Scan 4: Strong, page 146.
Scan 5: Strong page 89.
Scan 6: Strong page 16.
From both the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament looking at Strong’s and the meaning of the words for ‘Death’ in individual contexts it seems to basically and primarily mean termination of the natural human body. But this does not mean that the Bible, especially the New Testament does not teach an everlasting hell.
Browning reasons that Biblically ‘Death' in the Bible is presumed when all sign of life have disappeared; it is the end of natural life’. Browning (1997: 94).
P.H. Davids explains theologically death is a result of being cut off from God and then death causes a separation from God which is highlighted in Biblical places such as Romans 5 in regard to Adam. Davids (1996: 300). The existence of the spirit is assumed after death within a Biblical Christian world-view. Jesus gave up his spirit in John 19: 30 and Paul discusses the possibility of being with Christ and God in spirit in Philippians 1. Death is therefore not only a result of scientific realities but is also a result of sin (Genesis 3, Romans 1-6).
Erickson points out that from a Christian perspective death is not simply a transition from existence to non-existence, it is a transition from one mode of existence to another. Erickson (1996: 1169).
The Scripture in the original Biblical languages does happen to technically list ‘Death’ primarily as a termination of physical life. But there is an acceptance of concepts of the existence of the spirit and judgment after death (Hebrews 9: 27).
There is a concept of Hades for example in Luke 16. It may very well be a parable. Did the dead rich man have a body in Hades? Was he in flames? Would water from the tip of the finger of Lazarus cool off his tongue somewhat from the agony? From scholarship it probably is a parable and not plain literal. Does it mean, however, Hades is not a place at all? Not necessarily so. The parable could be describing a spiritual realm in figurative literal terms.
As well, with Revelation Chapter 20, Hades is thrown in the lake of fire. The lake of fire appears a figurative literal location for resurrected unbelievers outside of Christ. Verse 15 states that anyone’s name not found in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. So, anyone not in Christ ends up in this realm.
Literal flames? Not likely, due to the figurative type of language used although possible I suppose if persons have resurrected bodies. Spiritual separation from God, yes. So this could be considered a type of everlasting death of sorts.
In conclusion, I reason that even with the above linguistic evidence, everlasting hell (everlasting death of sorts) is still a major New Testament concept.
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BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
DAVIDS P.H. (1996) ‘Death' in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Burlington, Welch Publishing Company.
