Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: Gehenna

black or blue — May 13, 2026

black or blue

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My wife told me I needed to change out of my faded blue jeans for black ones.  We were going to a funeral after all.   I obeyed (as per my wedding vows). But then she looked at me and barked, “I said black!” Evidently, I chose a darker blue pair.

She made me try again.  Strike two! Somehow, I ended up with a different pair of dark blue pants.  She asked me to change again – which made me bluer than my pants.

So, what is my problem?  Well, my color discernment is impaired. My name is Jim and I am color blind. 

As I lamented my malady, I started thinking that there are folks today who lack discernment when it comes to Scripture. They read it but somehow end up with conclusions that don’t seem to match the words that they read.  They look at blue but see black. 

For instance. Jesus said, “If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched” – Mark 9:47-48.

Christians from the first century until today have understood Jesus to teach that there is a place called hell, reserved for the unrighteous – a place of eternal torment and unquenchable fire. 

And yet there is an entertainment celebrity today who is well known for his sincere devotion to Christ.  And yet, this man read this passage and yet somehow concluded that the unrighteous simply cease to exist once they die. 

Paul, in 2 Timothy 2:15, spoke of “rightly dividing the Word of truth.” (KJV) In other words, a person needs to be discerning and accurate when it comes to the Word of God.  We need to be able to distinguish the black from the blue.  So how do we do this? 

– We can start by laying aside any personal agenda. Let the Scripture freely speak without any preconceived notions.  There was a guy whose mother died but he wasn’t sure if she ended up in heaven.  He eventually discarded his former conviction and came to believe that the unrighteous cease to exist when they die.  His personal preference directed his interpretation of Scripture. 

– We should ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our study. He was given to us to do this very thing (John 16:13).

– Consider the literary context of the passage. Read what precedes and follows it, to get the fullness of it.  Look at the whole of Scripture to see what it teaches on the subject.  If our friend had done this.  He would find much evidence that hell is painful and unending (Matthew 25:30; 41; 46; Luke 16:22-24; Revelation 14:9-11)

– Consider the genre of a passage.  Is it poetry like the Psalms, or prophecy like Daniel, or maybe history like Acts. The genre affects how we understand it.  Our Mark passage contains straightforward teaching from Christ. 

– Consider the cultural/historical context of a passage. The word for hell (Gehenna) was also the name of the local Jerusalem garbage dump, where a fire burned 24/7.  

– Prefer the most obvious understanding of the passage. Read the Scripture in its normal literal sense, unless it is obvious that figurative language is used.  Scripture was not written for the benefit of theologians but for all of us.  When an interpreter makes excuses in order to harmonize a passage with their interpretation – then it’s likely that they have erred.

– Give weight to every word. Jesus spoke of a fire that is never extinguished.  It burns for eternity meaning that it will be fueled for all eternity.

I want to know what God wants me to know – no matter what.  I cannot increase my ability to discern color, but you and I can do lots to sharpen our minds as we explore the Word of God. 

A Prayer: Open our eyes Lord, that we may see.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickelheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible.com

to hell and back — March 18, 2020

to hell and back

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The first time I visited Jerusalem, our tour bus rounded a corner and I was shocked to find myself in hell.  

picture taken in the year 1900

We were passing by a place called the Hinnom Valley.  This valley had somewhat of a ghastly history.  King Manasseh of Judah had designated it as the site where children would be placed on a burning altar and offered to the pagan God Molech.  And not just any children – his own sons were put to the flame. (2 Chronicles 33:6)

Good King Josiah succeeded him and outlawed the horrifying practice.  He put a permanent end to it, by desecrating the valley.  He ordered that it be made unclean by scattering of human bones and so on throughout.

From Josiah to Jesus, the valley was used as a garbage dump. It was the cesspool of the city. Waste and refuse and the carcasses of dead animals and unclean objects of any kind were brought there to be destroyed.

Which is why there was always a fire that burned there.  24 hours a day it was kindled to dispose of the refuse.

Because of the ever-burning fire, the Jews named the valley Ge Hinnom or “Gehenna” and it became a symbol of the place of eternal torment.

Jesus made the connection between the burning in the valley of Hinnom and hell.  When He spoke of hell, he actually called it Gehenna.  In Mark 9:43 He said, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell (Gehenna) to the unquenchable fire.” NETBible ®    

A place of perpetual fire that burned in a place where living human beings once were also cast into the flames. That’s what Jesus used to help us understand the concept and horror of hell.   It makes sense that He called it a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Ironically after Judas had betrayed Jesus, he fled to that same valley and took his own life. (Acts 1:18-19) He seemed to understand that hell is the only alternative for those who reject Christ.

So, what would you find in the valley of Hinnom today?  A desolate, ugly place full of ashes and bones?   Not at all.  The valley is covered with plush, thick, green grass and colorful playground equipment.  It is a park – a place for children to frolic and play. 

Isn’t that like the God of redemption?  He saw to it that the valley where children were annihilated became a place where they are nurtured.

God is in the redemption business.  He does it with valleys and he does it with people.  He takes broken, hell bound sinners like us, saves us and transforms us into beautiful people who bless Him and benefit others.

I am grateful to Him for that and for my field trip to hell.

But I still need to tell you about the highlight of that trip.   When I rounded that corner in Jerusalem, it happened to be in the month of January, and it was snowing.  I was shocked. I wondered if Jesus’ sandaled feet had ever trudged through the snow. 

But there it was.  The Hinnom Valley was covered in 2 inches of snow.  That’s when I realized that – I was there when hell froze over.