When we read the Scriptures we discover that they don’t attempt to prove God exists, rather, God is presented as a reality. Just as one never has to prove the reality of parents to a child, the child’s own existence proves there must also be biological parents. So also, one need not prove the reality of the Creator to the creature. Hell is likewise presented. And yet, the absolute holiness and justice of God requires consequences for evil behavior. If a person can get a life sentence without possibility of parole for evil perpetrated against a mere man, then why should it seem so strange for one to get an eternal life sentence for evil perpetrated against the Eternal God?


The Fact of Hell
The Psalmist writes,“The wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God” (Psalm 9:17). “Let death come deceitfully upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol, for evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.” (Psalm 55:15).

The psalmist uses the common word for Hell, “Sheol.” This word can also refer to the physical grave, so context helps us determine its usage. Since all people die, the writer would not be referring merely to death or the grave (no great punishment for the wicked), but to the eternal punishment of Sheol/Hell.

The Prophet Isaiah writes, “Nevertheless, you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you saying, ‘Is this the man who made the world tremble, who shook kingdoms…” (Isaiah 14:15-16). The Prophet reveals that there is consciousness and recognizability in punishment of Sheol/Hell.

The Prophet Daniel writes, “And many of those that sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”(Dan. 12:2)  Daniel reveals that the final judgment of Sheol/Hell follows death, is “everlasting” (“olam”, as is heaven, or everlasting life), and is disgraceful and contemptible (literally, an abhorrence).

The New Covenant is consistent with the Older Covenant regarding these same truths about Hell/Sheol. (Matthew 25:41 “eternal fire”, 46 “eternal punishment”; Mark 9:43-48 “into Hell, into the unquenchable fire”; 2 Thessalonians 1:9 “pay the penalty of eternal destruction”; Heb. 9:27 “it is appointed for man to die once and after this comes judgment”; Rev. 14: 11 “…the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night…”; etc.).

It’s not that the Bible means to frighten anyone into following God, not at all. But it does reveal the facts of the hereafter. Actually, the amount of space the Scriptures spend on Hell is comparatively very little. The Bible generally reveals Great News about God, Messiah, love, heaven, forgiveness, etc.

The Fairness of Hell
What seems most difficult to some is what appears to be the inherent unfairness of Hell. “After all, why would a good person have to be punished alongside a Hitler just because he didn’t follow God’s way? Isn’t that unfair?”

First let’s understand that no one deserves heaven. This is God’s special place and no one who sins deserves to be there (see Psalm 15:1). God’s standards for heaven are high: to be with Him, you must be like Him, “Be holy as the LORD your God is holy” (Leviticus 19:2). Therefore who ever goes to heaven doesn’t earn it; entrance to Heaven is not based on fairness. Whoever goes there gets there on the basis of God’s sovereign, gracious love. On the other hand, since we’ve all sinned (see Ps. 14:3; Isa. 53:6; etc.), we all deserve Hell. We earned it. (How to avoid Hell is brought up later in this article)

The Scripture teaches that each one gets the punishment in Hell they individually deserve. There are differing degrees of punishment in Hell, determined completely on what you deserve (similarly, there are differing degrees of reward in heaven).

1. Judged according to their deeds.
“…The dead, the great and the small, were standing before the throne…. And the dead were judged…according to their deeds” (Rev. 20:12).

This portion teaches that if Bill and Joel were doomed to judgment, and during their lifetimes Bill embezzled ten thousand dollars, but Joel only stole one thousand (or told ten lies to one lie), Bill’s punishment may be ten times greater than Joel’s punishment because his evil deeds were ten times worse. That’s fair.

2. Judged according to their knowledge.
“And the servant that knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with that will, shall receive much punishment. But the one that did not it, and committed deeds worthy of punishment, will receive little punishment. To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12: 47-48).

Now, let’s say Bill and Joel were both doomed to hell, and during their lifetime each of them stole ten thousand dollars. This portion teaches that if Bill learned that’s it’s wrong to steal and stole anyway, but Joel was not taught this truth, Bill’s punishment would be greater than Joel’s, because Bill knew better. He will be held more accountable for the knowledge he received. Joel still gets punished, for he still did deeds worthy of punishment, but to a lesser degree. That, too, is fair.            

3. Judged according to their “status”.
“Not many of should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1).

This portion teaches that different levels responsibility can receive different levels of punishment. Bill and Joel are both guilty of embezzling ten thousand dollars each. However Bill was Joel’s teacher (or Rabbi, Pastor, President). Bill’s punishment may be greater than Joel’s, since his position demanded a higher level of responsibility. Rank may or may not have its privileges, but it certainly demands greater accountability before God. Again, this is fair. The Scriptures teach that Hell is very fair. Tragically, in Hell people finally get what they justly deserve.

The Fleeing from Hell
“The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment,… he called...‘I have five brothers…warn them, so they will not also come to this place of torment’ ” (Luke 16:23-27).

Many times people might foolishly say “I want be with my buddies in Hell” or “I want to be with my brother and father in Hell.” But do you know what they want? They want to warn you to do whatever it takes to avoid Hell! God wants you to avoid Hell and come to Heaven.  He’s not willing to overlook sin, but He does love you.  That’s why He sent the Messiah Yeshua. Yeshua died as atonement for sins, just as the Jewish prophets predicted (see Isaiah 53).

 If you will trust in God’s provision for forgiveness, you will receive new life, and heaven, as a gift of God!

Do you really expect me to believe in three gods?  Of course not! New Covenant Faith is Jewish! One of the great misconceptions about the faith of New Covenant believers is that “they believe in three gods.” Of course, this is untrue from the clear teachings in the New Covenant:  “And Jesus answered him and said ‘The first of all the commandments is: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.’” (Mark 12:29; see also 1 Cor. 8:4; James 2:19).  Such statements are typical of the Jewishness of the New Covenant Scriptures. However, because of the ignorance of scriptural teaching on the "tri-unity" of God, there is confusion on the subject.

The Testimony of The Jewish Scriptures

As we look into Jewish Scriptures we see the mystery nature of God presented: "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). As one Jewish man commented to me, "God is mentioned three times right there in Deuteronomy 6:4, the verse that speaks of His oneness!"  "But," one might object, "it says 'one' in the verse."

True, but the word "one" (echad, in Hebrew), can point to a oneness-in-plurality. For example, when God established the marriage relationship, the Scripture states: "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). Here we see that "one" is used when clearly there is not one in the absolute singular sense, but as a oneness-in-plurality. Another text of scripture illustrates this special kind of unity:  "And they came to the brook of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes" (Num. 13:23).

Here again one is used to refer to a cluster, which is a unity of plurality. There is another word for one in Hebrew, yachid. Yachid is used in Genesis 22:2, when God is speaking to Abraham about Isaac: "Take now your son, your only son." Though Abraham had another son, Ishmael, God refers to Isaac as a one-of-a-kind son, the son of the covenant. This word is used for an utterly singular one, and never used for God in the Bible!  This nature of God is assumed in the Scripture, rather than explained. That's why a portion like the following one in Genesis can only make sense in light of this assumption: "The Lord (Who was on the earth speaking with Abraham) rained upon Sodom brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven" (Gen. 19:24).

In the creation account in Genesis 1:26 where God created man, we are brought into the counsels of God's own heart: "And God said, `Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Please notice the plural possessive pronoun, 'our.' By using this word 'our', God reveals His own plural nature. The Scripture goes on to say, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him..." (Gen. 1:27).   It was God's very own image, not a group of images. Therefore, God's nature itself is the reason for the use of the word 'our'.

Isaiah the Prophet assumes God’s oneness-in-plurality in several places. Isaiah 6:8 quotes God as He chooses him to be a prophet of Israel: "Who will go for Us, whom shall We send?"  Once more in God's own counsel, God refers to Himself with a plural pronoun. Isaiah again assumes this unity within plurality of God's Nature in regards to our redemption: "Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time it was, there am I; now the Lord God and His Spirit has sent Me" (Isaiah 48:16).  Who is the one "from the beginning" and the one who is always "there?" Only God alone (Isaiah 48:3,5). Thus it is the Lord Himself in that verse, who is sent by The Lord God and His Spirit!

Many more portions of the Jewish Scriptures  present the same truth: There is only One God.  Yet this one God is revealed in three persons: Father (Isa. 63:16; 64:8), Son (Isa. 9:5[6]; Prov. 30:4) and the Holy Spirit  (Isa. 48:16; 63:10, or the Spirit of God, Isa. 63:14).

How the Scriptures teach the Mystery Nature of God

In light of the many polytheistic religions surrounding Israel at that time, the Tanakh (Older Covenant) emphasized the oneness of God, while remaining faithful to the subtle teaching of His plurality. The New Covenant now progressively reveals more of this triune nature (as in Matthew 28:19, "immersing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."), while still being faithful to the truth that there is only one God. So, the New Covenant reveals the truth of God's  triune nature, not to imply that there is more than one God, but to be faithful to the revelation of God's nature as seen in the Tanakh. The Tri-unity is not a contradiction of the oneness of God, but the best explanation of His oneness. Consider:

• The Tri-unity of God best explains the Tanakh's grammatical use of plural nouns and pronouns in identifying God (Gen. 1:26; Isa. 6:8, Ecc. 12:1).
•   The Tri-unity best explains the various manifested appearances of God, (e.g. Gen. 19:24)
•  The Tri-unity best explains the use of echad for `one' instead of other words for God, (e.g. Gen. 2:24)
• The Tri-unity best explains the enigmatic and seemingly paradoxical divine nature of God (Isa. 48:16).The Tri-unity best explains later theological developments in Jewish mysticism, known as Kabbalah. Consider the following:
  
  “’Hear, O Israel, YHVH Elohenu YHVH is one.’ These three are one. How can the three Names be one? Only through the perception of Faith: in the vision of the Holy Spirit, in the beholding of the hidden eyes alone. The mystery of the audible voice is similar to this, for though it is one yet it consists of three elements-fire, air, and water, which have, however, become one in the mystery of the voice. Even so it is with the mystery of the threefold Divine manifestations designated by YHVH Elohenu YHVH - three modes which yet form one unity” (Zohar (Raya Mehemna) Shemoth 43b, Brooklyn, NY: Soncino Press, 1984, taken from the CD-ROM Judaic Classics Library II , 2001).
  
  “Here is the secret of two names combined which are completed by a third and become one again. ‘And God said Let us make Man.’ It is written, ‘The secret of the Lord is to them that fear him’ (Psalm 25:14). That most reverend Elder opened an exposition of this verse by saying ‘Simeon Simeon, who is it that said: “Let us make man?” Who is this Elohim?’ With these words the most reverend Elder vanished before anyone saw him ... Truly now is the time to expound this mystery, because certainly there is here a mystery which hitherto it was not permitted to divulge, but now we perceive that permission is given.’ He then proceeded: ‘We must picture a king who wanted several buildings to be erected, and who had an architect in his service who did nothing save with his consent. The king is the supernal wisdom above, the Central Column being the king below: Elohim is the architect above ...and Elohim is also the architect below, being as such the Divine Presence (Shekinah) of the lower world’” (Zohar Bereshith 22a, vol. 1, p. 91, Brooklyn, NY: Soncino Press, 1984
  
  “...the words ‘The Lord our God the Lord’ (YHVH Elohenu YHVH) represent three grades corresponding to this deep mystery of Bereshith bara Elohim [Gen. 1:1a]… This name is here found in three applications, and thence the same name branches out to various sides” (Zohar Bereshith 15b, vol. 1, p. 64-65)
• The Tri-unity best explains our own "triune nature" and response to God as alluded to in Deuteronomy 6:5, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." Since we were created in His image (Gen. 1:27), we therefore display our own kind of tri-unity: spirit, soul and body ("heart...soul...might").
  
• The Tri-unity best explains the unity of God's one truth of God's mystery nature in both Old and New Covenants (Zech. 14:9, Matt. 28:19). The Tri-unity therefore, best explains the mystery nature and special unity of God.
  

God's Truth is difficult for the natural mind to comprehend
A famous New Covenant scholar, Augustine of Hippo, was walking along a beach trying to understand the Tri-unity of God. As he struggled in thought, he saw a young boy digging a hole in the seashore and then run back to the water over and over taking water from the ocean and putting it in the hole. Augustine asked him, "child what are you doing?" The boy responded "I'm trying to put the whole ocean in this hole!" Augustine laughed and said to himself, "that's what I was trying to do, too!"  
These are certainly truths hard to understand in our natural minds. Though Scripture alone reveals the true nature of God, God acknowledges that these truths are not easy to comprehend: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, for as the heaven is higher than the earth, so my thoughts are higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8,9).

We are to trust the testimony of Scripture as the true revelation of God regarding both His nature, and His manner of reconciling sinful people to Himself: by forgiving their sins through His atonement in Messiah Yeshua. Trust Him for who He is and for what He has done for you in Yeshua. Then you will have eternal life as the gift of God!