HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine

by Eitan Bar

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The Bible often speaks of a place where God torments people with fire, melting their skin for a billion years. Or at least, this is what many of us have often been indoctrinated to believe; aka "Hell." So, is Hell an 'Outer Darkness,' a fiery 'Lake of Fire,' or perhaps darkness accompanied by a new type of fire that produces no light? And what about the worms that eat the bodies of those in Hell; are they immune to fire?

Could it be that many of us, especially those from a fundamentalist background, have been interpreting 'Hell' through the lens of tradition, fearing to ever question it out loud? And why is it that three different words and concepts (Gehenna, Sheol, and Hades) are often translated into the same English word, 'Hell'?

This concise upcoming book aims to strip away tradition to explore what the Bible REALLY says about 'Hell.' It will offer both biblical and societal contexts, as well as delve into the original Hebrew and Greek meanings of the texts.

Dr. Eitan Bar, a Jewish-Christian scholar with advanced Bible, apologetics, and theology degrees, is a unique combination. As a native Hebrew speaker and Bible scholar, he combines his Jewish background with his Christian education and faith to offer an accessible guide to understanding the Bible.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2024

About the author

Dr. Eitan Bar (born 1984, Tel Aviv) is a Bible scholar, author, and Israeli-Jewish follower of Jesus with multiple advanced degrees in Bible and theology. His unique background—living in Israel, being a native Hebrew speaker, and possessing advanced Christian education—provides a fresh and timely perspective on Christian beliefs and doctrines.

Dr. Bar co-founded ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry, a Messianic Reformed Baptist non-profit and Bible college. He later left the organization in 2022 and deconstructed his Baptistic-Calvinistic beliefs, becoming an independent author of several books, including a few best-sellers (available on Amazon.com)

Eitan frequently lectures worldwide, primarily in Europe and the U.S., and his Hebrew-language videos, with over 25 million views, have made him a widely recognized figure in Israel for representing faith in Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus).

Reviews

[Joseph Appler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost overwhelming in it’s thoroughness

The thoroughness of the authors explanations boggles my mind. I have been a follower of Jesus for over 50 years as a missionary, Chaplin, pastor, etc. I consider myself conservative in my beliefs, and yet this book was an eye-opener for me. He would make one statement and I would think of my usual argument towards it, and then he would speak to that argument itself. He pretty much answered every argument that I had. I embrace the concept that hell is for restoration and not punishment. Over the last 10 years God has been showing me how deep and wide his love and forgiveness are. I do recommend this book, but be prepared for a lot of reading.

[Jay Timm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many books on the topic of Hell and this ranks as one of the best. I found this author’s treatment of the subject to be comprehensive, interesting and informative. What I liked most was his gifted way of explaining problem passages where even Jesus appears to be endorsing the concept of eternal conscious torment. If you are looking for answers to difficult questions regarding Hell this book is for you.

[Peter Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope I can offer Dr. Bar an adequate review of this masterpiece. Hell: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine is a book I have been subconsciously seeking for at least seven years, so I’m compelled to express my immense relief at finding it in a review of similar gravity. My apologies in advance for the length of this review.

[Deep breath]

To truly appreciate this book’s impact on me, I need to give my background.

A gentile believer raised in the American evangelical church, I was exposed to Baptist and non-denominational Christian theology from a young age, with a sudden indoctrination of Calvinism in a Scottish Covenanter/Presbyterian high school (imagine being told to write a defense of Arminianism or Calvinism for a Calvinist teacher a week after being introduced to the concepts—at age 14). Chapel lessons regularly lauded Augustine (pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable for maximum pomp), but I remained skeptical of his punitive dogmatism. When we were taught about Church history, the unit commenced with Constantine’s conversion and focused mainly on European Church fathers of the Augustinian persuasion, continuing the longstanding tradition of erasing Jewish influence from scriptural interpretation.

Years beyond high school, and engaging Scripture on my own terms through Bible study groups, at some point around age 30 I started to wonder why my Christian education had been so heavily influenced by European minds when the origins were Jewish. Why the switch? If all the main characters in the Bible were Jewish, what—culturally speaking—was in their heads when they referred to things like “spirit”, “salvation”, or “heaven”? What was Jesus talking about when he referenced “hell”? His original audience didn’t seem to need an explanation… and they were Jewish.

So I developed a curiosity about the Jewish worldview (a Jewriosity?); and I started by going through “hell”.

I began looking up rabbis on the topic of “hell” and “Sheol”, but quickly learned that I would need to find a source that acknowledged both Old and New Testaments (or as I like to call them, the Holy Original and Sequel). A friend turned me on to the Bema Discipleship podcast, which brings the Text to context and prepared me well to dive deeper.

Last year I plunged into reading a recommendation of the podcast—Abraham Joshua Heschel’s book The Prophets —trying to get into the mindset of Israel’s prophets whom Jesus quotes almost ad nauseum. I was halfway through when I learned of Dr. Eitan Bar’s new book—Hell: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine. With a title practically lifted from my Google search history, it was my signal to set Heschel down and finally answer questions stored up in my heart for years.

This is the first of Dr. Bar’s books I’ve read, and I am excited to read more of his work. I don’t get through many books in a year. Over time I’ve developed a skepticism of substance thanks to my experiences with repetitive authors and their apparent obligation to fulfill word quotas; but Dr. Bar’s writing style is refreshingly forthright and practical, even humorous at times. The book follows a clear outline, with a statement of intent regularly initiating each analytical chapter. I found this to be reassuring of the author’s grasp of the subject and ability to stay on point, with Scriptural and historical receipts to back everything up.

The thorough exploration of Church fathers’ views on judgment in the afterlife—antithetical to Augustine’s—was staggering to me. It turns out there were many more gracious theologians than Augustine weighing in on Scripture (who incidentally lived closer to the time of Jesus’ ministry) than I had been taught in school. Over time, in classic Adversarial fashion, polarizing Church schisms divided doctrinal schools of thought, and Augustine’s claims on ECT shaped theology in the West. Why Augustine should be exempt from the heretic label for his divergent insistence on Eternal Conscious Torment is beyond my comprehension.

Dr. Bar did not generalize or shy away from any biblical references to “hell”, taking care to examine each mention within its appropriate context—whether poetry, prophesy, or parable.

The main question this book addresses is not so much the existence of hell, but its purpose: What is the purpose of punishment? A related question this generated for me has been: What does my understanding of punishment indicate about my understanding of God’s character?

These questions and scriptural defenses of God’s redemptive nature throughout the book lead me to several new considerations:

• If inflicting suffering as retribution is considered justice, then if the initial grievance was temporal, the retribution ought to also be temporal. If a human mind can comprehend the fairness of this, how much more the Divine Mind?

• If I—as a finite human being—can conceive of an Ultimate Being Who restores everything rather than endlessly torturing His creation for temporal sins, then a being who is less capable than what I can imagine is not God. Of course, this doesn’t mean He will do everything I can conceive of; but if He is ultimately all-good and all-powerful to save, and if He is the Author of order and purpose out of chaos, then restoration must be His end game.

• If God created everything, that would include “hell”. Since God creates order out of chaos, surely “hell” has an ordered purpose. What purpose could suffering for eternity possibly produce? According to Paul, suffering leads to hope: “...we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3+4)

By the final section of the book, I was picking up on a repetition of defenses and conclusion between chapters—some even duplicated verbatim. However, these did not strike me as lazy authorship the way many books I’ve read have. Instead, the incessant recharacterization of “hell” as “a place of purification and correction rather than eternal torture” became like a mantra I could meditate on. Every time I saw terms like “purify”, “correct”, “refine”, the pattern became more undeniable. It would appear that my understanding of “hell” has emerged from a refinement of its own!

Having returned my attention to Heschel’s The Prophets, I’m reading with clearer eyes how similar the warning language is between that of the prophets and the “hellfire” passages dissected in Dr. Bar’s book. It was a perfect side trail to reinforce the theme of God’s passionate pursuit of His creation found throughout the entire Bible. If God is eternal and infinite, why would He ever stop that?

While this book left me with a more mature and gracious understanding of punishment’s purpose, greater reverence for God’s merciful and creative character, and an expanded understanding of Jesus’ power to save that multiplied my hope in the gospel, it also introduced new questions I had not considered:

• Would God continue what Hitler started? If God actually continued burning Jews who had not recognized Jesus as the Messiah forever when Hitler only did so temporarily, which would be more unjust? This was a bold question condensed from the final chapters. Oy vey.

• As Jesus was being crucified, according to Luke, He prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” What if the Father complied with the suffering Son’s selfless plea? If not, why would He not? Aren’t They “One”? Could God forgive unwitting humans at the Son’s behest?

• Jesus’ ministry occurred at a point in history just before Rome desolated Jerusalem. (Curiously, 2,000 years later Jerusalem has been restored to the capital of Israel, which further implies that biblical “desolation” is not permanent as this book purports.) Thinking of how He wept over Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion, I wonder if much of His ministry was meant to give Israel’s leadership a chance to embrace Him as Messiah and avoid the consequences of corrupt priesthood leading them into destruction—in the same spirit of the Prophets centuries prior. Were His references to Gehenna simply a last call to that generation to embrace His posture of radical forgiveness and generosity, and somehow avoid consequential destruction by Rome?

Finally, I have to wonder if, ironically, we reenact the same, punitive expectation the 1st century Jewish leaders held of the “messiah’s” penchant for vengeance against Israel’s enemies when we espouse that God’s sense of justice necessitates punishing people eternally for not worshipping Him? If Jesus’ standard for making things right was forgiveness 70 times our estimated threshold, and He only did what His Father showed Him to do, then wouldn’t the Father also extend forgiveness beyond our wildest imagination? Perhaps we need to learn, like the 1st century Jewish leaders, that punishment unto itself isn’t God’s ultimate goal for making things right, but rather a part of His eternally restorative process.

Todah rabah, Dr. Bar, and God bless you.

[J.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not often that a book changes my life, but don’t be put off by the title—this book is life-changing.

The fear of hell, as a place of fiery torment for eternity, is so powerful that it pulls other concepts of religion into its field of gravity and distorts them. For the past three decades I have wanted a book about “A Religion of Hell,” about this belief that pervades the image of Christianity and the faith of many, many adherents to it; but I did not have the levels of expertise to write it myself.
Because I could never find such a book, I assumed it could not be written. Yet finally, in the year 2024, Eitan Bar has written the book I knew I needed. Other reviewers have described chains falling off their hearts as they read this book.

Dr. Bar’s background is unique. He is a Jewish Israeli and native speaker of Hebrew, and also a believer in Jesus, who has earned advanced degrees from conservative Christian institutions. He knows the Bible and the Jewish context of Jesus and the authors of the New Testament, to an extent that few Christians do. He also, evidently, knows a lot about the history of the church. And, he comes from a family in which people survived the Holocaust, and understands completely why most Jews cannot possibly accept Jesus the way he himself has. Because the Christianity they’ve seen is, for them, a religion of hell!

Eitan Bar knows every book in the Bible and every relevant passage. He also knows all about the Church Fathers and more. What we think of as “hell,” a concept actually called Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT), seems to have originated with Augustine of Hippo, then filtered through centuries of medieval imagination (like Dante’s Inferno) to the theology of John Calvin. Bar is too polite to say so, but I conclude that the Middle Ages made God over in their own image. Medieval Christians were the ones who burned people.

The author builds a picture of this vivid interpretation, “Augustinian-Calvinist” with an antisemitic assist from Martin Luther. But it’s not just Eitan Bar’s immense knowledge that makes his argument so illuminating. He builds it systematically, in the Jewish tradition. He is far too clever to launch into his family background or personal feelings. Only after a thorough tour through the Old and New Testaments, church history, and modern evangelical theology (such as at the online Gospel Coalition) does the author get to perhaps the ultimate argument for hell, or at least against universalism. What about Hitler? Doesn’t Hitler go to hell?

For those readers who aren’t Christian or aren’t bothered by the concept of ECT hellfire, you might wonder what use this book could be to you. Although Bar doesn’t touch on it in his book, I found it also helped my understanding of something that puzzles many people when they look at evangelical Christianity, above all in the context of the U.S.A.: Why so little love? Why does it seem, not only to an unbelieving world but even to many Christians like me, that those who are most vocal about God and Christianity seem uninterested in how society treats poor people, and proclaim a gospel that seems so far removed from a loving Jesus?

Dr. Bar’s argument brought to the surface something that’s nagged at me since I first knew these evangelical Christians—because I have known many of them, and I know them to be sincere: They want to save sinners (all people sin, but this often means unbelievers, or gays like me). They want to save us from hell, which is very real to them. I believe they are in the grip of this theology of hell; they are the way they are because they are afraid of God. They kind of believe that “God is love,” but they really believe in fear, described in the Puritan Jonathan Edwards’ 1741 sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”:

"The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire..."

Is the truth “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,” or is it that “Jesus came to save us from God the Father?” The first is in the Bible; the second does not just have implications for theology, but for ethics on earth. Fear warps believers into judgmental people and twists the image of God into something that no one wants to worship. The theology of hell, Eitan Bar suggests, says more about power and terror in ancient pagan religions than it says about the God of Israel or Jesus Christ.

I believe that this author’s work, and the knowledge he brings to it, are a gift from God and will change many more lives.

[Brandon Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Book based on a Jewish perspective of Scripture

Etan Bar’s “Hell: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine” is a breath of fresh air and a beacon of hope for any seeker on the journey through the fog of historical dogma and tradition. Reading this book, I felt as though I’d been handed a lantern—one that illuminated a complex subject with both the warmth of empathy and the sharp clarity of scholarship.
From the first pages, Dr. Bar’s style is remarkably engaging. He effortlessly bridges the daunting gulf that often separates academic theology from lived faith. Rather than relying on detached argumentation or cold scholarship, Bar brings the reader along on a personal and deeply compassionate exploration, making even the most weighty theological issues accessible and relevant. He does not shy away from the hard questions: What does the Bible actually say about hell? Are the terrifying images—skin burning for eternity, worms that do not die—meant literally, or are they metaphors misunderstood by a Western tradition?
Bar’s willingness to engage directly with centuries of doctrinal development, tracing the journey from Jewish biblical roots through the interpretive overlays of Augustine and Calvin, is impressive. His challenge to the Augustinian-Calvinist vision of hell as eternal conscious torment is both bold and beautifully grounded in the biblical texts themselves, as well as in Jewish tradition. Drawing on his unique heritage as a native Hebrew speaker and a scholar with advanced degrees in Bible, apologetics, and theology, Bar shows how four distinct terms—Gehenna, Sheol, Tartarus, Hades—became fused into a single, fear-laden concept of “hell” in the Western psyche.
What makes this book truly standout, however, is its profoundly hopeful and healing vision. Far from dwelling in fear and despair, Bar shifts the focus to a loving God whose justice is restorative, not retributive. Through careful exegesis and deep knowledge of original Hebrew and Greek texts, he reveals a scriptural message in which “fire” is not a tool of sadistic punishment but a metaphor for purification, refinement, and correction. The result is a vision of hell that is less an eternal torture chamber and more a process through which souls are refined and ultimately reconciled—an interpretation that feels radically faithful to the overarching narrative of redemption found throughout the Bible.
In these pages, I felt the burden of inherited fear and anxiety peel away, replaced by renewed excitement and awe at the enormity of God’s grace. Bar’s compassionate tone does not only inform; it heals. He weaves together scholarship with a pastoral care that meets the existential and emotional struggles of believers scarred by fear-based teachings. The result is a genuine lifeline, especially for those who have struggled to reconcile traditional doctrine with the loving character of God witnessed in scripture.
Dr. Bar’s insistence on returning to the cultural and societal context of the Bible is transformative. He reveals how many of the most damaging traditions—such as Original Sin and eternal damnation—were late additions to Christian theology, not supported by the early Church or by Jewish understanding. In stripping away accretions of centuries, Bar invites readers to a deeper, more authentic trust in God’s mercy and love.
Throughout the book, Bar’s message is at once radical and reassuring: God’s ultimate purpose is restoration, not condemnation. Even the most troubling biblical passages, when read in their original context and language, bear witness to this truth. The vision of hell he unfolds is—at its core—a testimony to the relentless, transformative love of God.
In a world desperately in need of genuine good news, “Hell: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine” is a timely and essential book. Its careful scholarship, narrative grace, and relentless hope provide a foundation for real theological and spiritual renewal. For theologians, pastors, or anyone who has ever wrestled with the idea of hell, this book is a revelation—and an invitation to discover anew the depth of divine mercy.
I finished the book not only better informed but genuinely transformed, carrying away a deeper sense of peace, hope, and, above all, a greater appreciation for a God whose justice is always a reflection of overwhelming love.

[CF · Rating 5 out of 5]

This former co-founder of the hugely influential evangelical(baptist) messianic organisation One For Israel (OFI), has divinely left the outreach organisation where he himself (by the Grace of God) was one of the big stars. I'm convinced that the purification experience (the partial rejection/shunning by some (not all) of the senior pastors of the organisation he (again by Gods Grace) actually helped made extraordinary successful, is one of thé reasons his theological sharpness of mind has matured into a Grace-filled repentance provoking (non fear based) messianic understanding of the Gospels, not previously done so eloquently. Rejection by merely religious men (sometimes (not always) honestly being misguided themselves, with the best of intentions), as was also a realization our Lord Himself had to go through, has been a purifying (ongoing) proces that so obviously has resulted in spiritual gifts of the highest quality for Eitan Bar's readers to be blessed with. The Gracefulness and Loving call to Repentance from our Lord (again non- fear based, but Love based) are theologically brought to Life through Eitan Bar's work.

I'm shocked to have to admit as a non-Jewish believer having firmly been educated within protestant theology how misplaced some of the widely held doctrines and theological misunderstandings today actually are within Catholicism and Protestantism. Only a truly Inspired messianic Jewish perspective as brought by Eitan Bar, cleaning up some of the most widely held misguided (early) interpretations of the Gospels from its (early) non-Jewish western theologians can help individual (non-Jewish) believers from being left misinformed, disappointed and seemingly rejected by the One who Loves them the most. Reading this book will prevent true seekers from being misguided into misunderstand the immensity of the Savior's love for them.

The man is blessed and his insights, while reading his books, feel as if Jesus Himself is active in each and every word. My heart makes leaps of joy for hearing this eloquent firmly contextually grounded interpretations! The Grace ( through a sharpness of mind) he has been given is undeniably felt.
Take for example his debunking of the harmful theology of Original Sin (so widely held in Western theology as of today (but also within messianic communities influenced by it). Never again one will refer to it, or entertain it, if one carefully and truly reads HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine. It is a divine refutation honest theologians will have to wrestle with for many years to come ( see for example also YouTube Hell excerpt 5: Debunking original sin), ...a shining of light into theological misinterpretations (in among others evangelical) Protestantism and Catholicism that truly can save spiritual lives:
https://youtu.be/O33RwAkq-OQ?feature=...

[Kathy Davila · Rating 5 out of 5]

f you want to rest with fuller assurance in the comfort of Christ’s love, read this book. Eitan Barr points to how God loves, warns, purifies, corrects, and ultimately makes everyone fall in love with HIm so that all will be united with him forever.

I started looking around for a book like this one about ten years ago. I was reading all of the George MacDonald novels which led me to contemplate Hell as a place of redemption, a school for those who need more schooling before becoming fit to enjoy Heaven.

At the same time, several of my extended family members began talking a lot about John Piper’s teachings on Hell. I was constantly surprised about which Scripture verses they would bring up. They interpreted these verses in ways that seemed to lead to terror and bewilderment. They explained that these feelings were awe at the Sovereignty and otherness of God. This didn’t seem right.

For the past few decades, I have loved being a mom and a public school teacher. I’ve had some tough seasons with some tough kids, but there haven’t been any who I would choose to expel, or cease to feel affection for, or want to stop teaching. My flawed little self can make room in my classroom. Certainly we can trust that our all loving God can make room in the universe to effectively teach each one according to their needs.

As the Good Teacher, Jesus gave phenomenal object lessons about places His hearers often observed: Gehenna (the city dump), the Lake of Fire (the Dead Sea with its healing properties), the great chasm between Lazarus and the Rich Man (the Jordan Rift Valley that lay between Jewish and Gentiles). I was fascinated by page after page of Biblical insights. I also appreciate Eitan Barr’s careful tracing of the Church’s right turns and wrong turns while teaching about Hell. My family has had many great Ah-ha! moments while discussing the book this month. We also all feel that Eitan Barr must be a really likable guy.

I pray many others will read this book, and that they will be led to further trust our completely good God, and that they will also be inspired to aim for Heavenly rewards.

[Faye Sherron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why debate the existence of "hell"? Because Heaven does-by Love...

"Converted" to a heaven-reward/hell-earned religious system, my lifelong pilgrimage has led me to leave that dogma and joyously embrace THIS
compassionate dissertation of the doctrine of 'Hell'. In living my journey, i experienced severe abuse at the hands of
an irrational step[father] and emotionally abused mother, beginning with the death of my biological father when i was 3 years of age. In the course of living this incredible journey of life, the cumulative adventure has been joyous, horrific, insane, tortuous, and miraculous. At the age of 66, have i got a story to tell (but doesn't everybody?). So, to find this intelligent, similar-in-religious-experience, comprehensive theological discussion thrills my spirit. Yes, it is my own unique adventure that resonates with rapture (not to be confused with the dogma of 'left-behind' invention) at the truly Hopefilled belief in a REALLY REAL Infinite and Eternal Creator that desires His creation to ALL be restored. For me, that includes my abusive stepfather and everything/one who i may have perceived hurt or harmed me. I Corinthians 13 describes the character of the God i now choose. Thank you, Eiten Bar, for sanity. Why don't, or wouldn't more people desire the GOD of love, mercy, eternal joy, and infinite redemptive restoration? Isn't our Savior, Jesus, the very embodiment of that Hope? Why would we fight to have anything less?

[Sid Galloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Dr. Bar for your courageous willingness to share your deconstruction away from reformed Calvinistic penal substitutionary eternal conscious torture. My own path has been so similar, having once been a speaker around the US for decades, including at the Master's College and Seminary, headed by Dr. John MacArthur. I discovered you and your works by association through Dr. Tour and the Discovery Institute. I watched and appreciated your interview with Dr. Tour on why jews reject Jesus. As a result, your new book, HELL: A Jewish Perspective, popped up in my subsequent search. I quickly acquired the Kindle version and love it. On my website, SidGalloway.com I wrote an essay entitled, PLEASE QUESTION HELL in which I similarly came out of the closet as a new opponent to the erroneous doctrine of eternal conscious torture. In the months since writing that essay, I have moved closer to embracing the view of eventual universal salvation when GOD WILL BE ALL IN ALL. So, thank you Eitan for your encouraging ministry, which has been a providential boost for me personally. Gratefully and prayerfully, Sid Galloway

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell seems to be a topic that is sidelined/ignored in much of evangelicalism. Gone, it would seem, are the days of preaching that God is so angry with your sin that if you died today his justice would require that he punish you for all eternity. The only escape from eternal conscious torment is to hae faith in Jesus who atoned, took the punishment from the Father, that our sin deserved.
Eitan Bar takes these issues head on and claims, with some references, that such doctrine was not taught in the early church and arose with Augustin and via Calvin made it into Protestant/Reformed churches. Bar is a Jewish Christian. He argues that the concept of eternal conscious torment cannot be found in the OT/Hebrew bible and is totally alien to Judaism. The imagery of fire is always cleansing and destroying sin, leading people and nations to repentance etc. Although Jesus refers to Gehenna as the "hell" that people's sin will lead them to in this life if they do not stay on the narrow path etc. There is no hell in Acts so not part of the apostolic message. Bar does argue extensively for universalism. His reasoning is at times repetitive in that he appeals to God's character, his desire and ability to save all etc. I am least convinced of this part of the book.

[Michael Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

First let me say, I really enjoyed the book. It completely changed my perspective, made huge paradigm shifts, and brought me much closer to God in the process.

It would have gotten 5 stars, I struggled to give it 4

The book is very well crafted and researched. But it should have ended strong at 76%

The last 30% felt like taking every essay, online post, podcast outline, and expanding the discussion, which was absolutely unnecessary as it was already summarized so succinctly in the first 70% of the book.

The last 30% felt like outlines for 3-4 other books.

If you would just rerelease this book, with a strong ending, I would give this 5 stars and demand everyone I know to read it.

Even if you put the last 30% in an addendum or workbook to “go deeper” on various topics, it would have been better.

[Steve Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book, with a few glaring issues

First off, this is a great book.
I don’t agree with Dr. Eitan Bar on everything, but I would never knock a star off for that alone. I hold to much of what he teaches here, and he has a great writing style.
This is a LONG book, and it will take some time to read it. Don’t skim it, read it, much is to be learned.
That said, he seems to forget that MUCH of the Old Testament is about a vengeful God. He often speaks of things being foreign to a Jew….any Jew (or anyONE) who reads the Old Testament knows that seemingly every few verses in some of the books are “shall be put to death”. Dr. Bar ignores these oft-repeated verses, and seems to focus more on hinge verses.
While I agree with Dr. Bar on much of this, he needs to discuss these verses so as not to be guilty of the eisegesis he accuses others of.

[Ron Lebeuf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this work from Dr. Bar!! While it challenged the “Christianese” doctrine of Hell I was raised to believe, what a blessing that it confirmed the past study I have done on the words “Hades”, “Sheol”, and “Gehenna” which had caused me to question the doctrine of the unrighteous burning in eternal torment. Thank you Dr. Bar for this deeply researched thought provoking and challenging work. It gave wonderful insight into Hebrew culture and language from a native Hebrew speaker for a correct scriptural understanding of “hell”! Highly recommend this to book for Christians/Catholics!

[Chin Kheng Boon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Sure Put A Rock (Big Pebble) In My Shoe

Totally breathtaking and shook up my theology on Hell. Up till the last chapter, I had to wrestle with Dr Eitan’s view on what levery knew shall bow” meant, and I find it hard to agree with him yet. But I couldn’t find fault with the all first 400 plus pages of his reasonings why the traditional view of hell went very wrong. So for that I gave him 5 stars.

[Gary Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think again about hell.

All of my life I’ve been taught Hell was the destination for almost all of humanity. Living with the fear of eternal punishment does not result in loving God more. The denomination that we were raised in believe in salvation by works and maybe a little grace, as if Jesus’ work wasn’t enough. Blind, stupid and possibly blasphemous. The book will give you a different perspective if you read it with an open mind and check out the references to scripture.

[Gary J. Heller · Rating 5 out of 5]

It makes sense

This book gave me much to think about and consider. I always thought something didn't seem right with the Churches common view. For years I questioned why, if hell was true, it didn't have more of a focus in Scripture and all it's teachings. Rather important to know what God wants if going to such a horrible place for missing it! Thank you for writing this book as I seek truth from Scripture and not from church doctrine and teachings.

[Mr Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great food for thought book especially followers of Jesus like me who have struggled with accepting as truth some of the concepts taught by many mainstream Christian denominations.

Thank you Eitan for your dedication in providing this information I have found it so helpful.

I would highly recommend this and other books by the author to anyone who really wants to understand what the good news is all about.

[larry Thoms · Rating 5 out of 5]

hell

I’ve often questioned that thing about hell and learning the Hebrew and the Greek words about it made more sense to me. I would ask preachers. Why would God take somebody out of hell to put him back into hell I think you doctor bar for your book. God bless take care and his grip.

[J W Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has done a wonderful job of giving the reader a Jewish viewpoint on religion and hell in particular. It's a very thought-provoking study of how the world and religious leaders use the concept of hell to manipulate the masses. Personally, my views are closer to Mr. Bars than many of the doctrinal leaders of the world's religions.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Educational

This book challenged my beliefs in a very good way. Intellectual challenge. I have a wonderful Christian education from 7th grade all the way into post-graduate. I thought I could defend by beliefs against most challenges, but I was wrong. This book will help grow spiritually and intellectually. It is a must-read in my opinion.

[Stephanie Oaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for people wanting to go deeper

Eitan does a very deep dive into the Hebrew scriptures on this topic. Without going back to the original text we lose context. The Bible from beginning to end is Gos chasing after his beloved. We must look at everything from this vantage point. Eitan did a wonderful job dissecting this.

[Josiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this book twice. I've already been questioning a lot of my preconceived and indoctrinated notions of scripture and what it says but moreso about who God is and what he does. This book, a solid 4.5, provided a well worked out presentation of who God is in relation to the concept of Hell. Well worth the read!

[David M.]

I've read a few of these now and this one was, in my humble opinion, the most helpful all around. More approachable than Hart (though less deep and philosophical). Also more approachable than Talbott. More systematic and linear than Kimel, and a more thorough and better overall scriptural hermeneutic approach than Jersak. I appreciated a lot about this a lot.

[Sarah Ware · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hell Review

Very good for people new to the concept of a poker a stasis to read. Clear and concise not bogged down in obscure language. Bridges the gap between Jews and gentle Christians. Recommended for all Christians.

[Abinadab Viruet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my wake up call...

At long last I understand. No more living in the confusion, fear, and regrets. I always avoided this topic. Now, I see it clearly. B"H.
Thank you, brother Eitan and V'YITTEN L'KHA!

[Austin W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there a permanent Hell?

A thoughtful and reasoning view of God’s wrath and the permanence of Eternal punishment or restoration. Very helpful in understanding the Hebrew thinking of Jesus’ time.

[Wayne Hartzler · Rating 5 out of 5]

a different perspective

For me it is a better answer for some of the questions I had. How could a parent not cry over a child in Hell? All these people that will kneel before God, before going to Hell?

[Terresa Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent explanation of Hell

The author put forth a very compelling argument against the concept of eternal conscious torment and Hellfire. He utilized context and what words were in ancient Hebrew and Greek. Highly recommend.

[Corey Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

clear, concise and compelling

God is waking a lot of people up to this truth, or rather to the lie. This is the true gospel IMHO — so beautiful.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I would have written myself had he not gotten to it first. Absolutely fantastic job hitting all of the key ideas and concepts surrounding hell, judgment, and salvation.