This article will explore the concepts of ‘repentance,’ ‘salvation,’ and ‘hell,’ examining their interconnections from the perspective of the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish thought.
Repentance
In certain conservative Christian traditions, such as Calvinism, Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, Messianic Judaism (a small Evangelical Fundamentalist group I used to be associated with), and several others, a direct link is established between the concepts of hell and repentance. For example:
God offered us the choice between an unbreakable love, or wrath that will bring upon those who reject the gospel, hell—and not just hell for five months. That will just be a get-acquainted time for unbelievers and demons to meet each other, because they’ll be spending forever together…Embrace Christ while it is day, while the opportunity and the invitation is there, before the hard heart takes over and even the person who sees the power of God and sees the wrath of God doesn’t repent, but blasphemes.
John MacArthur
In Jewish thought, however, T’shuva (or Teshuva), usually translated as “repentance,” holds significant weight but serves a different purpose than how some Christians often see it. While Jewish repentance is seen as crucial, it is not directly linked to the notion of salvation or hellfire, as understood in several Christian denominations. Instead, T’shuva is more about restoring and enhancing.
The emphasis on repentance in Judaism is more about strengthening the quality of one’s relationship with God and improving one’s spiritual and earthly well-being rather than seeing it as a mechanism to evade eternal damnation or evaluate someone’s salvation, which ultimately leads to a legalistic worldview and judgmentalism. The Jewish perspective aligns with the idea that a genuine relationship is built on love, trust, and mutual respect rather than fear of punishment and retribution when failing a moral standard. But to fully understand the Jewish doctrine of repentance, it’s essential to first delve into the Hebrew Scriptures.
Repentance in the Old Testament
In biblical terms, repentance is not a one-time mystical event but involves changing one’s view of God, often in relation to idol worship:
Therefore say to the people of Israel, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!”
Ezekiel 14:6
For Israel, it also pertained to the administration of justice: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)
For the Israelites, the concept of repentance had an immediate, tangible, and practical application in daily life. The Mosaic Law provided a comprehensive framework that went beyond mere ritualistic practices; it was a guide to living a balanced, ethical life that honored God and respected fellow human beings.
Sin, in the Torah’s context, threatened social harmony within the community. Repentance often involved restorative actions—like returning stolen property or making amends for false testimony—which had immediate, earthly implications. This is similar to Western culture today, where a thief’s punishment often includes restitution to the victim, imprisonment, or community service aimed at repairing the fabric of society.
For Israel’s prophets, repentance never focused on the existential or metaphysical implications but on tangible, real-world consequences and remedies. In both ancient and modern contexts, sin and repentance are seen first and foremost as having social dimensions, impacting community well-being and social cohesion. Thus, sin and repentance are not just vertical relationships between an individual and God but mainly horizontal relationships affecting the community. For this very reason, we are instructed to love our neighbors, which stems from our love for God, as stated in Matthew 22:37-40.
Biblical Repentance is Communal/Collective
Today, we live in an individualistic world, which has significantly influenced Christianity. However, in the context of the Torah, an individual was always viewed as an integral part of their community, not as an isolated entity. This poses a significant challenge in English translations of the Bible, as most fail to distinguish whether ‘you’ is intended as plural or singular. However, this distinction is obvious in the original Hebrew (and Greek) text. To simplify things, I will substitute ‘you‘ with ‘y’all‘ if it is originally written as plural.
The Hebrew word for “repent” or “repentance” literally means “return” or “turn,” let’s examine a few instances:
Repent! [plural] Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses y’all have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.
Ezekiel 18:30-31
Though it may sound like an individual call, this comes within a larger passage discussing Israel’s accountability and the need for collective transformation.
They said, “Turn now, each of y’all, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and y’all can stay in the land the Lord gave to y’all and your ancestors for ever and ever.”
Jeremiah 25:5
The emphasis is on remaining in the land given to the ancestors, a collective physical redemption, rather than the individual’s eternal salvation.
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me [plural] with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
Joel 2:12-13
This is part of a larger prophetic call for national repentance to avert physical disaster. The collective aspect is evident.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
This is clearly a collective call to the people of Israel for national repentance and healing rather than individual salvation.
Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Return to me,” declares the Lord Almighty, “and I will return to y’all,” says the Lord Almighty.
Zechariah 1:3
This passage reflects Zechariah’s appeal to the nation of Israel after the exile, a period marked by the nation’s physical reconstruction. Thus, it is a collective summons rather than an individual plea for salvation from damnation.
Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Y’alls sins have been your downfall! Take words with y’all and return to the Lord.
Hosea 14:1-2
Hosea’s entire book is an exposition of Israel’s unfaithfulness and the need for national repentance.
To conclude, the Hebrew Scriptures present “repentance” as a collective concept rather than an individual appeal, and the outcome of repentance was the restoration of communal unity, peace, prosperity, and blessings on Israel’s land and offspring. The focus was on maintaining a healthy, respectful, and loving relationship as a nation under God, which in turn influenced the quality of the Israelites’ lives here and now.
T’shuva
The Jewish perspective of T’shuva likewise focuses on the restorative and relational aspects of repentance rather than a fear-driven avoidance of eternal torment. Much like a good father would never threaten to kill his children if they don’t behave or fail to repent, God never issued such threats to the nation of Israel. However, there were severe consequences and repercussions when Israel sinned and failed to repent.
In Deuteronomy 28, Moses outlines the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. When Israel repented and returned to God, they were promised blessings such as abundant prosperity, fertility, and protection from enemies (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). Conversely, failure to repent brought severe consequences, including famine, disease, and defeat by enemies (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). This demonstrates that the focus was on immediate earthly consequences, restoring a proper relationship with God, and receiving His blessings rather than on the fear of eternal punishment in the afterlife.
In the Bible Knowledge Commentary, Charles Dyer, a conservative Christian theologian, comments:
God was not saying that a saved Israelite would lose his [eternal] salvation if he fell into sin. Both the blessing and the judgment in view here are temporal, not eternal. The [most severe] judgment was physical death, not eternal damnation.
Charles H Dyer, Ph.D in Theology
In summary, the Hebrew Scriptures did not threaten eternal damnation but highlighted the immediate, tangible consequences of actions. Therefore, the concept of T’shuva in Judaism is centered on restoration and relationship, not the fear of hellfire. Any “repent or burn” warning was understood metaphorically as a temporal, earthly consequence rather than a threat of everlasting punishment.
New Testament Repentance
Nothing has changed in Israel’s theology during the New Testament. Repentance’s primary usage was in the context of calling the nation of Israel to change its ways. A Second Temple-era Jew would have understood “repentance” as the return of God’s blessings and protection or the end of an exile and the restoration of the kingdom of Israel.
The Greek word for repentance, ‘Metanoeō,’ much like its Hebrew equivalent, T’shuva, should be understood, at least according to Strong’s Greek lexicon, in its basic sense as a “To change one’s mind.” Charles Bing, a conservative Christian theologian, explains:
Metanoeō should be understood as “Change the mind.”
Charles C. Bing, Ph.D in Theology
For instance, if I walk into an ice cream shop planning to get vanilla but then ‘metanoeō’ and opt for chocolate, I’ve essentially repented—changed my mind.
Given that the New Testament’s Gospels are Jewish documents that concern Jewish matters with the Jewish Messiah at their core, it is only logical to extend our study of “repentance” within this context of the teachings of Jesus, who also was a Jewish prophet.
In essence, for first-century Israel, the call to repentance meant adopting Jesus’s Way—such as loving your enemy, showing compassion, being generous, maintaining justice, and caring for the poor and needy, rather than following false traditions such as those of the Scribes and Pharisees. For the Nations, repentance involves shifting from worshipping their pagan idols to embracing the God of Israel.
Once more, the call for repentance in the New Testament, akin to that in the Hebrew Scriptures, served as a collective summons for Israel. The gospels’ primary concern wasn’t individuals but Israel’s collective identity, role, and destiny.
Repent [plural], for the kingdom of heaven has come near.
John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2)
Christians who interpret John the Baptist’s call for repentance as an invitation to accept Christ as Lord and Savior is an example of the Anachronism Fallacy. During that period, Jesus had not emerged as a figure, let alone been crucified. John’s message was directed at a Jewish audience and aligned with the Old Testament’s calls for national repentance, which is why it found resonance. The call for Israel to repent was simply a call for Israel to change its ways.
A failure to repent—which later meant accepting Christ as Israel’s Prophet and acknowledging Him as Messiah—would result in national calamity—The destruction of the Second Temple and Jerusalem.
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent [plural], for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:17
Jesus takes up John’s message after John’s imprisonment. Aimed again at the nation of Israel, this too should be considered a call for national repentance of Israel.
I tell ya’ll, no! But unless y’all repent, y’all too will all perish.
Luke 13:3, 5
This is yet another warning to the nation of Israel to change its ways, or it will perish. Perish should not be understood as “burn in hell” but as the destruction of Jerusalem, which indeed happened in years 70-135 with the destruction of the temple, Jerusalem, and the exile of the few who were left alive.
In the Gospels, even when Jesus called individuals to repentance, it was not about accepting Him as an atonement for their sins since His death had not yet occurred and was not yet contemplated by anyone. Instead, it was a matter of interpersonal relationships. For example:
If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.
Luke 17:3
This deals with interpersonal relationships. It does not suggest that otherwise, they will lose their salvation and burn forever.
There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Luke 15:7, 10
In this context, Luke 15’s parables (The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, The Prodigal Son) illustrate the restoration of a strained relationship. The son’s return to his father is a prime example of reconciling after a dispute. It would be unlikely for listeners of this parable to interpret it as being saved from eternal punishment for rejecting Christ, who had not even died yet.
Salvation
You likely heard the phrase “Salvation (or Justification) is by faith alone,” as it is frequently cited within Protestantism. However, its interpretation varies significantly between the two main Protestant theological camps (Arminianism vs. Calvinism). In fact, I would say that “by faith alone” is nothing more than an illusion—a placebo in most Western Christian theology. What do I mean?
On the one hand, Protestant Arminianist denominations teach that you are justified by faith alone. However, it is also believed that if you fail to live holy, keep all the rules, produce abundant fruit, successfully avoid sin, and endure until the end, you lose your salvation—resulting in endless torment in God’s torturous cosmic fire chamber.
Conversely, Protestant Calvinistic denominations (aka ‘Reformed’) advocate for justification/salvation by faith alone as well, embracing the concept of “once saved, always saved.” Yet, Calvinists assert that failing to live a holy life, keep all the rules, produce fruit, successfully avoid sin, and persevere until the end suggests that you were never truly saved, to begin with; your faith was fake all along—also resulting in endless torment in God’s torturous cosmic fire chamber.
Thus, despite the shared mantra of “by faith alone,” most Protestant theology, much like some Catholic theology, ultimately ties salvation (from hellfire) to works. Arminianism incorporates works at the outset, aligning them with Christ’s finished work, whereas Calvinism integrates them retrospectively. Both perspectives subtly blend salvation with works rather than embracing a pure doctrine of salvation/justification by faith alone. This implies a correlation between one’s actions and one’s salvation, suggesting that salvation isn’t truly a free gift of grace but something earned or sustained through one’s hard work and deeds. In essence, most Protestant theology (which, for the most part, is Catholic theology with just a few tweaks) involves a combination of faith and works in one way or another.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe our works and deeds are of utmost importance! They are crucial for the quality of our lives and those of others around us. They are also essential for the individual’s rewards and roles in the afterlife. However, as a Jew, Paul knew exactly where the line between faith and works was drawn, a line which later became blurry. Paul himself acknowledged the importance of his works as he knew the rewards he may or may not receive in the afterlife were in accordance with how he lived his life in the present world (1 Corinthians 9:27). It makes perfect sense rewards and roles in the afterlife can be earned and lost, but if getting saved from a cosmic incinerator is also something that must be earned or sustained, then I’m not sure how anyone can ever have peace of mind or sleep at night. As a Jewish person who believes in Jesus and obtained all my seminary degrees from conservative Christian institutions, the Western Christian interpretation of salvation was never something I was able to wrap my mind around fully. Allow me to illustrate…
What if our Father was a Calvinist or Arminianist?
Through His teachings, parables, and prayers, Jesus spent significant time and effort encouraging us to see God as our Father who loves us unconditionally. Hence, we should examine every theology from the perspective of divine fatherhood.
When your child sins against you, it no doubt damages the quality of your relationship (at least temporarily). If they repent, your relationship could heal instantly. But if they don’t repent, will they cease being your child? Will you forever stop communicating with them? Will you burn them in the fire? Of course not! You will always seek to forgive, restore, and mend what is broken.
But wait, what if they repeatedly continue to sin and never seem to change their ways? Let’s say they are a university student and keep getting drunk, sleeping around, getting into trouble, and never going to church. Will you ever think, “That’s it! There’s no repentance nor fruit in their life. I must kill them!” (Arminianism)? Or perhaps you would think, “Look at their behavior! This is not how I raised them! This proves they never were my child to begin with!” (Calvinism)? Of course not! They might disappoint you, and you may feel reluctant to buy them gifts, but these thoughts will never cross your mind! And yet, this is precisely how many Christians—always anxious and walking on eggshells—believe their Father in heaven views them.
Whether one accepts it or not, the children of God are as susceptible to sin as any other person in the world, and the inclusion of the Corinthians in the Bible canon—twice—serves to illustrate this point. Paul described the Corinthian church members as “sanctified” (1 Corinthians 1:2) while also confronting and condemning their sins, urging them to cease (1 Corinthians 15:34). They were paradoxically both “sinners” and “sanctified.” No one doubts that their transgressions led to numerous issues. Yet, Paul’s motivation for them to get their act together was the fact that God was their loving Father, never the fear or threat of Him torturing them forever. God is love, not a narcissistic, sadistic psychopath.
From that perspective, the endless, relentless, and fervent debates about the doctrine of salvation in many Christian circles could indicate a significant absence of inner peace and faith resulting from a flawed theology. It appears to suggest an internal struggle driven by fear of God rather than assurance in His love.
A fixation on salvation’s theoretical mechanics and details could point to a profound insecurity regarding one’s spiritual condition, as shown by the excessive time some spent on these arguments. Such an obsession implies that for many Christians, faith is often associated more with anxiety and fear than peace and confidence. Rather than perceiving God as a benevolent Parent, there’s often a tendency in some Christian circles to view Him as an oppressive tyrant figure to be feared.
In Judaism, on the other hand, the concept of salvation is distinctively different. For a Jew, deeds are significant as they influence the quality of life, divine rewards, and one’s status in the hereafter. Yet, these deeds are almost never connected to one’s eternal fate. I believe the theology of Paul, a Jewish rabbi, was rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish thought—rather than Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox, which did not exist in his time.
Jewish Salvation
Contrary to certain Western notions of ‘salvation,’ for Jewish individuals, salvation is less about evading an infernal afterlife in God’s cosmic fire chamber and more about receiving God’s blessings and redemption in the present life. Just as in ancient times, today’s Jewish community applies the term “salvation” to mean blessings, success, and deliverance from adverse circumstances. The joy of conceiving a child after difficulty or finding business success following a period of hardship, as well as victory in conflict, are all seen as forms of ‘salvation.’ This usage was also common in biblical times. Below are several examples from the Hebrew Scriptures:
Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
Exodus 14:13-14
This passage reflects God’s salvation as deliverance from physical danger and oppression.
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
Here, ‘salvation’ is linked with earthly protection and a sense of security in God.
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 37:39-40
This passage speaks of salvation in terms of rescue from adversaries.
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:2-3
In this context, salvation is associated with strength, defense, and confidence in God’s providential care in earthly terms.
“So do not fear, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel,” declares the Lord. “I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.”
Jeremiah 30:10-11
Salvation here includes the promise of return from exile and restoring social peace and security.
Similar to the concept of “salvation” in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Jewish perspective on salvation focuses on earthly realities instead of deliverance from a torturous afterlife.
Hell in Judaism
The concept of the afterlife in Judaism is varied and complex, and it is not as explicitly laid out as it is in other religions. The traditional Jewish belief does include concepts of Heaven (Gan Eden) and Hell (Gehinnom), but these are not identical to the Christian concepts of Heaven and Hell. For example, the ancient writings of 2 Maccabees underscore a belief in posthumous rewards and punishments, laying the groundwork for later, more developed concepts of hell and divine judgment. However, hell is not seen solely as an afterlife destination but mostly as a reality that occurs in people’s lives on Earth.
The Jewish view of hell as a present reality can be profoundly illustrated by historical and contemporary tragedies such as the Holocaust. In Jewish thought, hell is often understood not as a distant, post-mortem realm of punishment but as an experience of immense suffering and evil that can occur within our lifetimes. The Holocaust, where six million Jews were systematically exterminated, represents a period where hell was palpably present on earth, manifesting through the extreme cruelty, dehumanization, and relentless torment inflicted by the Nazis.
Similarly, the horrific events of October 7th, 2023, where acts of terror brought profound loss and devastation, including teenage boys and girls being raped and babies being burned alive by Hamas, serve as a stark reminder that hellish realities can and do unfold in the here and now. As I write these lines, there are thousands of signs and billboards all over Israel with photos of the abductees and the writing, “Release them from Hell now!” These examples underscore the Jewish perspective that hell is a tangible, brutal experience of evil and suffering that permeates our world, demanding a moral and communal response to combat and overcome such darkness. The events of October 7 resulted in “hell” for many individuals on both sides. In terms of the afterlife, Judaism offers a pluralism of theological and religious views. However, the most prevalent Jewish concept of Gehinnom, often translated as “Hell,” is seen more as a place of purification rather than eternal damnation. In rabbinic literature, Gehinnom is usually described as a temporary abode where souls undergo purification before entering Gan Eden (Paradise).
The Talmud, the most pivotal text in Rabbinic Judaism, presents the perspectives of various rabbis and endorses this viewpoint in numerous passages. For instance, in Rosh Hashanah 17a, it is stated that the maximum duration of punishment in Gehinnom is one year, after which the soul is cleansed of its sins and ascends to its rightful place in paradise, highlighting that Gehinnom serves as a place where souls are purified before they can enter Gan Eden.
However, the Talmud (Berachot 5a) also introduces the idea that suffering in this world can serve as atonement for sins, essentially serving as a type of “Hell” on Earth. This is often interpreted to mean that hardships in life can cleanse the soul and bring spiritual growth. Judaism’s perspective underscores the Jewish belief in ultimate redemption and the merciful nature of divine judgment, distinguishing Gehinnom from the concept of eternal damnation found in some other religious traditions.
At the same time, the Mishnah (the first major work of rabbinic literature compiled around 200 CE) in Eduyot 2:10 mentions that after this sanctification period, the souls of the righteous are purified and move on to Gan Eden, while only those who became truly wicked are annihilated.
The Jewish perspective on hell as a place for correction and rehabilitation is quite pronounced and distinctively unique. I believe Rabbi Manis Friedman, a Jewish theologian, philosopher, and the dean of the Bais Chana Institute of Jewish Studies, summarizes the prevalent Jewish view quite well:
Is Hitler going through hell? He put the world through hell, but I don’t know if he’s going through hell. You see, the concept of hell is “the repair of damage.” Hell is not simply revenge on God’s part. It’s repair. It’s salvaging the good that got lost in the bad, so you burn off the bad, and then you’re left with the good. I’m not sure there’s any good to Hitler that needs to be salvaged. Hell means the transition—the painful transition—between a soul in a body and a soul without a body. So, a soul returning to the world of souls goes through a painful transition—a painful readjustment. It’s inevitable; the soul gets used to being in a body, and all of a sudden, it’s not in a body. So, actually, the only people who go through hell are those who are on their way to heaven. Getting to Heaven you have to go through the adjustment, the cleansing process, the rethinking. If you’re not going to heaven, then there is no point in going through hell. You might say very simply, “Getting to Heaven is Hell.” But if you’re not going to heaven, then there’s no reason to go to hell. So Hitler is not on his way to heaven; he’s probably not in hell. So what happens is that a soul that can be salvaged retains its identity, not just its existence. You retain your memories and your relationships; you’re still you—not a generic angel; you are you. But that’s if you’re on your way to heaven. What happens to a person who doesn’t deserve to go to heaven and doesn’t even deserve to go to hell? What happens to them is they lose their identity, and they become generic energy. So, Hitler is not Hitler anymore. He’s gone. You have to deserve to go through hell.
Rabbi Manis Friedman
Other rabbis hold the view that even in an individual such as Hitler, a trace of God’s image might be present and thus could result in him occupying the lowest echelon of heaven.
On the other end of the spectrum, just as Christianity has its fringe radical elements, like the notorious Westboro Baptist Church, Judaism also has a handful of marginalized rabbis who espouse radical views, believing that almost everyone except themselves is destined for eternal torment in hellfire. Almost always, these are Sephardic rabbis with backgrounds from Muslim countries who have incorporated concepts of hellfire influenced by Islamic teachings. However, these individuals do not represent the mainstream beliefs of Judaism.
In short, the concept of hell in Judaism differs from that in Christianity, likely due in part to differing theological views on the proximate doctrines of ‘sin,’ ‘atonement,’ ‘salvation,’ and ‘repentance.’ For instance, often, when some Christians consider ‘salvation,’ they perceive it as being saved from eternal torment. However, as we saw earlier, the concept of ‘salvation’ has an essentially different meaning in Judaism.
This article was a copy-paste from my new book on hell: HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine
