How big is gehenna?

Answer 1

"Gehenna" is the "Gehenna Valley" on the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem. It's a place of ill-repute in Bible history where the Israelites engaged in an "infernal" rite that it calls "passing through the fire" to the god, Molech.

The Bible doesn't detail the specifics of what the rite entails... but it's some sort of "infant sacrifice by fire" to the gods in which the Israelites participated on more than one occasion.

A place in "Gehenna Valley" or "the Valley of the Children of Hinnom" called "Topheth" [which means 'altar'] is where the vile "pass through the fire" rite occurred:

"...he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech." (II Kings 23:10)

This "Gehenna" of which Jesus speaks regarding the coming "Lake of Fire" or "hell fire" [Gehenna fire; i.e. see Matt.5:22; Matt.18:9; Mark 9:43, etc]... is one of the four originally inspired words that the King James Bible translates, "hell."

Jesus' use of it in his references to Judgment Day and His coming rule on earth [along with other end time prophecies], indicates that the Valley of the Children of Hinnom [Gehenna Valley] will BE a literal "Lake of Fire" when Jesus returns... will be filled with the burning carcases of the wicked and whatever else [fuel for the fire]... and it will burn all during His thousand year rule on earth as a sober reminder to the nations of the earth "not to sin."

"...behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the Valley of the Son of Hinnom [Gehenna], but the VALLEY OF SLAUGHTER: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away." (Jer.7:32; see also: Rev.19:11-21)

We find the Lake of Fire burning when Jesus returns [Rev.19:20]. And it's still burning a thousand years later when the Jugdment is set:

"And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire." (Rev.20:15)

So, whatever the size and range of Gehenna Valley [or the Valley of the Children of Hinnom] on the outskirts of Jerusalem is -- that's how big Gehenna is. If it's ever been measured.