In English, those are hell, purgatory, and heaven, or paradise. It tells the story of the writer, Dante, searching for his dead lover Beatrice while exploring the three realms, Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. It is a masterwork of literature, with vivid imagery, well-constructed verses, and even interesting mathematical and scientific themes.

This narrative poem took twelve years to write. While there are a variety of sources that portray hell as a place of levels, where different sin is punished according to its nature, the most influential and prominent one comes from Divinia Commedia, or the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Today we will tackle the question: does hell have levels of different punishment? We need to read Scripture to understand the truth. The terrifying images of hell are often influenced as much by church tradition and pop culture as it is by Biblical truth. There is heaven and hell, both locations are briefly described in the Bible, and seem to be beyond human imagination. When contemplating the supernatural plane, the mind conjures images of angels or demons, of streets of gold or burning flames. Understanding the misconceptions about hell and why it exists can be motivating for many to share the Gospel and tell others of a better eternity. This image may have some overlap with the Biblical description of hell, but much of it comes from man’s imagination. Dark pits going deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth to the lowest spot reserved for the vilest and most hated figures in history often dominate the discussion. While different ideas and imagery have been common through the centuries, one of the most enduring ideas is the levels, or circles, of hell.

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