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Author
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Topic: Hell, Sheol, Hades, Paradise, And The Grave
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
What a powerful write up, Carol!
Thank you much fore sharing it with us.
I think it proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the truth that is in Gods word!
--------------------
With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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Carol Swenson
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Member # 6929
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posted
What, exactly, did the Apostle Paul mean in the phrase, "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive..." (Eph. 4:8).
Whom did our Lord lead "captive"?
Much confusion has been generated amongst God's people as to the events and details of this aspect of our Saviour's ascension. Was it those in "Paradise," or some "principalities and powers" that were "led captive"?
We believe that it was "Paradise" that our Lord "led captive." The word "paradise" is found but three times in our Bibles--Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7.
Genesis Two describes what was a Paradise existing in the days of Adam in what the Bible calls, the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:4-9). Did this paradise still exist during our Lord's earthly ministry? When He spoke to the thief on the cross, "Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43), what did He mean? Genesis Three reports that Adam and Eve were "driven" (Vers. 23,24) out of the garden, or paradise. Certainly Jerusalem was no paradise in our Lord's day, nor does the earth contain any paradise today, for the world is definitely not a paradise regardless of the efforts that man puts forth to make it so.
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12).
"VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE"
Obviously our Lord spoke these words to the dying thief from His cross that before the day was out he would be with Him in paradise.
"And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).
Paradise could not have been the Garden of Eden, for it had long since been protected from Adam by "a flaming sword, which turned every way" (Gen. 3:24) and later, evidently, by drought (Isa. 1:30). Where then was the paradise that Christ promised the dying thief?
We know that only our Lord's body was buried in Joseph's tomb--that tomb was surely not paradise.
ABRAHAM'S BOSOM
Let's discover, with God's help, where Abraham's Bosom was. Of Abraham it is written:
"Then [he] gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people" (Gen. 25:8).
Surely his grave was not paradise nor did it contain his people. Moses and Aaron were also both "gathered unto their people," but it is clear that neither of them were buried in the same cemetery. See Numbers 20:23-29; 27:12-14; Deuteronomy 32:48-52.
Thus we see that these Old Testament saints were "gathered" to a particular place that sheltered them, just as the blood of the sacrificial lamb "covered" their sins from God's wrath until such time as He could welcome them into His presence.
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: SO CHRIST WAS ONCE OFFERED TO BEAR THE SINS OF MANY..." (Heb. 9:27,28).
But where were those saints "gathered"? Luke 16:19-31 speaks of Abraham's bosom, and Abraham was there!
"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom" (Luke 16:22,23).
The word "bosom" is found six times in our New Testaments and is translated "creek" in Acts 27:39. (Twice it is used figuratively--Luke 16:22,23; thrice it is used literally--Luke 6:38; John 1:18; 13:23). Just as that "creek" into which they "thrust" Paul's ship was a shelter from a raging storm for the Apostle Paul, so Abraham's bosom sheltered those kingdom saints until the sacrificial blood of Christ was shed. Interesting! Is it not?
IS ABRAHAM'S BOSOM PARADISE?
Now the question must be asked, "Was the thief `gathered' to Abraham's bosom?" Abraham himself, like Moses and Aaron, was "gathered unto his people," not unto the Lord. Luke 16 confirms that the place to which their souls were gathered was called Abraham's bosom, the place to which all Old Testament saints were "gathered." The dying "thief" would also have been "gathered" unto that same place which our Lord called "PARADISE" in Luke 23:43.
Now if "TODAY" the thief was to be with Christ in "Paradise," Luke 23:43, then it was at the time of His death that he went to "Paradise." Since Christ had "not yet ascended to [His] Father" (John 20:17) it is more than logical that "Paradise" was "IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH" (Matt. 12:40).
We know from I Peter 3:19 that after His crucifixion, our Lord, "...by the Spirit...went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
"Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water" (I Pet. 3:19,20).
The Greek word for "spirit," here, is used of the Holy Spirit of God in Matthew 3:16 and many other places as well. It is also used of demons in Matthew 8:16. Paul uses it of "the spirit of man" in I Corinthians 2:11, and of his own "spirit" in Acts 19:21 and 20:22. Furthermore, God is "the Father of spirits," the Justifier of "the spirits of just men made perfect" and His Word "divideth asunder soul and spirit" (Heb. 12:9,23; 4:12). It is also used of the angels of God, "Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire" (Heb. 1:7).
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Heb. 1:14).
There are three Greek words for our English word "hell"--Hades, Gehenna, and Tartarus, none of which are rendered by the word prison. Hades had a section commonly known as "hell" and a compartment known as "paradise," separated by "a great gulf fixed" (Luke 16:26). Gehenna is used of our Lord in the warnings and "danger of hell fire" that the "whole body should [not] be cast into hell" (Matt. 5:22,29,30; etc.). While "tartarus" is found only one time, in II Peter 2:4, to describe the intended purpose for this "hell":
"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [tartarus], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly" (II Pet. 2:4-6).
The context of I Peter 3:18-22, however, tells us that Christ preached to those "disobedient" in the days of Noah. Did our Lord only preach to those antediluvians and demons in the prison? Or did He, like Abraham, have some good news also, a message of deliverance for the captives in "paradise" on that Resurrection morn? No doubt His sermon incorporated glorious victory to the saints, "many" of whom "arose" and "appeared unto many" (Matt. 27:52,53). But what horrible agony and torment must have been the scene in "Hell" that morning! If those poor hopeless souls had no hope before our Lord descended, what hopelessness now existed at His ascension! Their deluded and despairing thoughts were completely shattered now!
"Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth [against the truth], shall descend into it" (Isa. 5:14).
WHAT A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE PLACE HELL MUST BE (Rev. 20:11-15).
God wants to save you from hell, my friend, if you will simply trust the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. Ask Him just now to save you from your sins.
"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).
"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
"To declare, I say, AT THIS TIME His righteousness: that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:25,26).
CHRIST'S GREAT VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL
The Lord Jesus Christ went down "into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9) or "Sheol," called "Hades" in the New Testament (Acts 2:27,31).
"Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9).
The Apostle Paul further states in Verse 8 that, "When [Christ] ascended up on high, He led captivity captive...." And who were "captive" if He came out of where He descended, but those in Abraham's bosom!
Indeed, "that Great Shepherd of the sheep" (Heb. 13:20) led a multitude of captives, a triumphal procession, in celebration of His victory over sin, death, the grave and hell, even "triumphing" over Satan himself "in the cross" (Col. 2:15).
"...THAT THROUGH DEATH HE MIGHT DESTROY HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, THAT IS, THE DEVIL: AND DELIVER THEM WHO THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH WERE ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE" (Heb. 2:14,15).
"HOW THAT PAUL WAS CAUGHT UP INTO PARADISE"
"It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
"I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
"And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
"How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (II Cor. 12:1-4).
Of the three references to "paradise" in the New Testament, not one of them refers to the same location. Our Lord spoke to the dying thief of going "down" into paradise (Luke 23:43). Here, Paul speaks about being "caught UP into paradise" (II Cor. 12:4). But John reveals that paradise is coming "DOWN from God out of heaven" (Rev. 2:7; 21:1,2; 22:1-7).
A question seems to linger, Was Paul actually "caught up into paradise"? He, himself, informs us that he, in fact, was "caught up to the third heaven"2 and this event evidently occurred when Paul was stoned at Lystra in Acts 14:19:
"And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead."
Acts 14 informs us that "as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derby" (14:20). This is consistent with Paul's words in II Corinthians 12:1-4. Paul was caught up into paradise.
And furthermore it is consistent with what we have seen regarding Christ having "led captivity captive," a surprise of grace for those Old Testament saints, for the Kingdom of Heaven ON EARTH is promised them (Matt. 8:11), not Heaven above!3
THE PARADISE OF GOD
In Revelation 3:12, the Lord Jesus Christ inspired and revealed to the Apostle John these words concerning Himself and the New Jerusalem:
"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name" (Rev. 3:12).
We next read of this great "city of God" in Revelation 21:2 which, during all that time, from Revelation 3:12 to Revelation 21:2, has still not arrived upon planet earth:
"And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev. 21:2).
It is during this time of Great Tribulation that all the terrible plagues and judgments of the Book of Revelation shall be poured out upon this earth for its rejection of Jesus Christ. It was concerning this period of time that Jesus warned His disciples of "false Christs" and "false prophets" that "shall deceive many" (Matt. 24:4-14).
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13).
Again, it is the Apostle John who writes by divine inspiration:
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life4 which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7).
THAT BLESSED HOPE
The Apostle Paul, unlike Joel and Peter and John, does not exhort believers to "endure unto the end," nor to "overcome," in order to be saved in this dispensation of the grace of God. His words are words of "love" and "grace" and "peace."
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thes. 5:9).
"...Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (I Thes. 4:13-18).
And this is why he exhorts believers to be: "LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE, AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST" (Titus 2:13).
But if you're not saved, my friend, you have only "hell" and "the lake of fire" to look forward to without Jesus Christ. For now, however, God still has good news for you. Won't you ask Jesus to save you from your sins? Trust Jesus Christ today as your Saviour.
"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Rom. 5:8).
"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).
Don't delay another moment, because time IS running out. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:2). God wants you to enjoy Heaven with Jesus for all eternity but you must believe in Jesus.
"BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED, AND THY HOUSE" (Acts 16:31).
http://ezinearticles.com/?Captivity-Led-Captive&id=344581
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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Carol Swenson
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YOUR opinions make void the Word of God.
John 3:3 (NASB)
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:13 (NASB)
No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
Ephesians 4:8 - 10 (NASB)
8Therefore it says,
“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”
9(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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Ezekiel 13:20
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UMMM,Where did Enoch,Elijah,Moses go to if no one went to Heaven before the Crucifixtion?
How come Moses and Elijah showed up on the Mount of Tranfiguration?
Can anyone give Scripture that says God did away with the two sides of the gulf after Christ was Crucified? Or just give their opinions?
By faith Abraham was JUSTIFIED,he went to be with the Father,not some holding place,or the wrong side of the gulf.
People's opinions make void the Word of God.
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MentorsRiddle
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posted
quote:
Before the death of Christ no one went to Heaven. The Old Testament saints went to Hades, to Abraham's Bosom, because no man is perfect enough for Heaven. After the crucifixion, Christ descended into Hades and set free the Old Testament saints by imputing His righteousness to them. They were then able to ascend into Heaven, the presence of God. All believers now receive the imputed righteousness of Christ and ascend into Heaven.
The wicked dead remain in the tormenting part of Hades, and as John pointed out, there are no second chances. They will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgement and cast into Hell, The Lake of Fire.
Both those in Heaven and those in Hades are consciously aware - there is no soul sleep.
Yes, Carol. This is the same thing I was trying to say above.
What you have just said wraps up very well what I was trying to say.
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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Carol Swenson
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Member # 6929
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posted
quote:
Originally posted by MentorsRiddle:
I may be wrong.
This is a very confusing subject for me...
One which I celarly need to spend more time researching.
Before the death of Christ no one went to Heaven. The Old Testament saints went to Hades, to Abraham's Bosom, because no man is perfect enough for Heaven. After the crucifixion, Christ descended into Hades and set free the Old Testament saints by imputing His righteousness to them. They were then able to ascend into Heaven, the presence of God. All believers now receive the imputed righteousness of Christ and ascend into Heaven.
The wicked dead remain in the tormenting part of Hades, and as John pointed out, there are no second chances. They will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgement and cast into Hell, The Lake of Fire.
Both those in Heaven and those in Hades are consciously aware - there is no soul sleep.
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becauseHElives
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Member # 87
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posted
Hell a place you do not want to spend eternity in!
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. ( Luke 13:24 )
Posts: 4578 | From: Southeast Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
I may be wrong.
This is a very confusing subject for me...
One which I celarly need to spend more time researching.
--------------------
With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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John Hale
unregistered
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posted
Um... that's not exactly what I get from the Bible.
There's no second chance. The fate that destined them to either the place of suffering or to Abraham's Bosom was their eternal fate.
And hades (or hell junior) has three chambers. My illustration demonstrated them. The great gulf (abussos) between the two chambers in Luke 16.
The abyss is where the fallen angels are imprisoned.
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MentorsRiddle
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posted
This was a very good study and one that I usually find interesting, as there aren’t many churches today who touch upon this subject.
From my understanding, of things that I’ve read, you are indeed right that Hell and Hades are two separate places – hell not opening until the end, and Hades currently existing.
In the old testament, when the saints died, because Jesus hadn’t come yet, they went to Abraham’s Bosom, which was a peaceful place within Hades, while the rest was a place of darkness (AKA: The Pit).
Once Jesus died, he descended into Hades and ministered to those who were in “prison” and set them free – presumably those who would hear.
Those that would hear went on to heaven, while the rest remained.
Now, because of what Jesus did, we either go to the Pit to wait for hell, or go to heaven… from what I understand.
--------------------
With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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John Hale
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The lake of fire is the final death / destruction / condemnation where even death and hell are cast...
Revelation 20:11-15 (KJV)
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
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John Hale
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That great gulf is Tartarus. This is where the fallen angels who left their first estate are in chains of darkness.
Jude 6 (KJV)
6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
2 Peter 2:4 (KJV)
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
This is where some believe Satan is today and has been since he possessed Judas Iscariot (Luke 22:3 / John 13:26-27) who hung himself (Matthew 27:5) interestingly to go to his own place (Acts 1:25).
Revelation 20:1-7 (KJV)
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
angel = messenger (could refer to Jesus as messenger of the Father aka Angel of the Lord)
thousand = in Greek a long time of many years numbering in the thousands...
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John Hale
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Remember... this was before the cross and Ephesians 4:8-10.
Luke 16:23-26 (KJV)
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
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Carol Swenson
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Hell, Sheol, Hades, Paradise, And The Grave
There seems to be some confusion about the meaning of Hell and who goes there because of the way the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word Hades have been translated in our English Bibles. Since this confusion has led some into an erroneous understanding of what the Bible actually teaches about the intermediate state and the final state of the dead, we think that it is important that we address this subject here.
Sheol is found in the Bible sixty-five times. It is translated "the pit" three times, "the grave" thirty-one times, and "hell" thirty-one times. Hades is used eleven times, being rendered "hell" ten times and "grave" once. Adding to the confusion is that two other words are also translated hell in the New Testament. These are Tartarus, which is found once and Gehenna, which is used twelve times.
The term "Hell" is commonly understood to mean a place of torment where the souls of the wicked go after physical death. This is true. However, because Hades in the New Testament and Sheol in the Old are variously rendered hell or grave, there has been some misunderstanding about what hell and the grave are. Before looking at these words though, we should first give our attention to the Greek word Gehenna, which is always translated hell and used in reference to the Lake of Fire. It is found in Matthew 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5; and James 3:6.
THE FINAL HELL
The Lake of Fire, or Hell, is a literal place of everlasting fire that was originally created by God as a place of punishment for Satan and the angels that followed him in his rebellion against God (Mat. 25:41). Because it is referred to as the place of "outer darkness" (Mat. 8:12; 25:30), we believe that it is most probably located at the farthest reaches of the creation. Gehenna is described in Scripture as a "furnace of fire" (Mat. 13:42); "everlasting punishment" (Mat. 25:46); "the mist [gloom] of darkness" (II Pet. 2:17); the "hurt of the second death" (Rev. 2:11 cf. 20:6,14; 21:8); "a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Rev. 19:20; 20:10; 21:8).
While Hell was created for Satan and the other fallen angels, the unsaved of humanity from all ages will be with them in this place of torment where "there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Mat. 13:42). This is the "everlasting reward" of all that die in their sins.
While there is no one in the Lake of Fire at this time, it will one day hold a vast multitude. The first residents of this place of righteous retribution will be the Beast (Antichrist) and the False Prophet who, at the end of the Tribulation, will be "cast alive into a lake burning with brimstone" (Rev. 19:19-20). Joining them will be the unsaved of the nations who survive the Tribulation (Mat. 25:31-32,41-46). Also, at Jesus Christ's return to earth, the rebel Israelites, i.e. unbelieving Jews, who survive the Tribulation, will be denied entrance into the Millennial Kingdom, no doubt to join their Gentile counterparts in the "place of everlasting fire" (Eze. 20:33-38; Mat. 7:21-23; cf. Mat. 24:29-31,45-51). Then, at the end of the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Satan will be "cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:10). And finally, the unsaved dead of all ages will be raised and judged at the Great White Throne by Jesus Christ and then cast into the Lake of Fire (see Rev. 20:11-15).
The name Gehenna comes from a deep narrow ravine south of Jerusalem where some Hebrew parents actually sacrificed their children to the Ammonite god, Molech, during the time of the kings (II Kin. 16;3; II Chron. 28:1-3; cf. Lev. 18:21; I Kin. 11:5,7,33). This pagan deity is also referred to as Malcham, Milcom, and Moloch in the Bible. This valley later served as the city dump and, because there was continual burning of refuse there, it became a graphic symbol of the place of punishment for the wicked. It was named the "Valley of Hinnom," which translated into Greek becomes Gehenna. The passages where the word is found in the New Testament plainly show that it was a commonly used expression for Hell by that time. The word is found twelve times in the Scriptures, being used eleven times by the Lord Jesus and once by James. When we consider the context, it is clear the Lord used this word in reference to the place of everlasting punishment for the wicked dead and not to the city dump.
Gehenna, or the Lake of Fire, might be referred to as the future, or final, Hell because it is where all of the wicked from all ages will finally end up. Satan, the fallen angels, and all of the lost of mankind will reside in torment there forever and ever.
SHEOL/HADES: THE PRESENT HELL
Scripture passages in which Gehenna is used should be distinguished from those using Hades, which refers to a place of temporary torment that we might refer to as the immediate, or present, Hell. What we mean by this is that, at the time of death, the souls of the lost go directly to Hades, where they suffer in torment until the time of the Great White Throne Judgment when they will be resurrected and cast into the Lake of Fire. The souls of all the lost who have already died are presently there and those who die in their sins immediately go there to join them.
Hades is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament word Sheol. The Greek and Hebrew words speak of the same place, the present Hell. However, this is problematic because Sheol has been translated "grave" as often as it has "hell" and some have mistakenly taught that Sheol and Hades are only references to the grave rather than Hell. This erroneous teaching leads to the denial of the existence of an immediate or present Hell. The false doctrine of soul-sleep, and other ideas that teach the unconscious state of the dead between death and resurrection, spring from this error.
The common word for "grave" in the Old Testament is queber. Of the sixty-four times it is used, it is translated "grave" thirty-four times, "sepulcher" twenty-six times, and "burying place" four times. Queber is used five additional times as part of a place name, Kibroth-hattaavah, which means "graves of lust." As we said earlier, Sheol is found sixty-four times, being rendered "grave" thirty-one times, "hell" thirty-one times, and "pit" three times.
A comparison of how Sheol and queber are used reveals eight points of contrast that tell us that they are not the same thing.
1. Sheol is never used in plural form. Queber is used in the plural 29 times.
2. It is never said that the body goes to Sheol. Queber speaks of the body going there 37 times.
3. Sheol is never said to be located on the face of the earth. Queber is mentioned 32 times as being located on the earth.
4. An individual's Sheol is never mentioned. An individual's queber is mentioned 5 times.
5. Man is never said to put anyone into Sheol. Individuals are put into a queber by man (33 times).
6. Man is never said to have dug or fashioned a Sheol. Man is said to have dug, or fashioned, a queber (6 times).
7. Man is never said to have touched Sheol. Man touches, or can touch, a queber (5 times).
8. It is never said that man is able to possess a Sheol. Man is spoken of as being able to possess a queber (7 times). (These eight points of comparison are adapted from "Life and Death" by Caleb J. Baker, Bible Institute Colportage *** 'n, 1941).
From the differences between how Sheol and queber are used in Scripture, it is obvious that they are not the same thing. The Greek word Hades in the New Testament would fit into the Sheol column of our chart, strongly indicating that it is the same thing as Sheol. Hades is used eleven times, being rendered Hell ten times and grave once.
Words associated with queber are quabar and qeburah. Quabar is a verb meaning to bury or to be buried and qeburah is a noun meaning a grave or place of burial. The use of these related words helps to reinforce the difference between queber and Sheol, as they clearly have to do with the grave as a burial place, while Sheol does not.
EXAMPLES SHOWING THAT SHEOL IS NOT A BURIAL PLACE
1. After selling Joseph into slavery, his brothers stained his coat with blood and used it to convince their father that he had been killed by a wild animal (Gen. 37:26-36). Jacob's sons and daughters tried "to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, `for I will go down into the grave (Sheol) unto my son mourning'. Thus his father wept for him" (v. 35).
From Jacob's words it is clear that he fully intended to eventually be reunited with his son in a tangible way. Obviously then, he did not simply have in mind the idea of joining him in burial as he believed that Joseph's body had not been buried at all, but was eaten by an animal (v. 33). This being the case, it was impossible for Jacob to think he would join Joseph in burial. Obviously, he looked forward to being reunited with him in the place of the departed dead, not in burial. The word rendered grave in this passage is Sheol, the abode of the souls of those who have died.
2. After Jacob died, Joseph had his body mummified, a process that took forty days, then took him back to Canaan for burial (Gen. 50:1-14). When we add to that the thirty days of mourning (Gen. 50:2-4), and the time it took to travel to Canaan for the funeral (Gen. 50:5-13), we see that it was several weeks after Jacob was "gathered unto his people" (Gen. 49:33) before his body was placed in the cave that served as his burial place. Considering that he had been dead for well over two months before his body was buried and that the Scriptures state that at the time he died he was "gathered to his people" (Gen. 49:33) is telling. This shows that at the time of physical death, when "he yielded up the spirit," his soul immediately departed his body to be with Isaac and Abraham. This cannot be a reference to his body being gathered together with their bodies, as that did not take place for over ten weeks. This is strong proof that Sheol does not mean a burial place for the body, but is the place where the souls of the departed reside.
3. That communication takes place in Sheol/Hades tells us that something other than a burial place is in view. In Isaiah 14:4-20, we find the prophet foretelling the eventual defeat and death of the king of Babylon. The nation that would eventually send Judah into captivity will itself be defeated and its mighty king will find himself among "the chief ones of the earth...the kings of the nations" (Isa. 14:9) who preceded him in death. These are the kings of nations that he had conquered with the sword and ruled over with a cruel hand (Isa. 14:6). These same men will serve as a welcoming committee for this once great "world ruler" when he arrives in Sheol/Hades. In mock surprise, they will ask this once powerful king, "Art thou also become weak as we? Are thou become like unto us?" (Isa. 14:10). They then taunt him by pointing out that the pretentious display of magnificence that he had demonstrated as the king of Babylon now meant nothing (Isa. 14:11).
All of those who find themselves in this section of Sheol/Hades, like the king of Babylon and the kings who greeted him, will be faced with the reality of how helpless and hopeless they are. One of the boasts these kings make against him is that, while their bodies have been placed in their respective tombs, or graves, he was not honored by a respectable burial, "But thou are cast out of the grave (queber) like an abominable (despised) branch…thou shalt not be joined with them in burial" (Isa. 14:18-20). Obviously, if his body was not in any grave at all, he was not simply joining them in burial.
What we see here is this man going into Sheol, while at the same time his body is cast out of its grave. Obviously then, Sheol cannot be the grave here as the body and soul are in different places, the soul going to Sheol while the body remains unburied, or outside of the grave (vs. 20) to be infested by maggots (vs. 11). It is true that this is a prophetic passage; and there are various opinions as to the identity of the person in view here (verses 12-15 are commonly thought to refer to Satan, the power behind the Gentile kings). But, regardless of who this prophecy is about, or whether it has already been fulfilled or not, does not change the fact that Sheol and the grave are to be regarded as different places in this passage of Scripture.
4. In the case of Samuel and Saul, we find another example of the Scriptures making a distinction between Sheol/Hades and the grave. In his conversation with King Saul, Samuel, whom the Lord had sent back from the dead to deliver a message to Saul, said that Saul and his sons would be with him the next day (see I Sam. 28:15-19). As foretold, Saul and his sons did die the next day while in battle with the Philistines (see I Sam. 31:1-6). However, their bodies were not buried the next day, so they did not join Samuel in the grave but their souls went down to Sheol/Hades where the person, or soul, of Samuel was. As it is said that Samuel "came up" it seems obvious that he went back down after speaking with Saul (I Sam. 28:8,11,14). As for the bodies of Saul and his sons, their remains were not buried for several days. As Samuel had said, they died the next day (I Sam. 31:1-6). But it was the day after they died that their bodies were taken by the Philistines and hung on the wall of Beth-Shan (I Sam. 31:7-10). After hearing of this, valiant men from Jabesh-Gilead went by night and removed their bodies, took them to Jabesh, burned them, and then buried their bones. All this took place at least three days after Saul had died, and probably longer. Saul and his sons joined Samuel in Sheol/Hades the day they died and the flesh of their bodies was burned with only their bones being placed in a grave several days later. Obviously Sheol/Hades and the grave are not the same thing, nor are they in the same place.
The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus that is found in Luke 16:19-31 gives us the record of a remarkable conversation that took place in Hades between the Rich Man and Abraham. Obviously, these two men could not have had this conversation at all if Sheol/Hades is only a place where dead bodies are buried. First, there could be no communication between lifeless, decaying corpses and second, Abraham's body, which was buried in the cave of Machpelah over 1800 years earlier, had long since decayed. Also, the rich man's body, regardless of whether it had decayed or not, would not have been buried in the burial cave of Abraham. From the context, it is obvious that these men were in the place of departed souls rather than a burial place.
There are some that contend that this is a parable that never actually took place and deny that it could have ever taken place. To these, who usually hold to a position of soul-sleep or the eradication of the soul at death, we answer; the Lord said that it did take place. Besides, as we have already pointed out, a parable by definition is a "true to life" story. To have meaning, it must be a story that could have actually taken place whether it ever did or not.
DEATH AND SHEOL
Death and Sheol/Hades are linked together at least thirty-three times in the Scriptures. In these, we see a general distinction between the "outward man," which is the body and the "inward man," which is the soul (cf. II Cor. 4:16). In this sense, death, or the grave, claims the physical part of man, the body, while Sheol/Hades claims the separated, spiritual part of man, the soul. This is exactly the meaning of Psalm 16:10: "For Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell (Sheol); neither will Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption." In his Pentecostal address, Peter left no room for doubt that this was a prophetic pronouncement concerning the time between the Lord Jesus Christ's death on the Cross and His resurrection. First, he quoted Psalm 16:8-11 (Acts 2:25-28) and then made direct application of verse 10 to Christ (Acts 2:31). Not only was the Lord Jesus' soul not left in Sheol/Hades, but neither was His body left to rot in the grave. That Peter used Hades, the place of Sheol, in this quotation shows that they are identical in meaning.
Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ is exceptional because He had the power not only to lay down His life on our behalf, but also to take it up again (Jn. 10:17,18). This is not so of any other man, as the Psalmist points out when he asks, rhetorically, "What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave (Sheol)?" (Ps. 89:48). Because of the curse of sin, all of mankind faces the reality of physical death. None can evade it by their own power, nor can any man or woman escape from Sheol/Hades on their own. We know that since the Cross the souls of those who die "in Christ" do not go to Sheol/Hades, but to heaven. However, this is through the merit of Jesus Christ and His power, not their own. For those "in Christ," death has no sting and Sheol/Hades has no victory because their body and soul will be united in a resurrection unto life (see I Cor. 15:19,20,51-57). This is as certain as the fact of Jesus Christ's resurrection. This is not so for those who die without Christ for they face a resurrection unto judgment, which is referred to as the "second death" (Rev. 20:13,14; 21:8).
Psalm 89:48 speaks of the time when the soul is separated from the body. The body is given over to death where it will decay, while the soul is assigned to Sheol/Hades to await the final judgment. It is clear that the body and soul of the lost will be reunited at the time of the Great White Throne Judgment of the unsaved dead, when "death and Hades" will deliver up the dead that are in them. That is, their bodies will be raised from the grave, or death, and reunited with the soul, which will come out of Sheol/Hades to be judged by Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne (see Rev. 20:11-15; cf. Jn. 5:28,29).
When the Lord Jesus said that "as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Mat. 12:40), He was saying that He would spend the time between His death and resurrection in Sheol/Hades. We know from Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:25-32 that the Lord's soul, which was made an offering for sin (Isa. 53:10), was in Sheol/Hades, and we know from Matthew 12:40 that He was in the heart of the earth, which is where we believe that Sheol/Hades is located.
When we speak of the heart of something, we are not referring to that which is superficial or only skin-deep. Symbolically, the heart signifies the innermost character, feelings, or inclinations of a man. The heart is also used when referring to the center, or core, of something. For example; it is sometimes said, "the heart of a watermelon is the best part," meaning that the center part of the watermelon tastes better than the part closer to the rind. If we say that we have a "heart-felt desire" for a particular area of ministry, we would be speaking of a yearning to do the Lord's work that comes from our innermost being as opposed to a superficial desire based on the emotions of the moment. When used figuratively in the Scriptures, the word "heart" is used in a similar fashion, thus the heart of the earth gives reference to something much deeper than a simple place of burial for a man's body barely under the surface of the earth. That it is said that before His ascension the Lord Jesus first descended "into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9) affirms this. In a Psalm of thanksgiving for being delivered from death, David makes reference to this by distinguishing between Sheol/Hades (rendered grave in the KJV) and Queber (rendered pit in this passage) (Ps. 30:1-3).
In Ezekiel we find prophecies against the kings of Assyria (Ezek. 31) and Egypt (Ezek. 32) that indicate that Sheol/Hades is in the center of the earth. In these two chapters it speaks of the fall of these mighty kings, who in death ended up in the underworld with those who have gone before them. We do not have the space here to give extensive commentary on these two chapters. But we do want to point out that in regard to both kings it is said that in death they would go "to the nether parts of the earth...with them that go down into the pit" (see Ezek. 31:14,16,18; 32:18,24), the "nether parts" being the lower regions of the earth. We should take note that in chapter thirty-one it is being pointed out to Pharaoh that just as the king of Assyria, who was greater than he was, had died and gone into the underworld, so would he.
In chapter thirty-two we find a prophecy, given in the form of a lamentation, foretelling Pharaoh's defeat by the king of Babylon (Ezek. 32:1-16). This is followed by a lamentation over the multitude of Egyptians who would be slain by the Babylonians (Ezek. 31:17-31). We have pictured for us those of the nations who preceded them, welcoming Pharaoh and his host as they arrived in Sheol/Hades by taunting them. They point out that the Egyptians had thought themselves to be invincible because of their strength and fame among the nations. But now they were just like the great nations who had gone before them, their individual souls being confined to Sheol/Hades while their bodies decay in the grave.
"The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell (Sheol)..." (Ezek. 32:21). The "strong among the mighty" spoken of here refers to the men who had been the kings and leaders of the different nations that are mentioned in this passage: Asshor, or Assyria (v. 22), Elam (v. 24), Meshech and Tubal (v. 26), Edom, her kings and her princes (v. 29), the princes of the north and the Zidonians (v. 30). This passage shows that while those of each group mentioned are in their respective burial places, their quebers, they are at the same time all together in "the pit," which is an expression that is sometimes used for Sheol/Hades (vv. 18,25,29). These are similar examples as that found in Isaiah 14, which we have previously looked at.
While we have not exhausted the subject by looking at every passage that Sheol is found in, it is clear from these examples that Sheol is not simply the grave but is located at the center of the earth and is the abode of the souls of the unrighteous dead who are awaiting their resurrection unto condemnation. It is equally clear that those in Sheol/Hades are not in an unconscious state of existence but are quite aware of what is going on around them. There is memory, recognition, and communication there.
TARTARUS
The Apostle Peter used the word Tartarus in reference to "the angels that sinned" that God delivered to Sheol/Hades to await judgment (II Pet. 2:4). This word, which is translated "hell" in the KJV, was used in Greek mythology to refer to the place of punishment for the most wicked. It is not clear if Peter was using this word in reference to Sheol/Hades in a general way or if he was referring to a specific compartment of Sheol/Hades where a certain class of fallen angels are confined awaiting final judgment. Either way, this passage teaches that there is a place of confinement in which a particular group of beings are being held until the time of their judgment. This is consistent with the overall Biblical teaching about the existence and purpose of Sheol/Hades.
PARADISE
While Paradise is not now a part of Sheol/Hades it will be mentioned here because it was located in Sheol/Hades at one time. Before the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ everybody who died went to Sheol/Hades, which was at that time divided into at least two compartments. One was a place of torment while the other was a place of blessing, which was referred to as Abraham's Bosom (Lk. 16:22-25). As we mentioned before, Tartarus may be a specific place in Sheol/Hades.
We know that Jesus Christ went "into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9), that is to Sheol/Hades, "in the heart of the earth," for three days and nights while his body was in the grave (Mat. 12:40). The Lord Jesus told the repentant thief that he would join Him in Paradise that same day (Lk. 23:42,43). This tells us that Paradise was located in Sheol/Hades at that time. We believe that this was the same place referred to as Abraham's Bosom in Luke 16. However, after Jesus Christ rose from the dead He ascended to the Father, taking the saints who were in Abraham's Bosom to heaven with Him. Thus, He took "captivity captive" (see Eph. 4:8-10).
That Paradise was moved to heaven is confirmed to us by the Apostle Paul who speaks of a man who was "caught up into Paradise" where he "heard unspeakable words" (II Cor. 12:3,4). With Jesus Christ's work complete, the believers who had been confined to Sheol/Hades were now taken to Heaven to wait in God's presence until the time of their resurrection to enter His Kingdom on Earth. Since that time, at death all believers go to Paradise in Heaven to await the time of their resurrection. This is true whether they belong to the Kingdom Church of the future or the Body of Christ Church of the present Dispensation of Grace.
THE GRAVE
We have already looked at the word queber, the most common word for grave, or a burial place, in the Old Testament, and have shown that it is not the same as Sheol. As previously stated, of the sixty-four times it is used it is rendered "grave" thirty-four times, "sepulcher" twenty-six times, and "burying place" four times. Two other words that are used for a burial place in the Old Testament are Shah-ghath and Qeburah.
Shah-ghath: This word is translated "grave" once (Job 33:22). It is rendered "ditch" twice, "destruction" twice, "corruption" four times, and "pit" thirteen times. This word speaks of something that man can dig (Ps. 94:13; Prov. 26:27) and is used in reference to a hole into which a man can fall (Ps. 7:15; Prov. 26:27), and a hole used as a trap (Ps. 35:7). It is a place where the physical body suffers destruction through the corruption of decay (Ps. 16:10; 49:9; 55:23). The basic meaning is that of a hole of some kind that man digs for a particular purpose. Generally, it is used of a burial place, i.e., a grave.
Qeburah: This word is related to queber and means a grave or burial place. It is used of various types of graves and is found fourteen times and is translated "grave" four times, "sepulcher" five times, "burial" four times, and "burying place" one time.
In the New Testament we find three more words that refer to the grave, taphos, mnema, and mnemeion.
Taphos is used seven times and is translated "sepulcher" six of those and "tomb" once.
Mnema is used seven times, being rendered "tomb" twice, "grave" once, and "sepulcher" four times.
Mnemeion is the most common word for grave in the New Testament. It is used forty-two times, five times as "tomb," twenty-nine times as "sepulcher," and eight times as "grave."
The grave is a place where the physical remains of those who have died are deposited. It can be a hole in the ground, a cave, or a specially prepared vault or other place used for interment. The soul and spirit having departed the body at death, there is no consciousness of life in the grave. It is a place of corruption that serves to point out man's need of a Savior. The soul of man lives on after physical death and will always remain in a conscious state of being. The unsaved go to Sheol/Hades to await their resurrection unto condemnation while the redeemed go to heaven to await their resurrection unto life (see Jn. 5:25-29).
PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR TODAY
A proper understanding of what the Bible teaches about Hell, Sheol, Hades, and the Grave dispels confusion over what happens to the soul at the time of physical death and guards against being led astray by those teaching the false doctrines of soul-sleep, eradication of the soul, the universal reconciliation of mankind, and the annihilation of the lost. All of these erroneous doctrines are of Satan, used of him to dishearten believers and blind the lost to the reality of the cost of spurning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our thinking, and therefore our life on a day-to-day basis, is influenced by what we believe. While some of the false doctrines mentioned above are diametrically opposed to each other, they still have one thing in common. They subvert the truth of the immortality of the soul.
W. Edward Bedore, Th.D.
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/articles/1192569770.html
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