Where is Hades in the Bible?
Sheol
The Old Testament describes a place called Sheol and Hades. Both of these places are underground. There, people who reject God are tormented by fire, the gnashing of the teeth of beasts, and the poison of serpents. However, modern critical scholarship has argued that the Old Testament does not affirm an afterlife, at least not one that is positive.
The Bible mentions both of these places 22 times. The term ‘queber’ refers to a body and bone, and Saul’s bones were buried in the sepulchre of his father, Kish. Jesus’ body went to queber, and is described as going to queber 37 times. The Bible never mentions that the body goes to Sheol, and Sheol is never mentioned as being near the surface of the earth.
Most people think of hell as the place where the dead go after death. However, the Bible describes Hades and Sheol as a temporary abode where the wicked wait to be judged. In addition to being underground, the Bible describes Hades as a place of darkness and silence. This place is a place of torment, and the Lord Jesus himself went to Sheol between His death and resurrection.
The Bible says that the souls that die before Christ are relegated to either Heaven or Hell. Most Christians believe the soul goes to Heaven if they repent or Hell if they do not. While this is the case, there are other views on the afterlife. As Christians, we must consider the Bible’s teachings regarding Hades and Sheol.
While the Bible describes both Hades and Sheol, scholars disagree about their exact meanings. However, both terms refer to death, and they are associated with the power of despair, decay, and destruction. They are in direct opposition to the kingdom of God, which is a place of light, love, and life.
Ancient Israel shared the Mesopotamian belief in Sheol. However, they rejected the use of necromancy. Prophets and the law condemned this practice.
Hades
The word Hades in the Bible means “place of the dead” and is derived from the Greek word “sheol” which means “underworld”. During Old Testament times, the dead were deposited in Hades. This place is mentioned in the Bible in several verses. For example, in Rev. 6:8 NKJV, Hades is mentioned alongside Death.
The New King James Version (NKJV) and Authorized Version (AV) use the word “Hades” in different ways. Hades is also translated as Hell in Strong’s Concordance. The word Hades has a long history in the Bible. It is the name of the departed souls. Hades was also named after the Greek god Pluto, the god of the lower regions.
The Greek word for “Hades” means “place of the dead.” In Hebrew, the word for “Hades” is sheol, which means “grave.” In the New Testament, the word Hades is used ten times. In other places, it is referred to as “Hell.”
The Old Testament’s Hades is similar to the Greek term Sheol, but there is no clear division between the two terms. The Old Testament also focuses on the grave and death. It also emphasizes the negative aspect of the prospect of a life without redemption. This idea of Hades was important to the early Christians in the Bible.
Tartarus
Tartarus is a special place in the Bible where fallen angels are held. It is the place where God keeps them until the final judgment. This place is similar to hell in many ways. It is where angels are held in chains and in darkness, and it is where they are judged.
In the Bible, Tartarus only appears once. This is in Job. The demons begged Jesus not to send them there. This is also the only mention of Tartarus in the Bible. However, other pagan references to Tartarus are “in the air.” This is because Tartarus represents an existence separate from God and under the condemnation of God.
The Greeks also had an idea of Tartarus. According to Greek mythology, Tartarus is the lowest hell, far beneath Hades. In Greek mythology, Tartarus was as far below Hades as the heavens are above the earth. Besides being a prison for the dead, it was also the place of the gods after war.
The Greeks and Hebrews believed that a fallen angel could not return to heaven because he did not believe in the existence of God. Hence, they held these fallen angels in Tartarus until the final judgment. Until God gives them the command to come back, they will be condemned for eternity.
The Greek philosopher, Plato, suggested that the underworld had three judges. According to him, this place was for those who committed sins and could not be saved. Similarly, Homer, hundreds of years before Plato, described Tartarus as a place of darkness where spiritual beings were sent by God.
Another Greek word used for hell is seira (G4577). It means chains, and the King James Version renders it as such. Some Greek manuscripts translate it as seiroi (G4577). The latter makes more sense in context. This word also means “pits,” and it is the word used in Second Peter.
Bosom of Abraham
The Bosom of Abraham is an expression only found in the New Testament, and it is only mentioned in Luke 16:19-31. The Bosom of Abraham is used by those who advocate the idea that man has an immortal soul, which is separate from his body. But how do they define the Bosom of Abraham?
Commentators generally agree on the meaning of “the Bosom of Abraham”, though they disagree as to its exact origin. Some believe it traces its origin to the custom of parents holding their children in their arms and kneeling them to sleep beside them at night. Others believe it is a reference to the heavenly reward that awaits the righteous after death.
“The Bosom of Abraham” is an expression of comfort in the afterlife, and it is used only one time in the New Testament. The phrase “the bosom of Abraham” appears in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16.23. Its use in the New Testament is a reminder of popular representations of the afterlife during Jesus’ time. Jewish belief at the time included a general tarrying-place for the dead, which corresponded to the Bosom of Abraham.
Although there are several interpretations of the Bosom of Abraham, the main meaning is that it represents an intimate relationship between God and Abraham. This intimate relationship is possible for both Christians and Gentiles, as the Bible says that “Faith makes you a child of Abraham.” However, this intimate relationship is not possible for every Christian, but it is possible for a Gentile to enter Abraham’s bosom and experience God’s love.
Abraham is in heaven, but the Bosom of Abraham is an afterlife destination for believers. It is the only place where the righteous have eternal bliss. This passage is also used to teach that the soul of Abraham is in heaven, not purgatory. In contrast, the Bosom of Abraham is also a symbolic place in many religions.
During the afterlife, the souls of the righteous reside in a separate abode from the souls of the wicked. Those who are unrighteous will be relegated to Gehenna, a place of pain and torment.