by Kyle Pope
Synopsis: In his final article, Kyle shifts to the New Testament to look at the use of the word hadēs and three synonyms. Our study ends with four practical questions about this mysterious place.
In our first two articles, we considered what the Old Testament teaches about the place of the dead identified with the Hebrew name sheōl and in synonymous parallelism with the words shachath and bowr. We concluded our last article with a careful study of Psalm 49 and Ezekiel 32, considering what they tell about the conscious nature of Sheol. In this final article, we shift our focus to the New Testament.
The Greek word hadēs is used only eleven times in the New Testament. As mentioned in the first article, in New Testament quotations from the Old Testament, New Testament authors consistently translate the Hebrew word sheōl with the Greek word hadēs. We should not imagine from this that New Testament writers were thus affirming pagan Greek concepts and mythology that they associated with a fanciful land of the dead, which was literally in the heart of the earth, also called "Hades." New Testament usage builds upon the earlier translation of the Old Testament into Greek, in which sixty out of sixty-five times sheōl was translated hadēs. So, when the New Testament refers to Hades, it is describing the same place identified in the Old Testament as Sheol.
Old Testament Quotations. In three passages, hadēs is used in quotations from the Old Testament to translate sheōl. In Acts 2:27 and 31, Luke quotes Psalm 16:10. Verse 27, quite literally quotes, "For You will not leave my soul in Hades (hadēs), nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption" (NKJV). In verse 31, Peter explains that David, "foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades (hadēs), nor did His flesh see corruption" (NKJV). Peter asserts that Jesus went to Hades in His death and came out of Hades in His resurrection.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul addresses the general resurrection of the dead. After describing what will happen at the Lord's "coming (parousia)" (15:23), when "the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (15:52), Paul explains that "when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written" (15:54a), paraphrasing Hosea 13:14, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" (15:54b-55). As noted in our previous studies, Hosea 13:14 is one of the important Old Testament texts promising a time when souls will be ransomed from Sheol. Its application in 1 Corinthians 15:55 demonstrates when this will happen. It is when the "corruptible" has put on "incorruption" that Hades will be robbed of its power.
Independent Uses. Similar to the pronouncements of judgment we saw in our Old Testament studies concerning Tyre (Ezek. 26:20) or the king of Babylon (Isa. 14:15), Jesus declares that Capernaum (where Jesus spent much of His public ministry) would be "brought down to Hades (hadēs)" (Matt. 11:23; Luke 10:15). After Peter's confession that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16), Jesus proclaimed that, upon this bedrock of faith which Peter just confessed, "On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (hadēs) shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18, NKJV). We are reminded of Old Testament descriptions of the "bars" (Job 17:16) and "gates" (Isa. 38:10) of Sheol. The imagery is not that of the church storming the gates of Hades, but Christ conquering the stronghold of death leading forth His redeemed church in liberty from the realm of the dead.
The most extensive treatment of Hades in the New Testament is found in Luke 16:19-31. It describes the death of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus (vv. 19-22). When they die, the beggar is said to be carried by angels to "Abraham's bosom" (v. 22a) while the rich man is simply said to be buried (16:22b) then found "in torments in Hades" (v. 23a). In Jewish rabbinical literature, the phrase "Abraham's bosom (or lap)" is used of the abode of the righteous after death (Kiddushin 72b). In Luke, it appears to be within Hades, yet "afar off" from the "torments" of the rich man and within sight and speaking range of Abraham and Lazarus (v. 23b). When the rich man begs to change his condition, Abraham tells him "a great chasm" (v. 26, NASB) separates the two realms preventing anyone from crossing over.
Many have tried to dismiss this as parabolic, fictitious, figurative, or even drawn from pagan concepts; however, it reflects the same principles we found in Old Testament teaching on Sheol. Namely: (1) all the dead go to Sheol (Ps. 89:48; 141:7); (2) the wicked bear shame there (Ezek. 32:24, 25, 30); (3) but the upright are received by God (Ps. 49:15b) in the hopes of one day being redeemed from Sheol (Ps. 49:15a; cf. Hos. 13:14); (4) it has different parts (Deut. 32:22; Ps. 86:13; Prov. 9:18); and (5) once there, none can change his fate (2 Sam. 12:23; Job 7:9; Isa. 38:18-19). In many respects, Jesus's words simply illustrate in specific terms the theme of Psalm 49: "those who trust in riches" perish, but God receives the "upright."
Another independent use comes at the beginning of John's vision in the book of Revelation. Jesus identifies Himself to John, saying, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades (hadēs) and of Death" (Rev. 1:18). This text becomes vital in consideration of identifying when Hades was actually to be universally overcome. Further, during the vision in Revelation, when the fourth seal is opened (Rev. 6:7), John sees, "a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades (hadēs) followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth" (Rev. 6:8, NKJV). Hades is here figuratively used to describe the power of death over events upon the earth. Finally, near the end of Revelation, after the judgment before the "Great White Throne," "Death and Hades" (hadēs) will deliver up all their dead (Rev. 20:13) and both will be cast into the "lake of fire" identified as the "second death" (Rev. 20:14).
Synonymous Parallels. Similar to what we saw of sheōl in the Old Testament, at least three words may be used synonymously with hadēs (or some part of it): (1) paradeisos; (2) abussos; and (3) tartaroō. These words help us further understand the biblical teaching on this realm of the dead.
Paradeisos is used three times in the New Testament and translated "paradise" each time. Properly, it is a Persian word that means "garden" or "park." The Greek Old Testament uses it in this sense of the "garden of the LORD" (Gen. 16:10), "garden of Eden" (Joel 2:3), or garden generally (Isa. 1:30). In 2 Corinthians 12:4, it is used in Paul's description of his vision of being caught up to the "third heaven" (12:2) "into paradise" (paradeisos). In Jewish thought, heaven was conceived in three realms: (1) where the clouds are; (2) where the stars are; and (3) where God is. In Revelation 2:7, one who "overcomes" is promised the right to "eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise (paradeisos) of God." Both of these seem to apply to the heavenly realm of God. In Luke 23:43, Jesus promises the thief on the cross, "today you will be with Me in Paradise" (paradeisos). We noted above that, upon death, Jesus was said to go into Hades (Acts 2:27, 31). This makes it clear that Jesus was using paradeisos (like "Abraham's bosom") of the part of Hades reserved for the righteous.
Abussos is used in the New Testament nine times, seven of which are found in Revelation of the "bottomless pit" in which Satan and his angels are said to be bound (Rev. 20:1, 3) or to ascend from (Rev. 9:1-2, 11; 11:7; 17:8). This former sense seems to be the idea used by the evil spirits who beg Jesus not to "command them to go out into the Abyss (abbussos)" (Luke 8:31), which may relate to the use of tartaroō below. The final use comes in Romans 10:7, as Jesus is comparing the wording of Deuteronomy 30:12-14 to illustrate the "word of faith"(10:8), Paul paraphrases, "Who will descend into the Abyss (abbussos)?" He then explains that to ask this would "bring Christ up from the dead." This equates the Abyss (or part of it) with Hades.
Tartaroō is used only once in the New Testament. Unfortunately, almost all translations continue to translate this word "hell." Alexander Campbell's Living Oracles is an exception to this, putting it, "For God, indeed, did not spare the angels who sinned, but with chains of darkness confining them in Tartarus (tartaroō), delivered them over to be kept for judgment" (2 Pet. 3:4, LO). Jude parallels this writing, "And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day" (6, NKJV). Like abussos above, this applies to a realm where sinful angels are bound awaiting "the judgment of the great day." Is this part of Hades (as abussos was applied to Hades—Rom. 10:7)? The Greek Old Testament uses tartaros in at least one passage synonymously with Hades. Proverbs 30:16 reads, "Hades; and the eros of a woman; and Tartarus and the earth that is not filled with water; and the water and fire never says, enough" (Pope). In 2 Peter, the apostle uses sinful angels as one example to show, "the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment" (3:9). This indicates that, like sinful angels, in Hades, God reserves "the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment."
Having surveyed the biblical teaching on Sheol and Hades, let's close with some questions that may arise as we consider this biblical doctrine.
Is Hades Purgatory? No. Purgatory is a concept taught by the Roman Catholic Church that is not found in Scripture. It shows that some who are not yet worthy to enter eternal life go to a place where they can be purified from some sins and then, eventually, enter heaven. We have seen that once a soul is assigned a condition of punishment or comfort in Hades, he cannot change that condition (Luke 16:26; Isa. 38:18-19). Souls in Hades await the day of judgment (2 Pet. 3:9) in the hope that God will "redeem" their soul from it (Hos. 13:14; Ps. 49:15). Souls who are delivered from Hades will either go into the "lake of fire" (Rev. 20:14) or the heavenly "paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7).
Is Hades Annihilation? No. Although many passages emphasize that Sheol and Hades are hidden from the view of the living (Job 7:9; 14:13; Ps. 6:5; Eccl. 9:10), it is clear that the wicked and the righteous continue to live (cf. Matt. 22:32) and can see (Luke 16:23; Ezek. 32:31), hear (Luke 16:25), speak (Luke 16:24-25; Ezek. 32:21), bear shame (Ezek. 32:24), experience comfort (Luke 16:22; Ps. 49: ), or torment (Luke 16:23). These things could not be said of souls who pass out of existence.
Is Hades Hell? No. Hades will be emptied, then cast into the "lake of fire" where the wicked are also cast (Rev. 20:14). Scripture describes this as "everlasting punishment" (Matt. 25:46). When Jesus speaks of the place of final punishment after judgment, He consistently uses the Greek word gehenna (Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5; Jas. 3:6). Although some Jews conceived of this as the place of punishment in Hades after death (Genesis Rabbah 48), this is not biblical terminology. In Scripture, all the dead go to Sheol or Hades (Ps. 49: 15; 89:48; 141:7; Luke 16:23; Rev. 20:13), only the wicked go to Gehenna.
When Will Hades Be Emptied? Several answers have been offered to this question. Some say. . .
1. At the resurrection of Christ. It is true that in His death and resurrection, Jesus was said to destroy "him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb. 2:14). However, at the beginning of Revelation, He was still said to hold the "keys of Hades and of Death" (Rev. 1:18). If Hades were already opened, no keys would be needed. Additionally, Jesus promised that the "gates of Hades" would not prevail against His church (Matt. 16:18). Properly, Christ's church would not begin until Pentecost, leaving no victory to be won. In writing 1 Corinthians, Paul foresaw the time when death, as the last enemy, would be conquered (15:26). If this had occurred at Christ's resurrection, it would have been a past (not a future) event.
2. At the destruction of Jerusalem. The destruction of Jerusalem was undoubtedly an act of Divine judgment upon Israel, but to draw this conclusion, we would have to apply all promises of a "Day of Judgment" to AD 70 (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9). We saw above that Paul said Hosea 13:14 would be fulfilled when the "corruptible" has put on "incorruption" (1 Cor. 15:54-55). It is at that time when Hades is said to be robbed of its victory. Death (spiritual and physical) and corruption (spiritual and physical) have continued after AD 70. Revelation 20:11-15 describe events that must precede Death and Hades giving up "the dead that are in them" (v. 13). Namely: (1) Christ sitting on His throne of judgment (v. 11); (2) heaven and earth fleeing away (v. 11); (3) all being judged (v. 13). Then, after Hades is emptied, "Death and Hades" are cast into the "lake of fire" (v. 14). If Hades was emptied at AD 70, then Death (spiritual and physical) must also have ended. It did not.
At the Final Judgment. Only at the final judgment upon Christ's return will all the scriptural conditions described be met, for Hades to be emptied, and the souls residing therein be cast into the "lake of fire" (Rev. 20:14) or enter the heavenly "paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7). May we all anticipate that glorious day and live in such a way as to prepare for it.
Author-Bio: Kyle preaches for the Olsen Park church of Christ in Amarillo, TX. He has written several books published by Truth Publications including How We Got the Bible. The church website is olsenpark.com. He can be reached at kmpope@att.net.
