“Hell, Hades and Scheol” Author and Writer Ronald Nelson

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Then He (Jesus) will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” Matthew 25:41

ENCOURAGING WORD:

The Bible uses Sheol (Hebrew, Old Testament) and Hades (Greek, New Testament) for the general realm of the dead, often translated as "grave" or "hell," while the final place of eternal punishment is the “Lake of Burning Fire” (Gehenna) Abaddon “a place of destruction : an underworld abode of lost souls.”  Key verses include Psalm 16:10; where it says, "because you (God) will not abandon me (Jesus) to the realm of the dead, nor will you (God) let your faithful one (Jesus) see decay,"  

This verse expresses the psalmist's trust in God's preservation, and the New Testament applies it prophetically to Jesus Christ's resurrection, indicating God would not abandon His Messiah to death or decay. 

Before I go on, I need to clarify something. The word Hades and Scheol are not found in many of the English speaking Bibles. Hades and Scheol are the same as hell, so if you find either one of these in any translation that you might read, both are always referring to hell. I had a friend tell me that Hades and Scheol are not in the original translation of the Bible and I believe he is right. Throughout different translations, you might find the word Hades or Scheol. No big deal. (Side Note:) It’s the same way with the word rapture. Rapture isn’t found in the English speaking translations of the Bible either, but is applicable in the Hebrew, Latin, and Greek using different words that mean rapture. In the English version of the Bible we use the turn (Caught up) which is translated rapture in other languages.

The Latin word for "rapture," from which the English term is derived, is raptus, meaning "a seizing," "snatching," or "carrying off," from the verb “rapere.” In the context of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, the Latin Vulgate translates the Greek harpazo ("to be caught up") as rapiemur, meaning "we shall be caught up" or "snatched away," which gives us the English word "rapture"

The Greek word for "rapture," meaning to be "caught up" or "snatched away," is ἁρπάζω (harpazō), used in key New Testament verses like 1 Thessalonians 4:17; and Acts 8:39; The English word "rapture" itself comes from the Latin translation of this Greek verb in the Vulgate Bible, specifically rapiemur (from rapio), which means "to seize" or "carry away". 

Keep in mind, these versions of the Bible were around a lot longer than the English translation Bible. In other words, the rapture is very clearly spoken of in the scriptures. So, instead of trying to deny what is clearly written in the scriptures, embrace the truth and move on to something more relevant, like salvation.

The words hell, hades and Scheol all refer to the abode of the dead. The place where all the unsaved souls go to and will remain until the White Throne Judgement where they will stand in judgement in front of Jesus. Everyone at this judgement will have their books open up and every sin that they ever committed will be exposed and they will be sentenced to (The Lake of Burning Fire for all eternity). You can, however, escape this judgment by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior and be born again into the Holy Spirit. Its your choice, if you are at this judgement, it is because you chose it.

Acts 2:27; (Peter quoting Psalm 16:10 about Jesus in Hell), “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”  

Luke 16:23 (the rich man in torment in Hell) “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeing Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”  Before Jesus died and rose from the dead, all who have died been saved by faith all went to Abrahams Bosom which is praslated, Paradise. When Jesus emptied Abrahams Bosom, He lead captivity captive. All those that went to hades prior to the death of Jesus are still there waiting for the judgement day where they will be tried and sentanced to The Lake of Burning Fire forever.

Revelation 20:14-15; “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” This Bible verse describes the final judgment where "death" and"hell" were cast into the Lake of fire. This is the second death," and anyone not found in the "Book of Life" is also thrown into this lake of fire, signifying eternal punishment for the unsaved after the “Great White Throne Judgment.”

The different terms used in the Bible for heaven and hell, Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, the lake of fire, paradise, and Abraham’s bosom, are the subject of some debate and can be hard to keep straight.

The word paradise is used as a synonym for heaven; 2 Corinthians 12:3–4; “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.”

In 2 Corinthians 12:3–4; the Apostle Paul describes a vision where he, or a man he knows, was caught up (Raptured) into paradise (the third heaven) and heard unspeakable words, though he couldn't tell if it was in the body or out of the body, only God knew; these words were not lawful for a man to utter, indicating a divine experience beyond human expression, leading to his later boasting in weaknesses. 

Revelation 2:7; “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” 

When Jesus was dying on the cross and one of the thieves being crucified with Him asked Him for mercy, Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise “ Luke 23:43; “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”  

The first thing we should note is, Jesus said today you will be with me in Paradise, not thousands of years from now, as many think.

Jesus knew that His death was imminent and that He would soon be in heaven with His Father. In His words of comfort to the penitent thief, Jesus used paradise as a synonym for heaven, and the word has come to be associated with any place of ideal loveliness and delight. This story is more proof positive that good works do not get you into heaven. This man that was on the cross next to Jesus was a criminal. He never said the sinners prayer, he never attended a church, he most likely never did a good deed, or anything that would indicate that he was good, but as soon as he recognized Jesus as his Lord and Savior he was immediately saved. You can do all the good works that you can imagine, but they will not get you into heaven. Only Jesus can save you and He did that when He gave His life for us on the cross. He offered us the greatest gift the world could have ever given. Its called grace. You accept it or you don’t. Pretty simple if you ask me, but yet so many refuse this gift. Abraham’s bosom is referred to only once in the Bible, in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. And since you will most likely never hear this teaching in your denominational church, I’ll read it to you.

Luke 16:19–31; “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

“Then 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.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’  Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

You will never hear the word, purgatory, or any reference to it in the Bible. It was concocted by the father of lies, Satan, himself and it was added to the Catholic faith as was so many other lies from Satan are. Satan wants you to believe you get a second chance, because he knows you don’t. He wanst as many as he can get to follow him into hell. He is the great deceiver, and he is deceiving the whole world just as the Bible clearly states would happen in the end days. There are so many verses in the bible that rebuke this ridiculous doctrine. I challenge any Catholic to show me where in the Bible there is any reference to purgatory.

Key Bible verses about deception in the last days warn us of false prophets, "lying wonders," and a "strong delusion" sent by God for those who reject the truth, particularly in passages like Matthew 24:24 (false Christs/prophets), 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (power, signs, lying wonders, strong delusion), 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (itching ears, turning from truth), and Revelation 13 (false prophet's signs). These scriptures highlight a pervasive spiritual deception involving counterfeit miracles and doctrines that lead people away from saving truth, emphasizing the need for believers to hold fast to sound doctrine and God's word.  

Abraham’s lap was used in the Talmud as a synonym for heaven (Seder Nashim, Kiddushin 72b). The image in Jesus’ story is of Lazarus reclining at a table leaning on Abraham’s breast at the heavenly banquet, as John leaned on Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper. The point of the story is that wicked men will see the righteous in a happy state, while they themselves are in torment, and that the “great gulf” that can never be spanned, exists between them. Luke 16:26; “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”  Abraham’s bosom was a place of peace, rest, and joy before Jesus lead the captivity captive when He descending into hell to bring those that were in Abrahams Bosom were they were until Jesus freed them.

"Jesus led captivity captive" from Ephesians 4:8; “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” is a biblical phrase meaning Christ's resurrection and ascension conquered spiritual enemies, sin, death, and Satan, liberating Old Testament saints from the grave (Sheol) and empowering believers with spiritual gifts, portraying Him as a divine victor in a triumphal procession. It signifies Jesus's victory over spiritual bondage, freeing captives (Saints) and distributing spoils (Gifts) to His followers.

Abraham’s Bosom no longer exists. Most Christian theologians believe that Abraham's Bosom (a place of comfort for the righteous dead in Sheol/Hades) no longer exists as a separate destination because Jesus's resurrection emptied it, with believers now going directly to Heaven  or Paradise or Hell (Gehenna) after death. The term is now often used metaphorically for being in God's presence or equated with Heaven itself, while the "Harrowing of Hell" (Christ's descent) freed the Old Testament saints to join Him. Upon death, you go immediately to either heaven where you will remain forever or you go to hell where you will remain for one thousand years or more. After the Millennial Kingdom of Christ is up, you will then stand trial for all the sins that you ever committed, because you didn’t receive the gift of grace from Jesus Christ. You will be tormented every day for all eternity regardless of what you are being taught.

For those that believe in purgatory, read the following verses; “Hebrews 9:27-28;

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” If you still believe in purgatory after reading these two verse, you are calling God a liar. Be careful whose name you slander!

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to denote the realm of the dead is Sheol. It simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek equivalent to Sheol is Hades, which is also a general reference to “the place of the dead.” Sheol/Hades is divided into a place of blessing (where Lazarus was in Luke 16) and a place of torment (where the rich man was in Luke 16). Sheol also seems to be a temporary place where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection. The souls of the righteous, at death, go directly into the presence of God—the part of Sheol called “heaven,” “paradise,” or “Abraham’s bosom”

Luke 23:43; “And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

A criminal is hanging on a cross next to Jesus. He understands that God is just and he (The Criminal on the cross) deserves his punishment. Yet Jesus is innocent and doesn't deserve the cross. Nor does He deserve mocking by the people, the Jewish leaders, the soldiers, or the criminal hanging from a cross on the other side of Jesus.

Luke 23:32–39; describes Jesus' crucifixion alongside two criminals at Golgotha, where He prayed for His tormentors, ("Father, forgive them"), the people and soldiers mocked Him, and one criminal blasphemed while the other asked Jesus to remember him. This passage highlights Jesus' compassion amidst suffering, the mockery He faced, and the contrasting reactions of the two thieves, with one asking for salvation and receiving Jesus' promise of paradise. 

This derisive shouting about how Jesus claims to be "the Christ of God, his Chosen One”  Luke 23:35; “ And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”  

But seems powerless to escape His cross gets to the thief in a curious way: he begins to believe. What if Jesus is the Christ and king of the Jews? Then the proper thing to do would be to submit to his sovereignty. He asks Jesus, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom" Luke 23:42; “Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

2 Corinthians 5:8; “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

This is a poignant, soul-baring moment from the apostle Paul. He is not suicidal, but he is honest about his deepest desires. He would rather be with the Lord than in his mortal, burdened, groaning, dying body. For the first time in this chapter, he describes being in his future, eternal body with Christ as being "at home." He is utterly convinced that it is where he is headed. Heaven is where he is meant to be forever. Paul's faith that the glory of his eternal life will far outweigh and outlast the suffering of his earthly life makes him want that life more than this one. Of course it does. How could it not? That same faith, though, gives him courage. Knowing his eternal fate is secure gives him fearlessness to keep going in this life. It emboldens Paul to stay on the path God has called him to. He is not actively seeking death; he is simply ready to go whenever God calls him home. Until then, he will keep working at what God has given him to do in the here and now.

Philippians 1:23; reads: "For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better". This verse reveals the Apostle Paul's internal conflict: he longs to die to be with Jesus (which he considers "far better") but also recognizes the need to remain alive to serve the Philippian church. The Greek word Gehenna is used in the New Testament for “hell” Matthew 5:29; says, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell". Jesus uses hyperbole (extreme exaggeration) here to emphasize that avoiding serious sin, like lust, is so crucial that one should be willing to give up even the most cherished parts of life or physical senses if they lead to persistent temptation, rather than risk eternal punishment. 

Matthew 23:33; “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” The word is derived from the Hebrew word Ge-hinnom, which designated a valley south of Jerusalem—a cursed place that had been the site of human sacrifice.

2 Chronicles 28:3; “He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.” 

2 Chronicles 33:6; “Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.” 

Jesus referenced Gehenna as a symbol of the place of judgment after death, alluding to prophecies in; Jeremiah 19:6; “ therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that this place shall no more be called Tophet or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.” The lake of fire, mentioned only in Revelation 19:20; “Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.”  and  Revelation 20:10; “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Revelation 14-15; “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”  Another angel exits the temple in heaven, which indicates he has divine authority for his mission. With a loud voice this angel implores the "one like a son of man" sitting on a cloud. (likely Jesus)

Revelation 14:14; “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.” The time is right and the harvest is ripe. For centuries God has delayed His judgment, giving sinners ample opportunity to repent. But, as in the days of Noah, His Spirit will not always strive with man;

Genesis 6:3; “And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” His judgment will be swift, relentless, and thorough. This sickle is sharp as we read in Revelation 14:14 and will leave no wicked person standing, just as a sharp sickle swung into a harvest of wheat leaves no stalk standing. Some believe this harvest consists of both saints and sinners, but the context of this part of Revelation 14 is judgment, as verse 19 indicates. “So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.”  Revelation 14:19; describes an angel gathering the "vine of the earth," symbolizing the wicked, and casting it into the "great winepress of the wrath of God," signifying their divine judgment and punishment, following the earlier reaping of the earth's harvest by the Son of Man. 

So, it seems that only the wicked are "reaped" in this harvest. The verses which follow describe this "reaping" in graphic terms, using the symbolism of grapes being crushed in a winepress. Matthew 25:41; “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:”

It is described as a place of burning sulfur, and those in it experience eternal, unspeakable agony of an unrelenting nature  “In Luke 16:24; we read, “Then 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.”  The rich man in torment cries out to Father Abraham, asking him to send Lazarus to cool his tongue with a drop of water, because he is suffering in flames, revealing his desperate plea for relief and acknowledging Lazarus's past suffering. This verse is part of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, highlighting the reversal of fortunes after death, where the once-poor Lazarus is comforted and the rich man is tormented. 

Those in Hades/Sheol who have rejected Christ will have the lake of fire as their final destination.But those whose names are written in The Lamb’s book of life should have no fear of this terrible fate. By faith in Christ and His blood shed on the cross for our sins, we are destined to live eternally in the blessed presence of God. The Lamb's Book of Life, as described in many Bible translations, is a heavenly register containing the names of people granted eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ (The Lamb), who serves as the ultimate source of salvation and redemption, with its key mention in; Revelation 21:27; “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” This is the standard for entry into the New Jerusalem, signifying those who are righteous and will not face eternal condemnation. 

So, I hope after reading this blog, you will now understand that hell, hades and scheol are referrencing hell in one way or another. Bottom line, you don't have to go there unless you choose to do so. If you stand before Jesus at the White Throne Judgement, you will have no one to but yourself. You will be judged by your relationship with Jesus and nothing else. Remember, Christianity is a relation ship, not a religion. No teligion will get you access into heaven.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”