In the next several blogs I plan to address a number of terms and subjects related to “Judgment.” These will accompany my sermon series on the same topic that began on June 5th.
When thinking about judgment, one’s mind naturally considers God’s judgment of mankind. And naturally, people ask, “What can a person expect after death?” Along with that are questions about heaven, Hell, Sheol, Hades and many other words and phrases used to describe various aspects of judgment and the afterlife.
I wish to begin by exploring what the Bible says about Hades.
Hades:
Matters become complicated immediately because English translations are not consistent in rendering the Greek term Hades. Some use the term Hell where the Greek text has Hades. Not only that, people can be influenced by ideas about Hades from Greek mythology.
Hades is a Greek word and does not have a specific meaning that can be identified with certainty. It was simply an ancient word used to identify the underworld, or the place where souls go after death. In Greek mythology, it was also the name of the god of the underworld.
Obviously, we should not assume that Hades in Greek mythology and Hades the Bible are exactly the same. Yet, it is not surprising that they are similar.
Since the Greek term behind Hades identified a place, it is transliterated into English. In other words, the spelling and sound of the Greek word is approximated by using equivalent English letters. So, the English word Hades approximates the corresponding Greek term.
Hades is found ten times in the Bible and only in the New Testament (NT). Some English translations add a footnote that Hades is equivalent to Sheol in the Old Testament. Some Bible resources say that Hades is a nickname for Hell. Neither is exactly true, though there are similarities between Hades, Sheol and Hell.
Jesus spoke of Hades as a place:
Jesus spoke out against the city of Capernaum saying, “You will be brought down to Hades,” because they did not respond to His miracles and they rejected His preaching. (Luke 10:15)
Jesus told of a rich man who mistreated a poor man named Lazarus. He said of the rich man after his death, “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment….” (Luke 16:23)
In Acts 2:27 the Apostle Peter quoted an Old Testament prophecy referring to Jesus: “You [God] will not abandon my soul to Hades.”
Hades is where souls go after death:
At the end of the book of Revelation it is written that “death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them….” (20:13)
Hades will ultimately be destroyed:
“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:146
[Other verses that mention Hades by name are: Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Acts 2:31; Revelation 1:18 and 6:8.]
Nowhere does the NT indicate that righteous souls go to Hades, but rather Paradise. So, the illustration of a split Hades with righteous souls on one side and unrighteous souls on the other is not accurate.
When thinking about judgment, one’s mind naturally considers God’s judgment of mankind. And naturally, people ask, “What can a person expect after death?” Along with that are questions about heaven, Hell, Sheol, Hades and many other words and phrases used to describe various aspects of judgment and the afterlife.
I wish to begin by exploring what the Bible says about Hades.
Hades:
Matters become complicated immediately because English translations are not consistent in rendering the Greek term Hades. Some use the term Hell where the Greek text has Hades. Not only that, people can be influenced by ideas about Hades from Greek mythology.
Hades is a Greek word and does not have a specific meaning that can be identified with certainty. It was simply an ancient word used to identify the underworld, or the place where souls go after death. In Greek mythology, it was also the name of the god of the underworld.
Obviously, we should not assume that Hades in Greek mythology and Hades the Bible are exactly the same. Yet, it is not surprising that they are similar.
Since the Greek term behind Hades identified a place, it is transliterated into English. In other words, the spelling and sound of the Greek word is approximated by using equivalent English letters. So, the English word Hades approximates the corresponding Greek term.
Hades is found ten times in the Bible and only in the New Testament (NT). Some English translations add a footnote that Hades is equivalent to Sheol in the Old Testament. Some Bible resources say that Hades is a nickname for Hell. Neither is exactly true, though there are similarities between Hades, Sheol and Hell.
Jesus spoke of Hades as a place:
Jesus spoke out against the city of Capernaum saying, “You will be brought down to Hades,” because they did not respond to His miracles and they rejected His preaching. (Luke 10:15)
Jesus told of a rich man who mistreated a poor man named Lazarus. He said of the rich man after his death, “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment….” (Luke 16:23)
In Acts 2:27 the Apostle Peter quoted an Old Testament prophecy referring to Jesus: “You [God] will not abandon my soul to Hades.”
Hades is where souls go after death:
At the end of the book of Revelation it is written that “death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them….” (20:13)
Hades will ultimately be destroyed:
“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:146
[Other verses that mention Hades by name are: Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Acts 2:31; Revelation 1:18 and 6:8.]
Nowhere does the NT indicate that righteous souls go to Hades, but rather Paradise. So, the illustration of a split Hades with righteous souls on one side and unrighteous souls on the other is not accurate.
Conclusion:
What have we have gathered from the NT about Hades?
What have we have gathered from the NT about Hades?
Hades is a temporary place for the souls of those who die in unrighteousness. It is a place of torment and it will ultimately be destroyed, giving up its dead to be judged by God.
Mark Stinnett
Mark Stinnett
June 5, 2022
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