Monday, August 19, 2013

Sheol - the World of the Dead

Sheol is the place of the dead. Before Jesus “led captivity captive”, it was divided into Hades and Paradise (Abraham's Bosom). Afterwards, only those souls in Hades were left – the souls of believers went directly to Heaven to be with the Lord forever. The souls of unbelievers still go to Hades (Hell) where there are flames and torment. All souls in Hades will be judged at the White Throne (Rev 20) and thrown into the lake of fire with Satan and his angels, the false prophet and the Antichrist.

Luke 16:19-28 Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house — for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

Sheol (7585) – hades or the world of the dead

Hades (86) – the place (state) of the departed souls

Gehenna (1067) - the place (state) of everlasting punishment

Paradise (3857) – place of future happiness

Tartaros (5020) – the deepest abyss of Hades