The Biblical Hades
Hell is not Hades and Hades is not Hell
Who ever commits sin breaks the law:
for sin is the breaking of the law
[God's Law]
Today, if a person is caught in the very act of an imprisonable offence, although he will not immediately be sentenced he will however, immediately lose his liberty. Sentencing can only come after judgment has been given and until such a time, that person will be held in a temporary holding cell.
Yet, if it were possible for another to pay the price for his crime, even then the offender could not be set at liberty until such a time as the price for his crime had actually been paid, therefore he also would need to be held in a temporary holding cell. He would have to wait patiently until his benefactor should appear, and more, to trust that he will actually do that which he had promised. Hades is such a holding place for the disembodied spirits of mankind, people who through physical death have left the body. Hell on the other hand is where the guilty disembodied spirits of men and ‘fallen angels’ are sentenced too, for eternity.
And it must be remembered, we have all sinned and broken God's Law. We may say “But I'd never read the Bible how should I have known His Law back then” Didn't we know it was wrong when we decided to trampled our ‘God given’ conscience to attain our selfish lusts and goals? So we all deserve to stand at the Judgement on that great day! But by the grace of God not all of us will.
Yet, if it were possible for another to pay the price for his crime, even then the offender could not be set at liberty until such a time as the price for his crime had actually been paid, therefore he also would need to be held in a temporary holding cell. He would have to wait patiently until his benefactor should appear, and more, to trust that he will actually do that which he had promised. Hades is such a holding place for the disembodied spirits of mankind, people who through physical death have left the body. Hell on the other hand is where the guilty disembodied spirits of men and ‘fallen angels’ are sentenced too, for eternity.For all have sinned [broken God's Law], and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world [Adam's sin], and death by sin [The sentence of sin is death]; and so death passed upon all men, [why? because...] for that all have sinned: [We have all been tainted with Adam's corrupt nature, that's the problem, why not admit it? Even knowing what is right we can't stop doing that which is wrong.]
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? [He had no children] for he was cut off out of the land of the living [killed]: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. [For us who trust in Him]
Daniel 9:26a
And after threescore and two weeks [483 years from a certain date] shall Messiah be cut off [killed], but not for himself [but for us]...
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Matthew 1:21-23
21 And she shall bring forth a son [Mary], and thou shalt call his name JESUS [saviour]: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us..
Zechariah 14:5b
... and THE LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
For those who died in faith before the Cross, trusting in the promise that the then coming Messiah (Christ) would pay for their many sins, they too had to wait patiently in Hades, not only trusting in His appearing but that He would also accomplish that which He had promised, that He would pay for the many sins they had committed in life.
And so they waited for Him and HE, the Christ appeared right on time just as had been prophesied in their Scriptures and He faithfully accomplished all that which was written of Him, that He God, would become a Man by being born of a virgin into the family of Adam [Mankind]. And in life, not breaking any points of the Law no payment for sin was required for His own life.
Yet He still chose to pay the price for sin not only for those who ‘had trusted’ in Him and waited patiently for Him in Hades but for all those who would eventually trust in Him. And with the ‘Law of sin and death’ having no legal right to detain Him in Hades, He alone being sinless, He rose on the third day and having paid the price for those who had trusted in Him, emptied one side or part of Hades.
Those disembodied spirits returned with Christ to His Father's house and one day soon He will return with them to the Earth where they will receive their new, immortal and incorruptible bodies. Then will begin a period called ‘The Millennium’.
And Jesus said to him [the criminal on the cross next to Him], Verily I say unto thee, Today you will be with me in paradise.
John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
For us today the payment for our sin is a past event, the Cross having occurred roughly 2000 years ago. Therefore there is no requirement for us who know Him to be detained in Hades until the judgment because we will not stand at the judgment owing no outstanding debt. And just as the criminal dying beside Jesus on the Cross, we too at our death will go immediately to be with the Lord in Heaven, and so shall we ever be with our Lord. Forget the myth that all those who are saved will spend eternity in Heaven seated on clouds playing harps. Those disembodied spirits that are currently with the Lord will return with Him to the Earth at His coming and receive their new immortal and eternal bodies, and so begins the Millennium. We today who are now alive and believe shall be numbered amongst them unless He comes before we die; that being the case, we who are then still living shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [Christians who had died], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. [unbelievers who had died]
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. [Jesus will bring those believing disembodied spirits with Him from Heaven to receive their new eternal glorified bodies on the Earth]
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain [believers who haven't died when He comes] unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [go before] them which are asleep [dead in Christ].
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [Their new bodies shall rise to meet them]
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Corthinthians 15:51
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [Die], but we shall all be changed, [He is talking to believers only]
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Tragically, for those who (have and those who will) refuse to accept Christ's payment for their sins, the price for their sin is still outstanding yet must be paid, the price for sin is death. As they can not be sentenced until they have been judged they have needs to be held in ‘the other side or part’ of Hades until that great day. The Scriptures clearly tell us that this terrifying judgment will take place just before a beautiful and incorruptible eternity begins just after the Millennium. Therefore it is a judgment on all those who have lived through all the ages in this corrupt, rebellious fallen flesh but who refused to acknowledge their sickness and thus refused God's provision for their sin.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [Hades] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell [Hades] were cast into the lake of fire [Hell]. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire [Hell].
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day [endtimes] upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body , yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. [even though his original body had been destroyed]
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Summary
- Before the Cross Hades held all disembodied spirits, some awaiting release, others Judgment.
- Today, Hades only holds those awaiting Judgment (it's still filling-up), the other side is empty!
- Hell is the final abode disembodied spirits and fallen angels are sentenced too at the Judgment.