Place of Dead

                        THE PLACE OF THE DEAD

     This subject of the place of the dead will be discussed in five
major categories.

                         I.  The Unseen World

     In the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament there are
a total of thirteen different terms describing the unseen world.
These terms need to be understood to fully comprehend the place of the
dead and the unseen world.

                              A.  Sheol

     The first major term is the Hebrew term Sheol.  In the Old
Testament there are a total of sixty-four references to this place, so
there is an extensive usage of this term.  All sixty-four passages
cannot be listed here, but it is spread throughout the Old Testament
and it is not limited to only certain writers nor to a certain period
of time.  In the Law of Moses, Sheol is mentioned in the Books of
Genesis, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  In the historical books it is
mentioned in I Samuel, II Samuel, and I kings.  In the poetic books it
is mentioned in the book of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and
the Song of Solomon.  In the major prophets it is found in the books
of Isaiah and Ezekiel.  Among the minor prophets Sheol is mentioned in
Hosea, Amos, Jonah, and Habbakuk.  Sheol is a place known from the
beginning to the end of Old Testament history.

     From these sixty-four passages where this term is used, six
deductions can be drawn concerning what Sheol was.

     First, in the Old Testament period Sheol was a place that both
the righteous and the unrighteous expected to go upon death (Psalm
89:48).  The righteous ones, the saints of the Old Testament, expected
to go down to Sheol (Genesis 37:35; 42:36; 44:29,31; Job 14:13; Psalms
16:10; Jonah 2:2).  The unrighteous also expected to go down to Sheol
(Numbers 16:30,33; Job 24:19; Psalm 19:17; 49:14; Ezekiel 32:21).
     The second deduction is that it was a place more dreadful for the
unbeliever than the believer.  Although both believers and unbelievers
went down to Sheol in the Old Testament, it was place far more
dreadful for the unbelievers than it was for the believers (Job 24:19;
Psalm 9:17; 49:14).

     The third deduction is that there are different levels or
compartments in Sheol.  The fact that there are references to a
"lowest Sheol" teaches the fact that there are different levels in
Sheol, or there are different compartments in Sheol (Deuteronomy
32:22; Psalm 86:13).

     The fourth deduction concerning Sheol is that the direction of
Sheol was always downward.  When people talked about Sheol it was a
place that was downward (Genesis 35:37; 42:38; 44:29,31; Numbers
16:30,33; I Samuel 2:6; I Kings 2:6,9; Job 7:9; 11:8; 17:16; 21:13;
Psalms 30:3; Proverbs 5:5; 7:27; 15:24; Isaiah 5:14; 14:9; Ezekiel
32:21; Amos 9:2).

     The fifth deduction is that Sheol was a place of consciousness.
Those who went down to Sheol were in a state of consciousness (Isaiah
14:9-10; Jonah 2:2).

     The sixth deduction concerning Sheol is that Sheol was not
removed from God's jurisdiction (Job 26:6; Psalm 139:8; Deuteronomy
32:22).

     Sheol was a major term for the unseen world.

                              B.  Hades

     The second major term for the unseen world is a Greek term and
therefore only found in the New Testament: Hades.  Hades is mentioned
in ten New Testament passages: Matthew 11:23 (Thou shalt go down unto
Hades); Matthew 16:18 (the gates of Hades); Luke 10:15 (thou shalt be
brought down unto Hades); Luke 16:23 (in Hades he lifted up his eyes);
Acts 2:27 quotes Psalms 16:10 (thou wilt not leave my soul unto
Hades); Acts 2:31 (neither was he left unto Hades); Revelation 1:18
where Christ is said to (have the keys of death and Hades); Revelation
6:8 (his name was Death and Hades); Revelation 20:13 (death and Hades
gave up the dead that were in them); and Revelation 20:14 (death and
Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire).

     From these ten references on Hades in the New Testament seven
deductions can be drawn.

     First, Hades is the same as Sheol.  Hades is the Greek term for
the Old Testament Sheol so everything that is true of Sheol is
automatically true of Hades.  This is evident from the fact that
Psalms 16:10 used the term "Sheol," but when that verse is quoted in
the New Testament (Acts 2:27,31) it is called "Hades."  So Sheol and
Hades are one and the same thing, Sheol being the Hebrew term and
Hades being the Greek term for the same thing.

     The second deduction is that it was a place for both the
righteous and the unrighteous.  In Luke 16:19-31 the unrighteous rich
man is in Hades.  But the Righteous One, Jesus, was also in Hades
according to Acts 2:27,31.

     Third, Hades had two main compartments (Luke 16:19-31).  The
section for the unbeliever was Hades proper, and for the believer it
was known as Abraham's Bosom.  More will be said about this later in
this manuscript.

     The fourth deduction is that although both believers and
unbelievers went down to Hades it was especially severe for the
unbelievers (Matthew 11:23; Luke 10:15; 16:19-31).

     The fifth deduction is that the direction of Hades was always
downward, never upward, but downward (Matthew 11:23; Luke 10:15).

     The sixth deduction is that it was a place of consciousness, not
a place of unconsciousness (Luke 16:19-31).

     The seventh deduction is that Hades is a temporary state. It is
not the eternal state, but a temporary state (Revelation 20:11-15).

                             C.  Abbadon

     The third biblical term for the unseen world is Abbadon.  This is
a Hebrew term that means "destruction."  It is used a total of seven
times in scripture, and being a Hebrew term, all but one is found in
the Old Testament: Job 26:6 (Abbadon hath no covering); Job 28:22
(Abbadon and death say); Job 31:12 (fire doth consumes unto Abbadon);
Psalms 88:11 (Shall thy loving kindness be declared in thy grave or
thy faithfulness in Abbadon); Proverbs 15:11 (Sheol and Abbadon are
before Jehovah); Proverbs 27:32 (Sheol and Abbadon are never
satisfied); and Revelation 9:11 calls the Angel of the Abyss by his
Hebrew name of Abbadon and also gives his Greek name as Apollyon.  The
Greek word means the same as the Hebrew word: Destruction.

     From these seven usages, one can draw three deductions.  First,
in three of the seven usages, it is paralleled with Sheol (Job 26:6;
Proverbs 15:11; 27:20).  All of the six Old Testament references were
from poetical books, and Hebrew poetry is not based upon rhythm or
rhyme but is based upon parallelism.  In three of these cases Sheol is
paralleled with Abbadon or Abbadon is paralleled with Sheol.

     The second deduction is that the term is only used in the
negative.  There is not a single positive reference to Abbadon: all of
them have a negative connotation.

     The third deduction is that Abbadon is a Hebrew name for the
unbeliever side of Sheol or Hades.  It has been pointed out that Hades
consists of two major compartments.  There is a righteous side and an
unrighteous side, and the term "Abbadon" was a Hebrew name for the
unrighteous or the unbeliever side of Sheol or Hades.

                             D.  The Pit

     The fourth term for the unseen world is the term "The Pit."  This
is also an Old Testament name for the unseen world and altogether
there are twenty-three references to the pit.  Not all of them will be
listed here, but the books where it is mentioned are Job, Psalms,
Proverbs, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, with most of the references being in
Ezekiel.  From these twenty-three references three deductions can be
made.

     First, like Abbadon, it is always used in negative terms. There
is never anything positive about the pit, but only negative.

     Second, the direction is always downward, never upward.

     The third deduction is that the term "the Pit" is a descriptive
term for the unrighteous portion of Sheol or Hades and so the term
"the Pit" is synonymous with Abbadon.

                              E.  Abyss

     The fifth term for the unseen world is the term "Abyss."  The
word "Abyss" has its root such concepts as "the netherworld" or
"bottomless."  Abyss is a Greek term, and therefore only found in the
New Testament.  It is found in nine passages and of these nine times,
seven are in Revelation: Luke 8:31 (not command them to depart into
the Abyss); Romans 10:7 (who shall descend into the Abyss?);
Revelation 9:1 (the key of the pit of the Abyss); Revelation 9:2 (he
opened the pit of the Abyss); Revelation 9:11 (the angel of the
Abyss); Revelation 11:7 (the beast that cometh up out of the Abyss);
Revelation 17:8 (the beast is about to come up out of the Abyss);
Revelation 20:1 (the key of the Abyss); and, Revelation 20:3 (and He
cast them into the Abyss).

     From these nine references to the Abyss three deductions can be
made.

     The first deduction is that the direction is always downward.

     Second, it is always associated with fallen angels.  It is never
associated with human beings.  It is always associated with fallen
angels with the exception of the Antichrist.  Since the Antichrist
will be conceived by the power of Satan he is connected with angelic
beings and therefore also with the Abyss.

     The third deduction that can be made about the Abyss is that the
Abyss is that section of Sheol or Hades which is a temporary place of
confinement for fallen angels.  When demons are cast out of people,
they sometimes spend a temporary period of time in the Abyss and then
they are released again.  So it is always a temporary place of
confinement Satan will be confined in the Abyss but even for him it is
temporary for a thousand year duration.

                             F.  Tartarus

     The sixth term that speaks of the unseen world is the term
Tartarus.  It is a Greek term found in only one passage of scripture:
II Peter 2:4.  Out of this one verse six deductions can be drawn.

     First, it is called "the pits of darkness" and so it is given a
negative flavor.

     Second, it is a place for fallen angels.

     Third, it is connected with fallen angels in connection with
Noah.  Whereas the Abyss is in connection with fallen angels in
general, Tartarus is connected with fallen angels somehow connected
with the time of Noah.

     The fourth deduction is that the angels mentioned in this verse
are obviously the same angels mentioned by Jude 6,7.

     Because of the connection between II Peter 2:4 and Jude 6,7 the
fifth deduction is that these angels are the same as the sons of God
of Genesis six that intermarried with human women to try to corrupt
the seed of the woman.

     The sixth deduction is that Tartarus is that portion of Sheol or
Hades which is a permanent place of confinement for those fallen
angels that sinned in Genesis six.  While the Abyss is a temporary
place of confinement for fallen angels, a place where fallen angels or
demons come and go for periods of time, Tartarus is different.  It is
a permanent place of confinement and from this confinement these
angels will never be released but will eventually go from Tartarus to
the Lake of Fire.  These angels will never be free again.  The reason
why these fallen angels are kept in a special place, Tartarus instead
of the Abyss, is because of the special nature of their sin.  These
are the ones that in Genesis six took on male form and intermarried
with human woman in order to corrupt the seed of the woman of Genesis
3:15.  What they produced was a grotesque race.  It is because of the
existence of that grotesque race that the evil of man reached its
epitome necessitating a world-wide flood to destroy all humanity with
the exception of one family: the family of Noah.

     So then, Tartarus is that portion of Sheol or Hades which is a
permanent place of confinement for those angels that sinned in Genesis
six.

                               G.  Hell

     The seventh term is "Hell."  The English word "Hell" comes from a
teutonic root which means "to hide" or "to cover."  There is no
special Hebrew or Greek term for the word "Hell" in scripture.  That
probably was not the best term to come up with, but that is the term
English speaking world is familiar with, so it must be used.  But
again, neither the Hebrew or the Greek have a singular term that means
"Hell."  The concept of Hell is included in some of the concepts of
Sheol and Hades and are totally found in the concepts of Abbadon and
the Pit.  So while the scriptures do not actually use a special term
for "Hell," the concepts of Hell are definitely biblical.  What people
call "Hell" is what the Old Testament calls Abbadon or the Pit.  What
people call "Hell" is the unrighteous side of Sheol or Hades.

     Based upon what has already been stated about the unrighteous
side of Sheol or Hades or what has been stated about Abbadon or the
Pit, this "Hell" contains unsaved humans only.  It does not include
fallen angels, because fallen angels are in two other places, the
Abyss or Tartarus.  While "Hell" contains certain concepts of Sheol or
Hades and totally the concepts of Abbadon and the Pit, it excludes the
concepts of the Abyss and Tartarus for these places are for fallen
angels only.

     Based upon what is know of Abbadon or the Pit, one can determine
the conditions of those in Hell.

     First, they exist as shades; merely shades with no more reality
than that.  Indeed, when the Bible describes the people already in the
unrighteous side of Sheol it describes them by using a Hebrew term
that means "shades" (Proverbs 9:18; Isaiah 14:9).

     Second they are in torment (Luke 16:23-25).

     From what is known about Abbadon and the Pit, two things can be
said about Hell.  First, there is a total absence of righteousness.
Secondly, it is a place that is separated from God.  Third, it is a
place of judgment.

                             H.  Gehenna

     The eighth term for the unseen world is the term Gehenna which is
a Greek term.  Three things should be mentioned about this place.

     First concerns the origin of the concept.  Although the term
"Gehenna" is a Greek term, the origin of the concept is from the
Hebrew.  It is actually a combination of two Hebrew words.  The first
word is Gei and the second name is Hinnom and Gei Hinnom means "the
Valley of Hinnom."  It is a valley outside the walls of Jerusalem.
The Valley of Hinnom circles Jerusalem along the west side of the wall
around to the southern side where it meets another valley known as the
Kidron Valley coming down from the east side of the city.  The Valley
of Hinnom in the Old Testament was a place where some of the wicked
kings of Israel practiced human sacrifice.  The practice of human
sacrifice meant that it was a place for the burning of humans (II
Kings 23:10; II Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Isaiah 30:33; Jeremiah 7:31-32;
19:1-15).  So the origin of the New Testament "Gehenna" comes from the
Hebrew Gei Hinnom.  The Old Testament concept of the burning of humans
physically moves into the New Testament concept where the word Gehenna
describes the unseen world and the eternal burning of humans.

     Secondly, there are twelve references to Gehenna.  Eleven of
these references are in the Gospels and one is outside of the Gospels:
mentioned in Matthew 5:22 (Thou fool, shall be in danger of the
Gehenna of fire.); Matthew 5:29 (thy whole body be cast into Gehenna);
Matthew 5:30 (thy whole body go into Gehenna); Matthew 10:28 (fear him
who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna); Matthew 18:9
(to be cast into the Gehenna of fire.); Matthew 23:15 (the son of
Hell); Matthew 23:33 (how shall ye escape the judgment of Gehenna?);
Mark 9:43 (having thy two hands to go into Gehenna); Mark 9:45 (having
thy two feed to be cast into Gehenna); Mark 9:47 (having two eyes to
be cast into Gehenna); Luke 12:5 (Fear him, who after he hath killed
hath the power to cast into Gehenna); and James 3:6 (and is set on
fire by Gehenna).

     Third, from these twelve references to Gehenna in the Greek New
Testament four deductions can be drawn.

     First, Gehenna is the eternal abode of the lost, both angels and
men.

     The second deduction about Gehenna is that the punishment
includes both soul and body.  That is why "Gehenna" must not be
translated as "Hell" nor should it be equated with Hell.  Hell, as
will be shown, is a temporary place and it is for the soul only, but
Gehenna is an eternal place and it includes both the soul and the
body.

     The third deduction is that it is an eternal torment.  Hell is
temporary, but Gehenna is going to be eternal.

     The fourth deduction is that Gehenna is associated with fire and
fire is the source of torment.

                         I.  The Lake of Fire

     The ninth term for the unseen world is "The Lake of Fire."  It is
found in four passages of scripture, all of which are in Revelation:
Revelation 19:20 (where the Beast and the False Prophet are cast into
the Lake of Fire); Revelation 20:10 (where Satan is thrown into the
Lake of Fire); Revelation 20:14 (where death and Hades are cast into
the Lake of Fire); and, Revelation 21:8 (where the Lake of Fire is
called "the second death").

     From these four references in Revelation one can make four
deductions.

     First, the Lake of Fire is the eternal abode of all lost ones,
both angels and men.

     Second, the punishment includes both the soul and the body.  Both
death and Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire.  "Death" refers to the
material part of man, the body, and Hades refers to the immaterial
part of man, the soul and spirit.  The Lake of Fire is a punishment
for both of these.

     The third deduction is that the Lake of Fire is the same as
Gehenna.  "Gehenna" is one term, and "the Lake of Fire" is another
term that both refer to the same thing.

     The fourth deduction is that Gehenna is associated with fire and
brimstone as the source of torment.

                         J.  Abraham's Bosom

     The tenth term is "Abraham's Bosom."  While in the rabbinic
writings this is a very common term, in the scriptures it is found
only in Luke 16:22-23.  Though it is only found in these two verses,
nevertheless six things can be deduced from these two verses.

     First, Abraham's Bosom is for righteous ones only: there are no
unrighteous ones in Abraham's Bosom.

     Second, it is located next door to Hell.  It is not in Hell but
is located next door to Hell so that those in Hell, like the rich man,
are able to see what is going on in Abraham's Bosom though they have
no way of getting there.

     The third deduction is that while Hell and Abraham's Bosom are
next to each other, they are separated by an impassable gulf.  Although
each side can see the other and those in them can converse with each
other, they can not cross over from one to the other.

     The fourth deduction is that Abraham's Bosom is that portion of
Sheol or Hades which was a place for the righteous, whereas Hell was
the place for the unrighteous humans.

     The fifth thing about Abraham's Bosom is that the term is a
figure describing a guest at a feast reclining on the breast of his
neighbor.  Just as in the Gospel of John, John was reclining at Jesus'
bosom at the Feast of Passover, this is what Lazarus was doing in
Abraham's Bosom.  This is a figure of a guest at a feast reclining on
the breast of his neighbor or his host.

     The sixth thing about Abraham's Bosom is that it symbolized
blessedness after death.  While Lazarus did not do well while he was
living as far as the material world was concerned, after death he was
indeed in a state of blessedness.

                             K.  Paradise

     The eleventh term concerning the unseen world is "Paradise." The
Greek word and its Hebrew equivalent means "a royal park" or "a
garden."

     It is a New Testament term only and it is found in three
passages.  The first is Luke 23:43 where Jesus said to the other
person dying on the cross: Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.  A
second passage is II Corinthians 12:4 which states that Paul was
caught up into Paradise.  The third passage is Revelation 2:7 which
speaks of the future: the Tree of Life will be in the Paradise of
God.

     From these three passages, four deductions can be made concerning
Paradise.

     First, it is a term describing the abode of the righteous ones,
no matter where that abode may be at any point in time.  In Luke 23:43
it is the same as Abraham's Bosom because at that point all the
righteous one went down to the righteous side of Sheol or Hades which
was known as "Abraham's Bosom" and also as "Paradise."

     Up until the death of Jesus, Paradise was in Abraham's Bosom.

     Secondly, according to II Corinthians 12:4, Paradise today is in
Heaven.  After the ascension of Jesus, Abraham's Bosom was eliminated.
Believers no longer descend down to Abraham's Bosom but now go
directly into Heaven.  Today the believer's abode is Heaven, and so
now Paradise is in Heaven.

     The third passage, Revelation 2:7, speaks of the future when
Paradise will be in the New Jerusalem which means that the abode of
Paradise will change again.  As the New Jerusalem on the New Earth
will be the abode of all believers after the Messianic Kingdom, even
so Paradise is going to be in the New Jerusalem.

     Basically, from Adam until the ascension of Jesus, Paradise was
in Abraham's Bosom.  From the ascension of Jesus until the end of the
Millennium, Paradise is in Heaven.  Then after the Millennium and for
all eternity, Paradise will be in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth.

                              L.  Heaven

     Another term for unseen world is "Heaven."  Heaven will be
discussed in three points.

                         1.  The Distinctions

     First, the Bible speaks of three different Heavens.  Not all
three are concerned with the unseen world.  The first heaven is the
atmosphere because that is the heaven where birds are flying (Genesis
1:20,26; Jeremiah 4:25; Haggai 1:10; Matthew 8:20; 13:32; Acts 10:12;
14:17).

     The second heaven is what is called space.  This is the heaven
where the sun, moon, and stars are said to be located (Genesis 1:14-
18; 22:17; 26:4; Matthew 24:29; Hebrews 11:12; Revelation 6:13).  The
first and second heavens are not part of the unseen world: they are
visible.

     However, it is the Third Heaven which is part of the unseen
world.  It is the abode of God; it is where God dwells (II Corinthians
12:1-4).

                          2.  The Scriptures

     The second thing about Heaven is that there are a total of
thirty-nine passages of scripture that speak about the Third Heaven.
In the Old Testament it is found in the books of Genesis, Deuteronomy,
I Kings, II Kings, II Chronicles, Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah,
Daniel, and Amos.  In the New Testament, the Third Heaven is found in
the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, II Corinthians,
Ephesians, Colossians, I Thessalonians, Hebrews, and I Peter.  From
these thirty-nine references to the Third Heaven, one can make a total
of eight deductions.

     First, the existence of the Third Heaven, the abode of God, has
been testified of by eye witnesses for there are eye witnesses who
have seen the Third Heaven.  Jesus, Who came from there, testified of
its existence (John 6).  Paul was caught up to the Third Heaven to
receive special revelation (II Corinthians 12:1-4).  The apostle John
saw a vision of the Third Heaven, and was even told to come up there
to be shown things to come.  He witnessed things in Heaven and wrote
about them throughout the book of Revelation.  So its existence has
been testified of by eye witnesses.

     The second deduction concerning the Third Heaven is that it is
the Abode of God, it is where God lives.

     The third deduction is that it is also the abode of the elect
angels.  That is where the good, elect, holy, unfallen angels reside
as well.

     The fourth deduction is that Heaven is a real and definite place.

     The fifth deduction is that Heaven is always upward.  It is above
the Earth, it is above the sky, it is above space.  It is above the
Earth, above the first heaven and above the second heaven.

     The sixth deduction is that it is also the place from where God
rules.  That is where God rules providentially, that is where God
rules by sovereignty, and every aspect of His rule is from that Third
Heaven.

     The seventh deduction is that that is the place that God receives
worship.

     The eighth deduction is that it is now the home of departed
saints.  No longer do believers go down to Abraham's Bosom, they now
go directly into Heaven: it is the home of the departed saints.

                        M.  The New Jerusalem

     The thirteenth term used to describe the unseen world is "the New
Jerusalem."  The New Jerusalem is mentioned in three passages.

     The first is Galatians 4:26 where it is stated that the Jerusalem
which is above is free, unlike the Jerusalem on Earth that is in
bondage.  The second passage is Hebrews 12:22-24 which speaks of the
Heavenly Jerusalem as being the abode of God, the elect angels, and
redeemed men.  The third passage is Revelations 21:1-22:5 which
teaches one that the New Jerusalem will be on the New Earth and gives
some detailed descriptions of what the New Jerusalem is going to be
like.

     These are the three main passages of scripture on the New
Jerusalem from which one can draw six deductions.

     First, it is now above the Earth.  It already exists and it is
above the Earth.  It is now in the Third Heaven.

     The second deduction is that it is the abode of the whole Triune
God.  It is the abode of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

     The third deduction is that it is also the abode of the elect
angels.  It is where the unfallen angels live.

     The fourth deduction is that it is also the abode of redeemed
saints.  It is where the redeemed saints are now.

     Fifth, the New Jerusalem is synonymous with Heaven.  They are one
and the same thing.  One could also say that the New Jerusalem is now
in Heaven, but either way they are in the same locale and are more or
less synonymous.

     The sixth deduction is that in that future time when the New
Earth is created, Heaven or the New Jerusalem will come down upon the
New Earth.  The eternal abode of the Triune God, the elect angels, and
the redeemed men will be in the new Jerusalem on the New Earth.  If
one distinguishes between Heaven and the New Jerusalem then one can
say that believers now go to the New Jerusalem in Heaven, and
eventually the New Jerusalem will be placed on the New Earth when the
New Earth is created after the Messianic Kingdom.

     These are the thirteen terms that are used to describe the unseen
world.  One must be familiar with all thirteen words and know how to
distinguish and relate them to each other to get a full comprehension.

                           N.  Conclusions

                   1.  Sheol and Hades are the Same

     First, Sheol and Hades are one and the same thing.  Sheol is the
Hebrew term and Hades is the Greek term for one and the same thing.
The location of Sheol or Hades is in the center of the Earth and this
is seen in three ways.  First, in the Old Testament it was called the
"nether parts of the Earth" (Ezekiel 26:20; 31:14,16,18; 32:18,24).
In Ephesians 4:9-10 Hades was called "the lower parts of the Earth."
So the Hades in the lower parts of the Earth corresponds to the Sheol
in the "nether parts of the Earth."  Third, in Matthew 12:40 Hades is
said to be in the "heart" or "in the center" of the Earth.  So as far
as location is concerned, Sheol or Hades is located in the center of
the Earth.  That is one of the reasons why Sheol or Hades are
temporary, because when this Earth is done away with at the end of the
Messianic Kingdom, Sheol or Hades will no longer exist.

     The second thing about Sheol or Hades is that they have two
primary compartments.  One primary compartment was for the righteous
ones and this righteous side was known as Abraham's Bosom.  Between
Adam and the ascension of Jesus, Paradise was located in Abraham's
Bosom.  The second primary compartment was for the unrighteous ones,
both angels and humans.  This second compartment has three parts.  As
far as humans are concerned, these are located in Hades proper better
known among believers today as Hell.  This first part is also known by
two other names: Abbadon, and the Pit.  The two other parts in the
unrighteous side for fallen angels.  One of these is the Abyss which
is a temporary place of confinement for fallen angels.  The other is
Tartarus which is the place of confinement for those angels that
sinned in Genesis six.  So Sheol or Hades had two primary
compartments.  The righteous one was known as Abraham's Bosom.  The
unrighteous side had three divisions of its own: for humans it is
Hades or Hell also known as  Abbadon or the Pit; and, for the fallen
angels the Abyss and Tartarus.

              2.  The Terms Gehenna and The Lake of Fire

     The second conclusion to be drawn is that the terms Gehenna and
The Lake of Fire refer to one and the same place.  It is the final
abode of the unrighteous ones, both angels and men.  It should be kept
in mind that Sheol or Hades is a temporary place regardless of one's
condition.  The righteous side of Sheol or Hades has already been
eliminated with the ascension.  The unrighteous side is also temporary
because the eternal abode of the unrighteous ones will not be Hell,
nor the Abyss, nor Tartarus, but will be Gehenna or the Lake of Fire.

                              3.  Heaven

     Heaven is the abode of God.  It is the abode of the elect or good
angels.  It is the abode of believers that have passed away, it is the
abode of the dead saints.  It is the present place of Paradise.  At
one time Paradise was located in Abraham's Bosom, but now Paradise is
in Heaven.  Heaven is either the same as the New Jerusalem or the New
Jerusalem is in Heaven.

           II.  The Place of the Dead in the Old Testament

     Perhaps the best single passage that clearly shows and pictures
what the situation was before the death, resurrection, and ascension
of Jesus is Luke 16:19-31.  It is the story of the rich man and
Lazarus.  It should be noted that this is not a parable.  Jesus did
not call it a parable and parables do not have proper names.  It is a
real story that Jesus told.

     What is described in Luke 16:19-31 is the situation beginning
with Adam until the ascension of Jesus.  When speaking of "the place
of the dead" in the Old Testament, it does not mean Old Testament
history only, but includes Old Testament history all the way through
gospel history until the ascension of Jesus.  The dividing line
between what is true concerning the place of the dead for the Old
Testament saints and the place of the dead for the New Testament
saints is the ascension of Jesus into Heaven.

     Four things can be pointed out concerning the place of the dead
until the ascension of Jesus from Luke 16:19-31.

     First, every person who died, whether they were righteous or
unrighteous went down to Sheol or Hades which, as was noted, is in the
center of the Earth.

     Secondly, the righteous went into Abraham's Bosom where Paradise
was located at that time.  While the animal blood sacrifices were
sufficient to keep the Old Testament saint out of Hell, it was
insufficient to get them into Heaven.  The Old Testament saint was
saved the same way believers are today: by grace through faith.  In
both cases, however, there was the element of blood.  Up until the
death of Jesus, the blood sacrifice that was necessary was that of the
animal blood and the sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law.  Because
this was animal blood, the blood sacrifices only covered the sins of
the saints but did not remove them.  As Hebrews 10:1-4 emphasizes, it
is impossible for the blood of bulls or goats, the blood of animals,
to take away sin.  The reason why the blood sacrifices, while
sufficient to keep them out of Hell but insufficient to get them into
Heaven is because the blood sacrifices only covered sin, but did not
remove it.  Nevertheless, Abraham's Bosom, where Paradise was located,
was a place of bliss for the immaterial part of the Old Testament
saint, for the soul of the Old Testament saint.

     The third point concerning the place of the dead in the Old
Testament concerns the unrighteous.  The unrighteous went into Hades
Proper better known as Hell or Abbadon or the Pit.  Unlike Abraham's
Bosom, Hades Proper, or Hell, was a place of torment.

     The fourth thing to note about the place of the dead in the Old
Testament is that there was an impassable gulf between the two sides
of Sheol or Hades.  It was possible to see across this gulf, it was
possible to converse across this gulf, but it was impossible to cross
over from one side to the other.  Obviously, if it was possible, all
of the crossing would be in one direction only as no one in Abraham's
Bosom would want to go to Hell but those in Hell would definitely
desire to enter into Abraham's Bosom.  This was the situation from the
time of Adam until the ascension of Jesus.

                  III.  The Place of the Dead Today

                            A.  Believers

     Concerning the believers, four things should be noted.

                       1.  The Death of Christ

     When Jesus died, He died for all our sins.  He also died for all
the world's sins of all time.  When Jesus died He died for all sins,
those committed before His death and those committed after His death.
It was also the death of Jesus that removed the sins of the Old
Testament saints.

                      2.  The Descent of Christ

     When Jesus died, His soul, His immaterial part, descended into
the righteous portion of Sheol or Hades.  In Matthew 12:40 Jesus
predicted that He must go down into the heart of the Earth and that is
where Sheol or Hades is located.  Ephesians 4:9 states that Jesus
descended into the lower parts of the Earth.  I Peter 3:18-19 point
out that in His spirit Jesus preached to the spirits in prison.  These
spirits were the unrighteous ones in Hell.  Some have misunderstood
this verse and taught that since He preached, he preached the gospel
to them and gave them a second chance to be saved.  However, the Greek
word that is used here is not the Greek word that means to preach the
gospel, but it is a Greek word that simply means "to make a
proclamation."  So what Jesus did when He descended is that His spirit
made a proclamation that the death of Jesus guarantees the judgment of
the unsaved.  Jesus made the proclamation to those in Hell.  Because
of this, some assumed that Jesus descended into Hell and this He did
not.  He told the dying thief on the cross that that very day the both
of them would be in Paradise, not in Hell.  When Jesus died His spirit
descended to the righteous side of Sheol or Hades and that was
Abraham's Bosom.  As has been noted, if one was in Abraham's Bosom, he
could see those in Hell and converse with those in Hell.  So the
spirit of Jesus descended into Abraham's Bosom and He made the
proclamation that the death of Christ guaranteed their future
judgment.

     Those who were to benefit from the death of Jesus were the souls
of Abraham's Bosom only, and not the souls of Hell.

                     3.  The Ascension of Christ

     When Christ ascended into Heaven He took the souls of the Old
Testament saints with Him (Ephesians 4:8-10).  "He led captivity
captive" and those who had been captivated within the confines of
Abraham's Bosom were now taken out of Abraham's Bosom.  All the
righteous souls that had died before the death of Jesus ascended with
Jesus into Heaven.  As a result Abraham's Bosom, the righteous side of
Sheol or Hades, has been eliminated and Paradise is no longer in
Abraham's Bosom: Paradise is now in the Third Heaven (II Corinthians
12:1- 4).

                     4.  The Souls of the Saints

     The souls of the saints today go immediately into Heaven.  No
longer is there a temporary holding pattern.  The moment a believer
dies he immediately goes into the presence of God.  II Corinthians
5:6-8 teaches that to be absent from the body is to be present with
the Lord and the Lord is in the Third Heaven.  Philippians 1:21-23
states that to depart in death is to be with Christ and Christ is in
the Third Heaven seated at the right hand of God the Father.

                         B.  The Unbelievers

     As far as unbelievers are concerned, nothing has changed for
them.  What happens to unbelievers today is a continuation of what was
true before the ascension of Jesus.  The soul of unbelievers still go
down to Hades Proper or Hell.

               IV.  The Place of the Dead in the Future

     This section will be divided into two parts: the future of the
believers and the unbelievers.

                          A.  The Believers

     The study on the future of the dead for believers will be divided
into two time spans.

                      1.  The Messianic Kingdom

     Concerning the church saints, they will be resurrected at the
Rapture.  The church saints will then return with Jesus at the second
coming and they will co-reign with Jesus on Earth for the thousand
years of the Kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6).  As for the Old Testament
saints, they will be resurrected only after the second coming (Isaiah
26:19; Daniel 12:2) and they will be inside the Promised Land during
the Kingdom.  The Old Testament saints will inherit all of the
Promised Land.  The Tribulation saints who die will also be
resurrected after the second coming.  They will also co-reign, like
the church saints, with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-
6).

                        2.  The Eternal Order

     The second phase of the future of the believers will be the
Eternal Order or the Eternal State which will be in the New Jerusalem.
The New Jerusalem, which is now in the Third Heaven, or is the same as
the Third Heaven, will come down upon that New Earth that God will
create after the Messianic Kingdom (Revelation 21:1-22:5).  At that
point Paradise will be in the New Jerusalem upon the New Earth
(Revelation 2:7).

     The future of the believers, ultimately in the Eternal State,
will be in the New Jerusalem upon that New Earth that God is going to
create at that time.

                         B.  The Unbelievers

     Concerning the state of the dead unbelievers in the future, six
points will be made.

                        1.  The Eternal State

     The unbelievers are going to remain in Sheol or Hades until the
end of the thousand year Messianic Kingdom.  It is only at the end of
the one thousand years that the souls of the unbelievers will be taken
out of Hades, out of Hell (Revelation 20:11-15).  This removal of the
souls out of Hell is known as the Second Resurrection because all the
bodies of the unbelievers will be resurrected, and all the souls of
unbelievers will be removed from Hell so at this point Hell is going
to be eliminated.

     After the Second Resurrection in which the souls of Hell are
removed and the bodies of the unbelievers are resurrected and reunited
with those souls, all of these unbelievers will then stand before the
Great White Throne Judgment.  The purpose of the Great White Throne
Judgment is not to determine whether they were saved or unsaved: that
is determined forever upon death.  The purpose of this Great White
Throne Judgment is to determine degree of punishment because some will
suffer more severely than other.

     After the Great White Throne Judgment will come the final abode
of all unbelievers which will be Gehenna or the Lake of Fire.

                          2.  The Scriptures

     The second thing concerns the scriptures.  The Gehenna and the
Lake of Fire passages were discussed earlier.  From these passages it
was determined that the eternal abode of the unbeliever is the Lake of
Fire.

                       3.  Descriptive Phrases

     The third part of this study on the place of the unbelieving dead
in the future is to point out certain descriptive passages that
describe this eternal state.  There are nine phrases that describe the
eternal state of the unbeliever.

     The first is "the Gehenna of Fire" (Matthew 5:22; 18:9).

     The second is "the judgment of Gehenna" (Matthew 23:33).

     The third is "the outer darkness."  As over against the place of
light, this is the place of outer darkness (Matthew 8:12; 22:13;
25:30).

     The fourth is "unquenchable fire."  The Lake of Fire burns for
ever, so this is the "unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12; Mark 9:43;
Luke 3:17).

     The fifth is "the eternal fire."  It emphasizes the eternalness
of the Lake fire (Matthew 25:41; Jude 7).

     The sixth is "the eternal destruction" (II Thessalonians 1:9).
Again, it is a view of a continuous, eternal, unending destruction; a
place of torment indeed.

     The seventh is "the furnace of fire."  Often the term "fire" is
the issue since that is the means of torment (Matthew 13:42,50).

     The eighth is "the blackness of darkness" again emphasizing the
opposite of light (II Peter 2:17; Jude 13).

     The ninth is "the second death."  The first death is physical
death and the second death is eternal spiritual death in the Lake of
Fire (Revelation 2:11; 20:14; 21:8).

         4.  The State of the Unbeliever in the Lake of Fire

     The fourth thing concerning the place of the unbelieving dead in
the future is the state of the unbeliever in the Lake of Fire.

     It is a smoke of torment (Revelation 14:10-11).

     It is a fire that is not quenchable (Mark 9:48).

     It is a state of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12;
13:42,50; 22:13; 24;51; 25:30; Luke 13:28).

     It is a place of unholy associations (Revelation 21:8; 22:15).

     It is a state of eternally suffering the wrath of God (John
3:36).

                            5.  Deductions

     Eight deductions can be drawn concerning the place of the dead in
the future.

     First, it is a total deprivation of divine favor.

     Second, it is an endless disturbance of life.

     Third, it is a time of positive pain in body and in soul.

     Fourth, there are pangs of conscience.

     Fifth, it is anguish.

     Sixth, it is a place of despair.

     Seventh, it is torment.

     Eighth, it is an eternal state of consciousness.

                           6.  The Duration

     The duration of this kind of torment is eternal (Revelation
14:11).  It carries the same duration as the eternal bliss for the
saints (Matthew 25:46).  It is stated out that this worm never dies
(Mark 9:48).

     This is the negative aspect: the eternal state of the unbeliever.
As one sees what the Bible says about this, one should be so much more
joyful about what Jesus has saved the believer from by means of His
own death.

           V.  False Views Concerning the Place of the Dead

     There are two major false views concerning the place of the dead.
Both of these originated primarily with Roman Catholicism.

                         A.  Limbus Infantum

     The first false view is known as Limbus Infantum.  This has to do
with those who die in infancy.  The word "Limbus" is a Latin word
which means "edge."  In Catholicism the Limbus Infantum is a place at
the edge of Hell.  It is a place where unbaptized infants go.  If an
infant dies in an unbaptized state, he will not go to Hell because he
was an infant, but neither will he go to Heaven because he was not
baptized.  Rather, they teach, there is a special place at the edge of
Hell where an unbaptized infant goes.  He suffers no positive
punishment but he is excluded from the blessings of Heaven.

     This is one major false teaching concerning the place of the dead
and it might be criticized in two points.  First, this entire view is
based upon another false doctrine known as baptismal regeneration:
that by means of water baptism one can be saved.  They believe that if
an infant is baptized, those few drops of water save the infant
spiritually.  Because they believe in baptismal regeneration, because
they believe that baptism saves the infant but a lack of baptism does
not, they came up with a place that infants can go that is neither
Heaven nor Hell, but a place at the edge of Hell.

     The second thing to say by way of critique is that the Bible
nowhere speaks of such a place.  Nowhere in Scripture is such a place
known.  It is purely a tradition and one should not develop one's
theology from church tradition.  The Bible is the only authority for
all matters of both faith and practice.

                B.  The Teaching Concerning Purgatory

     The second false view concerning the place of the dead is the
teaching concerning Purgatory.  This is a more common false position.
This will be dealt with in three parts.

                           1.  The Concept

     The word "Purgatory" comes from a Latin term that means "to
purge."  Purgatory, according to Catholicism is a place of
purification for those that are not bad enough to go to Hell but not
good enough to go to Heaven.  So one spends a duration of time in
Purgatory and then finally he can go to Heaven.  But how long must
they stay in Purgatory?  The answer given is that it varies according
to the needs of individuals and time in Purgatory can be shortened by
prayers, by good works, by attending Mass, by penance, and the
purchasing of indulgences.

                      2.  The Attempted Support

     What is their support for this teaching?  They try, first of all,
to support this teaching from Scripture and there are six passages
they use: Isaiah 4:4 (where it speaks of the blood of Jerusalem being
purged); Micah 7:8 (when I sit in darkness, Jehovah will be a light
unto me.); Zechariah 9:11 (set free thy prisoners from the pit);
Malachi 3:2 (for he is like a refiner's fire, and like a fullers'
soap); I Corinthians 3:13-17 (which speaks of the fire at the Judgment
Seat of Christ); and, I Corinthians 15:29 (which speaks of the baptism
for the dead).

     These are the six evidences from Scripture that they use to try
to prove the doctrine of Purgatory.  In reality, however, none of them
actually teach any such concept of Purgatory.

     Actually, their main support is apocryphal.  The key proof comes
from the Apocrypha and not from Scripture.  The particular passage
that they use in the Apocrypha is II Machabees 12:41-45:

     All men therefore praising the Lord, the righteous judge who had
opened the things that were hid betook themselves to prayer and
besought him that a sin committed might wholly be put out of
remembrance.  Besides that noble Judah exhorted the people to keep
themselves from sin for so much as they saw before their eyes the
things that came to pass for the sins of those that were slain.  And
when he had made a gathering throughout the company to the sum of two
thousand drachmas of silver, he sent it to Jerusalem to offer a sin
offering doing therein very well and honestly in that he was mindful
of the resurrection.  For if he had not hoped that were slain should
have risen again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the
dead.  And also in that he perceived that there was great favor laid
up for those that died Godly, it was a holy and good though whereupon
he made a reconciliation for the dead that they might be delivered
from sin.  This is the main evidence that the Roman Catholic Church
actually uses to teach the doctrine of Purgatory.  This is why they
have chosen to make the book of Machabees part of Scripture though it
was never accepted by the Jews and in the time of Jesus the books of
the Machabees were never classed among that which was known as
Scripture.

                            3.  A Critique

     Three criticism can be leveled against the doctrine of Purgatory.

     First, none of the six passages of Scripture that they cite
actually teach that there is any such place as Purgatory.  Isaiah 4:4
talks about the forgiveness of the sins of Jerusalem at the end of the
Tribulation.  Micah 7:8 is a spiritual truth that even when the
believer is forced into a place of darkness, God will be light unto
him.  This passage is not saying that that person is in Purgatory.
Zechariah 9:11 is speaking of a future resurrection and not Purgatory.
Malachi 3:2 speaks of the judgments of the Great Tribulation and not
Purgatory.  I Corinthians 3:13-17 speaks about the Judgment Seat of
Christ after the rapture in Heaven and not Purgatory.  As for I
Corinthians 15:29 whatever the baptism for the dead may actually mean,
does not even hint of a place of refining in Purgatory.  So none of
the Scriptures cited actually teach that there is any such place as
Purgatory.

     The second critique is to point out that the Apocryphal citation
which was quoted above, actually proves far too much for the Catholic
Church because the specific sin in that passage was the sin of
idolatry.  And yet idolatry is one of the seven deadly sins in
Catholicism for which there can only be Hell and not Purgatory.  So
even when they use the citation from the book of the Machabees it
proves too much because the sin was idolatry and even in Catholicism
that is not solved by Purgatory but by Hell.

     The third criticism is that the concept of Purgatory is a very
clear denial of the finished work of Christ.  Yet the teaching of the
New Testament is that when Jesus died on the cross it was a finished
work and "the finished work of Christ" means that the sins of the
believer have once and for all been purified.

     The believer does not need to go through a period of purging and
purifying in Purgatory (Titus 2:14; Hebrews 1:3).  The work of Christ
is finished and that includes the total forgiveness of sins so that
the believer need not go through a temporary period of purging in
Purgatory before he can enter into Heaven.

                    ------------------------------

     The preceding is a manuscript of a radio broadcast of Arnold G.
Fruchtenbaum, director of Ariel Ministries.  The text is copyrighted
material being reproduced with the permission of the Board of
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All scripture quotes are from the American Standard Version.

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