Hades, the Place Where the Dead Await the Resurrection



Posted: Monday, June 15, 2009

by John Waddey
firstcenturychristian

Hades is the place where the spirits of the dead are housed while they await Jesus' return and the resurrection of all humanity who have died. Everyone could see what happened to the body when death occurred. Consciousness and all of its normal functions ceased. It immediately began to decay. When placed in a tomb, the flesh soon dissolved, leaving only the bones. The question was, what happened to the spirit, the personality that had once inhabited that decayed body? The terms Hades was used to identify the place where the living spirits of the physically dead resided. We see this in Luke 16:23 where we are told of the wicked Rich Man, who "in Hades,... lifted up his eyes, being in torments..." He could see righteous Lazarus and Abraham who were in the same region. The text describes Hades as containing a place of torment for the wicked, a place of rest for the righteous and a great impassable gulf which separated them (Luke 16:22-26). There was no communication with the living yet on earth and no second chances for the wicked. This, mind you, is the teaching of Christ himself who created all things in heaven and on earth, things visible and invisible (Col. 1:16). We speak not of some Jewish fable or superstition. Jesus himself went to Hades upon his death. He said to the penitent thief, "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). Paradise is another descriptive name for the place of rest in Hades where the righteous dead await the resurrection. The Master also promised his disciples that even though he must die, "The gates of Hades will not prevail against" his being able to build his church (Matt. 16:18). Normally all who died went to Hades and could not hope to escape. But he knew the power of God resident in him and promised that Hades (the place of the dead) could not and would not keep him. He would be resurrected and then build his church.

When Jesus returns, all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice and come forth (John 5:28-29). Hades will be emptied both the good and bad at that point . All will then stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive the things done in the body, be they good or bad (II Cor. 5:10). They will be separated and the righteous will receive eternal life with God and the wicked will be consigned to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46). When the resurrection occurs the need for Hades will have been removed. After that event, there will be no more physical life on earth and no more physical dying. Thus John tells us that following the resurrection, "Death and Hades, were cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:14). That is, they will be destroyed.

Some assume that those who die immediately go to their eternal reward. If that were the case, there would be no need for a future resurrection and judgment. Also they would be in their reward without a body. Such does not square with the general teaching of the Bible regarding the future life.

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