Where in the bible is that mentioned. I couldn't find it in there!
If its not in the bible where did it come from.
I have no clue as to what this is all about!
__________________
Mathews z-max
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Where in the bible is that mentioned. I couldn't find it in there!
If its not in the bible where did it come from.
I have no clue as to what this is all about!
History will show that it is a man made catholic doctrine. The catholic priests would tell families that the deceased has gone to purgatory and if they pay the priest enough money he will say enough prayers to get him into heaven. It is called indulgences. It is not found in the bible but is a big money maker for the catholic church. They pulled that trickon my mother when each one of her parents died.
Amen..it was to my understanding that is why they endorse the apocrapha ..because it supports pergatory and the worship of angels. The apocrapha is in the middle of their Bibles. ..about 10 books added ot their Bible.
The Dogma of faith concerning purgatory was issued by the Council of Florence in 1439. Yet the Apocrapha books were not added to the Catholic scriptures until the Council of Trent in 1645. Odd isn"t it? All scriptures speaks of only two places and choices. The Apocrapha from which the doctrine of Purgatory comes is contrary to the rest of scriptural teaching and is why we do not accept it as scripture. God cannot contradict Himself and His Word still be PURE and reliable. The Apocrapha are the only books that have "revelations" outside the rest of scripture and things that are contrary to the rest of scripture and therefore do not fit into the perfect harmony of scripture. They are useful as historical writings, but are not inspired scriptures. All inspired scriptures were written by Old Testament Prophets and New Testament Apostles, of which the writers of the Apocrypha are not! 2Peter 3:2 "That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour." Ephesians 2:20 "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;"
Catholics are not Sola Scriptura, but also rely on the Tradition of the Catholic Church.
We don't believe everything God has ever revealed to us was written in the Bible, but believe that tradition passed down by word of mouth or by customs and rituals are just as valid.
When the Catholic Councils meet, they are not making "man made doctrine"...They are simply defining what is already believed and accepted.
Second, there is no Worship of angels...or any of that. We ask them to help us and to pray for us just as you would ask your neighbor to pray for you.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (explaining the Churches Traditions and beliefs) talks about this in detail.
There is a common misconception of Catholics WORSHIPING saints and Mary...in the Hail Mary, we dont worship Her, we simply say "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death."
Sorry for the rant
__________________
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle...
"The Rosary is the scourge of the devil"
-Pope Adrian
There are scriptures that support a purgatory, but not as the catholics teach, that through prayer an mass a soul can be freed from purgatory, the bible teaches different.
[align=left]Christians go to Heaven after death, and non-Christians go to Hades, which is very frequently confused with Hell. The two are not the same. Hades [also known as Sheol] is temporary; while Hell is final. Hades receives non-believers, and they stay there until the final judgment; Hell is the final destination for non-believers after the Judgment. The Bible says that in the time near the end of the world, voices of praise and worship to God will be heard from the people of Hades (Philippians 2:10-11, Revelation 5:13). How should we interpret these verses?
Hades is Not Hell [/align][align=left]Hades is the world where non-Christians go after death. It is different from Hell, because the Bible says in Revelation 20:14, "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire (=Hell) is the second death."
This passage describes a scene from the end of the world when the old Heaven and old Earth pass away, when the new Heaven and new Earth are soon to come, and when all non-Christians, who are now in Hades, are brought out before God's court to be judged. Final destinies will be determined, after which the empty Hades will be abandoned and thrown into "the lake of fire," another name for Hell.
Since this is what the Bible says, then how can Hades possibly be one and the same as Hell? The two are totally and completely different.
Since the Middle Ages, during which the Church suffered heavy corruption, Hades has come to be confused with Hell, but they are not the same. Hades is a temporary place that receives non-Christians until God's final judgment of the end of the world, while Hell is reserved for after Judgment, for those who continue to reject God.
People are being taught that Christians go to Heaven after death, and that non-Christians will go to Hell right after death. This is misleading and not Biblical. The Bible clearly separates the temporary and the permanent destinations for both Christians and non-Christians.
Christians go to Heaven after death, and they temporarily live in a spiritual state without a body. But when the new Heaven and new Earth replace the old, believers will receive a new and eternal body -- their final state.
Non-Christians, on the other hand, go to Hades after death, where they remain until God's time for final judgment of the end of the world. So, Hades is their interim destination. At His court of judgment, God will determine their final destiny: either the kingdom of God [new Heaven and new Earth] or "the lake of fire" [Hell]. [/align][align=center][/align][align=left]Before Christ, All who died Went to Hades (Sheol) [/align][align=left]Hades is a Greek word which means "world of the dead"; the Hebrew word "Sheol" matches this meaning entirely. Some claim that Hades of the New Testament has a slightly different meaning from Sheol, but the terms are identical in meaning.
Each citation of the Hebrew word "Sheol" in the Old Testament is translated as "Hades" in the Septuaginta, the authorized Greek translation of the same, widely read among Greek Jews in the time of Jesus. "Hades" is a mere Greek translation of "Sheol."
In times before Christ, Sheol, that is the same as Hades, was known as the world where all the dead went. Both believers and non-believers went there. For example, when Jacob, forefather of the Israelites, heard the news that his beloved son Joseph had died, Jacob said: "in mourning will I go down to Sheol to my son." (Genesis 37:35)
Jacob says that Joseph went to Sheol, in spite of his son"s pious faith in God. It was generally understood among Jews that all those who died go down to Sheol. Obviously, Sheol is not Heaven, for it is said to be under the earth. Sheol is not Hell either, since it was formerly a destination for believers as much as it was for non-believers. Before Christ, Sheol was the world for all the dead. (See also Psalm 88:3, Ecclesiastes 9:10, and I Samuel 28:13.)
Not only the wicked, but the righteous (including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Isaiah, Jeremiah and all believers and prophets) were also destined for Sheol after death, because it was before Jesus died on the cross. The ancient Jews taught that a vast Sheol was divided into several parts: one for the righteous (believers of God), and other parts for the wicked (non-believers). [/align][align=left]The Rich Man Went to Hades, Not Hell [/align][align=left]The Book of Enoch, written long before Christ, was widely familiar and read among Jews, including Jesus" disciples. In the New Testament, the Epistle of Jude verses 14-15 refers back to The Book of Enoch 1:9. This book refers to Sheol as divided into 4 parts: one for souls of the righteous, and the other 3 for that of the unrighteous. According to their deeds performed on earth, people are each taken to the one division of Sheol they most deserve. The division for the righteous offers more comfort and less torment, but the other parts host greater degrees of torment and a lesser degree of comfort.
Jesus tells a parable familiarly known as "The Rich Man and Lazarus" (Luke 16:19-31), depicting certain events that happened in Sheol, or Hades. The New International Version (NIV) offers the following translation of Luke 16:22-23: "The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment..." In this passage, "hell" is a misleading translation because the original Greek text is "Hades". The rich man went to "the place of torment" (16:28) in Hades, not Hell.
Lazarus went to the place where Abraham had gone, which is "the place of comfort" in Sheol. As mentioned, all souls went to Sheol, to one of its divisions. So my point is, this story is set neither in Heaven nor in Hell; the setting is Sheol (Hades).
I imagine the "place of torment" where the rich man went is the division of greatest torment. Even so, the severest torment in Sheol must have been far lighter than what awaits in Hell. For one thing, the rich man was able to converse with Abraham, requiring functional intelligence. The torment that characterizes Hell is so severe that conversations would be out of the question.
Perhaps Sheol (Hades) could be likened to a custody cell, and Hell would be more like prison. A custody cell holds the suspect until trial, and prison is reserved for the convicted criminal. Likewise, Sheol (Hades) retains souls of the dead until God's final judgment; Hell is prepared for the destruction after that.
One could say that Abraham and Lazarus went to the division of Sheol reserved for believers. It was the division of relative comfort, but lacking the Joy and Glory promised in Heaven. This "relative" comfort could be similar to what a person experiences when going to bed and resting at night, but we are promised Heaven to be full of Joy and happiness. [/align][align=left]Believers Who Lived Before Christ Are Now In Heaven [/align][align=left]The story, told by Jesus, of Lazarus and the Rich Man can be seen as a true story because it specifies both Abraham and Lazarus by name. When characters are specified by name in the Bible, it is a true story. Jesus told many parables without specifically naming his characters and settings, and rather generalized, saying "one man" or "in a place."
So Jesus told a historical story set during Old Testament times. But today, Abraham, Lazarus, the prophets, and all the other believers who lived in Old Testament times are no longer in Sheol, but in Heaven. The New Testament observes:
""When he (Jesus) ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men."" (Ephesians 4:8-9)
When Jesus ascended into Heaven, "he led captives (in his train)." Who are these "captives"? Evil spirits? No, Jesus did not lead evil spirits to Heaven. The "captives" are humans and Jesus "gave gifts to men." One translation of the Bible refers to the people in Hades as "spirits in prison" (I Peter 3:19) and in yet another translation, "spirits in captivity." Those who ascended to Heaven with Jesus at his ascension were "captives" held hostage in Hades.
In the eyes of his disciples, Jesus appeared to ascend alone from the Mount of Olives, but actually, a multitude of spirits from Hades are thought to have been with Jesus. Saints, prophets, and believers who had been held hostage in Hades ascended with Jesus. They are now in Heaven. [/align][align=left]Confusion of Hades with Hell [/align][align=left]Since Jesus" ascension, Christians go to Heaven after death, and non-Christians go to Hades, or Sheol. The apostle Paul thought that when he was drawn out of his body, he would be with Christ in Heaven (II Corinthians 5:8). The book of Revelation mentions the Christian martyrs in Heaven directly conversing with the Lord (6:9-11, 8:3). Thus, Christians go directly to Heaven after death, neither to Hades, nor through Hades, because Christ has redeemed them.
Not so for non-Christians, for Hades remains wide open as ever for dead souls in general, until God"s final judgment. Each unbelieving soul is taken to an appropriate division of Hades, according to their deeds done on earth, and rewarded or avenged accordingly by God.
All unbelieving souls now bide their time in Hades, or Sheol. Hell remains vacant. Hell awaits, ready and prepared (Matthew 25:41), butwill remain vacant until after the final judgment. Only then will the damned be thrown into Hell.
The original Greek word for Hell is "Gehenna" (Matthew 5:29). It is also referred to as "the lake of fire." The Bible mentions Hell to be the place of eternal torment (Revelation 20:10) and the final destination for non-believers.
In the 17th century, a translation error in the authorized King James Version (KJV) resulted in confusing Hades with Hell. "Hades" was translated "Hell". Certain English translations still contain the same mistake. The original Greek text clearly states that the rich man went to "Hades" after death (Luke 16:23), for instance, while the English version so simply interprets Hades to mean "Hell."
This fundamental error has emerged to be the source of an on-going confusion that plagues the English-speaking world. Many people still think that non-Christians promptly go to Hell after death. Nonetheless, the Bible clearly states that Hell is for the subjects of the final judgment of the end of the world. Non-Christians" interim destination continues to be the same old Hades until the end.
We must not confuse Hades with Hell. Such confusion is the source of every misunderstanding about the world of the dead. [/align][align=left]The Bible Declares that the Gospel Exists for those in Hades as well[/align][align=left]The non-Christians who have passed away now reside in Hades, or Sheol, and at the end of the world, God's final judgment will determine their final destiny. Does this mean all of them will go to Hell? Or, will any of them be saved and delivered to God's kingdom?
The Bible clearly states in Philippians 2:10-11 that the Gospel of Christ is not only for the people on earth, but also for those in Hades:
""that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (NKJV) The Gospel is also for "those under the earth," which is the Bible"s special way of referring to the souls of Hades.
The passage cited above is taken from the New King James Version, but several other English translations omit the part about "of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth," in spite that the original Greek text has that part.
In addition, the Bible mentions in Revelation 5:13 that, in the end times, voices will be heard from the depths of Hades praising and worshipping God:
"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (NIV)
Every English translation of this verse includes the part "under the earth," i.e., Hades. If Hades were confused with Hell in this context, one may struggle to understand. This verse does not necessarily mean that every soul in Hades will be saved: indeed, many will finally perish. Christ taught:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13)
" Many" will finally face eternal damnation in Hell, but the verses quoted above clearly claim that not everyone in Hades will. As far as their destinies, the Bible tells that many will go to Hell, but that some will believe, receive Christ as their Savior, and be finally saved from eternal damnation.
These verses are often ignored, attributed to either careless negligence or indifferent disregard. Regardless, those who do the ignoring often dismiss the idea as heresy. Naturally if this is heresy, then we who probe in search of truth are labeled "heretics," which is objectionable. We are not called to ignore Bible verses, but to rejoice in and preach the entire Gospel, which declares God"s inclusive Grace for even the inhabitants of Hades. [/align][align=left]Bible Verses Speak about the Second Chance[/align][align=left]Living in this world is the first chance to hear the Gospel and belive in Christ, but there are many who did not hear it in their lives. So there is the "second chance" for them to be saved in the world after death as I mentioned above refering to Philippians 2:10-11 and Revelation 5:13. The following verses also testify that there is the second chance.
"I (Christ) tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live... a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice." (John 5:25, 28)
Many Bible commentaries interpret "the dead" as spiritually dead people, or sinners. It surely means that, but not only that, "all who are in their graves" shows that "the dead" also means physically dead people. They are now in Hades but "will hear the voice of Christ," and those who hear will "live," which, when Christ says, always means to live in eternal life or to be saved. (Matthew 4:4, 22:32, Romans 1:17, 1 Peter 4:6)
And the Bible says in Ruth 2:20:
"'The LORD bless him!' Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. 'He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.'"
It is wrong to think that God is not merciful to the dead in Hades. Human being is the object of God's love, so are the people in Hades.
The Bible tells that God relents according to man's attitude.
"if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned."(Jeremiah 18:8)
"Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
God judges both the living and the dead by righteousness and mercy. According to man's attitude, He relents and rethink of the disaster He planned to him. If He would relent to the living, He would also relent to the dead. Thinking of this, Job once said in sufferings:
""If only you (God) would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! ...You will call and I will answer you; ...Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin." (Job 14:13-17)
Job was a believer of God but experienced great sufferings, and felt he was perishing similarly like a non-believer. The only hope he got was the second chance after his death. He believed in God who is merciful and relents to the dead.[/align][align=left]Why is there a Temporary Place for Non-Believers? [/align][align=left]Through our faith, God guarantees us our salvation while we are still living. This is very significant. As a result, we are given the benefit of living in blessed awareness as children of God. No such life is available in Hades. That is why our faith in Christ is so important to us while we abide on earth, and also why we ought to start living our lives that reveals God"s glory.
To experience salvation while still alive on earth would be the most desirable. On the other hand, many have never heard the Gospel of Christ, not even once. Still others may have never had the opportunity to secure their faith. Would they be turned away at the gates of Heaven for that?
No! As we have seen, the Gospel of Christ is available to those "captives" in Hades as well. Revelation chapter 20 describes God"s final judgment of those in Hades:
"death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done." (20:13)
This passage describes how all "the dead" will be brought before the court, and how God Himself will judge them according to "the book of life."
"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (20:15)
"The book of life" lists the names of all who believed. This of course suggests that anyone whose name is not found in it is destined to spend eternity suffering in Hell. And anyone whose name is found in it will inherit God's kingdom.
Why does it say that the book of life will be used to judge people in Hades? If there were no potential believers among the people in Hades, then for what purpose would God need His list of names? Rather, the book of life is mentioned here precisely because it will be needed to identify and separate converts from the others. [/align][align=left]Some claim all those in Hades will go to Hell when judged. But why? If it were already determined from the beginning, then there is simply no need for God to judge each person individually, much less is there any need for the book of life to be introduced. If that were the case, would it not suffice for God to make a clean sweep of Hades, to mindlessly transfer all the people to Hell without a trial. If that were the case, then even Hades would have been hardly necessary.
What purpose did God have in mind for Hades when He made and designated it a temporary "storage" of the dead until His judgment? Why will God hold a trial for the people of Hades? Why will the book of life (the list of believers) be needed in court? These questions all demand an answer, and the answer is because the people of Hades are all potential believers who God wants saved and take to His kingdom. [/align]
__________________
"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
There are scriptures that support a purgatory, but not as the catholics teach, that through prayer an mass a soul can be freed from purgatory, the bible teaches different.
[align=left]Christians go to Heaven after death, and non-Christians go to Hades, which is very frequently confused with Hell. The two are not the same. Hades [also known as Sheol] is temporary; while Hell is final. Hades receives non-believers, and they stay there until the final judgment; Hell is the final destination for non-believers after the Judgment. The Bible says that in the time near the end of the world, voices of praise and worship to God will be heard from the people of Hades (Philippians 2:10-11, Revelation 5:13). How should we interpret these verses?
Hades is Not Hell [/align][align=left]Hades is the world where non-Christians go after death. It is different from Hell, because the Bible says in Revelation 20:14, "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire (=Hell) is the second death."
This passage describes a scene from the end of the world when the old Heaven and old Earth pass away, when the new Heaven and new Earth are soon to come, and when all non-Christians, who are now in Hades, are brought out before God's court to be judged. Final destinies will be determined, after which the empty Hades will be abandoned and thrown into "the lake of fire," another name for Hell.
Since this is what the Bible says, then how can Hades possibly be one and the same as Hell? The two are totally and completely different.
Since the Middle Ages, during which the Church suffered heavy corruption, Hades has come to be confused with Hell, but they are not the same. Hades is a temporary place that receives non-Christians until God's final judgment of the end of the world, while Hell is reserved for after Judgment, for those who continue to reject God.
People are being taught that Christians go to Heaven after death, and that non-Christians will go to Hell right after death. This is misleading and not Biblical. The Bible clearly separates the temporary and the permanent destinations for both Christians and non-Christians.
Christians go to Heaven after death, and they temporarily live in a spiritual state without a body. But when the new Heaven and new Earth replace the old, believers will receive a new and eternal body -- their final state.
Non-Christians, on the other hand, go to Hades after death, where they remain until God's time for final judgment of the end of the world. So, Hades is their interim destination. At His court of judgment, God will determine their final destiny: either the kingdom of God [new Heaven and new Earth] or "the lake of fire" [Hell]. [/align][align=center][/align][align=left]Before Christ, All who died Went to Hades (Sheol) [/align][align=left]Hades is a Greek word which means "world of the dead"; the Hebrew word "Sheol" matches this meaning entirely. Some claim that Hades of the New Testament has a slightly different meaning from Sheol, but the terms are identical in meaning.
Each citation of the Hebrew word "Sheol" in the Old Testament is translated as "Hades" in the Septuaginta, the authorized Greek translation of the same, widely read among Greek Jews in the time of Jesus. "Hades" is a mere Greek translation of "Sheol."
In times before Christ, Sheol, that is the same as Hades, was known as the world where all the dead went. Both believers and non-believers went there. For example, when Jacob, forefather of the Israelites, heard the news that his beloved son Joseph had died, Jacob said: "in mourning will I go down to Sheol to my son." (Genesis 37:35)
Jacob says that Joseph went to Sheol, in spite of his son"s pious faith in God. It was generally understood among Jews that all those who died go down to Sheol. Obviously, Sheol is not Heaven, for it is said to be under the earth. Sheol is not Hell either, since it was formerly a destination for believers as much as it was for non-believers. Before Christ, Sheol was the world for all the dead. (See also Psalm 88:3, Ecclesiastes 9:10, and I Samuel 28:13.)
Not only the wicked, but the righteous (including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Isaiah, Jeremiah and all believers and prophets) were also destined for Sheol after death, because it was before Jesus died on the cross. The ancient Jews taught that a vast Sheol was divided into several parts: one for the righteous (believers of God), and other parts for the wicked (non-believers). [/align][align=left]The Rich Man Went to Hades, Not Hell [/align][align=left]The Book of Enoch, written long before Christ, was widely familiar and read among Jews, including Jesus" disciples. In the New Testament, the Epistle of Jude verses 14-15 refers back to The Book of Enoch 1:9. This book refers to Sheol as divided into 4 parts: one for souls of the righteous, and the other 3 for that of the unrighteous. According to their deeds performed on earth, people are each taken to the one division of Sheol they most deserve. The division for the righteous offers more comfort and less torment, but the other parts host greater degrees of torment and a lesser degree of comfort.
Jesus tells a parable familiarly known as "The Rich Man and Lazarus" (Luke 16:19-31), depicting certain events that happened in Sheol, or Hades. The New International Version (NIV) offers the following translation of Luke 16:22-23: "The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment..." In this passage, "hell" is a misleading translation because the original Greek text is "Hades". The rich man went to "the place of torment" (16:28) in Hades, not Hell.
Lazarus went to the place where Abraham had gone, which is "the place of comfort" in Sheol. As mentioned, all souls went to Sheol, to one of its divisions. So my point is, this story is set neither in Heaven nor in Hell; the setting is Sheol (Hades).
I imagine the "place of torment" where the rich man went is the division of greatest torment. Even so, the severest torment in Sheol must have been far lighter than what awaits in Hell. For one thing, the rich man was able to converse with Abraham, requiring functional intelligence. The torment that characterizes Hell is so severe that conversations would be out of the question.
Perhaps Sheol (Hades) could be likened to a custody cell, and Hell would be more like prison. A custody cell holds the suspect until trial, and prison is reserved for the convicted criminal. Likewise, Sheol (Hades) retains souls of the dead until God's final judgment; Hell is prepared for the destruction after that.
One could say that Abraham and Lazarus went to the division of Sheol reserved for believers. It was the division of relative comfort, but lacking the Joy and Glory promised in Heaven. This "relative" comfort could be similar to what a person experiences when going to bed and resting at night, but we are promised Heaven to be full of Joy and happiness. [/align][align=left]Believers Who Lived Before Christ Are Now In Heaven [/align][align=left]The story, told by Jesus, of Lazarus and the Rich Man can be seen as a true story because it specifies both Abraham and Lazarus by name. When characters are specified by name in the Bible, it is a true story. Jesus told many parables without specifically naming his characters and settings, and rather generalized, saying "one man" or "in a place."
So Jesus told a historical story set during Old Testament times. But today, Abraham, Lazarus, the prophets, and all the other believers who lived in Old Testament times are no longer in Sheol, but in Heaven. The New Testament observes:
""When he (Jesus) ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men."" (Ephesians 4:8-9)
When Jesus ascended into Heaven, "he led captives (in his train)." Who are these "captives"? Evil spirits? No, Jesus did not lead evil spirits to Heaven. The "captives" are humans and Jesus "gave gifts to men." One translation of the Bible refers to the people in Hades as "spirits in prison" (I Peter 3:19) and in yet another translation, "spirits in captivity." Those who ascended to Heaven with Jesus at his ascension were "captives" held hostage in Hades.
In the eyes of his disciples, Jesus appeared to ascend alone from the Mount of Olives, but actually, a multitude of spirits from Hades are thought to have been with Jesus. Saints, prophets, and believers who had been held hostage in Hades ascended with Jesus. They are now in Heaven. [/align][align=left]Confusion of Hades with Hell [/align][align=left]Since Jesus" ascension, Christians go to Heaven after death, and non-Christians go to Hades, or Sheol. The apostle Paul thought that when he was drawn out of his body, he would be with Christ in Heaven (II Corinthians 5:8). The book of Revelation mentions the Christian martyrs in Heaven directly conversing with the Lord (6:9-11, 8:3). Thus, Christians go directly to Heaven after death, neither to Hades, nor through Hades, because Christ has redeemed them.
Not so for non-Christians, for Hades remains wide open as ever for dead souls in general, until God"s final judgment. Each unbelieving soul is taken to an appropriate division of Hades, according to their deeds done on earth, and rewarded or avenged accordingly by God.
All unbelieving souls now bide their time in Hades, or Sheol. Hell remains vacant. Hell awaits, ready and prepared (Matthew 25:41), butwill remain vacant until after the final judgment. Only then will the damned be thrown into Hell.
The original Greek word for Hell is "Gehenna" (Matthew 5:29). It is also referred to as "the lake of fire." The Bible mentions Hell to be the place of eternal torment (Revelation 20:10) and the final destination for non-believers.
In the 17th century, a translation error in the authorized King James Version (KJV) resulted in confusing Hades with Hell. "Hades" was translated "Hell". Certain English translations still contain the same mistake. The original Greek text clearly states that the rich man went to "Hades" after death (Luke 16:23), for instance, while the English version so simply interprets Hades to mean "Hell."
This fundamental error has emerged to be the source of an on-going confusion that plagues the English-speaking world. Many people still think that non-Christians promptly go to Hell after death. Nonetheless, the Bible clearly states that Hell is for the subjects of the final judgment of the end of the world. Non-Christians" interim destination continues to be the same old Hades until the end.
We must not confuse Hades with Hell. Such confusion is the source of every misunderstanding about the world of the dead. [/align][align=left]The Bible Declares that the Gospel Exists for those in Hades as well[/align][align=left]The non-Christians who have passed away now reside in Hades, or Sheol, and at the end of the world, God's final judgment will determine their final destiny. Does this mean all of them will go to Hell? Or, will any of them be saved and delivered to God's kingdom?
The Bible clearly states in Philippians 2:10-11 that the Gospel of Christ is not only for the people on earth, but also for those in Hades:
""that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (NKJV) The Gospel is also for "those under the earth," which is the Bible"s special way of referring to the souls of Hades.
The passage cited above is taken from the New King James Version, but several other English translations omit the part about "of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth," in spite that the original Greek text has that part.
In addition, the Bible mentions in Revelation 5:13 that, in the end times, voices will be heard from the depths of Hades praising and worshipping God:
"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (NIV)
Every English translation of this verse includes the part "under the earth," i.e., Hades. If Hades were confused with Hell in this context, one may struggle to understand. This verse does not necessarily mean that every soul in Hades will be saved: indeed, many will finally perish. Christ taught:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13)
" Many" will finally face eternal damnation in Hell, but the verses quoted above clearly claim that not everyone in Hades will. As far as their destinies, the Bible tells that many will go to Hell, but that some will believe, receive Christ as their Savior, and be finally saved from eternal damnation.
These verses are often ignored, attributed to either careless negligence or indifferent disregard. Regardless, those who do the ignoring often dismiss the idea as heresy. Naturally if this is heresy, then we who probe in search of truth are labeled "heretics," which is objectionable. We are not called to ignore Bible verses, but to rejoice in and preach the entire Gospel, which declares God"s inclusive Grace for even the inhabitants of Hades. [/align][align=left]Bible Verses Speak about the Second Chance[/align][align=left]Living in this world is the first chance to hear the Gospel and belive in Christ, but there are many who did not hear it in their lives. So there is the "second chance" for them to be saved in the world after death as I mentioned above refering to Philippians 2:10-11 and Revelation 5:13. The following verses also testify that there is the second chance.
"I (Christ) tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live... a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice." (John 5:25, 28)
Many Bible commentaries interpret "the dead" as spiritually dead people, or sinners. It surely means that, but not only that, "all who are in their graves" shows that "the dead" also means physically dead people. They are now in Hades but "will hear the voice of Christ," and those who hear will "live," which, when Christ says, always means to live in eternal life or to be saved. (Matthew 4:4, 22:32, Romans 1:17, 1 Peter 4:6)
And the Bible says in Ruth 2:20:
"'The LORD bless him!' Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. 'He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.'"
It is wrong to think that God is not merciful to the dead in Hades. Human being is the object of God's love, so are the people in Hades.
The Bible tells that God relents according to man's attitude.
"if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned."(Jeremiah 18:8)
"Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
God judges both the living and the dead by righteousness and mercy. According to man's attitude, He relents and rethink of the disaster He planned to him. If He would relent to the living, He would also relent to the dead. Thinking of this, Job once said in sufferings:
""If only you (God) would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! ...You will call and I will answer you; ...Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin." (Job 14:13-17)
Job was a believer of God but experienced great sufferings, and felt he was perishing similarly like a non-believer. The only hope he got was the second chance after his death. He believed in God who is merciful and relents to the dead.[/align][align=left]Why is there a Temporary Place for Non-Believers? [/align][align=left]Through our faith, God guarantees us our salvation while we are still living. This is very significant. As a result, we are given the benefit of living in blessed awareness as children of God. No such life is available in Hades. That is why our faith in Christ is so important to us while we abide on earth, and also why we ought to start living our lives that reveals God"s glory.
To experience salvation while still alive on earth would be the most desirable. On the other hand, many have never heard the Gospel of Christ, not even once. Still others may have never had the opportunity to secure their faith. Would they be turned away at the gates of Heaven for that?
No! As we have seen, the Gospel of Christ is available to those "captives" in Hades as well. Revelation chapter 20 describes God"s final judgment of those in Hades:
"death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done." (20:13)
This passage describes how all "the dead" will be brought before the court, and how God Himself will judge them according to "the book of life."
"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (20:15)
"The book of life" lists the names of all who believed. This of course suggests that anyone whose name is not found in it is destined to spend eternity suffering in Hell. And anyone whose name is found in it will inherit God's kingdom.
Why does it say that the book of life will be used to judge people in Hades? If there were no potential believers among the people in Hades, then for what purpose would God need His list of names? Rather, the book of life is mentioned here precisely because it will be needed to identify and separate converts from the others. [/align][align=left]Some claim all those in Hades will go to Hell when judged. But why? If it were already determined from the beginning, then there is simply no need for God to judge each person individually, much less is there any need for the book of life to be introduced. If that were the case, would it not suffice for God to make a clean sweep of Hades, to mindlessly transfer all the people to Hell without a trial. If that were the case, then even Hades would have been hardly necessary.
What purpose did God have in mind for Hades when He made and designated it a temporary "storage" of the dead until His judgment? Why will God hold a trial for the people of Hades? Why will the book of life (the list of believers) be needed in court? These questions all demand an answer, and the answer is because the people of Hades are all potential believers who God wants saved and take to His kingdom. [/align]
Nice post Alex.
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Christians aren't perfect, just sinners saved by grace.
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We can understand that there are some who died before they were ever told of Christ, or were given a chance to receive His word, But Christ says that all will be given the chance and come under the judgement. So it is only natural that there would be a place for those people to " wait ", until Christ has been revealed to them, and they can make their decision of wheather or not to accept Him.
Thank You for your posts Alex, you are obviously a wealth of information and know the Scriptures.
I dont mean to start arguments here...but just thought id let you into my mind a bit...
In the Catholic Faith, we believe that when one dies...he or she is brought directly to Christ, even if he or she never knew of Him....
This being said, if in life they followed their conscience (One of three things that makes us in the likeness of God: conscience, free will, and soul) they will be in heaven or purgatory untill they are purged of all sins...
Purgatory was explained to me like this...
Pretend we are a piece of wood and sin is a nail....The nail will stick in the wood... but even when it is taken out...there is still a hole...
Purgatory fixes this hole!
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-Pope Adrian
Purgatory??
[/align][align=left]Before Christ, All who died Went to Hades (Sheol) [/align][align=left]Hades is a Greek word which means "world of the dead"; the Hebrew word "Sheol" matches this meaning entirely. Some claim that Hades of the New Testament has a slightly different meaning from Sheol, but the terms are identical in meaning. 
