Sheol, Hades, Hell, Paradise, & Heaven

The passage simply says that Jesus was not abandoned to Hades nor did He undergo decay. Jesus assumes this is true when He tells Peter that Hades will not conquer the church (compare Matt. 16:18 to Isaiah 38:10). In other words, the church will not die.

Hell and Gehenna. In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:23-31), Jesus reveals an important fact when He says the rich man was in Hades and Lazarus was in the bosom of Abraham (v. 16). HADES or SHEOL are the same name for the place where the spirits of the wicked dead will live until the last judgment. The spirits of the righteous do not live there - only their bodies. However, the spirits of the unrighteous dead live in Hades.

And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. (NASB) Matt. 11:23

Just as the pit was within SHEOL in the Old Testament, Gehenna appears to be within HADES.

And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (NASB) Matt. 10:28

GEHENNA is also a place of horrible suffering (Mark 9:43, 48). It is a fiery place (Matt. 5:22; 18:9; Mark 9:43; James 3:6). GEHENNA (Hell) is a place of judgment (Matt. 5:29, 30; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:45, 47; Luke 12:5). According to Jesus, GEHENNA (Hell) is where both the body and soul are destroyed (Matt. 10:28). But Gehenna is not where the unrighteous dead will spend eternity. That place is called the Lake of Fire.

Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire is not Hades, since God says that Hades will end up there.

And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. (NASB) Rev. 20:14

The Lake of Fire is where Satan and all who reject Jesus Christ in this life will spend eternity. It is a place of constant fire and suffering. This will not be a fun place.

Tartarus. The New Testament also teaches that some angels who sinned were sent to Tartarus.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell [Tartarus], putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment. (NIV) 2 Peter 2:4

Tartarus is the New Testament name for Abaddon. It is there that Satan will be bound for 1,000 years before he ends up in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:1-2).

Paradise. What does scripture mean by the phrase “bosom of Abraham” in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man? It appears that the answer is Paradise since the Holy Spirit tells us that Paradise is either in heaven or is heaven (2 Cor. 12:2-4),

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago - whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows - such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man - whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows - was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. (NASB) 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

Paradise is in the third heaven. The first heaven is our atmosphere; the second heaven is our universe and the third heaven is where God lives. The third heaven is a spiritual realm. This is where Jesus promised the thief on the cross he would go. The thief believed in Jesus, and as a result, the thief did not have to do anything.

And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (NASB) Luke 23:43