Hades is the Greek term
used in the New Testament
for the realm of the dead.
It is the temporary place
where the spirits of the deceased go
while awaiting the final resurrection
and judgment.
In many contexts,
especially in the teaching of Jesus,
Hades is portrayed as
the place of the unrighteous dead.
Hades is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament term Sheol, which generally referred to the grave or the realm of the dead. While Sheol in the Old Testament often simply meant the place of the dead (both righteous and unrighteous), the New Testament develops a clearer distinction.
Key features of Hades in the New Testament:
It is important to distinguish Hades from Gehenna (often translated “hell”):
Hades is temporary; the lake of fire is eternal.
Hades is a real but temporary realm of the dead. For unbelievers, it is a place of conscious distress while awaiting final judgment. For believers, the New Testament emphasizes that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The ultimate hope of the Christian is not merely escaping Hades, but the resurrection of the body and eternal life in the new heaven and new earth. Jesus’ victory over death includes His authority over Hades itself.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.