Sheol is a Hebrew word and is often translated as “the abode of the dead”. You must always look at the context of the passage to get the most accurate meaning.The Greek word Hades is translated the same way.

Looking at the chart below you can read that Paradise, the place were BELIEVERS go the moment they die, is now in the third heaven. Before Jesus died, was buried and rose again, Paradise was in Sheol, opposite Hell with a great divide between them. More about this in a moment.

First we look at what happened to UNBELIEVERS and BELIEVERS when they died, from the time of Adam and Eve till the moment Jesus rose from the dead. During this time Paradise was in Sheol, opposite Hell with a great divide between them.

A beautiful story is told by Jesus to His disciples in Luke 16:19-31 about a certain rich man who lived a lavish live and a poor man named Lazarus who laid at the rich man’s gate hoping to feed himself with the crumbs that may fall of the rich man’s table. There has been much debate about whether or not this is a parable or not a parable. We strongly believe it is a proper story and not a parable as parables never use a person’s name. The other debate has been whether or not the rich man was an unbeliever and Lazarus a believer. We again strongly belief that the rich man was an unbeliever and Lazarus a believer. Why? Because Jesus is telling the story and He wouldn’t be saying that the rich man went to the Hell part of Hades if he was believer and likewise, He wouldn’t be saying that Lazarus went to the Paradise (Abraham’s Bosom) of Hades if he was an unbeliever. The point of this story is not their state of faith, but what happens when they die and go to their appointed places.

Looking again at the chart below, we learn that when Lazurus died his body went into the Grave and his soul/spirit were carried by the angels to Abraham’s Bosom (Paradise) where he was in joyful comfort.

When the rich man (unbeliever) died his body went into the Grave where it would decompose, while his soul/spirit went to Hell (notice that Jesus didn’t say the angels carried his soul/spirit to Hell), the place of unbelievers, where they would remain until the Great White Throne Judgement of unbelievers, after the Millennium reign of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 20:11-12.

Between Hell and Paradise their was a great divide (chasm) so that nobody could cross over to either side. Luke 16:26 “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great CHASM fixed, so that those who wish to come over from HERE TO YOU will NOT be able, and that NONE may cross over from THERE TO US.”

We read in Luke 16:23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in TORMENT, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.” So we read that the rich man was in TORMENT because he was in the flames of Hell and in utter darkness. However, he could see the poor man Lazarus in comfort in Abraham’s Bosom (Paradise) because he was in light.

We often hear people joke about Hell saying that they would rather be in Hell with their mates and have a good time with parties etc than being in boring Heaven. WRONG!!!!!!!!

When they are in Hell they are in torment from the flames and in utter darkness as they are AWAY from the LIGHT. 

John 1:4 “In Him was life, and the life was the LIGHT of men.”

What was the rich man’s reaction when he saw Lazarus in comfort?  He said to Abraham in Luke 16: “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and COOL off my tongue, for I am in agony in this FLAME.’”

The rich man was in such agony in this FLAME that his tongue was dry and hot. He wanted Lazarus to dip a finger in water and touch his tongue to ease the burning pain. What was Abraham’s reply in Luke 16:25 ? “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.” As an unbeliever the rich man lived a life of luxury while the Lazarus as a believer lived a life in poverty. When the time came for them to go to the other side (die), the roles were reversed. There is nothing wrong with being rich, but being rich and an unbeliever still leads you on the path to the Lake of Fire.

Throughout the Bible God tells us to take care of the poor. A true believer always will help the poor. Jesus said that while here on earth it is better to build up treasures in heaven than here on the earth.

Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves TREASURES ON EARTH, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves TREASURES IN HEAVEN, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;”.

Abraham then also told the rich man that NOBODY could cross over either way because there was a great CHASM (divide) between Hell and Abraham’s Bosom (Paradise).

Luke 16:25 “And besides all this, between us and you there is a GREAT CHASM fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will NOT be able, and that NONE may cross over from there to us.’”

 We know that when born-again believers in eternity with God their memories of the life on earth will be wiped away and we won’t remember loved ones that didn’t make it to Heaven.  Revelation 21:4 “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the FIRST THINGS HAVE PAST AWAY.”

When the unbelievers die and go to hell they will still remember their life on the earth and their loved ones that were still alive the moment they died. Listen to what the rich man says to Abraham next. Luke 16: 27-28 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—in order that he may WARN them, so that they will not also come to this PLACE OF TORMENT.”

He REMEMBERED his five brothers and didn’t want any of them to come to Hell, the PLACE OF TORMENT, when they also died. Abraham again disappointed him with his answer when he replied. Luke 16:29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have MOSES AND THE PROPHETS; let them HEAR them.’”

Abraham told him that his five brothers had the Scriptures (Moses and the Prophets) and that they should hear the Scriptures being read in the Synagogues . The rich man was getting disparate and again said to Abraham. Luke 16:30 “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’”

Again Abraham gave him an answer that he didn’t want to hear. Luke 16:31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do NOT listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will NOT be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Abraham’s answer was final when he said that if his five brothers WOULDN’T believe (hear) the Scriptures (Moses and the Prophets) then they would definitely NOT believe if somebody was raised up and able to talk to them, trying to persuade them to repent of their sins.

DON’T listen or believe anybody that tells you verbally or through a book that they had died, went to Heaven (or some times Hell) and had a certain message from Jesus to do this and that.

 It is just NOT BIBLICAL.

From the above story of the rich man and Lazarus we know that Hell is a place of TORMENT, Paradise is a place of REST and COMFORT. We also know that nobody can come back from the dead (nor send any messages from the other side) and warn people that are still alive to repent.

The Bibles are available everywhere, churches are everywhere and God reveals Himself in His Creation, His Word and in Jesus.

YOU DON’T HAVE ANY EXCUSE.

Even so this Hell is not the Final Hell it is nevertheless a terrible place to be, awaiting the Final Great White Throne Judgement before being thrown into the Final Hell, the Lake of Fire.

From the above story about Lazurus and the rich man we can learn a lot about this place Hell in Sheol. (Where the spirit/souls of unbelievers go until the Great White Throne Judgement).

As an excuse for their sinful life a lot of people believe that the moment you die you are out of existence. They will get a shock the moment they die and move to the other site where they will be met by dark spirits and carried to Hell in Sheol. (See chart below). They couldn’t be any further from the Truth.

Here are some realities we can conclude from the story of the rich man and Lazurus.

1. We believe this is a story and not a parable because a real name is never used in a parable. Also the rich man specifically mentioned that he had five more brothers on the earth, while in a parable any number could be used. In all His parables Jesus always talks about this life and not the after life like He did in this story.
2. Lazurus was a believer as he went to Paradise, while the rich man was an unbeliever who went to Hell in Sheol. He might have thought his riches would take him to Heaven. How wrong he was.
3. They both went to real places. While their bodies went into the grave to undergo decay, their soul/spirit went to a real place, Lazarus to Paradise and the rich man to Hell in Sheol.
4. This story proves that the moment we die we go to one place or the other and not into non-existence. We very much so have a consciousness as the rich man knew where he was and that he was in agony while Lazarus was enjoying comfort. Because of our soulish body we still operate all our senses like hear, see/recognize, feel. smell, taste and talk. More on this on our Topic Page “Human Trinity”.
5. The rich man was in utter darkness (separated from the Light, as God is Light) while Lazarus must have been in the Light as the rich man could see him from a distance.
6. Hell is hot flames, darkness, agony and gnashing of teeth. While Paradise is comfort and bliss.
7. Hell in Hades is only a temporary place of torment as unbelievers will only stay there till the end of the Millennium Reign of Jesus Christ when they will appear before the Great White Throne Judgement, after which will be thrown into the Lake of Fire which is the Final Hell.
8. No one in Hell can pop over to the other side as there is a great divide (chasm) between Hell and Paradise.
9. Nobody can go back to the earth to warn loved ones to change their lives.
10. Loved ones on the earth have the Scriptures, the creation and the Church to tell them about Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. No excuses for them.
11. There is only ONE WAY that will stop them fro coming to Hell and that WAY is Jesus Christ. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the WAY, and the truth, and the life; NO ONE comes to the Father BUT THROUGH ME.” It is so simple that even a child can understand it.