With this distinction out of the way, we will move forward in looking at the New Testaments understanding of the afterlife/intermediate state, and what changed, if anything, when Jesus died and rose again from the grave.
Hades
As we discussed in our last post, the Greek term Hades was used in place of the Hebrew Sheol. We also saw that the place of the dead began to take on two components- one of suffering for the wicked and rest for the righteous. When we turn to the New Testament, Christ redemptive work begins to shape this term in a very distinctive way. Christ is the one who holds the power over death (Heb 2:14; 2 Tim 1:10), and is also dubbed the "Lord of both the dead and the living" (Rm. 14:9). This will be a foundational truth as we continue to explore the concept of the afterlife in the New Testament.
The New Testament is in continuity with the Old Testament, and the beliefs of the Intertestamental Period, that Hades is the place of the dead. Yet in following the thought of the Intertestamental period, Hades can also be a place of punishment. In fact, what we see is that the term itself is very nuanced. For example, every time Jesus uses this term in the Gospels, it seems to have a negative connotation and is associated with an unpleasant place (Yet there are some statements that could be seen as simply referring to the place of the dead). When we look in the book of Revelation, the term seems to simply indicate the place of the dead, without distinction. Therefore what we have is that at times, the word can be used as the disembodied state of all the dead, or more commonly, the place of the wicked dead. Sometimes, Hades is the punitive place of the wicked dead, while at other times it is simply the abode of all the dead.
Tartarus
In Greek culture, Tartarus was considered to be the deepest level of the underworld. Peter mentions this place in 2 Peter 2:4 to refer to the place that God imprisoned the sons of God for their sin in Genesis 6. These spirits are held here, awaiting the day of judgement.
Abraham's Bosom
This unique phrase is found in Luke 16:19-31, in which Jesus tells a parable about two men- one was a rich man, and the other was a poor beggar named Lazarus. In that parable, both men die. The rich man goes to a place which is very unpleasant, while Lazarus goes to a place dubbed as "Abraham's Bosom." The popular belief of the day was that when the righteous died, they would rest by Abraham's side. The parable thus draws a distinction between the state of the wicked and the righteous in Hades. The wicked are in torment, while the righteous are in comfort. Because this story is a parable, we should not try to draw too much of our theology of the intermediate state from it. Yet at the same time, it gives us great insight into what the popular belief of the day was regarding the intermediate state.
Paradise
Paradise is probably another designation for Abraham's Bosom. In the Intertestamental Period, the word "paradise" began to be associated to a similar place as Abraham's Bosom. Thus, Paradise is actually a place. Jesus seems to have this same understanding when he tells the thief on the cross, "today, you will be with me in paradise" (Lk. 23:43). This verse shows us that Paradise is no longer something that is to be anticipated by the people of God, but through what Christ will do on the cross, has now become a reality. Death now brings God's people into an enhanced state of His presence (more on this later). The place that Jesus mentions here seems to be the same place that Paul was caught up to, and likely refers to the intermediate state of believers (2 Cor. 12:4).
Did Jesus Descend into Hades?
Before I answer this question, let's keep in mind everything we have learned thus far about the afterlife. 1) Hades is not Hell, 2) Hades includes both a compartment for the righteous and the wicked, 3) Jesus told the thief, "today, you will be with me in paradise, 4) something did change in regards to the state of the departed righteous after the death of Jesus.
What does this mean? First, it means that Jesus did not descend into "hell", nor did He have to suffer in Hades or Hell. He bore the wrath of God ON THE CROSS, and that was sufficient. Second, it means that Jesus has power over Hades and death. Third, it means that since Jesus is fully human, and if He is to identify with us fully, this is a theologically important question. It would seem therefore, that Jesus did enter Hades, and took the path of the Old Testament righteous.
Does the Bible teach this? If it does, what did He do there? At Pentecost, when Peter is preaching, he quotes Psalm 16:10-11 and applies it to Jesus, "You will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption." Another passage used to support this is Ephesians 4:8-10 that states that Jesus "descended to the lower parts of the earth." This passage has been debated vigorously and could either be referring to a descent into the place of the dead, or the incarnation. I tend to lean towards the view that "lower parts of the earth" refers to Sheol/Hades but am not committed to it. The final passage is 1 Peter 3:8 where Jesus is said to go "preach to the spirits in prison." We will talk about this verse more in the next section, but it seems that the best way to understand it is that Jesus was engaged in some sort of activity between His death and resurrection.
With saying that Jesus went to Hades, we must be clear to affirm that He did not go to the place of suffering. Rather, based on what Jesus told the thief on the cross, He went to Paradise/Abraham's Bosom, and thus brought the immediate presence of God to those there (more on this at the end of this article)
What Spirits did Jesus Preach to?
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because the formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah." 1 Peter 3:18-20.
Some have tried to interpret this passage as referring to the "spirits" of the human dead, thus saying that Christ preached through Noah to warn people about the flood. The "spirits in prison" are the spirits of those who did not listen. The problem with this view is that the word for "spirit" is never used in an unqualified manner to refer to the human soul. This means that the reference here is to a nonhuman supernatural beings. Seeing that this passage is read in the context of Genesis 6-9, and the fact that Peter draws on 1 Enoch elsewhere, this interpretation is strengthened. This means that the "spirits" Peter refers to are the sons of God who rebelled. This means that when Christ died, he did descend to Hades. What He did was two fold: He both entered Paradise, and proclaimed the sure judgment on those angels who rebelled. So Jesus indeed went to Hades, but it was not to suffer, rather, it was to proclaim His victory, announce judgment, and bring the presence of God in a different way to the people of God.
Now that Jesus has Ascended to Heaven, Where to Christians go When they Die?
It is not clear in Scripture as to whether Paradise was taken up into heaven, or is still just a separate part of Hades, though Paul's vision in 2 Cor. 12 could support the former. What is clear is that now, when believers die, their state is decisively different than that of the wicked. Upon death, Christians are "at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8), in Paradise (Lk. 23:43), and in the presence of God (Rev. 6:9; 7:9; 14:3).
In closing, the New Testament seems to affirm these things:
1) Christ has conquered Hades.
2) Christ descended into Hades.
3) The wicked are in Hades.
4) The righteous are in Hades.
5) Paradise is a part of Hades and the abode of the righteous.
6) When believers die, they are in the presence of the Lord.
In the next post, we will look at the doctrine of Purgatory, and examine those passages of Scriptures that supposedly support the idea.