Hades

The Greek translation of the Hebrew ‘sheol’, which is the dwelling place of the departed who continue a shadowy existence (Eccles. 9:10). There was a legend (Isa. 38:10; Matt. 16:18) that entry into Hades was through gates, and Christians supposed that the keys were in the possession of the risen Christ (Rev. 1:18), Hades is not a place of torment in the OT—except for its appalling boredom (Ps. 88:12), but in the NT physical pain seems to be envisaged upon their deaths for some (Luke 16:23), certainly for unrepentant sinners (Mark 9:48) and for them the word ‘Gehenna’ in a metaphorical rather than the original geographical (‘valley of Hinnom’) sense, is used in the Greek (e.g. Mark 9:43, 48). ‘Hades’ (Rev. 20:13, 14) and Death [[➝ death]] are regarded as a demonic realm and associated with the sea (cf. Mark 5:13). Those who had died at sea could not be buried and therefore could not get through the gates of Hades. However, when the purpose of God is fully achieved, both Death (the Last Enemy, 1 Cor. 15:26, 54) and Hades, where the already dead repose, will surrender their populations, with the establishment of the eternal reign of God.