Sheol, Hades, Gahanna, Tartarus, these names are found in the Bible, but what do they mean? Lets dive into them and try and see what they all stand for. I want to say first of all its not a place you want to ever be and it’s your choice. Heaven or Hell are the only choices you have, but must be made in this life-time. God has given every person that has ever lived this choice, take Him as your savior or live for yourself, you chose. You’re eternal destiny is not a game, it’s very real, you must choose. Please choose Jesus as your savior. Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about heaven, and it’s a very real place. Everyone that rejects him goes to the place known as hell. And hell will be thrown into the lake of fire, and that will be for eternity.
We’ll start with the Old Testament word Sheol.
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology has this to say.
“Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology – Sheol
Sheol [N] [E]
Old Testament. The Hebrew word seol [l/a.v], “Sheol, ” refers to the grave or the abode of the dead ( Psalms 88:3 Psalms 88:5 ). Through much of the Old Testament period, it was believed that all went one place, whether human or animal ( Psalms 49:12 Psalms 49:14 Psalms 49:20 ), whether righteous or wicked ( Eccl 9:2-3 ). No one could avoid Sheol ( Psalm 49:9 ; 89:48 ), which was thought to be down in the lowest parts of the earth ( Deut 32:22 ; 1 Sam 28:11-15 ; Job 26:5 ; Psalm 86:13 ; Isa 7:11 ; Ezekiel 31:14-16 Ezekiel 31:18 ).”
(Please take the time to read each one of these Bible verses listed here to see what they say in their context.)
This is just the first paragraph in Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology and it has more to say about Sheol, (please google it to find out more of it’s insightful meaning). This is what happened before Jesus died on the cross. This is a Hebrew word that has it’s equivalent in the Greek as Hades. When Jesus walked the Earth in Israel, the language most people spoke was Greek or Aramaic in Israel but Hebrew was their native tongue. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek and some Aramaic. This is why we can say that the word Sheol and Hades mean the same thing. Sheol is the Hebrew word and Hades is the Greek word and Hell being the English word.
Jesus in His teachings said this in Luke 16:19-31 KJV.
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
This is a good starting point because it seems like Jesus reveals more about Hell, or Sheol, to us than the Old Testament does. There are actually two compartments in Hell, one He called torments, but the other one He called Abrahams bosom. Abraham bosom was a place of blessing while torments is what it says, torment by fire.
Some people think this is a parable. But in all the parables Jesus spoke, he never once mentioned a person’s name as He does in these verses. So I believe this is a story that was told in their day that many people were aware of. Sort of like what we may call today an “urban legend”.
Jesus reveals here what Sheol or (Hell) was like in the O.T. times. Two differing compartments for those that had died, one for the wicked and one for those who believed in God. This was Sheol or (Hades) up until Jesus’ accession into Heaven. After his resurrection, when He went up into the clouds, He took all those in Abraham’s bosom with Him. Which means Sheol or (Hades) is just a place of torments now.The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4:8-10
Ephesians 4 KJV
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
What does it mean that he led captivity captive in verse eight? I believe that everyone in Abrahams bosom was held captive by the Law of Moses until Jesus paid the price for sin…
(Hebrews 10:4)
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins”.
Since the blood of bulls and goats that were sacrificed by the law of Moses could not take away sin, there had to be a place for the righteous people to wait. And I believe that that place was Abraham’s bosom.
Now, when Jesus died, he descended into hell, just like everyone who dies. He was righteous so he went to Abrahams bosom. What was the purpose of that? Acts chapter 2 says that he did go to hell, but that God would not leave him there.
Acts 2
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
I believe he went into Sheol or (Hell) specifically to tell those in Abrahams bosom that they had been redeemed now, and the law no longer held them, and therefore He led these “captivity captives” “Ephesians 4:8 KJV”” into heaven.
For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.
Now Luke 16:31 has something interesting to say…
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Jesus rose from the dead and people still won’t believe! Luke says if they hear not Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded the one rose from the dead. Moses and the prophets is talking about the Old Testament.
Now Gahanna is sometimes used to denote the some place as Sheol and Hades. It just depended on the writer. Of course we know the Holy Spirit wrote it, but He used the person to write it down. So these words were interchangeable, but still mean the same thing.
Now Tartarus is a little different. This word is only used one time in the New Testament. In ll Peter 2:4 it says
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment
This word Tartarus translated as Hell is only directed towards the angels that fell. These were the most wicked that followed Satan, and the place that God consign them is the darkest pit of all (Tartarus), which they cannot come out of until the judgment day. This part of Hell is not at all for people, only spirit beings or angels. It too, will be cast into the Lake of Fire with all its inhabitants on the judgment day.
I hope this has been a help to you and I pray that you will never go to this place. The only way to avoid it is to ask Jesus to be your savior and live for God. It’s your choice. God said that you will find him if you search with all your heart, He is not far from any of us, just ask Him in Jesus name and He will save you.
Hell is a real place, so please get saved so you can avoid it.
Maranatha