Hades (Sheol) is located in the heart of the earth or its approximation. It has four compartments namely Abraham’s bosom (the former paradise), Torments separated from Abraham’s bosom by a gulf-fixed, Tartarus and finally the Abyss. Abraham’s bosom was where all Old Testament believers went to and resided in their interim bodies until the ascension of Christ. At which time they were led in a procession to the 3rd heaven.  Torments is where all unbelievers go upon their physical death and reside there in their interim bodies until they are resurrected in their eternal bodies to face the Great White Throne Judgment. The third compartment, Tartarus is the prison for all the fallen angels who cohabitated with the human race. This story is found in Genesis 6:1-4, Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned but cast them into Tartarus and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment”. The final compartment of Hades is called the Abyss. This is where Abaddon, a very powerful and evil angel (in Hebrew, Apollyon in Greek) is located with many other terrorist-type fallen angels. They will be released during the Tribulation to torture unbelievers for five months (Revelation 9:1-12)). At some point in the Tribulation, after those 5 months of torture, an army group presently imprisoned under the Euphrates River containing four armies commanded by four demon generals who will be released to kill 1/3 of the population of the world. There is still another imprisonment which contains the offspring of those fallen angels who had cohabitated with certain females of the human race. These offspring are the Nephilim, the half-human, half angels who reside in a Sea Prison possibly at the bottom of the ocean. Since these Nephilim have never been judged in a court, they will be resurrected to face the Great White Throne Judgment.

 

Taken from Thieme’s Bible Doctrine Dictionary page 121, “Torments. The place of fire and agony where unbelievers temporarily reside after death. Unbelievers remain in Torments until the Last Judgment, when they will be resurrected and judged before the great white throne then cast into the lake of fire for eternity (Rev. 20:13–15). Between Paradise and Torments is a “great chasm fixed,” an impassable barrier that signifies no hope in eternity for those who reject Jesus Christ in time (Luke 16:19–31). Concepts of purgatory and prayers for salvation of the dead are false doctrines derived from the Apocrypha (a group of 14 books not considered canonical). Every person’s eternal residence is determined by their personal attitude toward Jesus Christ during their time on earth (2 Cor. 6:2; 1 John 5:11–13). Therefore, those who presently reside in Torments are already condemned to the lake of fire (John 3:18).”

 

Taken from the doctrine of Hades by R.B. Thieme Jr.)

 

1.The Hebrew word Sheol originally meant in post-Biblical Hebrew the deep parts of the sea. But both Sheol and the Greek word Hades are used to refer to anything that is subterranean and large. Therefore, they are used for the vast subterranean place of the departed dead of the human race and the abode of certain fallen angels.

 

2. Both Sheol and Hades are mistranslated “hell” which adds to the confusion.

 

3. Hades is used from classical times and before for the underworld and the realm of the dead.

 

4. Sheol is sometimes used for the grave, as in Gen 37:35, 42:38; 1 Sam 2:6 and other passages.

 

5. The dying are said to go to Sheol, which is not the grave, but to the under part of the earth. This is a reference to the soul [located in an interim body as per the historical narrative about Lazarus and the rich man], Num 16:30; Ezek. 31:15, 17.

 

6. Prior to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all human dead went to Sheol or Hades where two compartments were designed to receive them. Old Testament believers went to Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom. Unbelievers went to Torments.

 

7. Those who are believers in the Old Testament are said to be delivered into the power of Sheol, Hos 13:14; Ps 49:16.

 

8. However, since the resurrection of Christ, Old Testament believers have all been transferred to the third heaven as a part of the triumphal procession.