THE DEAD & AFTERWORLD

Most translations of the Bible use the English word “hell” for all the Greek words describing the unseen afterworld: 1.) Tartarus (tartarosas) 2.) Hades (hades) 3.) Gehenna (geenna), making no distinction between the different word meanings that can make it difficult for the reader to understand and interpret accurately.

1. The Greek word tartarosas is defined as the deepest abyss of Hades; pits of darkness; the place where those angels whose special sin is referred to in II Peter 2:4 are confined.

II Peter 2:4 “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.”

2. Greek word hades is defined as the region, place or state of departed spirits; but including the blessed dead in periods preceding the Ascension of Christ; temporary destiny of the doomed; it is to give up those who are therein and is to be cast into the lake of fire as in Revelation 20:13-14; it never denotes the grave nor is it the permanent region of the lost for in point of time it is, for such, intermediate between decease and the doom of Gehenna. The Greek word Hades corresponds to the Hebrew word Sheol in the Old Testament.

Matthew 11:23 “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”

Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Luke 10:15 “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.”

Luke 16:23 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

Acts 2:27 “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Acts 2:31 “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”

Revelation 1:18 “I am he that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive Forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

Revelation 6:8 “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

Revelation 20:13-14 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

3. The Greek word geenna is defined as the valley of Hinnom: gehenna; a valley of Jerusalem; the place or state of punishment, eternal fire, the hell of fire as the doom, destruction of soul and body.

Matthew 5:22 “But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

Matthew 5:29-30 “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 18:9 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”

Matthew 23:15 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell than yourselves.”

Matthew 23:33 “Ye (Pharisees) serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”

Mark 9:43-48 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And it thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Luke 12:5 “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him.”

James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

NOTE: According to I Corinthians 15:55 , the Greek word thanatos is translated as “death” and in the same passage, the Greek word hades is translated as “grave”.