Beliefs about the Afterlife (vii)

Bible Cosmology

The drawing above represents the cosmological dimensions that were addressed in the previous chapter. In that chapter we listed these things upon which to elucidate. 

1) The place called Hades described

2) Biblical Cosmology

These two we wrote about in the preceding chapter. The remaining items are:

3) Christ Descent Into Hades

4) Conquering of Hades by Christ and the Church

5) Believers Moved From Hades to Heaven

6) Unbelievers Sentence Announced and Inmates Addressed in Proclamation

7) No Offers Of Pardon Given (salvation after death)

8) Christ Becomes Lord Of Hades & The Damned

First, however, let me first add some preliminary thoughts that could have been placed in a preceding chapter, such as the fact that --

Spirits To Hades - Bodies To Gehenna

“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." (Matt.5: 30) 

In this passage "hell" is from the Greek word Gehenna and not Hades. Of the distinction between the two I have already spoken. Jesus used both words, though he used Gehenna more than Hades. It is an interesting study to see the contexts of each word's usage and see what distinctions Christ saw between those two places. One such passage is the above. The Lord Jesus spoke of the "whole body" being cast into Gehenna. He did not speak of the physical body being cast into Hades. The reason is because Hades contains no bodies, but only disembodied spirits. What we have affirmed is that Gehenna is the future eternal abode of Satan, fallen angels, demons, and the wicked spirits of humans, and will hold both the body and spirit of lost men and women who will suffer punishment there. People who die now go to Hades, and only lost people now go there, and none go there in body. 

Battle To The Gate of Hades

"In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate." (Isa. 28: 5-6)

In the previous chapter we introduced Matthew 16: 18 where Christ said that "the gates of Hades" would not "prevail against" the "church." Many erroneously think that Christ is picturing the church as under attack by Hades and that the promise is that Hades will not prevail in its attack upon the church. But, "gates" do not attack, but are rather the focus of attack (in ancient times armies attacked the walled cities of city states, especially the gates). This is alluded to in the above text and words "turn the battle to the gate." We see this also described in Isaiah 45: 1-2 where the Lord foretold that a man would be born in the future named Cyrus (the great) who would conquer Babylon and would attack the city of Babylon via its famed "two leaved gates" which went across the river Euphrates. Wrote the prophet:

“Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron."

Ancient Babylon was situated on the river Euphrates (see Jeremiah 51:63, 64). The city was surrounded by massive walls considered impregnable. The river Euphrates ran through Babylon, entering and exiting through two spiked gates whose bars reached down to the riverbed. Cyrus able to take the city with scarcely a fight. He dried up the Euphrates, just as Isaiah foretold. Many years earlier, God had predicted of Babylon and the Euphrates, "I will dry up thy rivers." (Isaiah 44:27) 

Isaiah spoke of strength being required to "turn the battle to the gate." This is what the church, viewed as an army, is doing, or will do, as it attacks the "gates of Hades," the citadel of the church's enemies. So, it is not the church that is being attacked by the gates of Hades, in Christ's words, but it is rather Hades that is being attacked by the church, via her captain and Lord, at the very gates of the walls of the city of Hades. Not only is the mass of saved people (church body) compared to an army on the attack, but the present denizens of Hades are also viewed as an army. In the Apocalypse we read:

"So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth." (Rev. 6: 8)

We read in the scriptures of "the army of heaven" (Dan. 4: 35) and here we read of the army of hell. Later in the Apocalypse we see other platoons and brigades from this infernal army alluded to and described. We have a heavenly cavalry composed of glorified saints and heaven's holy angels in Revelation chapter nineteen. But, we also see an hellish cavalry. When the bottomless pit is opened by the one with the keys (via his angel) we see the sky filled with demonic locusts/scorpion hybrids and in verse seven it is said "The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle."

The Lord Jesus, the Warden of Hades, will unlock the doors of Hades, including Tartarus, and let these hellish inmates loose upon men, in the day of judgment. Why would he do such a thing? As a punishment for sin (which will be at its worst at the time when this happens). He will also "let loose" the four leaders (Generals) of this hellish army who are "bound in the river Euphrates." (Rev. 9: 14) 

Hades was conquered by the Lord Jesus Christ when he died and went to Hades in spirit as the one who had conquered sin, Satan, and the powers of darkness, and finally by his bodily resurrection. Paul testified that believers (the church) are "more than conquerors" through Jesus Christ glorious victory. (Rom. 8: 37) Christ victory over death, Hell, and the grave is the believer's victory over the same. They are overcomers as a result of his overcoming. This is what Paul concludes when talking about the victory over death in that famous chapter on death and resurrection (I Cor. 15). He says: "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (vss. 56-57) He also specifically mentions the --

Victory Over Hades

"O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory?" (I Cor. 15: 55)

By conquering sin Christ conquered death. By his keeping the law he showed that "the law" had no power to condemn him to death. Further, his keeping of the law and his reward for doing so, for being victorious, was not for his own benefit, but was for the people he represented, his chosen people, the body of those who believe and trust in God. His victory becomes their victory. 

Christ victory was seen in several battles with several enemies, as we have seen. He conquered sin by his obedience and sinless perfection. As David slew the giant Goliath, so Christ, the son of David, slew the giant named "Sin." He triumphed over temptation, and over the tempter. He conquered Hades by 1) going there and taking from thence all the righteous dead and by 2) demonstrating that he is the Warden and Lord of Hades and the possessor of the keys, and by 3) announcing the sentence against the wicked dead. This triumph over Hades and Death is alluded to in several bible texts, in addition to the text above. For instance, Paul wrote: 

"...having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." (Col. 2: 14-15 nasb)

Notice those words "disarmed." It speaks to the very thing I am talking about. Christ "disarmed" Death, Hades, Satan, and all the demons. It is like defanging a viper. The Lord Jesus Christ by his victory over Hades and Death, over Satan and his angels and demons, "ruined" or "rendered powerless," the one "who had the power of death," and to "destroy the works of the Devil." (Heb. 2: 14; I John 3: 8) 

Paul alludes to the practice of famous conquerors, in celebration of their victories, making public displays by returning to the capital city with the spoils of wars, bringing "captives" too, in a kind of parade or procession that has also the sounds of the trumpets and the cheers of the citizens of the conqueror. He does this to describe how Christ has defeated his enemies, stripped them of their powers, confiscated their weapons and instruments of war, of his "spoiling" the foes of God and his people.

It was a common scene for Roman citizens to see a triumphant Roman general enter the city of Rome in a victory procession with his subjugated foes coming behind his chariot as captives. So, Christ is pictured as leading a triumphal parade with his enemies defeated, disarmed and disrobed, and often caged, or else in shackles. Paul says that Christ, via his trial and temptation, through his death and resurrection, "made a public display" of his triumph (or "made a show of them openly" KJV). 

Paul also writes of this kind of triumphal procession which Christ leads in this text:

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." (II Cor. 2: 14)

Better translations are these however:

- "who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession" (NIV)

- "who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession" (NRSV)

The text alludes to the "triumphal procession" we have been describing and also to how the conqueror would have his "captives" as part of the parade. Keep in mind too that the defeated foes are Sin, Death, Hades, Powers of Darkness, etc. Also, as we will see, another group of special captives, those OT people of God who went to Abraham's Bosom, the happy side of Hades, were taken to much better facilities when Christ "led captivity captive." We will be looking at that a little closer as we progress in our thoughts and study. It entails much more than we are now considering. But, we will mention two as a sample.

1. When Jesus was resurrected we are told that -  "The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many." (Matt. 27: 52-53)

How is that for a "public display" of power over that enemy who goes by the name of Death? Or the enemy known as "the devil"? 

2. "When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive." (Eph. 4: 8)

When Christ led OT believers out of peaceful rest in Hades up to Paradise and the "Third Heaven," they ascended with him, he leading the way as the "forerunner." (Heb. 6: 20) That was at least a public display for the wicked dead in Hades who would see the redeemed host exit the place with their Lord in the lead. 

Wrote the great Charles Spurgeon (as cited here) upon Colossians 2: 15:

"Exhibiting them as his prisoners in a triumphal procession, as the victorious Roman Generals did when they returned from war. His cross was his triumph. Then he led captivity captive. What more do you want? Your enemy is vanquished, your sins blotted out, your death changed to life, your necessities all supplied...The Lord Jesus Christ has done everything for his people, fought their battle, won their victory, and, on their behalf, celebrated the triumph in the streets of heaven, “leading captivity captive.” What more, then, do we want? Surely Christ is enough for us." 

We will continue in the next chapter with our look at the work or mission of Christ in Hades.