Hades, Hell, Lake of Fire; Paradise, Heaven, Eternal Life

Hades, Hell, Lake of Fire; Paradise, Heaven, Eternal Life are all terms familiar to Christians, yet they are often misunderstood.

Hades, Hell, Lake of Fire

In common understanding, Hades, Hell, and the Lake of Fire seem synonymous, different ways of saying the same thing. This is true for people from both Chinese and English backgrounds. Readers cannot really be blamed for this, as Bible translations, whether in Chinese or English, often do not accurately distinguish these concepts. This confusion, arising from language and culture, is unfortunate.

However, there are distinctions in the original biblical languages. More importantly, from the context of the Bible, we can see these distinctions are not merely textual but substantive.

For example, when the Lord Jesus spoke of the rich man suffering after death in Luke 16:23, he said, “And in hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom.” Note the word “hades.” However, many English versions translate the word as “hell.” The Chinese Bible translates it as “阴间” (yīnjiān – hades). Literally speaking, the Chinese translation is more accurate. The problem is, in the specific context of Luke, the place the rich man should seemingly go is hell. Therefore, most readers of the Chinese Bible mistakenly equate “Hades” with “Hell.” At the same time, English speakers often mistakenly treat “hell” and the “lake of fire” as exactly the same thing.

But in reality, Hades and Hell are two different concepts, and Hell and the Lake of Fire are also different.

Hades is a relatively broad and neutral term, referring to the domain or power of death. Death is certainly not good, but when the Bible mentions Hades, it emphasizes the temporary power of death, not necessarily the punishment suffered after death. For this reason, in the Old Testament, if you see scriptures mentioning people going to Hades after death, don’t mistakenly assume God means they are going there for punishment. In the scope of the Old Testament, both the wicked and the righteous went to Hades after death. However, the specific places they went within Hades and the situations they encountered were different.

This is the background for the Lord Jesus speaking in Luke 16:23 about the rich man suffering in Hades after death and Lazarus enjoying comfort in Abraham’s bosom. There, we need to note that the Lord did not say Lazarus went to heaven, but that he was in Abraham’s bosom. Whether “Abraham’s bosom” is heaven is another question (see below: “Paradise, Heaven, Eternal Life”).

Regarding punishment after death, God’s Word tells us there are two different places. One is in time, and the other is in eternity. The place the rich man went can be called “Hell” (although this word is often misunderstood), which is the place of suffering within Hades. But the hell of Hades is not the place of eternal punishment. Eternal punishment comes after the Millennium, after the new heaven and new earth arrive. The final destination there is the Lake of Fire.

The Lake of Fire is the place for the devil, the beast, and the false prophet. They will be thrown together into the lake of fire, tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). Afterward, the resurrected dead will be judged at the Great White Throne. After judgment, they too will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

The Lake of Fire was not originally prepared for humans. But when people ultimately reject God’s long-suffering salvation, their life’s nature, by their choice, becomes the same as Satan’s because their lives have been invaded, permeated, and controlled by Satan’s nature, completely incompatible with the new life of the new heaven and new earth. Satan becomes their father and their lord, so their end can only be in the same place.

Therefore, the Bible clearly tells us that the rich man already suffering in Hades is not there forever. After the Millennium, he too will be resurrected to face the judgment of the Great White Throne, and his end will be the Lake of Fire. His condition there will not be better than in Hades, only worse.

“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell (Gehenna/Lake of Fire). Yes, I tell you, fear him!” Luke 12:5.

Thus, Hell (in Hades) is a place in time, while the Lake of Fire is in eternity.

However, confusing the eternal Lake of Fire with the temporary hell of Hades is a common misunderstanding.

In the New Testament, many places translated as “hell” are, strictly speaking, inaccurate in wording because the original text is actually γέεννα (Gehenna), referring to the Lake of Fire in eternity, not the hell within Hades.

These scriptures include Matthew 5:22, 5:29-30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33; Mark 9:43-47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6.

γέεννα (Gehenna) was originally a valley south of Jerusalem where the city’s refuse and dead animals were disposed of and burned. Therefore, it corresponds to the Lake of Fire mentioned in Revelation, symbolizing the eternal end of destruction for the wicked. Translating this word as “hell” is actually inaccurate because the Lake of Fire is the eternal end, whereas the hell (within Hades) mentioned elsewhere in the Bible is part of “Hades,” a temporary place reserved for the wicked after death. Until the Lord Jesus finally returns and everything reaches its final conclusion, the wicked will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to be destroyed. See Revelation 20:13-15.

Especially in Matthew 10:28 (likely intended instead of 12:28) and Luke 12:5, where the Lord Jesus speaks of fearing the one who can destroy both body and soul (original text “soul,” not “spirit”), it undoubtedly refers to the final judgment in eternity. In the temporary hell of Hades, the soul suffers there but is not destroyed. Only in the eternal Lake of Fire is the soul destroyed. Praise the Lord, the Holy Spirit is always accurate, because the word used in these scriptures is “Gehenna” (Lake of Fire), not “Hades” (temporary hell), but most translations have not recognized this distinction.

Furthermore, regarding the final fate in the Lake of Fire for those whose names are not written in the Book of Life, the Book of Revelation only states they are thrown into the Lake of Fire, not that they suffer eternal torment there (Revelation 20:15). This Lake of Fire is the second death, the end being eternal death. Comparing this with what the Lord Jesus said in Luke 12 and Matthew 10, the second death in the Lake of Fire should be one-time destruction, that is, eternal destruction, eternal death, not remaining alive to continue suffering torment. In contrast, this is not entirely the same as the end for Satan, the beast, and the false prophet, who suffer torment day and night forever and ever in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10).

Therefore, there is a distinction between the eternal Lake of Fire and the temporary hell of Hades.

But some might ask, does this distinction have practical significance? If those temporarily in the hell of Hades will eventually be resurrected, judged, and then thrown into the Lake of Fire, the only difference is timing. So, not distinguishing them might not be a problem, and distinguishing them might not be meaningful.

This might be correct, but perhaps not, because the Bible does not explicitly say whether all those temporarily suffering in Hades will ultimately be thrown into the Lake of Fire. Regardless, we need to be rigorous with God’s Word, not closing doors God has not closed, nor opening doors God has not opened. We don’t have this right or ability, but our erroneous thoughts and words can affect ourselves and others.

For example, 1 Peter 4:6 says, “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.”¹ Some readers interpret this as referring to those who did not believe in the Lord while alive, suggesting they have another chance to hear the gospel after death. If this interpretation is correct, then there is an essential difference between the hell of Hades we usually speak of and the Lake of Fire, not just a temporal difference, because even spirits temporarily in hell still have a chance to avoid the Lake of Fire.

However, since the Bible does not elaborate on this as a primary doctrine, it’s difficult today to say which interpretation is correct. This might be God’s wisdom, because our fallen human nature tends to think that if there’s a second chance, then life on earth doesn’t matter much. Due to human fallen nature, God doesn’t immediately tell us everything clearly, so that we can focus on the most important core truths now, preventing Satan from exploiting loopholes through human flesh.

At the same time, even if the above interpretation is correct, we must realize that the position of the dead spirits who get a second chance to hear the gospel is not enviable. Even if saved, only their spirits are saved, but their bodies cannot be (Peter doesn’t mention the fate of these people’s souls). This is similar to the situation in 1 Corinthians 5:5, where the body is destroyed, and only the spirit is saved.

Merely having the spirit saved is not complete salvation. The complete salvation God prepared for us in Jesus Christ is the complete salvation of spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

There is another different word in the Bible that is also translated as hell. For example, 2 Peter 2:4: “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell (Tartarus) and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” But the word there, ταρταρόω (tartaroō), is different again, referring to the place of punishment for angels after they sinned. If referenced against Revelation, this place is the same as or similar to the “abyss” (bottomless pit), not hell. The abyss is where sinful angels are confined, whereas hell (in Hades) is where wicked people go.

Paradise, Heaven, Eternal Life

The counterparts to Hades, Hell, and the Lake of Fire are Paradise, Heaven, and Eternal Life.

We can also misunderstand Paradise, Heaven, and Eternal Life.

Firstly, the Chinese word “天堂” (tiāntáng – literally “the Hall of Heaven”) itself carries a distinct Chinese cultural color. In the original New Testament text, there isn’t a specific word or concept corresponding directly to “天堂.” There is only the word “οὐρανός” (ouranos, singular, heaven) or “οὐρανοί” (ouranoi, plural, heavens), representing “sky” or “heaven(s).” This word appears about 300 times in the New Testament, generally translated as “heaven” or “the heavens.” Only in two places in the Chinese Bible is it specifically translated as “天堂” (Hebrews 9:24, 1 Peter 3:22). The reason is that in Chinese, due to cultural influence, the meaning of “天” (tiān – sky/heaven) is too common. Therefore, in the two instances specifically mentioning the place Jesus went after His resurrection, the term “天堂” was used especially to denote distinction.

Secondly, when speaking of “heaven,” we often first think of its spatial dimension, knowing heaven is high above. However, the heaven revealed in the Bible has three levels (2 Corinthians 12:2), and “level” doesn’t simply refer to distinctions in spatial height. The first heaven can be said to be the sky, including extended outer space, the material universe observable from earth. The second heaven, however, is spiritual, the place of rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). The third heaven is the true Heaven, where God dwells. Importantly, the second and third heavens are essentially spiritual realms or dimensions, not distinguished by physical space. Heaven is not a place physically high up (if so, the distance between humans and heaven would depend on technological advancement, which would be absurd); it is another realm.

On the cross, the Lord Jesus told the thief on his right who acknowledged His name, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). What Paradise the Lord Jesus spoke of, where it is, and its nature, are understood differently by readers, but one point is clear: in the Bible, Paradise and Heaven are two different words and appear in different contexts. While this doesn’t directly prove Paradise and Heaven are entirely different places, we can see the Holy Spirit’s different intentions when mentioning these two words.

In the Old Testament, the counterpart to Paradise is the Garden of Eden. Besides this, the Old Testament doesn’t mention Paradise. But essentially, the Garden of Eden was Paradise. A major common misunderstanding is thinking the Garden of Eden was on earth, while Paradise is in heaven. But actually, Eden and Paradise emphasize a difference in the dimension of human life, not a distinction between earth and heaven. The Adam originally created by God did not exist in the limited dimension we perceive today, seemingly only three spatial dimensions plus time, all material or physical. When Adam was created, his dimension was much broader and deeper than what we feel today. His life, as originally created by God, was in Paradise, where heaven and earth met, where God and man communed. That dimension wasn’t just in Adam’s thoughts but in the real dimension and space of his life and living. Adam didn’t just walk on the ground; in his actual space, he could directly enter the spiritual realm to commune with God. That was the Garden of Eden; the Garden of Eden was Paradise. But because Adam sinned, humanity lost Paradise.

The word Paradise appears three times in the New Testament: Luke 23:43, 2 Corinthians 12:4, and Revelation 2:7. It’s clear that the Paradise mentioned in the New Testament is not a place on this currently fallen earth. However, the Paradise Jesus spoke of is not necessarily Heaven. Although not explicitly stated in the Bible, there are related revelations.

On the cross, the Lord told the thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Before breathing His last on the cross, Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Jesus’ body remained on earth (in the tomb) for three days after His death, and His soul, bearing the sins of Adam’s descendants, went to Hades, where He conquered the power of death and Hades, and resurrected three days later. Jesus’ resurrection was complete, including the resurrection of His body.

Therefore, we can deduce that on the day Jesus was crucified, it was His spirit that went to Paradise.

At the same time, there is reason to believe Jesus’ spirit also went with His soul to Hades, because resurrection itself is the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit works through the spirit of the person being resurrected (Romans 8:8-11, Ephesians 1:20).

But you might ask, “Didn’t Jesus’ spirit go to Paradise after He died? How can it be said it also went to Hades?” However, this question is essentially non-existent because God’s Spirit is not limited by time and space. Jesus’ spirit could have gone first to Paradise and then to Hades during that time, or it could have been in both Paradise and Hades simultaneously; none of this presents any problem or contradiction. Since God’s Word hasn’t revealed the specifics, we shouldn’t dwell on it excessively.

The spirit of the thief who acknowledged Jesus Christ was also with the Lord Jesus in Paradise that day. The thief could not have gone to Heaven that day because Heaven is eternal, the final destination for people after resurrection. Although saved, the thief could not have been resurrected and gone to Heaven before other saints were resurrected. His spirit was saved. But because the thief lived his life in wickedness and impiety, not knowing the Lord Jesus, whether his soul and body could ultimately be saved is not promised or explained in God’s Word. Unless he had a second chance, although his spirit was saved and went to Paradise, his soul and body might not be saved. But this is between him and God; we cannot judge.

Through the thief saved in spirit on the cross, God used the “limit principle” to express the vast boundary of His grace. That day, the thief received Jesus’ salvation solely because he acknowledged Jesus at that final moment. He had no other reason, qualification, or credit. Anyone who genuinely chooses to come to the Lord Jesus, looking at this thief, should understand God’s grace, knowing his spirit will be saved based on one point: his ability to believe in Jesus. By faith alone, he could be with the Lord Jesus; his spirit went to Paradise.

However, Heaven is a greater, more beautiful, and more complete end. It was the resurrected Jesus Christ who went to Heaven. Jesus’ spirit, soul, and body all went to Heaven together. This is His complete, victorious life. He went there as the High Priest to offer sacrifice, sanctifying Heaven completely, and also completely sanctifying those who believe in Him and follow Him, His brothers (Hebrews 2:11-12). They pass through the new and living way opened by Christ’s death and resurrection, reach the Most Holy Place, and are presented before God the Father.

Today, we who are regenerated and saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus have already obtained a position in heaven. “And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6. This is our eternal position with Christ in heaven.

In a spiritual sense, we have already been resurrected; heaven is within and around us today. The reason we cannot see or touch heaven now is not because heaven is physically distant, but because our physical bodies and heaven are not in the same dimension. Our current physical bodies, before the final resurrection, are separated from the spiritual realm and do not communicate with it. Not only separated, but our physical bodies today act as a barrier or veil (a mask or a veil) for our spirit and soul, preventing them from fully connecting with spiritual reality.

The spiritual person can discern heavenly things (the deep things of God, 1 Corinthians 2:10) because their spirit has followed Christ, being lifted to the heavens. This is an elevation of life dimension, not a physical ascent. Nor is it an elevation where spirit, soul, and body are separated. But even for the spiritual person, their spirit still temporarily resides within their soul and body, awaiting the final redemption—the personal return of the Lord Jesus to finally bring us into eternity, the new heaven and new earth. “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans 8:23. Then heaven will be fully revealed, and our whole being (spirit, soul, body) will enter heaven.

Now, our spirits have already been regenerated, and we have heavenly communion with God through the Holy Spirit. Regarding our spirits, we would rather leave this world and be with the Lord in heaven, free from the limitations of the finite physical body. But we have a mission on earth. Our spirits must temporarily reside in this physical tent because our souls and bodies are still temporarily on earth. This is not because God cannot rescue us, but because God has a more complete and glorious plan in Christ. God’s plan is for our spirit, soul, and body to be fully saved in the end. This is the mission of our already saved spirits on earth.

Therefore, in this sense, our spirits temporarily endure limitations and hardships for the sake of our souls’ salvation, while our souls temporarily endure restrictions and hardships for the sake of our bodies’ salvation—not just for ourselves, but for others too. But all this is in Christ, because Jesus and His Spirit, for the salvation of our spirit, soul, and body, not only experienced the suffering of the cross but also continue in long-suffering today.

All earthly circumstances, including hardships and persecutions, are for our benefit in the salvation of our souls and bodies. Not only does the salvation of our spirits depend entirely on faith and grace, but the salvation of our souls and bodies also relies on faith and grace. All our experiences following the Lord Jesus on earth are opportunities to experience God’s grace in the Lord Jesus more deeply through faith.

Faith is a function of the spirit, not human psychological activity. Faith originates from the Holy Spirit, occurs within our spirits, but must operate within our souls (i.e., our thoughts, will, and emotions).

“Obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:9.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!” 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Waiting for the end of all things, in the new heaven and new earth, is the final outcome of the complete salvation of our spirit, soul, and body.

We might roughly say Heaven is also Paradise, but we need to realize that when God’s Word specifically mentions Paradise, it does not refer to the full reality of Heaven. The end of the thief in Paradise is the baseline guarantee of our salvation by grace, but we long for that better and more beautiful homeland in heaven, the heavenly home.

A common question is, where do the saints who have fallen asleep (died) before the Lord Jesus returns go? In common understanding, everyone believes Christians go to Heaven after death. But we need to be precise in wording and concepts according to God’s Word. After believers die, they do indeed go to Paradise, but that place is temporary, not the eternal heavenly home, so strictly speaking, it’s not entirely the same as Heaven. Even the most wonderful Paradise cannot compare to the eternal heavenly home. Consider, if the Paradise where sleeping saints go were entirely the same as the eternal Heaven, why would we still be waiting for the Lord’s return and hoping for resurrection?

The important distinction is not just semantics, or even just the location of the destination, but the content and state of life. The Apostle Paul spoke of someone being caught up to heaven (though Paul used the third person, most readers believe it was his own experience). He said he was caught up to the “third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2), but immediately followed by saying he was caught up to “Paradise” (2 Corinthians 12:4). So the Paradise Paul was caught up to should be part of the third heaven, not entirely separate.

But there he received great revelations. There, the Lord must have shown him eternity. Therefore, he knew the place where sleeping saints go is temporary. In the end, both the sleeping saints and those still alive will be caught up (the dead will first resurrect), meet the Lord in the air, enter the Millennium, and then enter eternity.

Therefore, if speaking merely of location or place, distinguishing Paradise and Heaven is unnecessary and meaningless. The real difference is that, for Paul personally, he was caught up to heaven in the spirit. He did not yet have a resurrected body. And concerning God’s overall work, the work of preparing a place for us in the Father’s house was not yet finished. That place is the heavenly home, the completed Heaven. Before that, there is Paradise temporarily, but the heavenly home must still be awaited. What is being prepared is not a separate place or building unrelated to our lives, but something directly related to the final redemption of our bodies. This is a great mystery, incomprehensible to our limited minds today.

Temporary Paradise is extremely good; eternal Heaven (the heavenly home) is even better. We long for that better country, a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:16). “Home” is God’s home, the home of Jesus Christ. Only those who have tasted Christ’s grace and His broad, long, high, and deep love in the new life have a true understanding and longing for this home. Otherwise, we only have a vague religious concept of “going to heaven after death.”

What kind of life is worthy of such a homeland? Is it not those who have received eternal life in Jesus Christ?

Eternal life is not this present life continuing without dying, but a completely new life, the life of Jesus Christ manifested in the new life of each saved individual.

Today on earth, let us not merely hope for eternal life, but be willing to co-labor and co-suffer with Christ, because the Lord Jesus is still building His house today. This house is not any earthly building, nor a visible church on earth, but spiritual and heavenly, in the life of Christ. The completed building descends from heaven (Revelation 21:2, 10), but the materials and the “processing plant” are on earth—namely, the experiences of saints following the Holy Spirit, walking the way of the cross, loving one another. The tribulation, kingdom, and patient endurance of Jesus all pertain to this matter. When we see this, we begin to understand the beauty and weight of the phrase “partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus” (Revelation 1:9).