What Do Christians Believe?
Extra week: Where did Jesus go after he died?
You have, no doubt, heard that Jesus was raised from the dead. Jesus died on a Friday and walked out of his own tomb on a Sunday. In this course we look at reasons to believe that this really happened.
Where was Jesus between Friday and Sunday? What was he doing then? His body was in the tomb. Where was his soul? Where do people go when they die? These questions have not usually been part of courses like What Do Christians Believe? but they are questions of interest to a good number of people. So we take an extra week to address these questions. I have made a special study of these questions. The answers in the Bible are probably not what you expect…
You may like to go through this leaflet in one go, or you may want to look at each of the Bible readings on different days.
What do you think of this picture? What is happening?
1 50 days after Jesus died and was raised, Peter, the leader of Jesus’ followers, talked to a crowd. This is part of what Peter said:
Acts 2:24-28
God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says concerning him,
“I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my flesh will live in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”
Peter said that God freed Jesus from death. Death had imprisoned Jesus, God freed him. Death tried to hold Jesus in its power but could not hold him. Death has the power of holding, imprisoning people. When people die, they are held, imprisoned, by death. Death tried to do this to Jesus and failed.
Peter goes on to quote Psalm 16 in the Old Testament. The writer, probably King David, looks forward to his soul not being abandoned in Hades. Peter says that this applies to Jesus. The writer of Psalm 16 was looking forward to Jesus. Peter says that Jesus’ soul was not abandoned to Hades. (In the Old Testament Hebrew, Hades is called Sheol.)
Hades is the holding place of death. Death holds, imprisons, people and the place where people are held, imprisoned, is called Hades. Jesus went to Hades when he died, but Hades could not hold him as it holds other people.
2 Revelation 1
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive for ever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
The book of Revelation is a series of visions about the hidden forces in our world, the future of our world, the end of our world and the beginning of a new world. The book begins with a vision of Jesus. It is worth reading this vision, earlier in Chapter 1, and trying to imagine it. This vision of Jesus and his words forms the foundation of the whole book, something to bear in mind through the book.
Jesus says ‘Do not be afraid…’ All that he tells us here is to make us not afraid, of anything.
Jesus says he was dead and now he is alive. He has been in the place of the dead, Hades, and has been freed from it.
Jesus says he has the keys of death and Hades. He went into Hades, fought for the keys, took possession of the keys, and then came out of Hades with the keys.
Jesus says he has the keys of Hades as his permanent possession. He has not used the keys and thrown them away. He holds the keys. He has permanent, immediate, access to the keys of Hades.
Keys give people the power and authority to go in and out of a place, and to take other people in and out of a place.
You know the difference between those in prisons who don’t have keys and those who do have keys. Jesus has the keys to Hades. Jesus can go in and out of Hades and can take other people in and out of Hades whenever he wants.
Does Jesus use his keys? Does Jesus go into Hades and take people out of Hades? Jesus doesn’t say that he does this. What do you think?
If Jesus has the keys of Hades and does not use them, how
does this make us not afraid? If Jesus says ‘Look! I have the keys of Hades. I’m not going to use them but I want you to know I have them,’ what sense does that make?
Doesn’t that make us think of Jesus as hard-hearted, make us more afraid? Surely Jesus tells us he has the keys, and tells us this is to make us not afraid, because he uses his keys.
Jesus went into Hades and came out again. Now Jesus can keep going into Hades and coming out again, with whoever he wants.
What do you think of this? How different is it from what you have heard or read before?
3 Revelation 14
9 Then another angel, a third, followed them, crying with a loud voice, ‘Those who worship the beast and its image, and receive a mark on their foreheads or on their hands, 10 they will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and they will be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment goes up for ages and ages. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image and for anyone who receives the mark of its name.’
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them.
14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand!
This last verse is a picture of Jesus coming again for the Final Judgement. The verses before it are before Jesus comes again, before the Final Judgement. These describe people, souls, who have died and are being held in a horrible existence, while they are also in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. The Lamb in the Bible, and especially in the book of Revelation, is a picture of
Jesus. Jesus is ‘The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’ (John 1:29)
These people are suffering the wrath, the anger, of God against what they have done, against their sins. God is angry with people who wound other people. Jesus is with these people ready to take away their sins. Jesus is there as he was on the cross, suffering alongside them, ready to forgive them as soon as they turn to him.
Where are these tormented people? What is the place that is holding them before the Final Judgement? Surely it is Hades. And Jesus uses his keys to enter Hades, to bring his angels into Hades, and to be alongside those in Hades.
A Scottish artist, Peter Howson, has painted this picture, called ‘Hades.’
Any comments, thoughts..?
4. Revelation 20
11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; 15 and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The end of the world comes with the Final Judgement, described in Revelation 20.
Everyone is, will be, judged according to their works (v12) People are not judged according to their beliefs. The most important thing in life is not to have the right religion but to act in love. But no-one has lived a perfect life, everyone has hurt other people, everyone needs forgiveness – from Jesus.
The dead who are being held in Hades are given up to the Judgement (v13) – they are presented to the Court. No- one can refuse. Then Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire. Hades no longer has any use. It is incinerated (v14).
What do you call a place which holds people until they are judged? A place where people are held and then presented to the court? A remand prison. Hades is the remand prison before Final Judgement.
Hades is not eternal. One day Hades will have completed its purpose and will be destroyed. Hades will probably last a long time, before the Final Judgement. We don’t know exactly how conscious people will be in Hades, what their sense of time will be. They may well feel, as in any remand prison, that time is going very slowly, that they are there for ages and ages.
Jesus has the keys of Hades. Jesus can release people from Hades – if they are ready to ask for his forgiveness and help.
Years ago people often painted Jesus pulling people out of Hades.
5. Luke 23
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,
37 and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’
38 There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept insulting him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’
40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’
42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into[k] your kingdom.’ 43 He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
Jesus was on the cross as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is with those in Hades as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The cross is the place of death – people are held by nails and cannot escape. Hades is the place of death – people are held and cannot escape. When we see Jesus on the cross we see also what it means for Jesus to be in Hades.
On the cross people mock and scoff and insult Jesus. The same is probably true of Hades. Hades is a place of ‘weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.’ People only think about how unfairly they are being treated and they are angry.
On the cross Jesus takes all the abuse, and keeps saying ‘Father forgive them…’ One man next to him admits that he has deserved to be there: he admits his sin. He looks to Jesus to help him, to give him a future with Jesus: he has faith in Jesus. To him, and to no-one else, Jesus says
‘Today you will be with me in Paradise.’
Paradise is a great garden. Paradise is also a waiting place before Final Judgement – for those who have already been forgiven. Instead of a nasty remand prison, Hades, people wait in a delightful, restful, garden, Paradise. Instead of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, there is singing, and celebrating and laughing.
To go to Paradise we need Jesus the Judge to forgive us. When he says we are forgiven, when he declares that there are no longer charges against us, Jesus says ‘You will be with me in Paradise.’ If we are forgiven in this life, we know we will be with Jesus in Paradise when we die. If we are forgiven when we are in Hades, we will be with Jesus ‘today.’
We are far better off if we are forgiven by Jesus in this life. Hades is a nasty remand prison. Even half an hour there is worse than anything in this life. If we are forgiven by Jesus in this life, we have years of peace, of faith and hope and love. Much better to know now we are going to Paradise.
How are we forgiven by Jesus? Like the thief on the cross, we admit our sin, that we deserve to go to Hades, and we ask Jesus to forgive us and give us a future with him.
This picture is in a church, now a museum, in Istanbul:
This is a carving on the front of Lincoln Cathedral
We see Jesus freeing people from Hades.
What difference does it make to know that Jesus has the keys of Hades? Does it help you see death, life, Jesus, differently?
Do you think it’s OK to ask Jesus to use his keys to rescue people who have died who may well have gone to Hades? If you want, you can ask Jesus to be with your people who have died…