Yeshua told the thief who turned in faith to Him that he would be in Paradise with Yeshua that same day:
Luke 23:43 And Yeshua said unto him, “I say unto thee faith! Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise!”
Yeshua spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth as He promised:
Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonah was in the whale’s belly three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.”
In order for him to be with Yeshua and be in Paradise that very same day, Paradise had to be in the heart of the earth. Yet Sheol is the heart of the earth:
Numbers 16:30 “But if Yehovah make a new thing, and the land open her mouth and swallow them with all that appertains unto them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then ye shall understand that these men have provoked Yehovah!” 31And it was as he had made an end of speaking all these words. And the ground clave asunder that was under them. 32And the land opened her mouth and swallowed them and their houses and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33They and all that appertained to them went down alive into Sheol. And the land closed upon them. And they perished from among the congregation.
Thus, Paradise must have been in Sheol at that time.
How did Paradise come to be in Sheol?
Paradise’s Origin
The Garden of Eden (Garden of Pleasure) was and is Paradise; the two are synonymous. See how Paradise is used to substantiate this:
Nehemiah 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest [Paradise], that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
Ecclesiastes 2:5 I made me gardens and orchards [Paradise], and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits.
Song of Solomon 4:13 Thy plants are an orchard [Paradise] of pomegranates with pleasant fruits, camphire, with spikenard…
Thus, paradise indicates some type of garden or an orchard.
Revelation 2:7 He that has an ear, he shall hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. I will give to him who overcomes to eat of the Tree of the Lives that is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
The Tree of Life (Tree of the Lives) is in the midst of the Paradise of God, according to the above text. It is also in the midst of the Garden of Eden. Thus, the two are synonymous.
Thus, I will next consider Eden and its role in the Bible.
Eden
Genesis 2:8 And Yehovah Elohim planted a garden eastward in Eden. And there He put the man whom He had formed.
Genesis 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden. And it was parted from thence, and became to four heads.
Genesis 2:15 And Yehovah Elohim took the man. And He put him into the Garden of Eden to serve it and to guard it.
Adam was placed in this garden, in Paradise. His role was to serve and to guard it. It would respond to him with great strength if he would do these things. He instead sinned.
Genesis 3:23 Therefore Yehovah Elohim sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to serve the soil from whence he was taken.
Genesis 3:24 So He drove out the man. And He placed Cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword that turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of the Lives.
The Tree of the Lives was now blocked from every direction except one: faith.
Yehovah compares locations to Eden when He describes great fruitfulness:
Isaiah 51:3 For Yehovah shall comfort Zion! He will comfort all her waste places. And He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of Yehovah. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, confession and the voice of melody.
Ezekiel 36:35 And they shall say, “This land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden! And the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited!”
Joel 2:3 A fire devours before them, and a flame burns behind them! The land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and a desolate wilderness behind them! Indeed—and nothing shall escape them.
Yehovah speaks to the future great and violent city of Babylon (a city that will be in its former location, in Iraq) in the following text:
Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God.
He also speaks of the Antichrist as if the man is a great tree. He compares him to the trees in Eden:
Ezekiel 31:9 I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches so that all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied him.
Once the Antichrist is sent into Sheol, the trees of Eden will be consoled:
Ezekiel 31:16 “I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall when I cast him down to Sheol with them that descend into the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be consoled in the lower parts of the land.”
Ezekiel 31:18 “To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the lower parts of the land! Thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,” says Yehovah Elohim.
The above text refers to the transfer of the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the land! This is where Yehovah placed Paradise when He removed it from the surface of the earth in the days of Adam.
Eden, Verb
Hebrew has a verb for almost every word form. The verb eden in Hebrew means pleasure, delight. It is used in the following text:
Nehemiah 9:25 And they took strong cities and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells dug, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance. They did eat so, and were filled. And they became fat, and delighted [verb, eden] themselves in Thy great goodness.
Eden, Edna, Pleasure
The Hebrew nouns eden [masculine] and edna [feminine, and where the name Edna is derived] describe pleasure, including sexual pleasure as in the first text below:
Genesis 18:12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure [Edna], my lord being old also?”
2 Samuel 1:24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights [Adanim, plural of eden], who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy House! And Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures [Adanim].
Jeremiah 51:34 Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon devoured me! He crushed me! He made me an empty vessel! He swallowed me up like a dragon! He filled his belly from my delicates [Adanim]! He cast me out.
Thus, Paradise, the Garden of Eden is always rightly associated with delight and pleasure.
Tree of the Lives
The Tree of Life, or better, Tree of the Lives was placed in the center of Paradise.
Genesis 2:9 And Yehovah Elohim made every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, and in the midst of the garden the Tree of the Lives and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad to grow out of the soil.
Genesis 3:22 And Yehovah Elohim said, “Behold, the man is become as one of us to know good and bad! And now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of the Lives, and eat, and live to Hider…
Thus, eating of the Tree of the Lives would give the eater everlasting life.
Genesis 3:24 So He drove out the man. And He placed Cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword that turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of the Lives.
That tree had to be guarded, since a sinful man who was unrepentant could also eat, and live forever with sin.
The next set of texts refer to the feminine character known as Wisdom.
Proverbs 3:18 She is a Tree of the Lives to them that lay hold upon Her! And everyone who retains her is happy!
Anyone who lays hold upon Wisdom obtains everlasting life. Thus, She is the feminine form of Messiah Yeshua! (Yehovah is neither masculine nor feminine, but He designed the genders for our instruction. Humans of both genders are equally made in the image of God. Thus, it only makes sense that a feminine-gendered being describes another aspect of Yehovah. What radical, liberal feminists might do with this information is of no concern to me, and I suspect that it is of no concern to Yehovah. Perhaps it might be to the salvation of some of them!)
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of the Lives. And he that acquires beings is wise!
The fruit of righteous folks is also a Tree of the Lives from which one can eat and obtain everlasting life!
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick. And when the lust comes, it is a Tree of the Lives!
Lust is very, very strong desire. The Bible does not classify lust as automatically sinful. It refers to the type of lust before drawing conclusions. Lust for what is good and righteous is right before Yehovah. The Proverbs text above describes such a good lust; its coming also presents the Tree of the Lives, leading to everlasting life! (If this seems confusing, consider the timing of the fulfillment of this text. Once you see that it is referring to a Tribulation event, this outcome may make more sense.)
Proverbs 15:4 A healing tongue is a Tree of the Lives. But perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit!
Now, a tongue that speaks words that heal is a Tree of the Lives, and able to bring everlasting life!
Revelation 2:7 He that has an ear, he shall hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. I will give to him who overcomes to eat of the Tree of the lives that is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
The Tree of the Lives is still in the midst of the Paradise of God even at this time in the future. Thus, I always associate the physical location of that Tree with Paradise. Though other items can also be a Tree of the Lives, the actual tree remains in Paradise. It is a real tree, not a spiritual concept.
Revelation 22:2 In the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river, there was the Tree of the Lives that bore twelve manner of fruits. And she yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the Tree are for the servicing of the races!
The above text demonstrates that the Tree produces real, physical fruits: twelve different types! I could not tell whether there was a different fruit for each month or whether there were twelve different fruits per month.
One tree straddles both sides of the river! It must be a large tree.
The various races will use the leaves of that tree for various forms of servicing (besides being for service) on the New Earth.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do His commandments so that they will have right to the Tree of the Lives, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
One who has come to Truth by Biblically correct faith is given the right to the Tree of the Lives, as well as entering through the gates into the city of Jerusalem.
Living Water: Waters of Lives
‘Living Water’ (waters of lives) is also associated with Paradise. The following texts consider this water.
Song of Solomon 4:15 …a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters [waters of lives], and streams from Lebanon.
Most translators thought that the phrase living water was describing running water, the motion of the water being akin to the motion of a living creature. I put no stock in this view. The waters of lives do not represent running water. The above text shows that the water provides a necessity for living plants.
The following text presents a being Who is the fountain of the waters of lives:
Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters [the waters of lives] and hewed them out cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water!”
This is further explained in the following text:
Jeremiah 17:13 Yehovah the Hope of Israel, all that forsake Thee shall be ashamed! And they that depart from Me shall be written in the land because they have forsaken Yehovah, the fountain of living waters [the waters of lives]!
Two beings are described in this verse. One is obviously Yehovah. The other may not be so easily discerned, so the following text will help:
John 7:38 He who believes on me, as the Scripture hath said, rivers of living water shall flow out of his belly. 39(But He spoke this of the Spirit that they who believe on Him will receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Yeshua was not yet glorified.)
Thus, Yehovah is the fountain; the Spirit of Yehovah is that water of life.
Zechariah 14:8 And he shall be in that day. And living waters [waters of lives] shall go out from Jerusalem—half of them toward the former sea and half of them toward the hinder sea. He shall be in summer and in winter.
A split river will come out of the top of the Great Mount Zion during the Millennium, carrying the waters of lives. Drinking of that water will do as much good as drinking from the Rock that followed and preceded Israel in the wilderness: no good at all except for thirst, unless accompanied by faith!
John 4:10 Yeshua answered and said unto her, “If thou knew the Gift of God and who it is Who says to thee, ‘Give me to drink,’ thou would have asked from Him, and He would have given thee living water [waters of lives]!” 11The woman says unto Him, “Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast Thou that living water [water of lives]?” … “14Whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be a well of water springing up in him into everlasting life.”
John 7:38 He who believes on me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water [waters of lives] shall flow out of his belly!
The above two texts show that those waters, combined with faith, give everlasting life. Thus, the Tree of the Lives and the waters of the Lives are quite connected.
Genesis 26:19 And Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of springing water [waters of lives].
The picture of a well that is life-saving is a type of that water that is everlasting-life-saving.
The following texts consist of types. A type is a person, place, item, time or action that is real and important in itself, but pictures a person, place, item, time or action that is real and far more important. (A symbol is something that is of little value in itself, but stands for something important and/or valuable.) For now, note the centrality of the waters of lives in them:
Leviticus 14:5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water [waters of lives].
Leviticus 14:6 As for the living bird, he shall take it and the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and shall immerse them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water [waters of lives].
Leviticus 14:50 And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water [waters of lives].
Leviticus 14:51 And he shall take the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet and the living bird, and immerse them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water [waters of lives], and sprinkle the house seven times.
Leviticus 14:52 And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water [waters of lives], and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet.
Leviticus 15:13 And when he who has an issue is cleansed of his issue, then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing. And he shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in running water [waters of lives], and shall be clean.
Numbers 19:17 And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burned heifer of the sin-sacrifice. And running water [waters of lives] shall be put thereto in a vessel.
(Did you notice immersion in several of the texts above? They form part of the bases of the doctrines of baptisms mentioned in Hebrews 6:2.)
Revelation 21:6 And He said unto me, “It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the waters of lives.”
Thirsting, then, often precedes obtaining everlasting life!
Revelation 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of waters of lives, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him that hears say, “Come!” And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, he shall freely take the waters of lives!
Sheol
Since Paradise resided in Sheol for a length of time, considering Sheol is important.
Genesis 37:35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him. But he refused to be comforted. And he said, “For I will go down mourning unto my son into Sheol.” Thus his father wept for him.
Jacob was and is a Saint. He knew he would go to Sheol when he died. Saints (at that time) and non-saints went to Sheol, and thus were ‘gathered to their fathers’.
Genesis 42:38 And he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol!”
Genesis 44:29 “And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol!”
Genesis 44:31 “He shall be, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. And thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.”
The following text is quite unusual. Korah and all who stood with him went down alive into Sheol after the land opened. They fell thousands of miles!
Numbers 16:33 They and all that appertained to them went down alive into the Sheol. And the earth closed upon them. And they perished from among the congregation.
Deuteronomy 32:22 “For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest Sheol, and shall consume the land with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains!”
Sheol has upper and lower parts.
1 Samuel 2:6 Yehovah kills and makes alive! He brings down to Sheol, and brings up.
This speaks of resurrection; it also speaks of bringing some back to mortal life (like Lazarus, Martha’s brother, and like Ezekiel 37 describes with the dry bones event).
2 Samuel 22:6 The sorrows of Sheol compassed me about. The snares of death preceded me.
1 Kings 2:6 “Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to Sheol in peace!”
1 Kings 2:9 “Now, therefore, hold him not guiltless. For thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou ought to do unto him. But bring thou down his hoar head to Sheol with blood!”
Job 14:13 “O that Thou would hide me in Sheol, that Thou would keep me secret until Thy wrath be past, that Thou would appoint me a set time, and remember me!”
The above text demonstrates a speaker who desires to be hidden in Sheol! Please remember that this text is prophetic. It is not describing a theoretical situation, but one that will occur exactly that way. I propose that this corresponds with Ezekiel 37.
Job 17:13 “If I wait, Sheol is my house. I have made my bed in the darkness.”
Job 17:16 “They shall go down to the bars of Sheol when our rest together is in the dust.”
Sheol has bars/gates. Another text refers to this:
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter [Stone]. And I will build my Church upon this rock. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her!
Job 21:13 “They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to Sheol.”
Psalms 6:5 For there is no remembrance of Thee in death. Who shall confess Thee in Sheol?
The time for confessing Yehovah is past once one goes to Sheol.
Psalms 9:17 The wicked and all the nations that forget God shall be turned into Sheol.
Psalms 16:10 For Thou wilt not leave my being in Sheol. And Thou wilt not suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.
Psalms 18:5 The sorrows of Sheol compassed me about. The snares of death preceded me.
Psalms 30:3 Yehovah, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol. Thou hast kept me alive, and I will not go down to the pit.
This is not referring to Yeshua. Read it carefully, and consider Ezekiel 37.
This normally brings the question of a ‘second chance.’ Everyone with basic mental faculties who lives long enough to outgrow being a baby has regular ‘second chances’ in this life. Yehovah will not give those who have died and gone to Sheol another chance. He has promised to resurrect a very large group from Sheol, however, and bring that group back to mortal life, including giving that group His Salvation. This cannot reasonably be objected, since Salvation is by His Grace, and He has the right do keep His Word. That large group is mentioned in Ezekiel 37, and is the House of Israel (previously slaughtered, leaving only the House of Judah). Since all the tribes must be present to fulfill His Word, He will prove that “neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creation shall be able to separate [the Israelis] from the love of God that is via Messiah Yeshua”.
Psalms 31:17 I will not be ashamed, Yehovah. For I called upon Thee. The wicked shall be ashamed! They shall be silent in Sheol!
The most vociferous ‘bad guys’ are silent in Sheol—that is, they are not protesting, rioting, carrying on, shouting, etc. They already know what awaits them; it is terrifying.
Psalms 49:14 They are laid in Sheol like sheep. Death shall feed on them! And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. And their beauty shall consume in Sheol from their dwelling.
Psalms 49:15 But God will redeem my being from the power of Sheol! For He shall receive me. Selah.
This, again, speaks of an entity (like a group) who will be redeemed from the power of Sheol. It again connects to the previously quoted text:
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter [Stone]. And I will build my Church upon this rock. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her!
It is the Church (Congregation) of Israel.
Psalms 55:15 Death shall seize upon them! And they shall go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
Going down alive into Sheol is very unusual!
Psalms 86:13 For great is Thy Grace toward me. And Thou hast delivered my being from the lowest Sheol.
Psalms 88:3 For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws nigh unto Sheol.
Psalms 89:48 What man is he who lives, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his being from the hand of Sheol? Selah.
Sheol is also the fallen angel whom Yehovah has given responsibility over the location!
Psalms 116:3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of Sheol got hold upon me. I found trouble and sorrow.
Psalms 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
Yehovah is not absent from Sheol!
Psalms 141:7 Our bones are scattered at Sheol’s mouth as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the land.
Proverbs 1:12 “We shall swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole as those that go down into the pit!”
Proverbs 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on Sheol!
Proverbs 7:27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.
Proverbs 9:18 But he doesn’t know that the dead are there, and that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Proverbs 15:11 Sheol and destruction are before Yehovah; how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
Proverbs 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from Sheol beneath.
Proverbs 23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol.
Proverbs 27:20 Sheol and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
The following text explains that Sheol continues to widen as newly arrived dead come into her:
Isaiah 5:14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged herself and opened her mouth without measure. And their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he who rejoices shall descend into her!
Proverbs 30:15 The horseleach has two daughters, crying, “Give!” “Give!” There are three things that are never satisfied. Indeed, four things don’t say, “It is enough”: 16Sheol and the barren womb, the land that is not filled with water and the fire that doesn’t say, “It is enough.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. For there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol where thou art going!
Sheol is not a place for doing work.
Song of Solomon 8:6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm. For love is strong as death. Jealousy is cruel as Sheol. The coals thereof are coals of fire that has a most vehement flame!
Sheol is a place of torture! This does not describe the Paradise side, however.
Isaiah 14:9 Sheol from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming to stir up the dead for thee—even all the chief ones of the land. She has raised up all the kings of the nations from their thrones.
The feminine-gendered angel Sheol again acts in the above text. This is the only angel of which I am aware to which Yehovah assigned a feminine gender. That does not mean that Sheol is a female. Hebrew assigns genders to all nouns!
Isaiah 14:11 Thy pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of thy viols. The worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
Isaiah 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the sides of the pit.
Sheol is located on the sides of a huge pit. That pit makes the great gulf that divided the ‘torments’ side from the ‘Paradise’ side.
Isaiah 28:15 For ye have said, “We have made a covenant with Death, and we are at agreement with Sheol! When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us. For we have made lies our refuge, and we hid ourselves under falsehood.
Making a covenant with Death and Sheol is making a covenant with two demons! It isn’t a wise choice.
Isaiah 28:18 And your covenant with Death shall be annulled. And your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it!
Isaiah 38:10 I said in the cutting off of my days, “I shall go to the gates of Sheol! I am deprived of the residue of my years.”
Isaiah 38:18 For Sheol cannot confess Thee. Death cannot praise Thee. They that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy Truth.
Isaiah 57:9 And thou went to the king with ointment, and did increase thy perfumes, and did send thy messengers far off, and did debase thyself even unto Sheol!
The following text was considered early in this document. Consider again what it tells about Sheol.
Ezekiel 31:15 Thus says Yehovah Elohim, “In the day when he went down to Sheol, I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof. And the great waters were stayed. And I caused Lebanon to mourn for him. And all the trees of the field fainted for him. 16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall when I cast him down to Sheol with them that descend into the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon—all that drink water shall be consoled in the lower parts of the land! 17They also went down into Sheol with him unto them that are slain with the sword, and they who were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the races.”
Ezekiel 32:21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him with them that help him out of the midst of Sheol. They are gone down. They lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
The above text is not referring to folks in Sheol communicating with folks on the earth’s land, but of communications within Sheol itself.
Ezekiel 32:27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised who are gone down to Sheol via their weapons of war. And they gave their swords under their heads. But their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Hosea 13:14 “I will ransom them from the power of Sheol! I will redeem them from Death! Death, I will be thy plagues! Sheol, I will be thy destruction! Repentance shall be hidden from my eyes!”
The above text is part of a string of texts from which it cannot be extricated. Unless a reader takes the whole set, it will not make sense. Yehovah seems to be vacillating only because this text has been separated. Yes, He will ransom them from the power of Sheol. Yes, He will redeem them from Death. And He will turn to plague Death and to destroy Sheol. But in the meantime He will not change His mind from destroying and slaughtering Ephraim. I propose that this is describing how the dry bones slaughter took place (again, Ezekiel 37).
Amos 9:2 “Though they dig into Sheol, my hand shall take them thence! Though they climb up to the heavens, I will bring them down thence!”
Why would anyone desire to dig into Sheol? But some folks are that stupid!
Jonah 2:2 And he said, “I shouted unto Yehovah by reason of my tribulation. And He heard me! I shouted from the belly of Sheol, and Thou heard my voice!”
Jonah is prophesying regarding the same thing. Most readers think that Jonah is praying over his own situation. They have not considered that a prophet’s responsibility is to prophesy the Word of Yehovah, not his own situation. Jonah didn’t experience all the events about which he prophesied in chapter 2. He was a type, and spoke for another. The timing is also future; the events Jonah described have not yet occurred. They will, however!
Habakkuk 2:5 …indeed because he also transgresses by wine; he is a proud man and doesn’t keep at home; who enlarges his desire as Sheol, and is as Death, and cannot be satisfied; but gathers all nations unto him, and heaps all people unto him…
Of whom does this speak? Can you figure this out?
Hades
Hades and Sheol are exactly the same, and are just from two different languages.
The following texts refer to Hades:
Matthew 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, that art exalted unto the heavens, shalt be brought down to Hades! For if the mighty works that have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day!
An entire city will be brought down to Hades!
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter [Stone]. And I will build my Church upon this rock. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her!
That Church is the Congregation the House of Israel, as I mentioned above. Hades’ gates will not be able to prevail against her; she will ‘bust out’ when Yehovah calls her to come.
Have you rightly determined to what this rock refers? (Hint: It isn’t referring to Yeshua Himself, and it isn’t referring to Peter.)
Luke 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, that art exalted to the heavens, shalt be thrust down to Hades!
The following text describes a real event and real persons in every detail. When Yeshua said “there was,” faith in His Word insists that there really was what He describes.
Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus who was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. And the dogs came and licked his sores. 22And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23And he lifted up his eyes in Hades, being in torments. And he sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he shouted and said, “Father Abraham! Have mercy on me! And send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am tormented in this flame!” 25But Abraham said, “Son, remember that thou received thy good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus bad things. But now he is consoled, and thou art tormented. 26And beside all this, there is a great gulf fixed between us and you so that they who would pass from here to you cannot, and they who would come from there cannot pass to us.” 27Then he said, “I pray thee therefore, father, that thou would send him to my father’s house—28for I have five brethren—that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” 29Abraham says unto him, “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them.” 30And he said, “Nay, father Abraham—but they will repent if one went unto them from the dead.” 31And he said unto him, “If they don’t hear Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
This text shows several things:
- Angels transported Lazarus to Abraham’s bosom, located in the Paradise-side of Hades.
- Non-saints are in torments in Hades (and will continue to be in torments for the many centuries until they are judged and consigned to the Lake of Fire and Sulfur)
- Non-saints could see the Saints and vice-versa in the distance.
- Saints and non-saints could shout to each other.
- There is water on the Paradise-side of Hades; the non-saints can see that there is water.
- There is no water on the torments side.
- There is a flame on the torments side that tortures the non-saints.
- There is consolation only on the Paradise-side of Hades.
- A great gulf separates the two sides so that none can pass to the other side.
- Non-saints realize and care about their lost loved ones who have not yet come to Hades.
- Persuasion of the living will not occur even if one rises from the dead to tell the living.
- Saints do not have compassion on non-saints on the other side.
Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my being in Hades. And Thou wilt not suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.
To whom does ‘my’ refer in the above text? (Hint: It doesn’t refer to Messiah.)
Acts 2:31 He spoke of the resurrection of Messiah, seeing this before—that His soul was not left in Hades, and his flesh did not see corruption.
(Hint: This doesn’t change the question or the hint above!)
1 Corinthians 15:55 Death, where is thy sting? Hades, where is thy victory?
Revelation 1:18 I am He Who lives, and was dead. And behold, I am alive for evermore! Faith! And I have the keys of Hades and of Death!
Revelation 6:8 And I looked. And behold, a pale horse! And his name who sat on him was Death. And Hades 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.
These two angels ride (angelic) horses! They will both do a great slaughter of non-Jewish unbelievers during the Tribulation. (How can one tell that the judgments of Revelation are not directed against Israel?)
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in him. And Death and Hades delivered up the dead that were in them. And they were judged—every man—according to their works. 14And Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
The Lake of Fire and Sulfur was originally designed only for angels; the majority of humans who will end up there had to determine to go.
Matthew 25:41 Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!”
Gehena
Gehena is an abbreviated form of Gay-Hinnom, the Valley of Hinnom. This corresponds to Topheth:
2 Kings 23:10 And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom.
The following text shows what occurred in this terrible place:
2 Chronicles 28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign. And he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not what was right in the sight of Yehovah, like David his father. 2For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. And he also made molten images for Baalim. 3And he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom. And he burned his children in the fire after the abominations of the races whom Yehovah cast out before the children of Israel.
Thus, burning children alive became a picture of Gehena, akin to the Lake of Fire and Sulfur.
The following texts refer to Gehena, and show that it is what most folks think of hell.
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! [Worthless!]” shall be in danger of the Council. But whosoever shall say, “Thou fool!” shall be in danger of Gehena fire.
Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast 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 Gehena! 30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast 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 Gehena.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehena!
Matthew 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life with one eye rather than to be cast into Gehena fire having two eyes.
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 twofold more the child of Gehena than yourselves!
Matthew 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Gehena?
Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off! It is better for thee to enter into life maimed than to go into Gehena, into the fire that shall never be quenched, having two hands!
Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off! It is better for thee to enter into life halt than to be cast into Gehena, into the fire that never shall be quenched, having two feet!
Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck out! It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to be cast into Gehena fire having two eyes!
Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him Who has power to cast into Gehena after He has killed! Indeed I say unto you, fear Him!
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity! The tongue is so among our members, so that it defiles the whole Body and sets on fire the course of nature. And it is set on fire from Gehena!
While Paradise has nothing to do with Gehena, both mystify folks in the same discussions.
Tartaros/Tartarus
One text refers to this location:
2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to Tartaros/Tartarus, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment…
This seems to be within that pit that separates the two sides of Sheol. These angels will be released later, and will participate in judgment events.
Absent from the Body
The Spirit of Yehovah through Paul explained,
2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that we are absent from the Lord while we are at home in the Body. 7For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord!
This text indicates a change, since Saints who die no longer go to Sheol/Hades. The Lord Yehovah’s throne is in the heavens, not in Sheol/Hades. Being present with Him indicates that Saints now go to the place of His throne. The change must have occurred after Yeshua rose from the dead. The Book of the Revelation of Yeshua to John describes Saints in the heavens, not in Hades.
If the Saints are not in Hades, Paradise also is no longer there. Another text confirms this:
2 Corinthians 12:3 And I knew such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell—God knows), 4how that he was caught up into Paradise. And he heard unspeakable words that it is not lawful for a man to utter.
The person caught up to Paradise didn’t descend to Paradise.
Paradise will finally come back to earth when Messiah comes with all His angels and with all the Saints who died (thus leaving the heavens devoid of humans and angels). The Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven will be on this earth for one thousand years, and Paradise will be back—but in Israel, this time. Messiah Yeshua, Who is Wisdom, Who is the Tree of the Lives, will be in Mount Zion, so that humans won’t yet see that tree, and will still need to believe in Yeshua for Life. The Tree will be physically visible on the New Earth in Paradise, and its leaves and fruit will be useful and very good.