The Greek word Hades has its equivalent in Hebrews as Sheol and it appears Forty two times in the new testament; it refers to the temporary unseen abode the departed soul/spirit. It is described in the Bible as a place beneath the earth (Prov.15:24; Job 10:22).

Hades is different from the grave (Heb. Qeber). In the old testament, the Hebrew word Sheol appears Sixty five times and it was used to denote the abode for both the righteous and the wicked after death. The geographical location of Hades is unspecified in the Bible.

   However, the example of Korah Dothan and Abiram going down the underground probably suggest a kind of geographical location of the dead (Num.16:31-33). In the new testament, Hades is sometimes described as the Outer Darkness (matt.8:12), the place of Eternal Punishment (matt.25:46), the Lake of Fire (Rev.19:20; 20:15). The grave is a place of corruption where there is no consciousness of Life. The body of the dead goes to the grave but the spirit/soul of the dead goes to Hades. Hades is the place for the spirit/soul after death where there is full consciousness (Ezek.32:27-31; Luke.16:19-31) and conversation (Luke. 16:19-31). It seems that Hades is an irrevocable place for the dead as one`s destiny is sealed immediately after death (Isaiah.38:18).

There seems to be three compartments in Hades according to the story about Lazarus and the rich man in (Luke.16:19-31). These compartments are ABRAHAM`S BOSOM OR PARADISE; THE GREAT GULF FIX and the PLACE OF TORMENT. These are not the same as hell since John testifies that both death and Hades will be cast into the LAKE OF FIRE on the judgement day (Rev.20:11-15). From the story told by Jesus in Luke chapter 16:23, it can be deduced that Hades is a place where inhabitants are conscious and sensitive both to pains and happiness.

    THE VARIOUS COMPARTMENTS IN HADES ARE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS

• ABRAHAM`S BOSOM OR PARADISE; (Greek PARUDEISOS Rev.2:7). During the Old Testament Days, it was a place for the righteous souls immediately after physical death. It was temporary resting place for the departed souls of believers. Before the death and Resurrection of Jesus, it was a place of comfort that every believer goes after death. It was a harmonious place of contentment, peace and prosperity

• GREAT GULF FIX; This great gulf fix seems to be an impassable gulf, over which man may behold and confess but cannot cross over. This chasm used to separate believers and unbelievers in the underworld,(Hades). It is called "the DEEP" (Rev.9:1-3; Rom.10:7; Luk.8:31) or the Bottomless Pit. This is where Satan will be kept during the millennium (Rev.20:1-3). Among the Jews this place is known as the Bottomless Pit is also called Abyss and it is found in Hades. It is the gulf that separates Paradise from the place of Torment in Hades. This became evidently clear when Abraham said to the rich man who was in the place of Torment that "between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here cannot, nor can anyone cross over there to us"(Luk.16:26)

             The Deep; referring to the same place is found in the following verses: (Luke.8:31; Rom.10:7; Rev.9:1-3). Another name for the Abyss or Bottomless Pit is Tartarus where fallen angels have been imprisoned until the day of judgement at the "THE GREAT WHITE THRONE" (Rev.20:11-15; 2Pet.2:4; Jude 6-7). This dispicable place is distinguished from Hell (Greek; Gehenna) although they are similar, it is similar to Tartarus because it is also a place full of unspeakable torment and darkness in Hades. Some Theologians interpret Tartarus as a horrible place where fallen angels who disobeyed God are kept until the day of judgement when they will be cast into the Lake of fire. Probably, some of the angels might refer to those angels who rebelled with Lucifer when they attempted to dethrone God in the pre-Adamite period (Isaiah.14:12-14; Ezek.28:11-17; Jer.4:23-36).

Tartarus is the prison or jail where the sinning angelic beings are kept. It is a non-material place which they live and move with definite limitations. It is down and they are kept and held there until their final judgement at the Great White Throne (1Cor.6:3; Rev.20:11-15), (2Pet.2:4) also reads "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy darkness to be held for judgement". Jude also says "And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home-these he has kept in darkness bound with everlasting chains for judgement on the great day".( Jude 6-7.

The Abyss is not the place of confinement for sinners after death as some people profress. Rather, it is a place of confinement for demons and certain fallen angels (Luk.8:31; Rev.9:21; Rev.20:3,7) in fact, during the literal 1000 years rule and reign of Christ on earth, the Bottomless Pit (Heb. Abyss) in the place where Satan will be bound until the millennial Kingdom has ended (Ez.26:20; Rev.20:3).

• The third and final place to consider in Hades is THE PLACE OF TORMENT, Souls of unbelievers go to this place immediately after death to be tormented until their appearance at the Great White Throne Judgement, when all will be tried and sentenced eternally into hell fire. Those who are kept in this place awaiting final judgement are also conscious as in (Luke 6:23). The scripture immediately referred to disproves the soul -sleep- theory which teaches that there is total unconsciousness which follows death; thus the body and soul are asleep until the final resurrection of the dead.

The inhabitants of the place of torment are stirred up at the arrival of others (Isaiah.14:9-11) and also plead for some means of warning others not to come there (Luke.16:26). The unbelievers who go to this place after death will be brought out to be re-united with their resurrected bodies and thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev.20:11-15) after the millennium. Men go to the place of torment because they did not accept Jesus Christ and their names are not written in the book of Life. The only way to escape the Sheol/Hades is repentance (Luk.16:20). As it is declared from the scripture, there is no second chance for those who go to Hades. One`s destiny is sealed immediately after death. (Isaiah.38:18) records "For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; Those who go down to the Pit cannot hope for your faithfulness" i t is a dreadful condition to be in. It is the temporary place where the souls of the dead are kept as they wait for resurrection and judgement.

           Anytime an unbeliever dies, he follows the old Testament unbelievers to the place of torment in Hades. At the final judgement, Hades will be emptied of its occupants who will appear before the Great White Throne Judgement, they will be judged and condemned before they are cast into the LAKE OF FIRE.

Finally, the word to consider in connection with the subject about death is Gehenna. The Greek word "Gehenna" means The valley of Hinnom and it is used to describe the Lake of Fire which is sometimes interpreted as Hell. Actually, the Greek word Gehenna originated from the Hebrew word "ge-hinnom" and it appears twelve times in the scriptures. This place is at the Outskirts of Jerusalem where garbage is burnt with the never-quenching fires, it is used to describe Hell (Mk.9:43; Luk.12:5). This is the place where human sacrifices were offered to the god molech (Jer.7:31). The king of Judah, Manasseh and king Ahaz sacrificed their sons in fire there (2kings 21:6; 2kings 16:3). Jesus used the Greek word Gehenna to denote the Lake of Fire eleven times in the new Testament. 

The Lake which is also called Hell is the final and eternal place for all those who will rebel against God through disobedience to his commandments and also for rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ as the son of the Living God. It can also refer to the same literal place of torment where Satan, Anti-Christ, and the false Prophet and all fallen angelic beings and demon spirit will be thrown (Rev.19:20; 20:10). They shall be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev.20:10). Finally, Death and Hades will be thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev.20:14).