Sheol: The Temporary Place of the Dead

An exploration of the Hebrew word Sheol and the two very different destinations that await every soul within it.

What Sheol Means

Sheol is a Hebrew word for the temporary place of the dead, where the souls of people are held awaiting the final resurrection, either to everlasting life or to eternal punishment (Job 24:19; Ps 16:10; Isa 38:10; 1 Thes 4:16-17; 2 Thes 1:8-9). It is not the final destination of anyone, but a holding place in which every soul waits for the resurrection and the judgement that follows it.

Two Areas Within Sheol

At death the souls of righteous people go to the area of Sheol called heaven, paradise or 'Abraham's bosom', prior to the resurrection, judgement of their works, and ultimately their enjoyment of the new heaven (Lk 23:43; 2 Cor 5:8, 12:3-4; Phil 1:23; Rev 21:1). They are conscious of the presence of God throughout this period. Meanwhile the souls of the ungodly go to 'Hades', the other part of this holding area, to await their resurrection and subsequent judgement for not having a saving belief in Christ, leading to everlasting punishment in the Lake of Fire (Mt 11:23; Lk 16:22-26; Jn 3:18; Rev 20:11-15).

When people speak of believers being in God's presence after death, it is vital to remember that this intermediate area of Sheol is not the final state. Paradise is a place of real, conscious comfort and fellowship with Christ — 'away from the body and at home with the Lord' — yet even this blessed rest is only a foretaste, for the full realization of being with the Lord is yet to become reality. The redeemed still await the resurrection of their bodies, the judgement of their works, and the far greater joy of the renewed creation, where God will dwell with His people, wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death or mourning or pain (2 Cor 5:8-10; Phil 1:23; 1 Thes 4:16-17; Rev 21:1-4). To be absent from the body is good; to be raised and bodily present with the Lord is far better.