When Jesus mentioned Hades in the New Testament, He was referring to the realm of the dead or the place where souls go after death. The term "Hades" comes from the Greek word ᾍδης (Hades), which was commonly used in Greek culture to denote the underworld—the unseen place of the departed spirits.

Here are some key contexts in which Jesus referenced Hades:

Hades as a Temporary Holding Place

In Jewish thought during the time of Jesus, Hades was often seen as a place of the dead, similar to the Hebrew concept of Sheol (see below for the Jewish view of Sheol). It was not necessarily synonymous with Hell (as a place of eternal punishment), but rather a temporary realm where souls awaited final judgment.

• Luke 16:23 (Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus):
  Jesus speaks of the rich man being in torment in Hades while Lazarus is comforted in Abraham's bosom. This highlights Hades as a place of both suffering (for the unrighteous) and separation from the righteous.

Hades and Spiritual Authority

• Matthew 16:18:
  Jesus says, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
  Here, Hades represents the powers of death and the underworld, which will not prevail against Christ's Church. This statement emphasizes Christ's authority over death and His promise of victory for His followers.

The Jewish view of Sheol

In Jewish religion and theology, Sheol is a term found in the Hebrew Bible, often interpreted as the realm of the dead or the underworld. It is a shadowy, neutral place where the souls of the deceased reside after death. Sheol is not depicted as a place of eternal punishment or reward but as a destination for all the dead, regardless of their moral conduct during life.

Key Characteristics of Sheol in Jewish Thought:

1. Neutrality of Sheol:

   • Sheol is not inherently a place of torment or bliss. It is portrayed more as a somber, passive realm where the dead exist in a state of diminished vitality.

2. Biblical References:

   • The term "Sheol" appears multiple times in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in books such as Psalms, Job, and Ecclesiastes. For example:

     • "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor let your Holy One see corruption." (Psalm 16:10)

     • "If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!" (Psalm 139:8)

3. Relationship to the Afterlife:

   • In earlier Jewish thought, Sheol was understood as the collective destiny of the dead. Over time, Jewish eschatology (study of the end times) evolved to include concepts of resurrection, divine judgment, and more distinct ideas of reward (Gan Eden/Paradise) and punishment (Gehinnom).

4. Transition in Beliefs:

   • By the Second Temple period (roughly 500 BCE–70 CE), Jewish beliefs about the afterlife diversified. Some sects, such as the Pharisees, embraced the concept of bodily resurrection, while others, like the Sadducees, maintained a focus on Sheol as the primary concept of the afterlife.

Modern Interpretation:

In contemporary Jewish thought, Sheol is less emphasized, with focus instead placed on ethical living, remembrance of the deceased, and trust in God's justice. For many, it represents an early stage in Jewish theology, before later developments of ideas about resurrection and the World to Come (Olam Ha-Ba).

In summary, Sheol in Jewish tradition is an ancient concept of the underworld, where the dead go irrespective of their moral standing, reflecting the evolving nature of Jewish views on the afterlife and divine justice.

Summary

For Jesus, Hades was often a symbolic or literal reference to the realm of the dead. While it could signify a place of torment for the unrighteous, it also highlighted His authority over life, death, and the afterlife. In Christian theology, Hades is understood as distinct from Hell, the place of eternal punishment, but it is part of the broader eschatological framework.