World of the Dead in the New Testament

Ideas about life after death in the New Testament correspond to those in the Old Testament, but they have also been influenced by later Jewish and Greek thoughts about the resurrection and the final judgement. In Paul’s writings, the emphasis is on the death and resurrection of Jesus. Believers have died with Jesus and will have eternal life with him.

Jewish and Greek Influences

The Old Testament describes the world of the dead as a place from which there is no return. Only later texts such as Daniel 12:2 speak of a resurrection of the dead and a final judgement. This development was related to the martyrdom of Jews in the time of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. According to 2 Maccabees 7:14, martyrs are rewarded with eternal life.
Greek influences also play a part in this. The Old Testament sees the body and soul as a single entity, whereas Greek thought differentiates between the two. According to this philosophy, the soul can continue to exist independently after the death of the body.

Sheol, Gehenna and Paradise

The New Testament uses the word hades a number of times (the Greek translation of the Hebrew word sheol). It refers to the underworld where the dead will remain for ever among the dust and the maggots (see Matthew 16:18; Luke 10:15; Revelation 1:18, ESV).
Besides this general term, there are also more specific terms such as “Gehenna”, the place of eternal punishment (see Matthew 5:22-30; Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43-47, ESV), and “Paradise”, the place of eternal joy (see Luke 23:43; Revelation 2:7).
These terms make it clear that there is a difference within the realms of the dead between the fate of the righteous and the fate of the unrighteous. The righteous receive comfort, but the unrighteous will suffer (Luke 16:23-26).

Bodily and Spiritual Resurrection

Paul develops the philosophy of life after death in his letters. He speaks of two moments of resurrection. The spiritual resurrection is the consequence of baptism: baptism sets the believer free from sin and he is alive in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:1-14).
The bodily resurrection will follow when Jesus returns to establish God’s Kingdom on earth (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The believer will then get a new, spiritual, immortal body (1 Corinthians 15).