Jesus visited Hades during His death—the period of three days He was in the grave. It was prophesied that He would not stay there, Psalm 16, verse 10 [“For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”] And Peter will quote from Psalm 16, verse 10, as he preaches that first Gospel sermon in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. He says, “His soul was not left in Hades,” referring to Jesus [Acts 2:31—“he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.”]

Also, Hades will be done away with when the end of things will come. “Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire,” we read in Revelation 20, verse 14 [“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”].

Regarding THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS:

The early church was very conscience of the second coming of Jesus. They were TOLD about it: 2 Peter 3:10-14—“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;…”;

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11—“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”

Jesus had much to say about His second coming. We must be ready, or Jesus will say, “I do not know you”: Matthew 25:1-13—“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Yes, Jesus is coming again! We must be alert and be found ready in that last great day!

We need to be reminded once again that we are living in the last days. There is no other dispensation yet to come. [“Dispensation” means “the ordering of events under divine authority.”] What God has provided for mankind in the way of sending Christ as our Savior—the Savior of the world—cannot be improved upon. God’s plan of salvation, His ordering of events, are set and final. So there is nothing else to look for—no other revelation, no other plan. The only thing mankind can expect is the end itself!

To summarize, we are reminded that the end is going to come unannounced “as a thief in the night,” as it is referred to in several places, both by Paul and by the Lord Himself. And, there will not be time then for anyone to do anything. The Lord will come with a shout, with the voice of the archangels, and with the trumpet call of God. The dead in Christ will rise, and all of humanity will be ushered before the judgment seat of God to be judged. The judgment will be based upon what we did in this life—whether it was good or whether it was evil, whether we were obedient or whether we were disobedient, whether we were faithful or whether we were unfaithful.

And so the vital words for mankind are: be prepared, be obedient, be watchful, be alert, be waiting!!!