There are two sides to this discussion that paint a beautiful picture. We’ll start by addressing the dead. To begin, we must start with Satan’s fall. The first of the fallen made his betrayal in Eden, as recorded in Genesis 3 (for more about the connection between Satan and the serpent, refer to my Old Testament Demonology paper). From Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14, we learn that the nachash (or ‘Satan’) was a being of great beauty and near perfection (Ezek. 28:12). He served as a cherub (Ezek. 28:14), likely of God or the Divine Council, and wielded significant influence (Ezek. 28:16). However, he became prideful and desired to be God (Ezek. 28:17; Isa. 14:14).

Eden was the meeting place between Heaven and Earth—though it’s unclear whether God created them together or if Earth was added later to Heaven (I personally find the first more probable). It was where God dwelled, the Divine Council convened, and Adam served as the first priest. Whether Satan’s motive was to destroy God’s creation or to sever the link between our worlds, the nachash put his plan into motion. He approached Eve and convinced her to disobey God, bringing about the first human sin (Gen. 3:1-7). When God punished this rebellious being, he was cast out from the holy mount of Eden and thrown into Sheol (Ezek. 28:17; Isa. 14:19).

Let’s pause here—Sheol? As Christians, we aren’t often taught about this concept, but it was significant to the ancient Jews. In short, Sheol was the realm of the dead—not like Heaven or Hell, but a desolate place considered to be within the earth, where both Jews and Gentiles went. Satan became its first inhabitant. Some even believe the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 takes place in Sheol rather than in Heaven or Hell, though I remain uncertain. It’s likely that Satan became the ruler of this pitiful domain, and as the souls of the dead arrived, they fell under his influence—though there is little biblical evidence for this specific claim. In the Old Testament, the dead were under the control of the first of the fallen, Satan.

On the surface, however, a different evil ruled. If you subscribe to the Deuteronomy 32 worldview, it proposes that when God divided the nations at Babel, He assigned each nation to fallen Bene Elohim (sons of God), who ruled over them. These “new gods” (Deut. 32:17) became icons among the various peoples and were worshiped. Entire religions developed around these beings—everything from the Greek pantheon to Babylonian and Egyptian deities. The Bene Elohim controlled their respective nations and ruled portions of the earth—until the true Lord arrived (1 Sam. 5). This worldview is also echoed in Daniel 10, where a celestial being informs Daniel that he was resisted by the god of Persia and later identifies the prince of Greece. In the Old Testament, the living Gentiles were ruled by these lesser gods.

However, as always, God did not let evil linger. One baby in a manger changed everything. The Lord, in human form, came to reclaim ALL of His people; His family would no longer be limited to the Jews. This reclamation began with His ministry. God stirred the spiritual waters by allowing Satan to tempt Him, but Jesus resisted. Then, Jesus sent out His disciples to the same countries ruled by the Bene Elohim from Genesis 10, systematically reclaiming them, even though they were met with resistance. For the first time in thousands of years, the once-divine council members were dethroned. Without diving too deep into this topic, I personally believe these fallen gods were imprisoned in Hell, which explains Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4, and Revelation 9. If you’re familiar with Revelation 9, you’ll know this means they’ll be released again briefly to wreak havoc before the end.

Jesus successfully reclaimed the living—Gentiles were now welcomed home—but His work was not finished. Immanuel was nailed to the cross, and after paying the ultimate price for our sins, He descended to the pit (Matt. 12:40). There, He rescued the chosen and brought them into Heaven (1 Peter 3:18-19). Stripping Satan of his power, Jesus reclaimed the keys of death without a fight. No longer did Satan have any claim over the dead. Furious and defeated, the once-lord of the dead now prowls like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Meanwhile, the lesser gods rot in darkness, chained until the end, when they will unleash their hatred against humanity before the great white judgment.

    Understanding this perspective can deepen our appreciation for exactly what Christ did for us when He came to “set the captives free.” We are no longer bound by sin or by the dominion of lesser gods but are free to love and be with God above all others. Jesus truly was the Savior of the world, and I, for one, cannot wait to spend eternity in His presence and in the paradise our world was always intended to be.