The phrase ‘gathered to his people” means that upon his bodily death, Abraham’s soul was gathered and taken to where his kinsmen or forefathers were in the unseen realm of departed souls. In Gen. 15:15, the word “fathers” is the meaning at Brown-Drivers-Briggs definition 4 of ancestors / forefathers. In other words, the Patriarchs. (1)(2)
Abraham became the father of many nations (Gen. 17:45) and the patriarch of the tribes of Israel. Being gathered unto his people at his bodily death in Gen. 25:8 could not be speaking of the people of his unborn descendants, but the people of his ancestors – the patriarchs of the OT. (3)
The distinction of “his people” is more clearly shown in the picture we are given in Luke 16 of the unseen realm of the dead (hades) which was divided into two sections: Abraham’s bosom, and the place of torment, or Tartarus.
”22`And it came to pass, that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the messengers to the bosom of Abraham -- and the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 and in the hades having lifted up his eyes, being in torments, he doth see Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom,” (Luke 16:22-23, YLT)
The messengers were the celestial, heavenly angels. There were two sections of the hades; one for the righteous souls, and the other for the unrighteous souls, both separated by a gulf no one could pass. Notice that the judgment of Lazarus and of the rich man occurred at their bodily deaths, else there would not have been a different area that each were placed in.
”and as it is laid up to men once to die, and after this – judgment,” (Heb. 9:27, YLT)
God’s judgment process for each person has always been at the moment of physical death, and removal from this earthly realm. Being gathered unto his people, Lazarus had been judged as worthy, or righteous and taken to Abraham’s bosom. Abraham’s bosom was a phrase used by the rabbis for that place of peace where Abraham was waiting with all of the other righteous souls for the resurrection. (4)(5)
This part of ‘hades” for the righteous souls was the same area which Jesus called “Paradise” in Luke 23.
”and Jesus said to him, `Verily I say to thee, To-day with me thou shalt be in the paradise.'” (Luke 23:43, YLT)
Paradise was the same as Abraham’s bosom in Luke 16:22, the place of the righteous souls who had died before.(6) That Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be in the righteous part of Hades meant that Jesus had forgiven the thief of his sins, which further meant that the thief must have been baptized (immersed) under John’s baptism else Jesus would not have been able to forgive him. (7)
Hades was a prison with gates (Matt. 16:18). Peter said that Jesus had preached (past tense) to those who were being held in prison (1 Pet. 3:18-20).(8) Jesus told the thief they would be in Paradise (Luke 23:43). Therefore, Jesus and the thief went to that part of Hades (the unseen realm of departed souls ) which was also called Abraham’s bosom where the righteous souls were waiting. Jesus held the keys to that prison (Rev. 1:18).
While He was in Paradise for those three days, before He was quickened from the dead and resurrected, I am convinced that Jesus told those righteous souls waiting in Paradise the same things He told His disciples during His earthly ministry, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand; that they were not going to have to wait much longer. (Matt. 4:17; 10:7; Mark 1:15; Luke 21:31). (9)(10)
Therefore, when Abraham, and Jacob, and David were gathered unto their people, they had each been placed into that section of Hades called Paradise where the other righteous souls were waiting.
Further, those souls have already been resurrected from the dead as Jesus prophesied to His disciples in Matt 25: 31-46 which was to happen when He came in judgment and destroyed that temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. That is when He established His everlasting kingdom, and threw Hades into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14).
Ever since that “general resurrection” from Hades every person is judged at their bodily death and those who die in the Lord are gathered and taken home to heaven to be with “their people” (Rev. 14:13).
”...and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;” (Matt. 16:18, YLT)
We can be assured now that the prison of Hades is no longer holding any of God’s people. (11)(12)(13)
Notes:
Gather – Strong’s Heb. 622, “asaph” – to gather, remove; to collect into the company of others; to be gathered to one’s father, or one’s people; Source: Biblehub
Father – Strong’s Heb. 1, “ab” – defined as father of an individual; God, as father of His people; head of the household, family, or clan; of an ancestor such as a grandfather, or forefathers as used in Gen. 15:15. Source: Biblehub
People – Strong’s Heb. 5971, “am” meaning “folk”; defined under BDB 1 as people or nation; 2 in smaller units such people of a city or locality; 3 as common people; 4 generally as persons; 5 as compatriots or fellow countrymen, or one’s people; but of special interest at BDB 4 II of kinsmen; joining kinsmen as in Gen. 49:33. Source: Biblehub
Abraham’s bosom – a rabbinial phrase meaning to be with Abraham in Paradise, to enjoy Abraham’s peace in Paradise. Bosom – Strong’s Gr. 2859, “kolpos”. Source: Biblehub
Hades – Strong’s Gr. 86, “hades” – the unseen realm of departed souls Source: Biblehub
Paradise – Strong’s Gr. 3857 – “paradeisios” – an enclosed garden, grove, or park; God’s garden (Rev. 2:7), garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8) Source: Biblehub
The Thief on The Cross - ShreddingTheVeil
Jesus wasn’t preaching to the souls who had already been judged and placed in torment in Tartarus. He did that in the Spirit while they had been living, during their lifetime before the flood. See the discussion here: ThePrisonInHell
Testing the Spirits – Part II: The End here: ShreddingTheVeil
Testing the Spirits – Part III: Daniel’s Lot here: here
The Signs of Revelation – Part VI: Judgment Day here: here
The Resurrection in Three Parts here: here
The Gathering of The Elect here: here
