As regards your hard questions, I am not disposed to be wise above what is written. It was the old patristic doctrine, but with every imaginable notion tacked to it. It issued in 'the limbo patrum, or as now expressed, the opening of the kingdom of heaven to all believers, but I humbly think they (nor our friends who speak of it) know nothing about it—at any rate, I do not. People like to speak of mysterious things about which we know nothing: we can dogmatize ecclesiastically or hereticize conveniently. Where was Samuel, and Lazarus, may be settled by both, because God has said nothing. That Christ's soul went to Sheol I believe from Psa. 16 The womb is called the lower parts of the earth in Psa. 139, which makes it more mysterious still; that Christ went to paradise and took the thief there as a place of blessedness with Himself is certain.
Sheol is too vague to say anything. In Num. 16:3131And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: (Numbers 16:31), they went alive, body as well as soul, into Sheol. In Isaiah (14.) the poetical allusion is to the grave: they rise from their thrones to meet him. But there, and in Amos (9:2), it is from burying or swallowing up de facto looked at as on the earth. So in Psa. 49:1414Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. (Psalm 49:14): they lie in Sheol like sheep: their beauty shall consume in Sheol. Yet Psa. 16: "Thou wilt not leave my soul in Sheol." Here we have New Testament interpretation that His soul was not left in Sheol, nor His flesh saw corruption. But here, as far as it goes, His coming out was in resurrection. I say as far as it goes, for only the fact is mentioned. Still verse 31 (Acts speaks pretty plain. So it is identified with בּוד, the pit, in Isa. 38:1818For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. (Isaiah 38:18). In Luke 16 (Jewish forms of thought, I admit) the rich man is in ἁδῃ and Abraham afar off, and there was a great gulf between. This as to state of fathers. All this the fathers made physical truth out of, as some would now, and had a kind of extension on the side of the earth, a cage of happy birds, and hence prayed for the saints to be soon out of it and in the beatific vision, which afterward came to be praying to them, as to which the liturgy was formally changed. Epiphanius, I remember, says even the Virgin Mary was prayed for: Christ was the only exception. But then every one had his own ideas pretty much, till it settled into purgatory in the Roman—not the Grecian church. Jonah was in the belly of Sheol. It is evident the Old Testament saints were all in the dark as to it, with a lightning ray crossing in sometimes.
As to 1 Thess. 4, "them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him," I have no doubt at all it is after resurrection when He comes again. Jesus died and rose again, and will come, so the saints with Him, and then in a parenthesis it describes how they get there, and in chapter v. continues the bringing with Him for the day of the Lord. Life and incorruptibility were brought to light by the gospel. All was dark before. "The living, the living, he shall praise thee." The present fruit of death was seen and outwardly they went into the grave, and all was dark beyond. Saul's being with Samuel was merely being a dead man, I apprehend. There was also the general idea—" the spirit shall return to God who gave it." The passage in Acts makes it difficult to separate, for Christ, hades and paradise if He was in Sheol till the resurrection, but I believe Sheol is purposely vague and dark, as hades merely means the invisible place. We know if we depart we are with Christ. But I do not profess to know much about it (nor do I think others do much more), nor pretend to know more than is said. I have not a concordance with me. I have quoted what occurred to my memory: there may be other passages which cast more light on it. Hoping ere long to see you, and with affectionate love to all the saints.
Ever affectionately yours.
Psa. 30 only gives the same; "Kept me alive" (ver. 3) shows it was a vague idea of what was past death.
As to Sheol, to see how vague it is in scripture, see Gen. 42:38; 44:29, 3138And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Genesis 42:38)
29And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Genesis 44:29)
31It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (Genesis 44:31). 1 Kings 2:6, 96Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. (1 Kings 2:6)
9Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood. (1 Kings 2:9). Job 11:88It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? (Job 11:8) seq. Psa. 86:13; 141:713For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. (Psalm 86:13)
7Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. (Psalm 141:7). Isa. 14:11; 28:15, 1811Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. (Isaiah 14:11)
15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: (Isaiah 28:15)
18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. (Isaiah 28:18). It meets sight at the grave, and all is dark and silent beyond. Job 7:99As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. (Job 7:9), where nothing is seen beyond—chapter xiv. 12. Yet we have "the lowest hell," where lowest is lowest part. So Deut. 32:2222For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. (Deuteronomy 32:22), same as lower parts (of earth), only singular, Job 17:1313If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. (Job 17:13). As to lower parts (of the earth), you have these of Sheol, and some of the earth: Psa. 63:9; 139:159But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. (Psalm 63:9)
15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. (Psalm 139:15); Isa. 44:2323Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. (Isaiah 44:23). It is most common in Ezekiel (xxvi. 20, mod 14, 16, 18; xxxii. 18, 24). There is also Psa. 88:66Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. (Psalm 88:6), lowest Sheol.