Did Jesus Go To Hell Between His Death And Resurrection
“Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?”Study by J.M.Nel 10.1.'14There is a great deal of confusion in regards to this question. This concept comes primarily from the Apostles’ Creed(see study below), which states, "He descended into hell." There are also a few Scriptures which, depending on how they are translated, describe Jesus going to "hell." In studying this issue, it is important to first understand what the Bible teaches about the realm of the dead.In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol. It simply means the "place of the dead" or the "place of departed souls/spirits." The New Testament Greek word that is used for hell is "hades," which also refers to "the place of the dead." Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicate that sheol/hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection and judgment. Revelation 20:11-15 gives a clear distinction between the two.11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave(Greek and Hades; also in 20:14) gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.Hell(the lake of fire [gehenna]) is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades is a temporary place. So, no, Jesus did not go to hell because hell is a future realm, only put into effect after the Great White Throne Judgment Sheol/hades(see study below)is a realm with two divisions the abodes of the saved and the lost.Matthew 11:2323 "And you people of Capernaum, will you be honoured in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.(Greek to Hades.)For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. Matthew 16:1818 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ÔÇÿrock'),(Greek that you are Peter )and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell(Greek and the gates of Hades)will not conquer it.Luke 10:1515 And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead(Greek to Hades.)"Luke 16:2323 and his soul went to the place of the dead.(Greek to Hades)There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.Acts 2:27-3127 For you will not leave my soul among the dead (Greek in Hades; also in 2:31) or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.28 You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.' (Ps 16:8-11 (Greek version)29 "Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us.30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his throne.31 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. The abode of the saved was called "paradise" and "Abraham’s bosom."The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a "great chasm"Luke 16:2626 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.' When Jesus ascended to heaven, He took the occupants of paradise (believers) with HimEphesians 4:8-108 That is why the Scriptures say, "When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people."(Ps 68:18 ) 9 Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.(Or to the lowest parts of the earth.) 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.The lost side of sheol/hades has remained unchanged. All unbelieving dead go there awaiting their final judgment in the future. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes, according to Ephesians 4:8-10 and 1 Peter 3:18-2018 Christ suffered(Some manuscripts read died).for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit (Or in spirit) 19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison-20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.( Greek saved through water. )
Some of the confusion has arisen from such passages asPsalm 16:10-11 as translated in the KJV, "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption….Thou wilt show me the path of life." "Hell" is not a correct translation of this verse. A correct reading would be "the grave" or "sheol."Psalm 16:10-11NIV(realm of the dead,)Amplified(to Sheol (the place of the dead)),NLT below,10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead(Hebrew in Sheol) or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presenceand the pleasures of living with you forever.(Greek version reads You have shown me the way of life, / and you will fill me with the joy of your presence. Compare Acts 2:28. )Jesus' body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to the "paradise" side of sheol/hades. Jesus said to the thief beside Him,Luke 23:4343 And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."He then removed all the righteous dead from paradise and took them with Him to heaven. Unfortunately, in many translations of the Bible, translators are not consistent, or correct, in how they translate the Hebrew and Greek words for "sheol," "hades," and "hell."Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to "hell" or the suffering side of sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely unbiblical. It was the death of Jesus on the cross and His suffering in our place that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin1 John 1:7-97 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us:2 Corinthians 5:2121 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,(Or to become sin itself.) so that we could be made right with God through Christ. This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ’s struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin which would be poured out upon Him on the cross.When Jesus cried upon the crossMatthew 27:4646 At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli,(Some manuscripts read Eloi, Eloi )lemasabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" (Ps 22:1.). It was then that He was separated from the Father because of the sin poured out upon Him. As He gave up His spirit, He said,Luke 23:4646 Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!"(Ps 31:5)And with those words he breathed his last.John 19:29-3029 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.His suffering in our place was concluded, he said it was finished, meaning He did what had to be done, His work was completed. His soul/spirit went to the paradise side of Hades. Jesus did not go to hell. Jesus' suffering ended the moment He died. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return to glory in His ascension. Did Jesus go to hell? …. No. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades?……. Yes.
“Where was Jesus for the three days between His death and resurrection?”1 Peter 3:18-19states,18 "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison.” The phrase, “by the Spirit,” in verse 18 is exactly the same construction as the phrase, “in the body.” So it seems best to relate the word “spirit” to the same realm as the word “flesh.” The flesh and spirit are Christ’s flesh and spirit. The words “made alive by (in) the spirit” point to the fact that Christ’s sin-bearing and death brought about the separation of His human spirit from the FatherMatthew 27:46At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"Romans 1:3-4 It tells of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was born as a person in the flesh through the family of King David. 4 The Holy Spirit proved by a powerful act that Jesus our Lord is the Son of God because He was raised from the dead.The contrast is between flesh and spirit, as in Matthew 27:46 and Romans 1:3-4 and not between Christ’s flesh and the Holy Spirit. When Christ’s atonement for sin was completed, His spirit restored the fellowship which had been broken.This describes a necessary link between Christ’s suffering (verse 18) and His glorification (verse 22).1Peter 3:18-2218Christ suffered(Some manuscripts read died) for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit (Or in spirit ). 19So he went and preached to the spirits in prison– 20those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood(Greek saved through water).21And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from(Or as an appeal to God for)a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 22Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.
Only Peter gives specific information about what happened between these two events. The word “preached” in verse 19 is not the usual word in the New Testament to describe the preaching of the gospel. It literally means to herald a message. Jesus suffered and died on the Cross, His body being put to death, and His spirit died when He was made sin. But His spirit was made alive and He yielded it to the Father. According to Peter, sometime between His death and His resurrection Jesus made a special proclamation to “the spirits in prison.”1 Peter 3:18-22 (ESV)
18 For Christ also msuffered2once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, othat he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive qin the spirit, 19 in which3 he went and qproclaimed4 to the spirits in prison, 20 because5 they formerly did not obey, rwhen God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, teight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, unow saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but vas an appeal to God for a good conscience, wthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and xis at the right hand of God, ywith angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. To begin with, Peter referred to people as “souls” and not “spirits” (3:20). In the New Testament, the word “spirits” is used to describe angels or demons, not human beings, and verse 22 seems to bear out this meaning. Also, nowhere inthe Bible are we told that Jesus visited hell. Acts 2:31David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead (Greek Hades)or allow his body to rot in the grave.
It says here that He went to “Hades” (NASB, NLT, NKJV, Amplified, Lexham English Bible, The Message and many more other translations ), but “Hades” is not hell. The word “Hades” refers to the realm of the dead, a temporary place where they await the resurrection. Revelation 20:11-15 in the NASB or the New International Version give a clear distinction between the two. Hell is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades is a temporary place.
Revelation 20:11-15(NLT)Then I saw a great white )throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence )earth and heaven fled away, and )no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them)according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire (gehenna). This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Our Lord yielded His spirit to the Father, died, and at some time between death and resurrection, visited the realm of the dead where He delivered a message to spirit beings (probably fallen angels; who were somehow related to the period before the flood in Noah’s time. Verse 20 makes this clear.Jude 1:6And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.Peter did not tell us what He proclaimed to these imprisoned spirits Verse 19, but it could not be a message of redemption since angels cannot be saved Hebrews 2:16We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham.. It was probably a declaration of victory over Satan and his hosts 1 Peter 3:22Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.Colossians 2:15.In this way, he disarmed (Or divested Himself of) the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.Ephesians 4:8-10 That is why the Scriptures say, "When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people." Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
It also seems to indicate that Christ went to "paradise" and took to heaven all those who had believed in Him prior to His death.Luke 23:43And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."Luke 16:20At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores……The passage doesn't give a great amount of detail about what occurred, but most Bible scholars agree that this is what is meant by Ephesians 4:8 " He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men."So, all that to say, the Bible isn't entirely clear what exactly Christ did for the three days between His death and resurrection. It does seem, though, that He was preaching victory over the fallen angels and/or unbelievers. What we can know for sure is that Jesus was not giving people a second chance for salvation. The Bible tells us that we face judgment after death, not a second chance. Hebrews 9:27And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,
There isn’t really any clear-cut answer for what Jesus was doing for the time between His death and resurrection, but He did not face Satan there because Satan wasn't there, Judgment of the Great White Throne will have to take place first and from Revelation 20:7-15 we know that this judgment will take place after the millennium and after Satan, the beast, and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fireRevelation 20:7-10. Perhaps this is one of the mysteries we will understand once we reach glory.
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