What does "He descended into Hell" mean?

[LittleLambofJesus]

Originally Posted by Timothew Oops, sorry.
Luke 16:22 has ἐτάφη, (etaphe) which is buried. "to celebrate funeral rites, i.e. Inter -- bury." Strongs

Luke 16:23 says Hades, like LLOJ said.

Awesome . thanks . i suspected it was because of other contexts but i really appreciate you looking that up. bless

Actually, that covenantle parable in Luke 16 is the largest study I have of the NT/NC of the Bible.
I have a thread on it here for those interested

http://www.christianforums.com/t7306890-29/#post49298833
Rich-man and Lazarus True story or Parable

 

[ebyown]

David was speaking in the Spirit of Prophecy when writing Psalm 16. Psalm 16 is YAHSHUA's prayer to His Father recorded by David. It is YAHSHUA's voice and Him speaking in Psalm 16. Consider what that reveals. and just as He says He trusted His Father to raise Him from the dead.
"My body shall also dwell in safety.
16:10 For You will not leave My soul in Sheol,
neither will You allow Your faithful One
to see corruption."



Psalm 16
A Poem by David.

(Son to Father)

16:1 Preserve Me, 'El, for in You do I take refuge.
16:2 My soul, You have said to YHVH,
"You are My 'Adonay.
Apart from You I have no good thing."

(Son about people)

16:3 As for the holy who are in the earth,
they are the excellent ones in whom is all My delight.

(Son about wicked)

16:4 their sorrows shall be multiplied
who give gifts to another.
their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
nor take their names on My lips.

(Son to and about Father)

16:5 YHVH assigned My portion and My cup.
You made My lot secure.
16:6 The lines have fallen to Me in pleasant places.
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
16:7 I will bless YHVH, Who has given Me counsel.
Yes, My heart instructs Me in the night seasons.
16:8 I have set YHVH always before Me.
Because He is at My right hand, I shall not be moved.
16:9 Therefore My heart is glad, and My tongue rejoices.
My body shall also dwell in safety.
16:10 For You will not leave My soul in Sheol,
neither will You allow Your faithful One
to see corruption.
16:11 You will show Me the path of life.
In Your presence is fullness of joy.
In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

 

[ToxicReboMan]

Also let's not forget where Christ says he would be in the heart of the earth.

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Mt 12:40 NIV​

As Jonah was truly in the belly of a huge fish for 3 days and 3 nights, Jesus would truly be in the heart of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights. That is how I understand the passage.


also check out these passages from Ezekiel..

then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place in the land of the living. Ezek 26:20 NIV​

I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below. Ezek 31:16 NIV​

 

[Timothew]

Yes, I believe Jonah really died in the belly of a huge fish. When he came back to life it was astonishing to the Ninevites and explains their readiness to repent.

And Jesus was truly dead for three days "in the belly of the earth", the grave.
His resurrection is so astonishing and it proves that He has the power to give us life.

We don't have to be dead forever, we can share in His resurrection. We can literally become alive again after our deaths. This happens in the coming resurrection.

 

[JudgeEden]

Yes, I believe Jonah really died in the belly of a huge fish. When he came back to life it was astonishing to the Ninevites and explains their readiness to repent.

And Jesus was truly dead for three days "in the belly of the earth", the grave.
His resurrection is so astonishing and it proves that He has the power to give us life.

We don't have to be dead forever, we can share in His resurrection. We can literally become alive again after our deaths. This happens in the coming resurrection.

Just to butt in a bit, the Bible never says Jonah died in the fish. So, it's best not to believe it. Not to mention, the Ninevites did not see him come out of the fish, they were converted because of his preaching to them.

 

[Timothew]

Just to butt in a bit, the Bible never says Jonah died in the fish. So, it's best not to believe it. Not to mention, the Ninevites did not see him come out of the fish, they were converted because of his preaching to them.

That's true. It's my own belief that Jonah died in the fish. It says he prayed from inside the fish. He couldn't have done that if he was dead. Maybe he prayed before he died?

 

[Lion King]

That's true. It's my own belief that Jonah died in the fish. It says he prayed from inside the fish. He couldn't have done that if he was dead. Maybe he prayed before he died?

Why do you hold such beliefs?

 

[Timothew]

Why do you hold such beliefs?

It fits in with what Jesus said,

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Mt 12:40 NIV​

If Jonah were not dead in the belly of the fish, so Jesus would not be dead in the heart of the earth. If Jesus was not really dead, then the penalty for the sins of the world would not be paid and we would still be dead in our sins, and the resurrection would be meaningless. Anyone can get up if they aren't really dead, but only the Son of God can get back up three days after He died.

 

[Lion King]

It fits in with what Jesus said,

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Mt 12:40 NIV
​

If Jonah were not dead in the belly of the fish, so Jesus would not be dead in the heart of the earth. If Jesus was not really dead, then the penalty for the sins of the world would not be paid and we would still be dead in our sins, and the resurrection would be meaningless. Anyone can get up if they aren't really dead, but only the Son of God can get back up three days after He died.

Wasn't Jesus Christ made alive* by the Spirit after He suffered physical death?

*this was before His bodily ressurection.

 

[Timothew]

Wasn't Jesus Christ made alive* by the Spirit after He suffered physical death?

*this was before His bodily ressurection.

Jesus was made alive by God three days after His death on the cross.

"And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures." quoting the Nicene Creed.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Jesus was made alive by God three days after His death on the cross.

"And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures." quoting the Nicene Creed.

He sure looks alive to me in Revelation

John 19:30 When then Jesus had received/got the vinegar, He said "it has been finished!/tetelestai <5055> (5769)".
And reclining the head He gives-up the spirit.

Reve 1:18 and the living One! And I became dead and behold! I am living into the Ages of the Ages,
And I am having the Keys of the Hades and of the Death

 

[Lion King]

Jesus was made alive by God three days after His death on the cross.

"And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures." quoting the Nicene Creed.

I fully understand what you mean, but wasn't He Spiritually alive before being raised by God from Sheol?

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring usto God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waitedin the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water." 1 Peter 3:18-20

According to Peter, Jesus Christ suffered a physical death but was made alive by the Spirit, to which He went and preached to the spirits in prison (and this all occured before His bodily ressurection).

 

[Tangible]

Even though "he descended into Hell" speaks of a descent, it is the first step in the creed toward exaltation. If you look at the creed, it can be very neatly visualized graphically as a big V, painting a picture of Christ's humiliation and then his exaltation.

(Hmm. Due to the nature of this medium the V will be more of a >. You know what I mean. )

And in -

Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
... who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
... ... born of the virgin Mary
... ... ... suffered under Pontius Pilate
... ... ... ... was crucified, died and was buried

This is the low point in Christ's humiliation. Then begins the exaltation.

... ... ... ... He descended into Hell.
... ... ... The third day he rose again from the dead
... ... He ascended into heaven
... and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty
from whence he shall come to judge both the living and the dead.

Isn't that cool? I've also heard Christ's descent into Hell described as a victory parade, referencing Ephesians 4 -

Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit&#8212;just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call&#8212; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,

&#8220;When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.&#8221; [ref Ps 68:18]

9 (In saying, &#8220;He ascended,&#8221; what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Lutherans confess the descent into Hell as scriptural and creedal, but honestly we really don't spend a lot of time on it. The doctrine has moderate support in scripture, but not overwhelming support, and it is not an essential doctrine as far as justification is concerned.

 

[Stryder06]

It fits in with what Jesus said,

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Mt 12:40 NIV​

If Jonah were not dead in the belly of the fish, so Jesus would not be dead in the heart of the earth. If Jesus was not really dead, then the penalty for the sins of the world would not be paid and we would still be dead in our sins, and the resurrection would be meaningless. Anyone can get up if they aren't really dead, but only the Son of God can get back up three days after He died.

Jonah's state of being while inside the fish wasn't the point Jesus was driving at. Jonah being in the fist was used symbolically by Christ to explain how he would be put in the earth.

 

[Stryder06]

Wasn't Jesus Christ made alive* by the Spirit after He suffered physical death?

*this was before His bodily ressurection.

Being made alive is what occurs when you are resurrected. When He was dead, He was dead. Life did not return to Christ until after His Father called Him forward.

 

[Lion King]

Being made alive is what occurs when you are resurrected. When He was dead, He was dead. Life did not return to Christ until after His Father called Him forward.

Mr Stryder, your point is noted.

However, are you stating that for a point in time Jesus Christ the Son of God actually ceased to exist? I was only under the impression that Christ suffered a physical death only, no?

 

[Timothew]

Mr Stryder, your point is noted.

However, are you stating that for a point in time Jesus Christ the Son of God actually ceased to exist? I was only under the impression that Christ suffered a physical death only, no?

What do you mean by "ceased to exist"?
What do you mean by "physical death only"?

Are you sure that you aren't making an assumption when you ask the question?