When the bible says "jesus descended to hell"

lambofgod43985889 said:

Do He suffered hell? Torment and those things?

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The hell and torment Jesus suffered were just before His crucifixion and while He was on the Cross. He descended into hell triumphant and victorious.

Jesus went down into Sheol (which gets transliterated as "hell") to give the Good News to its inhabitants.

7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) Ephesians 4:8-10

6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. 1 Peter 4:6

There was a Jewish concept that we see in "Lazarus and the rich man" of the righteous and unrighteous being separated. The early belief, as seen in MMXX quote from First Peter, is that Christ descended to Hades to preach the Gospel to the righteous. In Eastern Orthodox teaching, Christ emptied Hades of the OT saints and brought them to heaven. The ending of the Paschal (Easter) sermon reads

O death, where is thy sting? O hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and thou art cast down.

Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen.

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice.

Christ is risen, and life flourisheth.

Christ is risen, and there is none dead in the tombs.

For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of them that have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The Bible doesn't actually say Jesus descended to Hell. This is found in the Apostle's Creed:

"He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead."

When Jesus was on the cross He said:

"Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!' And having said this he breathed his last."—Luke 23:46

And to the thief on the cross beside Him He said:

"Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."—Luke 23:43

When Christ died He went to the Father. The idea that he descended to Hell has resulted in all kinds of strange doctrines; most notably that He was tormented and tortured by Satan in Hell in our place. But this directly contradicts Christ's own words from the cross:

"It is finished."—John 19:30

No additional torment was needed on our behalf; the cross is all-sufficient.

Resident Alien said:

The Bible doesn't actually say Jesus descended to Hell. This is found in the Apostle's Creed:

"He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead."

When Jesus was on the cross He said:

"Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!' And having said this he breathed his last."—Luke 23:46

And to the thief on the cross beside Him He said:

"Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."—Luke 23:43

When Christ died He went to the Father. The idea that he descended to Hell has resulted in all kinds of strange doctrines; most notably that He was tormented and tortured by Satan in Hell in our place. But this directly contradicts Christ's own words from the cross:

"It is finished."—John 19:30

No additional torment was needed on our behalf; the cross is all-sufficient.

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Ephesians 4:9-10 says, "(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)"

The idea being that He liberated those in Sheol and took them up to Paradise (along with the thief on the cross). So his visit there was a matter of Him securing total victory over death.

MMXX said:

Ephesians 4:9-10 says, "(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)"

The idea being that He liberated those in Sheol and took them up to Paradise (along with the thief on the cross). So his visit there was a matter of Him securing total victory over death.

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Indeed. This doctrine is called The Harrowing of Hell and is the historic belief of the ancient church. It also has the effect of silencing any who complain about God being wrathful in the Old Testament, considering that even Cain or Nebuchadnezzar or Haman was given the chance to accept Christ.

The Liturgist said:

Indeed. This doctrine is called The Harrowing of Hell and is the historic belief of the ancient church. It also has the effect of silencing any who complain about God being wrathful in the Old Testament, considering that even Cain or Nebuchadnezzar or Haman was given the chance to accept Christ.

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There's probably an OT verse somewhere about that.

MMXX said:

Ephesians 4:9-10 says, "(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)"

The idea being that He liberated those in Sheol and took them up to Paradise (along with the thief on the cross). So his visit there was a matter of Him securing total victory over death.

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He's definitely talking about a concept the Ephesians would've been familiar w/, & isn't new teaching.

Could he be referring to Earth itself? That is, it's referring to Jesus descending from heaven to earth, before being born as a man?

DragonFox91 said:

He's definitely talking about a concept the Ephesians would've been familiar w/, & isn't new teaching.

Could he be referring to Earth itself? That is, it's referring to Jesus descending from heaven to earth, before being born as a man?

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No, that is new teaching. The Harrowing of Hell is an ancient doctrine which is why we find it in the Paschal Homily of St. Chrysostom, which is more than 1600 years old, and indeed in older sources than that.

Although unrelated to that, Jesus does appear to make physical appearances in the OT.

lambofgod43985889 said:

his features aren't described

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His features aren't described in the New Testament either. But Jesus existed before He was born in the flesh as the Son of Man.
Throughout the OT there are mysterious figures that seem to be manifestations of Jesus. The fourth person in the furnace who was like a Son of God in the book of Daniel, the Angel of God Jacob wrestled with, and so on.

Hell / Gehenna / Sheol is the grave of spirits (Luke 16:19-31) awaiting Judgment Day (2 Peter 2:4). ← the day that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11). ← This is what the general resurrection of even the condemned is all about.

When the Savior gave up his Ghost on the cross about 3 PM (Matthew 27:50, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46, and John 19:30) the Law of Mose was fulfilled... the Old Covenant ended... the New Covenant began... the sky had darkened, but now the earth quaked and the rocks split, and the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom. And the clock to fulfill the promise to the thief on the cross began to tick:

Luke 23:43 (LEB)

• 43 And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Paradise appears in scripture only three times.

2 Corinthians 12:4 (LEB)
4 that he was caught up to paradise and heard words not to be spoken, which it is not permitted for a person to speak.

and,

Revelation 2:7 (LEB)
7 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will grant to him to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.’

Some teach / preach that Abraham's bosom in the grave of spirits is paradise or a type of paradise because they cannot explain Jesus having yet to ascend to heaven (John 20:17) and here that Jesus said he and the thief will be in heaven before the sun sets the day they were crucified side by side.

The explanation is: Jesus went to the grace of spirits (hell / Sheol / Gehenna) in Spirit and ascended in Spirit to heaven in that 3 hour window before the sun set approximately 6PM that same day. John 20:17 was post resurrection. When the resurrected Jesus in his Spirit Body ascended to heaven and that not 40 days later but that same day in accordance with the Law to present before the LORD the firstfruits from the grave (Colossians 1:18 / Revelation 1:5).

Leviticus 23:10–11 (LEB)
10 “Speak to the Israelites, and say to them, ‘When you come to the land that I am about to give to you and you reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruit of your harvest to the priest.
11 And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh for your acceptance; the priest shall wave it on the day after the Sabbath.

That's just for extra credit... {smile}

Back to topic...

The grave of spirits is described as a place having three distinct chambers

• the side of Abraham (Luke 16:22)
  
• the side of fire and torment (Luke 16:23)
  
• the great gulf between the two (Luke 16:26)

This was extant and even spoken of by the Lord before the cross. This is where the spirits of the dead went to await judgment (2 Peter 2:4). This is where Jesus in his disembodied Spirit went in that 3 hour window between 3PM and 6PM the day he was crucified... not to suffer as heretics teach (Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, and ilk) but to proclaim the victory to all in the grave of spirits:

1 Peter 3:18–19 (LEB)
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, in order that he could bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit,
19 in which also he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

This includes not only the two sides human spirits went to but also the chasm / gulf / abyss between where the fallen angels who left their first estate (i.e. possession of men or animals):

2 Peter 2:4 (LEB)
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but held them captive in Tartarus with chains of darkness and handed them over to be kept for judgment,

Jude 6 (LEB)
6 And the angels who did not keep to their own domain but deserted their proper dwelling place, he has kept in eternal bonds under deep gloom for the judgment of the great day,

And to those faithful believers who are referred to as the captivity; captive in the grave of spirits until the cross:

Ephesians 4:8–10 (LEB)
8 Therefore it says, “Ascending on high he led captivity captive; he gave gifts to men.”
9 Now “he ascended,” what is it, except that he also descended to the lower regions of the earth?
10 The one who descended himself is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order that he might fill all things.

Hallelujah !

So not only are all who believe in Jesus going directly to heaven in death (as disembodied spirits see 2 Corinthians 5:1-8) but the thief on the cross who died at sunset (John 19:31-32) is the first human being to do so.

read to here what was the topic?

MMXX said:

There's probably an OT verse somewhere about that.

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Yeah, Isaiah 42:7 was the prophecy that He would free the prisoners.

Isa 42:6-7
6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
KJV

Can't always understand the 'hell' and Paradise of the New Testament by comparing it to OT Hebrew 'sheol'.



Hell
— derived from the Saxon helan, to cover; hence the covered or the invisible place. In Scripture there are three words so rendered:

(1.)
Sheol
, occurring in the Old Testament sixty-five times. This word sheol is derived from a root-word meaning "to ask," "demand;" hence insatiableness (Prov 30:15,16). It is rendered "grave" thirty-one times (Gen 37:35; 42:38; 44:29,31; 1 Sam 2:6, etc.). The Revisers have retained this rendering in the historical books with the original word in the margin, while in the poetical books they have reversed this rule.

In thirty-one cases in the Authorized Version this word is rendered "hell," the place of disembodied spirits. The inhabitants of sheol are "the congregation of the dead" (Prov 21:16). It is (a) the abode of the wicked (Num 16:33; Job 24:19; Ps 9:17; 31:17, etc.); (b) of the good (Ps 16:10; 30:3; 49:15; 86:13, etc.).

Sheol is described as deep (Job 11:8), dark (10:21,22), with bars (17:16). The dead "go down" to it (Num 16:30,33; Ezek 31:15,16,17).

(2.) The Greek word hades of the New Testament has the same scope of signification as
sheol
of the Old Testament. It is a prison (1 Peter 3:19), with gates and bars and locks (Matt 16:18; Rev 1:18), and it is downward (Matt 11:23; Luke 10:15).

The righteous and the wicked are separated. The blessed dead are in that part of
hades
called paradise (Luke 23:43). They are also said to be in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22).

(3.)
Gehenna
, in most of its occurrences in the Greek New Testament, designates the place of the lost (Matt 23:33). The fearful nature of their condition there is described in various figurative expressions (Matt 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 25:30; Luke 16:24, etc.). (See HINNOM.)
(from Easton's Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Davy said:

The righteous and the wicked are separated. The blessed dead are in that part of
hades
called paradise (Luke 23:43). They are also said to be in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22).

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Nope. I already showed that Paradise is heaven where God is. And the thief on the cross went directly to heaven in death.

Jesus died on the cross at about 3PM (the ninth hour see Mark 15:34-37). The Jewish reckoning for a day is from sunset to sunset.

Luke 23:43 (NIV84)
43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Paradise is only found in only 2 other passages in the Bible:

2 Corinthians 12:2–4 (NIV84)
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.
3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—
4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

Revelation 2:7 (NIV84)
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The argument that Jesus hadn't ascended to heaven until John 20:17 has to take into consideration that this is post resurrection. And Matthew 12:39-40 is referring to his body which was 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb. But the disembodied Spirit (God the Word) was in heaven with the thief on the cross and the former inhabitants of Abraham's Bosom before sunset the day he was crucified.