Did Jesus go to hell during the time that he was in the grave?

[PatrickTate]

I believe that this may be one of the most important topics to find out more about if we are to overcome our lukewarm and rather lazy attitude.

I knew about this from the Bible but I found it really hit me hard when I read what a near death experiencer had been shown about why Jesus not only was scourged and crucified for us but he also went to hell itself until His resurrection.

Our salvation costed Jesus even more than I had imagined in the past.

What Jesus did for all of us was planned from even before the creation of Adam and Eve.

In reciting the Apostles Creed, the Christian faithful affirm that Jesus “descended into hell” following His crucifixion and death. This event is also sometimes known as the harrowing of hell.

[Near death experiencer Kevin Zadai Th. D.] : "Jesus shared with me about the time He spent in hell after dying on the cross. He said during the time He was cut off from the Father and the Holy Spirit, He experienced torment and punishment for everyone's sins so that we could escape the pain and punishment we deserve. no human being needs to go to hell because Jesus paid the debt created by all our sins.

He was extremely passionate when He talked about His anguish of separation from God. He said that He had to go deep within Himself to remember and rehearse His identity with the Father because circumstances were screaming the opposite.

ABANDONED BY GOD

Think about it: Jesus had never experienced a moment without the Father's presence until He was dying on the cross and uttered, "'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that it, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?'" [Matthew 27:46] Satan thought he had defeated Jesus until He received the command from the Father to walk out of hell and take with Him the righteous dead. The Apostle Paul reported in the book of Ephesians, "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men" [Ephesians 4:8-9]. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus said of Himself, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

The Father promised Jesus that by His following through with the salvation plan, God would unite humanity with Him in a plan for their redemption. Jesus expressed to me with great emotion, in a broken voice, the anguish He went through for us and His great longing that I share its importance with everyone who would listen:
"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2L8-11."

[Heavenly Visitation, Encountering the Supernatural Jesus, Outreach Edition, Kevin L. Zadai Th. D., page 15 - 17].

 

[PatrickTate]

The realm into which Jesus descended is called Hell, in long-established English usage, but is also called Sheol or Limbo by some Christian theologians to distinguish it from the Hell of the damned.[11] In Classical mythology, Hades is the underworld inhabited by departed souls, and the god Pluto is its ruler. Some New Testament translations use the term "Hades" to refer to the abode or state of the dead to represent a neutral place where the dead awaited the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

The word "harrow" originally comes from the Old English hergian meaning "to harry or despoil", and is seen in the homilies of Aelfric, c. 1000.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrowing_of_Hell#cite_note-14 The term 'Harrowing of Hell' refers not merely to the idea that Jesus descended into Hell, as in the Creed, but to the rich tradition that developed later, asserting that he triumphed over inferos, releasing Hell's captives, particularly Adam and Eve, and the righteous men and women of the Old Testament period.

Scripture​

The Harrowing of Hell is mentioned or suggested by several verses in the New Testament:[13][c]

• Matthew 12:40: "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth."
• Matthew 27:50–54: "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'"
• Acts 2:24: "But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power."
• Acts 2:31: "Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, 'He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption'."
• Ephesians 4:8-9: " When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people. In saying, 'he ascended', what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?"
  • Colossians 1:18: "He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything."
  • 1 Peter 3:18–19: "For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ..."
  • 1 Peter 4:6: "For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does."
• Theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar sees parallels with Mark 3:24: "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered."

Harrowing of Hell - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Wikipedia article on this topic gives us a good background to work with.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

I believe that this may be one of the most important topics to find out more about if we are to overcome our lukewarm and rather lazy attitude.

I knew about this from the Bible but I found it really hit me hard when I read what a near death experiencer had been shown about why Jesus not only was scourged and crucified for us but he also went to hell itself until His resurrection.

Our salvation costed Jesus even more than I had imagined in the past.

What Jesus did for all of us was planned from even before the creation of Adam and Eve.

Are you using this to justify NDE? I notice in your other posts that you have a fascination with hyper supernaturalism.
Thanks for clarifying!

 

[PatrickTate]

Are you using this to justify NDE? I notice in your other posts that you have a fascination with hyper supernaturalism.
Thanks for clarifying!

I believe that NDE accounts can fit in with the scripture:

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

NDE accounts helped to get me out of the false Soul Sleep doctrine.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I believe that this may be one of the most important topics to find out more about if we are to overcome our lukewarm and rather lazy attitude.

I knew about this from the Bible but I found it really hit me hard when I read what a near death experiencer had been shown about why Jesus not only was scourged and crucified for us but he also went to hell itself until His resurrection.

Our salvation costed Jesus even more than I had imagined in the past.

What Jesus did for all of us was planned from even before the creation of Adam and Eve.

Hell wasn't a thing yet. There was the place of the dead, and based on how they lived their life and applied their faith - that was their lot.

Though Dante's hell ideology isn't much different, so maybe it was hell - in that sense.

When Jesus travelled to the place of the dead he called out, and any who could hear him, left with him.

 

[public hermit]

I voted "other." At the very least, I think it means Jesus descended into the depths of human experience. There is not an aspect of human experience he did not experience/endure, which is good since there's no aspect of human experience he cannot redeem. Other than that, I have no idea what it means, and I have no intention of finding out.

 

[d taylor]

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Jesus went to where Abraham was in Sheol. it is not that complicate.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

I believe that NDE accounts can fit in with the scripture:

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

NDE accounts helped to get me out of the false Soul Sleep doctrine.

Ok, I understand when comming out of certain questionable denominations however, you don't need to go into the other extream by believing NDE's . This will equally become a burden because it is not founded in scripture or in truth. Seek the scriptures.

2 Corinthians 5:8,
"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

This is really all you need to be concerned with. Those who are absent from the body eternally, will be present with the Lord eternally. Nothing between.

Blessings

 

[JulieB67]

I voted other. I don't believe in a literal Lake of Fire at this point I don't believe in ECT regardless. I believe the Lake of Fire is the Second death which happens at Judgment Day But I do believe Christ went to the spirits in prison on one side of the gulf. If you want to call that hell...

 

[Matt5]

IMO, there are three hells:

1. You are dead. No notice of time or anything, like being asleep.
2. A prison for angels.
3. The weeping and gnashing of teeth hell. Only associated with the return of Jesus. Nobody has experienced this yet.

The only option for Jesus would be hell #2. This is 1 Peter 3:18-20.

Grok AI on the topic:

The idea that Jesus descended into hell comes primarily from the Apostles' Creed, a foundational Christian statement of faith, which includes the phrase, "He descended into hell" (or in some translations, "descended to the dead"). This refers to the period between Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, often called the "Harrowing of Hell" in Christian theology. The concept is based on interpretations of several biblical passages:

1. 1 Peter 3:18-20: This passage suggests that Jesus, after being put to death, went to preach to the "spirits in prison" who disobeyed during the time of Noah. Some interpret this as Jesus proclaiming victory or salvation to souls in a realm of the dead, often understood as hell or a place like Sheol (a Hebrew term for the abode of the dead).
2. Ephesians 4:9-10: This verse mentions that Jesus "descended into the lower parts of the earth" before ascending, which some theologians take to mean a descent into hell or the underworld.
3. Acts 2:27, 31 (quoting Psalm 16:10): These verses state that Jesus' soul was not abandoned to Hades (the Greek term for the underworld), implying he may have entered it but was not left there.

Interpretations:​

• Traditional View (Harrowing of Hell): Many early Church Fathers and traditions (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox) believe Jesus descended into hell or the realm of the dead to proclaim his victory over sin and death, liberating righteous souls (like Old Testament patriarchs) who were awaiting salvation. This is not seen as Jesus suffering in hell but triumphing over it.
• Alternative Views: Some Protestant traditions interpret "hell" as a metaphor for the grave or death itself, suggesting Jesus simply experienced death without a literal descent to a place called hell. Others argue the "descent" refers to his suffering on the cross, bearing the full weight of sin.
• Critics of the Descent: Some modern scholars and denominations question the doctrine, noting that the biblical evidence is sparse and ambiguous. They argue the Apostles' Creed may reflect later theological developments rather than explicit scriptural teaching.

Conclusion:​

The belief that Jesus went to hell during his time in the grave depends on one's theological tradition and interpretation of scripture. The traditional view, rooted in the Apostles' Creed and supported by passages like 1 Peter 3:18-20, holds that Jesus descended to the realm of the dead, not to suffer but to proclaim victory. However, interpretations vary, and some see this as symbolic or referring to the grave rather than a literal hell.

 

[JulieB67]

holds that Jesus descended to the realm of the dead, not to suffer but to proclaim victory.

That's pretty much my conclusion.

 

[PatrickTate]

I voted other. I don't believe in a literal Lake of Fire at this point I don't believe in ECT regardless. I believe the Lake of Fire is the Second death which happens at Judgment Day But I do believe Christ went to the spirits in prison on one side of the gulf. If you want to call that hell...

In my opinion that is an excellent place to begin. If we recognize that Jesus went to hell to preach then we have an excellent place to begin in studying this topic.

 

[truthuprootsevil]

And the King James version it says that he went to those who were held in prison and preached.
1 Peter 3:18-20 KJV - For Christ also hath once suffered for - Bible Gateway Bible Gateway passage: 1 Peter 3:18-20 - King James Version
Concept of hell has different views.

For those who believe hell is where some go one no has life upon the face of the Earth then he went to hell and preached.

For those who believe where the Hebrews says the dead go they referred to as Sheol, which is simply a place of darkness where spirits go awaiting judgment, then Jesus simply went to the holding place (Prison) and preached.

 

[PatrickTate]

And the King James version it says that he went to those who were held in prison and preached.
1 Peter 3:18-20 KJV - For Christ also hath once suffered for - Bible Gateway Bible Gateway passage: 1 Peter 3:18-20 - King James Version
Concept of hell has different views.

For those who believe hell is where some go one no has life upon the face of the Earth then he went to hell and preached.

For those who believe where the Hebrews says the dead go they referred to as Sheol, which is simply a place of darkness where spirits go awaiting judgment, then Jesus simply went to the holding place (Prison) and preached.

Excellent. I am really glad that you accept this. This is an excellent beginning place to research this very interesting and encouraging topic.

 

[Free2bHeretical4Him!]

Well … if He went to the hell promoted by orthodoxy He should still be there shouldn’t He? I mean, it is supposed to be eternal. Right?

Other. He went to Sheol/Hades, the place of the dead where all men go, for three days (Just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish). Then the resurrection put the final nail in the coffin of death! BAM …

 

[Lukaris]

Yes, per 1 Peter 3:18-4:6, Ephesians 4:8-9, Psalm 24:7-10

 

[PatrickTate]

Yes, per 1 Peter 3:18-4:6, Ephesians 4:8-9, Psalm 24:7-10

Thank you... this video will give you the background to the quotation that I gave in the opening post.

I Died, Met Jesus, and Came Back with THIS Message for You!​

 

[KolQoreBaMidbar]

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

 

[KolQoreBaMidbar]

Yes, per 1 Peter 3:18-4:6, Ephesians 4:8-9, Psalm 24:7-10

After 3 days, the body of Christ was resurrected by the spirit of God (Who is the Father), He, the risen son of God, appeared in victory to release the spirits in prison.

 

[PatrickTate]

After 3 days, the body of Christ was resurrected by the spirit of God (Who is the Father), He, the risen son of God, appeared in victory to release the spirits in prison.

That is pretty much exactly what I believe as well.