Today at 08:49 AM A_B_liever said this in Post #25
Interesting theories... Gehenna is the place where all men unworthy of heaven went while awating the Christ's redemption while Hades is the place of eternal suffering. Also know in early church Tradition as "limbo of the fathers". Jesus' death and resurrection opened the Gates of Heaven not only to the living but all who had died before his coming. During the 3 days, he ministered to the souls who were still waiting for him.
I don't think it is quite appropriate to speak of "theories" when believers are attempting to search the Scriptures [no writings of Early Chruch Fathers for doctrine, edifying as they might be] and establish the true interpretation. Just a few very necessary points to prevent confusion:
1. The place where the "spirits in prison" [fallen angels] went is very specifically called "Tartaroo" or "Tartarus", but translated "hell". Christ procalimed His victory to these evil spirits and thus sealed their doom eventually in the Lake of Fire [gehenna]. Peter very specifically connects them with the time of Noah (1 Pet. 3:18-20; 2 Pet.2:4-6). We read "[Christ was] quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached [not necessarily the gospel but a PROCLAMATION of His victory over sin, hell, death, and Satan] unto the [evil] spirits in prison" (which corresponds to "chains of darkness" and "everlasting chains under darkness").
2. You have actually reversed Hades and Gehenna. Hades [also called sheol in the OT] is described by the Lord Jesus in the narrative about the beggar Lazarus [not a parable but the actual teaching regarding Hades, as nephilimiyr points out] which was composed of two divisions or compartments separated by a wide chasm. On one side "Abraham's bosom" [the place of departed redeemed souls with Abraham as the key figure] and on the other the place of torment [Hades] where all the souls of those who are not redeemed go to await their final doom, which is Gehenna or the Lake of Fire. So we read in Rev. 20:14 "And death and hell [Hades or those who were in Hades waiting for the final judgement] were cast into the Lake of Fire [Gehenna]. This is the second death". The Lake of Fire is therefore the actual place of eternal torment, created for the Devil and his angels.
3. Regarding the redeemed souls in Abraham's bosom, we do not have sufficient Scripture to indicate how long the Lord spent with them or what He said to them. But certainly, during those three days, He would have also visited them and comforted them with the assurance that they would receive glorified bodies and accompany Him to heaven on the day of resurrection. Since they had been held "captive" in Hades until the resurrection, we read: Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high , He led captivity captive... Now that He ascended, what is it but [it is evident] that he also descended into the LOWER PARTS OF THE EARTH [Hades or Sheol, not Gehenna]? (Eph. 4:8-10). We also know that some of these resurrected saints appeared to people in Jerusalem briefly before they ascended to heaven (Matt.27:51-53). [There is no Scripture to support "limbo" or purgatory, but the concept of redeemed souls waiting for the resurrection in order to enter Heaven is indeed correct].