Question: "Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?"
Answer: There is a great deal of confusion regarding this question. The concept that Jesus went to hell after His death on the cross comes primarily from the Apostles’ Creed, which states, “He descended into hell.” There are also a few Scripture passages that, 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 equivalent of Sheol is Hades, which also refers to “the place of the dead, the place of departed souls/spirits.” The soul and spirit never die, they will go on living throughout all eternity, either with the Lord or in the Lake of fire – Hell.
The New Testament indicates that Sheol/Hades is a temporary place, where spirit and souls are kept as they await the final resurrection and judgment.
Revelation 20:11–15 makes a clear distinction between Hades and the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Sheol or Hades, then, is a temporary place. Many people refer to both Hades and the lake of fire as “hell,” and this causes confusion. Jesus did NOT go to a place of torment after His death, but He did go to Hades but not because of His sin as He had no sin.Sheol/Hades is a realm that had two sections — a place of blessing and a place of judgment – but now Hades only has one section and that is a place of judgement where people go when they physically die who have rejected Christ and I will explain what I mean by this.
Below, I have listed a few Scriptures to show where the name Hades is found:
Matthew 11:23 Jesus said, “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”
Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Luke 16:23 Jesus said, “And (the rich man) being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Acts 2:27-31 “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. [28] You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’ [29] “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. [30] Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne.
I want to center on Luke 16:19-31 about the rich man and the beggar Lazarus, as this is key to understanding the two sections of Hades.
Luke 16:19-31 There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. [20] But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus (not the same Lazarus Jesus raised from the dead in John chapter 11), full of sores, who was laid at his [the rich man’s] gate, [21] desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. [23] And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
[24] Then he [the rich man] cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ [25] But Abraham said, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. [26] And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
[27] “Then he (the rich man) said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him (Lazarus) to my father’s house, [28] for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
[29] Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ [30] And he (the rich man0 said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them form the dead, they will repent.’ [31] But he (Abraham) said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”
It is important to realize that the status or destiny of the two men has nothing to do with the wealth or lack of it. When Lazarus, a poor man, goes to Paradise, which at that time before Christ came to earth and died on the cross for our sins, was in the one side of Hades. The other side of Hades is a place of torment where people still go to await the Great White Throne Judgement (Revelation 20:11-15) that will happen after the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem, also known as the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.
When a person dies, his or her body goes into the ground and their spirit/soul goes either to be with God or to Sheol, Hades. Before Christ arose from the grave and ascended to into heaven, the spirits and souls of just people went to the Paradise side of Hades. That is why Jesus told the one thief on the cross who said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom,” in Luke 23:42 and Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise (this is the same as Abraham’s bosom in Hades).
The abodes (the place after death) of the saved and the lost are both generally called “hades” in the Bible. The abode of the saved is also called “Abraham’s bosom” (KJV) or “Abraham’s side” (NIV) in Luke 16:22 and “paradise” in Luke 23:43. The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a “great chasm” (Luke 16:26).
We read in Ephesians 4:8-10, Therefore He says: “when He (Christ) ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” [9] (Now this, “He ascended” – what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? [10] He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things).
Some use verses 9 and 10 above and 1 Peter 3:18-20 to teach that sometime between Jesus’ death and resurrection, He descended to Hades in the Spirit to preach the good news of His triumph over death and the grave, after which He led Old Testament saints (imprisoned in Hades on Paradise side/Abraham’s bosom) to heaven. Which means, the side of Hades which was called Abraham’s bosom or Paradise is empty today as all believer’s when they die now go directly to heaven because of what Jesus did on Calvary by paying the price for our sins.
All the unbelieving dead still go to the cursed side of hades to await the final judgment, the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15)
Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books, [13] The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. [14] Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Did Jesus go to hades after He died? Yes, according to Jesus’ own words, He went to the blessed region of Hades, and that is why he told the thief on the cross, this day you will be with Me in Paradise. Jesus was not speaking of going to heaven that day, because He would not rise from the dead until Sunday, but he was letting the thief know he would be with Him on the Paradise side of Hades. Jesus said to the thief beside Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); He did not say, “I will see you in hell.” Jesus’ body was in the tomb; His soul and spirit went to be with the blessed saint’s souls and spirits who had died and now were in the Paradise side in hades.
Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of hades to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely unbiblical.
It was the death of Jesus on the cross that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7–9). As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ’s struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin that He asked to pass from Him (Matthew 26:39).As Jesus neared death, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His suffering in our place was completed. Jesus’ soul/spirit went to Hades (the place of the dead). Jesus did not go to “hell” or the suffering side of hades; He went to “Abraham’s bosom” or the blessed side of hades also called Paradise. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died at Calvary. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body on that Sunday and 40 days later His return to glory in His ascension back to heaven.
Finally, let me address the Scripture in Revelation 1:18 when Jesus tells John…
Revelation 1:18 “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.”
Besides being the Sovereign of life, Jesus also has the “keys of Hades and of death.” Jesus now has the keys because God has given Him all power and authority in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them (His disciples), saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Christ possesses the keys because He conquered death. Keys denote access and authority. In His death and resurrection Christ stripped Satan of any authority he may have had over death (compare with Hebrews 2:14-15 below).
Some people believe Jesus had to go to hell and take the keys from Satan, but the Scriptures do not say that. The Scriptures do tell us that all authority has been given to Jesus because of the price He paid and Calvary for our sins and therefore because of His death and resurrection He has the keys of Hades and Death.
Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He (Christ) Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
[15] and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Amen!
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