Thesis #2 - Jesus in Hell con't
Posted 05-21-2009 at 10:59 AM by Nikk
InMatthew 12:39-40 it says, “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” So, Jesus did spend three days in the grave, but is there significance to the words “the heart of the earth”. Is this a specific place? If paradise is in the earth, but above hell, would it not make sense that hell which is lower in location then paradise be in the heart of the earth? Further we know that the scriptures say, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption”. Psalms 16:10 And repeated, Acts 2:31-32, “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” Here the bible refers to Jesus’ soul not being left in hell, or this place called the heart of the earth. Ezekiel when he prophesies against Pharoh king of Egypt he says he will go “unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword.” This word nether refers to the lower part of the earth, but he clarifies in the midst of the uncircumcised, or the ungodly. In this same prophecy Ezekiel uses alongside nether world, the pit, the grave, and hell. (See Ezekiel 31
Further the word says in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” If Jesus possesses the keys of hell and death, this means that he had to go into hell to retrieve these keys from Satan. For Jesus says in Matthew 12:28-29, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.” And Jesus did just that by taking the keys of hell and of death, he spoiled the house of Satan. But then one may question is this all that Jesus removed out of hell?
In 1 Peter 3:18-21 it says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” So, Jesus’ body was dead and lay in the grave, but he was quickened by the spirit and by this spirit preached unto the spirits in prison. We can know that these spirits in prison are those who died. But did Christ also preach to those in hell? I will have to say yes, because the scripture refers to Christ preaching to those in prison, and it cannot be said that paradise is a prison. So, there is some other place in the earth that is prison and it must be none other then hell itself. It also says that the spirits that were preached to were disobedient, yet it is clear that the obedient like Lazarus went to Abraham’s Bosom or paradise. Also in Psalms 68:18 it says, “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” Christ lead Captivity captive. Those that were captive he lead captive. This again must refer to those not only in paradise but in hell for it says “yea, for the rebellious also”. How could Christ preach in Hell unless he went into hell? How could he lead those who where captive in hell captive unless he went into hell and took them out? For they could not come out on their own because there was a gulf fixed. In Ephesians 4:8-10 it reiterates this statement, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascendedup far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) In the Psalms it says that he received gifts for men and then in Ephesians it says that he gave gifts unto man. So, what he received he gave. One of these gifts he gave was freedom. As it says in Galatians 5:1a, “For freedom Christ has set us free”. (ESV)
Looking again to Ephesians 4:9 it says that Christ descended into the lower parts of the earth. These lower parts of the earth that Christ went to is this nether parts of the earth, the heart of the earth, the pit, the grave and hell itself. The bible is explicit when it says concerning Christ that God would not leave his soul in hell. So, looking at these verses and the many that support them, Christ did go into hell, but when he ascended he ascended aboveall heavens.
Notes:
1. Italics have been added throughout for emphasis
2. Unless noted All bible references are King James Version, 1611
Further the word says in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” If Jesus possesses the keys of hell and death, this means that he had to go into hell to retrieve these keys from Satan. For Jesus says in Matthew 12:28-29, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.” And Jesus did just that by taking the keys of hell and of death, he spoiled the house of Satan. But then one may question is this all that Jesus removed out of hell?
In 1 Peter 3:18-21 it says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” So, Jesus’ body was dead and lay in the grave, but he was quickened by the spirit and by this spirit preached unto the spirits in prison. We can know that these spirits in prison are those who died. But did Christ also preach to those in hell? I will have to say yes, because the scripture refers to Christ preaching to those in prison, and it cannot be said that paradise is a prison. So, there is some other place in the earth that is prison and it must be none other then hell itself. It also says that the spirits that were preached to were disobedient, yet it is clear that the obedient like Lazarus went to Abraham’s Bosom or paradise. Also in Psalms 68:18 it says, “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” Christ lead Captivity captive. Those that were captive he lead captive. This again must refer to those not only in paradise but in hell for it says “yea, for the rebellious also”. How could Christ preach in Hell unless he went into hell? How could he lead those who where captive in hell captive unless he went into hell and took them out? For they could not come out on their own because there was a gulf fixed. In Ephesians 4:8-10 it reiterates this statement, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascendedup far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) In the Psalms it says that he received gifts for men and then in Ephesians it says that he gave gifts unto man. So, what he received he gave. One of these gifts he gave was freedom. As it says in Galatians 5:1a, “For freedom Christ has set us free”. (ESV)
Looking again to Ephesians 4:9 it says that Christ descended into the lower parts of the earth. These lower parts of the earth that Christ went to is this nether parts of the earth, the heart of the earth, the pit, the grave and hell itself. The bible is explicit when it says concerning Christ that God would not leave his soul in hell. So, looking at these verses and the many that support them, Christ did go into hell, but when he ascended he ascended aboveall heavens.
Notes:
1. Italics have been added throughout for emphasis
2. Unless noted All bible references are King James Version, 1611
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