Did Jesus go to
hell between His death and resurrection?
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 Scriptures which, 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.” Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicate that
sheol/hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final
resurrection and judgment. Revelation 20:11–15 gives 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. 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.
Sheol/hades is a realm with two divisions—a place of blessing and a place of
judgment (Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27–31). The abodes 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). When Jesus died, He went to the
blessed side of sheol, or paradise. (Some believe, based on a particular
interpretation of Ephesians 4:8–10, that Jesus took believers with
Him from sheol to another place of bliss that we now call heaven. More
likely, Ephesians 4 refers to the ascension of Christ.) All the unbelieving dead go
to the cursed side of hades to await the final judgment. All the believing dead
go to the blessed side of hades to await the resurrection. Did Jesus go to
sheol/hades? Yes, according to Jesus’ own words, He went to the blessed region
of sheol.
Some of the confusion has arisen from such passages as Psalm 16:10–11 as translated in the King
James Version: “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou
suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. . . . Thou wilt show me the path of
life.” “Hell” is not a correct translation in this verse. A correct reading
would be “the grave” or “sheol.” 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/spirit went to be with the blessed
in sheol/hades. Unfortunately, in many versions of the Bible, translators are
not consistent, or correct, in how they translate the Hebrew and Greek words
for “sheol,” “hades,” and “hell.”
Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of
sheol/hades in order 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 which would be poured out upon Him on the cross.
As Jesus neared death, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His suffering in our place was
completed. His 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 side” or the
blessed side of hades. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died. The payment
for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return
to glory in His ascension. Did Jesus go to hell? No. Did Jesus go to
sheol/hades? Yes.
GotQuestions.org
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