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Christ in Hell Part 7 of 9
By Bro. Cheek | October 24, 2007
Table of contents for Christ in Hell
Christ in Hell
Part Seven
When Did Jesus Christ Go to Hell?
By Pastor Robert L. Cheek Jr.
Victory Baptist Church
We have seen clear proof that Christ went to hell. Let’s see if we can determine when He went there.
Matthew 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Matthew 12:39 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:
Matthew 12:40 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.
The Lord said that He must spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. That is a time window of 72 hours (24 hours x 3 days). Jesus Christ was placed on the cross in the month Abib (approximately our March and April) on the 14th day of the month at 9:00 A.M. (Mark 15:21-25). The Jewish day began at 6:00 P.M. whereas our day begins at Midnight. There was darkness on the earth from 12:00 P.M. until 3:00 P.M. (Mark 15:33-34). He gave up the ghost some time between 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. (Mark 15:33-37). We know from Matthew 12:38-40 that Jesus Christ was resurrected on Abib 17th, exactly 72 hours after His death. So Christ spent 72 hours in the heart of the earth from His death to His resurrection. That was the total time He spent in the heart of the earth. We also know that Christ went to two different places in the heart of the earth. He went to hell and He went to paradise. We have learned a lot about hell. Let’s take some time to learn about paradise.
Paradise was the place God had prepared for the souls of the O.T. saints when they died. Because the sins of the O.T. saints had not been forever dealt with on Calvary, they could not enter into the presence of God upon death. Therefore, God gave them a place to abide until Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world.
Acts 26:23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
The O.T. saints could not be resurrected until Jesus was resurrected. He was the first that should rise from the dead.
Hebrews 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
Hebrews 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Hebrews 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, [in other words, the suffering of Christ redeemed the sins of the O.T. saints] they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
The O.T. saints had to wait for Christ to atone for their sins so that they could enter into the presence of God.
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Hebrews 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they [O.T. saints] without us [N.T. saints] should not be made perfect.
That is, the redemption of the O.T. saints was not completed until the N.T. Ours was completed with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
So then, God prepared a place for the O.T. saints to wait for Christ.
Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
The O.T. saints had to pass through what was called a valley of the shadow of death. That valley was no doubt the trip they took from the surface of the earth to the center of the earth.
Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
N.T. saints do not pass through a valley of the shadow of death. When we die, we are immediately in the presence of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
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 means that it isn’t exactly Scriptural for a preacher to recite the 23rd Psalm at a funeral or at the grave site. Saved people are already in the presence of the Lord at the moment of death. They no longer pass through the valley of the shadow of death.
Another thing worth mentioning is that Paradise and Abraham’s bosom are one and the same place. We know this because O.T. saints went to Abraham’s bosom. The thief on the cross, who was saved according to Jesus Christ, went to a place called paradise.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
The thief on the cross had to go to paradise, or Abraham’s bosom until Jesus Christ placed the blood on the mercy seat in heaven. Jesus did not do that until after His resurrection. We will consider that later. Paradise or Abraham’s bosom was the place where O.T. saints went when they died. But what is this place? We have some clues from the Bible. Let’s carefully consider some verses.
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
The tree of life is seen here in the midst of the garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
These verses show us that the tree of life is in the midst (center) of the garden of Eden.
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
The tree of life is a certain type of tree. It bears twelve kinds of fruit and it bears that fruit once a month.
Revelation 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Evidently, there was a single tree of life in the garden of Eden. That same kind of tree is also found on either side of the river of life that proceeds from the throne of God. So the garden of Eden had the tree of life in it. Paradise had the tree of life in it. Both had that tree in the center of them. I would speculate that the Scriptures seem to indicate that the garden of Eden and paradise are one and the same place. The reason men in the O.T. never were able to find the garden of Eden after God thrust them out of it is because God took it to the heart of the earth. When did God do that? He had to do that at some time between the departure of Adam from the garden (Genesis 3:24) and the death of Abel (Genesis 4:8). Abel was the first resident of paradise after God placed it in the heart of the earth. Paradise needed to be in place by the time of Abel’s death. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Jesus took paradise to heaven where it is to this day. We know this because Paul was called up to Paradise.
2 Corinthians 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
2 Corinthians 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
So then from what we have seen, paradise, Abraham’s bosom and the garden of Eden (which is also called the garden of God in Ezekiel 28:13) are one and the same place. This is a brief introduction to paradise. Now to answer the question, “When did Christ go to hell?” To answer that, we must consider briefly the trinity of Jesus Christ in His humanity.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This verse shows us that man is a triune being: body, soul, and spirit. Jesus Christ was also a triune being in His humanity. He had a body (Hebrews 10:5), He had a soul (Matthew 26:38), and He had a Spirit (John 11:33). When Christ died, something happened to each of these three parts (please see lesson one for our illustration).
His Spirit went up to God.
Matthew 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
His Body went to the tomb.
Luke 23:52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
Luke 23:53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.
His Soul went to the heart of the earth.
Matthew 12:40 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.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
The only time Christ could have gone to hell was some time during this 72 hour window between His death and His resurrection. We have a verse in the Bible that proves this.
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Ephesians 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:9 tells us that Christ descended to the lower parts of the earth before He ascended to heaven. He ascended to heaven after His resurrection. When He ascended to heaven He took paradise with Him. That is what verse 8 means by led captivity captive.
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
During this 72 hour window between His death and His resurrection, Christ spent some time in hell and some time in paradise. The total of these two time periods is 72 hours. Notice Ephesians 4:9 again. Christ descended into the lower PARTS (plural). This shows also that Christ went to more than one place in the heart of the earth. Christ went to hell and to paradise. He went to hell to be the burnt offering for sin.
Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Of course, we know that the wicked make their graves in hell. That is where Christ went.
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Then, the Bible says He went to paradise and took the O.T. saints to heaven.
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
This verse is a quote from Psalm 68:18.
Psalms 68:18 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.
So we know that Christ went to hell and to paradise. From what we know about His purpose in going, we can assume beyond any reasonable doubt that Christ went to hell first, then to paradise. Since He had to pay for the sins of the O.T. saints before He took them to heaven, it would not make sense to think He went to paradise first, then hell, then paradise again and then to heaven.
The total time He spent in the heart of the earth was 72 hours. How long did He stay in hell and in paradise? That is the subject of our next question.
Topics: Studies |
May 26th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I certainly did enjoy this. It was very refreshing. I praise God that I stumbled up on this page. I have a question. when we die and go to be in the presence of the Lord in that prepared place and the body back here on earth is deteriorated, what part of the triune will be raptured up. Will Jesus take the old decayed body and glorify it? When I read, the dead in Christ shall rise first, what will rise? Please help me to understand this. If your ans is anything like what I’ve read, it has to be a dynamic ans.
I praise God in advance for your ans. May God bless you.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Hello Charlotte and thank you for your question. I will answer it as best as I can. Saved people have a body, soul and spirit. When we die, our souls go to be with the Lord.
Genesis 35:18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
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.
Our bodies are buried and eventually decay and return to the earth.
Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
God will raise up our bodies at the rapture or the resurrection, which ever occurs first for us.
Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
God, who is all powerful (omnipotent) and all knowing (omniscient) is able to resurrect every saved person regardless of how they died or where they died. Saints of days gone by have been dug up and their bones burned (i.e. John Wycliffe and others), by those who hate God’s people. They act as if God is unable to reconstruct a body. But God is able to do anything. Notice:
Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
God is more than able to do this even if we cannot fully understand it. That’s what faith is all about!
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Now as for the spirit of a saint, I can speculate with this text:
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
What part of us could possibly be seated in Christ Jesus? Well, since He gave us His spirit when we were saved, maybe our spirit is now in Him? I’m not going to be dogmatic about it, but it is something to think about. If so, then we certainly are in Him and He in us. Hope this helps.