While He Tarries Ministries
WHERE DID JESUS GO WHEN HE DIED?
While He Tarries Ministries
In a previous article we talked about what happen on the Cross and where our redemption was purchased. We also talked about some false teachings concerning the cross. One of the false teachings was the theory that Jesus purchased our redemption in hell. If He didn't go to hell to purchase our redemption (He did NOT), then where did He go when He died?
Items that we will cover include:The KJV of the Bible uses 3 different English words in Old Testament: Grave 31 times; Hell 31 times; Pit 3 times. In the New Testament the same word is translated Hades. Three different Greek words are translated by one English word hell. Luke 16, 22, 23 uses the Greek word Hades (86 times) for the region of departed spirits for both the lost and believers.
In Revelation 1:18 it mentions that Christ has the keys to it.The 3 Greek words for hell (Hades, Gehenna, Tartarus) have different root meanings. Hell is Hades in the New Testament and is Sheol in the Old Testament and is the place where the spirits of the dead await resurrection. In Acts 2:27 the word is translated "hades" but quotes Psalms 16:10 which uses the word Sheol. This shows us that they are talking about the same place in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Gehenna refers to the hell of eternal punishment. Tartarus is the prison of fallen angels. (Jude 6)
OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY:The Old Testament Hebrew word for grave as the resting place for the body is "queber". The New Testament Greek word for grave as the resting place for the body is "mnemeion". The body is never said to be in Sheol or Hades and the spirit is never said to be in the grave. Sheol and Hades are used consistently for the abode of dead spirits. Before Christ came, little was known about Sheol or Hades. The Old Testament did not distinguish between the resting place for the spirits of the righteous dead and the unrighteous dead. Sheol (hades) included both.
NEW TESTAMENT KNOWLEDGE:Note that it was angels who carried the beggar to Abraham's bosom. Since Abraham is the father of faith and highly esteemed in the Bible it is obvious that he would not be in a place of torment.
Now from this we can conclude that Lazarus was in a place that had cool water. It is interesting that he not only saw Lazarus who had recently died but also Abraham, who had died thousands of years previously. This explains what was meant in Genesis 25.8 where it says Abraham was gathered to his people when he died. It meant that he went to Sheol/hades, (paradise - the place of comfort in Abraham's bosom) to be gathered with all the other people righteous by faith.
Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.Sheol here is pictured as a place in two compartments. The first place is a place of torment and suffering. The other place is paradise, or Abraham's bosom, a place of rest and comfort. Paradise was the resting place of the righteous dead.
WHERE DID JESUS GO WHEN HE DIED?Going back to Luke 23:43 above, this was the destination of the soul of the repentant thief when he died on the cross next to Jesus. Not heaven yet, but paradise. He was about to die under Old Testament promises. Jesus also went to Paradise when He died.
Hebrews 11:13 -- These all died in faith, not having received the promises--- (They were not in heaven yet.)At this time paradise was in the heart of the earth ------ Matthew 12:38-40------so the soul of Jesus went there. (Acts 2:23-27) Now some people say that Jesus had to suffer some more in hell or had to battle satan but what do the scriptures say ? He went to Paradise as we just read in Luke 23:43.
John 19:28- After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.This means all the sacred writings of the law, the psalms, and the prophets had been fulfilled.
Jesus satisfied all the requirements in the old testament concerning his sin-sacrifice offering to GOD before he dismissed his spirit into the Father's hands. When he said IT IS FINISHED HE DID NOT MEAN TO BE CONTINUED AND HE DID NOT MEAN THAT HE HAD TO FIGHT OTHER BATTLES.
Previously he had made known that no man could take his life from him, but He would lay it down voluntarily of his own will-John 10:17-18.
As soon as he knew that his task was accomplished for which he was sent, he LEFT.
HE FREELY DISMISSED HIS SPIRIT FROM HIS BODY AND SO DIED.
Because shedding of his innocent sacrifice of his body as a sin offering to GOD was what was important, it was not necessary for him to tax all his physical resources to the limit before he died. It did not have to agonize over carrying the sins of the world and each of us individually -- that would be physically impossible. It is also the result of fleshly imagination. He did have to be the perfect sin sacrifice for us. Do you see the difference?
DID JESUS HAVE TO BATTLE SATAN IN HELL?He fulfilled the LAW (which is the legal demands of man's sin debt to GOD [Be ye perfect] and to meet the judicial requirements of [JUSTICE]). It was our sin debt to GOD that Jesus paid. By this sin sacrifice GOD"S justice was satisfied. Jesus defeated satan on his own turf -the earth - without once falling into temptation. He defeated satan by being sinless and the perfect sacrifice that was worthy to go to the cross as our substitute and to fulfill the law.
Satan will not be cast into hell until the end of this age. Even if Satan had been in hell, it would have been in the tormented side and Jesus went to the Paradise side. They would have never met!
Anyone who thinks Jesus had to fight Satan in hell or take our place in hell is greatly deceived, has a lot of fleshly imagination and is not very knowledgeable of Bible themes. STAY AWAY FROM THEM.