Did Jesus Go To Hell? 🤔✝️📖

Did Jesus go to Hell? Did Jesus go to Sheol? The doctrine of Christ’s “descent” is confessed in the Apostles’s and Athanasian Creeds and celebrated by Eastern and Roman Catholic churches, but evangelical churches rarely give it much attention. Even where the Apostles’s Creed is recited many evangelicals leave out the clause, “he descended into hell/the dead.” So just what is the doctrine of Jesus descending to the dead? Did Jesus go to hell for 3 days?

In this episode, we'll interview Matt Emerson and discuss his book "He Descended to the Dead": An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday, winner of a 2019 TGC book award. From biblical foundations to historical context and pastoral implications, we'll discuss it all with Matt.

Matt Emerson (Ph.D., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary ) serves as Co-Provost and Dean of Theology, Arts, & Humanities at Oklahoma Baptist University. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for Baptist Renewal. His areas of interest include biblical theology, canonical interpretation, theological method, and Baptist theology.

#remnantradio #hell #sheol #theology #theologydiscussion #theologypodcast

[richardwashington]

Guest: "I'm about to give you a lot of Greek and Latin."

Josh: "Don't tempt me with a good time." 😂😂😂

[KTrusty]

This literally came up yesterday in our house, I can’t believe you discussed it the same day.

[richardwashington]

Jesus's proclamation to the spirits in the prison "Hey what's up everybody. I win." 💪🏽

[TanyaGriva]

I'm so excited to hear your opinions on the subject matter. I heard a prosperity preacher mention that Jesus did go to hell for 3 days before ascending into heaven. I have a hard time believing what I heard.

[andreso]

The Medieval Artistic theme of “Christ Descending into Limbo” it puts into context the victory we have in Christ Jesus! Hallelujah!

[tomragsdale]

Few people who read the book of Jonah notice that when Jonah prays from within the fish's belly (Jonah 2:1-9) he is actually thanking God for having delivered him from Hades/Sheol (which is "down to the bottoms of the mountains"). While Jonah is still inside the fish's belly he says, "yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God". Jonah was in Hades (in the heart of the earth, in "the bottoms of the mountains") crying out to the Lord; then the Lord heard his cry and delivered him from Hades, and THEN, having been delivered from Hades/Sheol, Jonah, still within the fish's belly, praises God for bringing him out of Hades, and promises to do what God had commanded him to do; and it is THEN that God has the fish vomit Jonah out onto dry land.

What seems to have happened is, after being cast into the sea, Jonah sank to the bottom and DROWNED, and, being dead, his SOUL went from there to Hades in "the bottoms of the mountains". His BODY, on the other hand, with his head wrapped in seaweed, was swallowed up by the great fish/sea monster, and Jonah's BODY was in the creature's belly for 3 days and 3 nights (approx. 72 hours). While Jonah's SOUL was in Hades he cried out to God in despair. Then God heard his cry and delivered his soul from Hades, and his soul was re-united with his body in the fish's belly. Then, from within the fish (but no longer in Hades), Jonah praised God and vowed to complete his mission. So THEN God had the fish spew Jonah out so he could do that.

From Jonah's POV, Hades/Sheol and the fish's belly are NOT the same place. In the same way, Hades (the heart/core/center of the earth) and Joseph's tomb, where Jesus' body was placed, are NOT the same place. Jesus' body only spent about 36 hours inside that hewn-out stone; but His SOUL spent 3 days and 3 nights (about 72 hours) in the abyss in the realm of the dead.

[Benjamin-rphq]

Very interesting. You guys find great guests. That helped my understanding on the topic.

[davidskenyanmemoirs]

I really enjoyed this episode. Very informative.

Would like to get the book but it's pretty expensive.

[robertlee]

I really wish Mike Heiser was still around, because he would be good for this conversation. Even though I'm Protestant and reformed, to a degree, there's some good Greek Orthodox resources on this as well.

[andreso]

Great conversation yall, another great resource is “The Battle for the Keys” by Justin Bass

[BeMoreAwareGodWatches]

17:06 Exactly!!! He went there, but as KING 👑 Well said my dude.

[ChristianPhilosemite]

So how do I approach Hebrews 9:27 if people are in a "holding cell" before being raised for either glory or shame? Thanks.

[mariakarlson]

Love the Heiser references. Proud middle earther here

[asg]

“ don’t tempt me with a good time!”😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[tomragsdale]

According to Justin Bass in the book Matt Emerson mentioned, "Descensus ad Inferos" would be Latin for "Descent to the inferior ones" (plural - referring to the souls of the dead in the underworld), and "Descensus ad Inferna" would be Latin for "Descent to the infernal region" (singular - the realm of the dead itself). So, not exactly synonymous.

By the way, in his book The Battle for the Keys, Justin did not hold to the idea that the phrase "he led captivity captive" in Eph 4:8 was specifically referring to Jesus FREEING the captives from Hades. He does believe Jesus went there "to preach deliverance to the captives" (Luke 4:18), and believes He did rescue the righteous from that place when He rose from the dead; but he doesn't think that's what the phrase in Eph 4:8 (and Psalm 68:18, and Judges 5:12) is about. See page 83 & 84 in his book:

"The phrase ηχμαλώτευσεν αιχμαλωσίαν consistently refers to the hostile capture of enemies through battle and therefore could hardly mean Christ's saints. Christ's leading captivity captive also occurs in his ascension (Eph 4:8; Col 2:15) and not in his descent because Paul sees the demonic hosts in the heavenly realms which Christ passed through at his ascension. We should include Satan in this captivity (Eph 2:2), but death, the curse, and sin are not in view here. This does not mean that Christ did not also release the captives of the righteous dead in the underworld (see below), but I do not think that is what is being taught in the phrase 'he led captivity captive.' This is dealing with his overpowering the demonic hosts at his ascent, not his descent."

I would tend to agree with Justin Bass when it comes to the phrase ηχμαλώτευσεν αιχμαλωσίαν, but I'm not sure he's correct when he says that Jesus, as He exited the realm of the dead, "released the captives of the righteous dead in the underworld" at THAT time. My personal belief is that the rescue of the saved captives takes place when Jesus RETURNS, after He has been glorified (i.e. the Parousia). At the time of the Descensus Jesus PREACHED to the dead. At His Second Coming He rescues those who have heard His preaching and have received Him as Lord, and they are resurrected at THAT time. When Jesus left Hades (prior to His resurrection), He left with the keys of Hades and Thanatos (the two gods of the underworld who previously had possession of those keys). When Jesus comes back, He will use those keys to unlock the gates of Hades and Death (the REGIONS in the underworld where the dead are kept) and will free the prisoners, those who had heard and favorably responded to His preaching during His first visit (and/or who had accepted Him before they died.)

[andreso]

Dr. Emerson made a great point unfortunately Protestantism denies refutes points of doctrine/theology, at times, solely because “its too Catholic/Orthodox”.😞😣

[EllenSmyth]

Jesus definitely went to Sheol, but no part of Sheol is Paradise. All scripture that explicitly speaks of Sheol does so in a negative light, even for the righteous:

My days are past; my plans are broken off,
the desires of my heart.
They make night into day:
‘The light, ’ they say, ‘is near to the darkness.’
  If I hope for Sheol as my house,
if I make my bed in darkness,
  if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father, ’
and to the worm, ‘My mother, ’ or ‘My sister, ’
  where then is my hope?
Who will see my hope?
  Will it go down to the bars of Sheol?
Shall we descend together into the dust?”
--Job 17:11-16

Sheol is a prison, even the side that the righteous Job will descend to.

For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who will give you praise?
--Psalms 6:5, a psalm of David

The cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
--Psalms 18:5, a psalm of David

O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
--Psalms 30:3, a psalm of David

The only instance we have where someone is promised to go to Paradise when he dies is the thief on the cross who dies after the Passover Lamb (whose legs did not get broken because he was already dead) atoned for his sin, allowing him to go to heaven, which is Paradise. Before that death, we know that Enoch and Elijah ascended to heaven, skipping Sheol, but I suspect they had a heavy price to pay before the death of Christ atoned for their sins. Similarly, Moses probably resided in heaven pre-cross because we see him with Elijah at the Transfiguration, and he does not seem recently released from the prison of Sheol. But likely everyone else, pre-cross, was in Sheol, not Paradise but a snare and an entanglement, a place where the dead do not praise the Lord. Definitely. Not. Paradise.

We descend to Sheol but ascend to Paradise.

ETA: I just realized why so many believe this: "This day, you will be with ME in Paradise." I've struggled with that verse, certainly, but I do not believe that the thief went to Sheol even though Christ did. This could mean that the thief will be with the Holy Spirit and the Father, who are one with Christ, or this could mean that it will be the same day for the thief even though it will be a few weeks for Christ.

[daystar]

Interesting for sure...Methodist use the Apostles creed in their every Sunday liturgy without the descent clause but in their Baptism liturgy they include the descent clause...Wesley believed in it but wasn't sure what exactly it entailed....this was a fun discussion...very little angry chatroom heresy charges...some but not as many as I would have thought, thank God

[juliancarter]

Amen! Remember He created Hell as a Prison for Satan & His Demons. Why can’t he go to Hell? He is The Creator, Warden, & THE Judge!

[Sirach]

Lazarus and the rich man isn’t about the dead people. It’s about a judgement against Israel. Not heaven and hell.

Lazarus and the Rich Man

I'm glad you brought up Lazarus and the Rich Man.

Does this sound like a literal event to you?


• Jesus often began his parables in the book of Luke with the phrase, “a certain...” See Luke 12:16; 13:6; 14:16; 15:11; 16:1; 19:11-12; 20:9 (KJV).

• A man cannot literally enter into “the bosom” or chest of Abraham.

• It is impossible for anyone who is literally burning in fire to carry on a normal conversation.

• Can those in heaven and hell talk to each other?

No!!

• Jesus Christ did not interpret every parable He told. Yet He did interpret the parable of the wheat and the weeds in Matthew 13. I

• Consciousness at death contradicts the rest of the Bible. Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Psalms 6:5; 115:17; 146:4; etc.


This is a parable. There are about 5 parables right before this one which shows this one logically following has the same context. This is a parable. Many say it's not because it had a name in it and all sorts of theories. Can those in heaven see those in hell being tortured or TALK to them? No. Also, the Bible says that Jesus was the first to go to heaven. So how could Lazarus be in heaven? This presents a problem and so many come up with what Mormons do and call it spirit paradise and not heaven or make something up like "Abraham's Bosom." The two men represents two classes. The Rich man represents the Jewish nation who was in favor with God. That's why this man faired sumptuously. He also wore purple which was a sign of royalty which is what God considered Israel, a nation of kings and priests. The Beggar or Lazarus (meaning Aquired) represents the Gentiles who were outside of God's favor. This is shows by him being outside the gate with the dogs. (See Matthew 15:25-27) They treated the gentiles and saw them as dogs. Their death represented the change of condition for the nation of Israel and gentiles when Jesus cast the Jews off. In the OT the bosom position of the Father meant a favored position. See John 18:1. Now that Lazarus who represented the gentiles were favored he was now in the bosom of Abraham which was given the promises under the Abrahamic Covenant. Which is to bless all the families of the earth. The Jews had the promises now which is why Lazarus is in the Bosom of Abraham. He (Gentiles) are now heirs to the Abrahamic promises. The Jews are cast off into the nations to be tormented. They have been persecuted and murdered and this is why we see him in fire. He represents the two tribes of Israel Israel and Judah and now we see that if one man represents two then the other ten are 5 which is why we wanted to warn his brothers. So they didn't go through the torments from being cast off. This is one parable. Jesus always spoke in parables to keep them from the truth