A question related to the death and resurrection of Jesus...?

Question

This passage is from the Wikipedia article about Jesus:

"Christians also predominately profess that Jesus suffered death by crucifixion,[54] descended into Hell (variously understood as either the place of eternal punishment or place of the dead),[55] and rose bodily from the dead in the definitive miracle that foreshadows the resurrection of humanity at the end of time,[56] when Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead, resulting in election to Heaven or damnation to Hell.[57]"

In reciting the Apostle's Creed, in my experience it has always been said that Jesus descended into Heaven, not Hell.

So, my question is this: did Jesus descend into Heaven or Hell?

Answer 1

To quote from the creed:

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostles_Creed#Text_of_the_Creed

Answer 2

This is interesting. I've asked it several times. At some stage it was removed because somebody reported me. But the bible clearly say he went to prison where the dead are kept. The use of the two words "prison" and "dead" clearly give the impression that he descended to hell. According to Christian belief, hell is equated to prison for the unsaved. It also says hell is down while heaven is up. Therefore he ascended to heaven - but couldn't have ascended to prison to teach to the prisoners. This leaves one way only - hell. So yes, he descended to hell

I understand why many Christians do not want to accept that fact. They are afraid that some characteristics given to Jesus would be exposed by this verse.

Answer 3

The bible says he stayed in the grave until the third day. So he actually didn't go anywhere until he ascended to heaven after 40 days of rising from the dead. So really he was just in the grave. As a 7th Day Adventist I don't believe in anybody going to heaven or hell when they die. The thing with Wiki is that ANYBODY can write something on there. So it's probably not written by a theologan. Anyways that's my 2 cents. Peace.

Answer 4

Jesus descended into Hell. Then He rose on the third day and later ascended into Heaven.

Answer 5

Jesus descended into the Hadean realm(the realm of departed spirits) also known as paradise. All souls will go to either paradise or tartarus before they are judged and God calls a halt to time. No one will enter Heaven or Hell until after judgement has been pronounced on them. These two places are like holding areas until judgement day.

Answer 6

Hell is seen as a lower spiritual plane, thus one descends into Hell. Heaven is seen as a higher spiritual plane, thus one ascends into Heaven. This is why he rose on the third day, rather than falling.

However, "Hell" is a medieval invention. It would be more accurate to say that He descended into "death", and then rose again on the third day.

Answer 7

As far as I now, after the Crucifixion and before the Resurrection He saved the damned who were in Hell. His Ascension to Heaven happened after His Resurrection.

But, by the way. I don't use Wikipedia. There are more serious encyclopaedias, even on the Internet.

Answer 8

In the Apostle's creed, Jesus "descended into hell", then "ascended to Heaven". Hell is always perceived as "below", and heaven "above".

Jesus supposedly went to both.

Answer 9

You are confused. Jesus did "ascend" into heaven. The "Apostles creed" and "wikipedia" are neither one scripture. Whether or not Jesus "descended" into hell before the resurrection is debatable. He did go somewhere to preach to the "prisoners". Exactly what that means is not clear.

Answer 10

"He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father. "

You combined 2 lines of it.