Hi Fizendell, I think I may have some answers for you.
Fizendell:
The words ascend and descend show that Jesus was in control of where he was going. For example, he ascended into heaven - doing so of his own power, whereas Mary was assumed into heaven - by God’s power, not her own.
So for him to descend into hell - or as I have seen it recently changed to ‘he descended to the dead’ - means he did so of his own actions.
True! No need to go further here.
Further - up until his resurrection - was anyone able to get to heaven?
Actually, the answer to this is no, with some exceptions.
Here is the Gospel of Luke,
Chapter 16:
*19 **“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. **20 **And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, **21 **who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. **22 **When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, **23 **and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. **24 **And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ **25 **Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. **26 **Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ **27 **He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, **28 **for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ **29 **But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ **30 **He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ **31 **Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’” *
This place that is seperate from the place of torment is called the Bosom of Abraham (vs. 22). Jesus had not redeemed sin yet, so this is where people in the grace of God went after earthly death. So here they waited for the time of resurrection.
While I don’t know the answer to that, it would seem that he went to those who had died up until his own death, told them the gospel, and those who believed joined him in heaven.
Here is the 1st letter of Peter:
*18 **For Christ also suffered or sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit. **19 **In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, **20 **who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. **21 **This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, **22 *
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
This whole passage confirms your statement, which is quoted above. Notice the exceptions that I mentioned are also mentioned in vs. 20. Notice also that people had been here “from the time of Noah” in vs. 20. So, your assumptions are correct. People did not go to heaven until Jesus had redeemed them, He taught them the gospel in “the bosom of Abraham”, also seen here in vs. 19 as “spirits in prison”, and they were able to enter heaven. People in Hell are condemned, so He did not preach to them.
I hope this answers your questions!
Subrosa
It wasn’t the hell of the damned…
