1 Peter 3.18 For Christ also suffered once he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits.
Matt 12.40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
There are a few views on this, and I realize Catholics may base some of their beliefs on purgatory on these passages, as well as on 2 Maccabees, indicating Jews may have prayed for the dead. But knowing that people have an after-death existence, and actually dwell in a place does not indicate that we can visit with them or pray for them. In fact, necromancy was strongly opposed by God under the Law. And the NT Scriptures indicate that after death is eternal judgment, indicating no more prayer is availalbe.
But I would also like to suggest that Jesus, in descending into the "heart of the earth" simply means he died. Just as someone may be buried, and be completely surrounded by earth, so Jesus was buried in the heart of the earth, ie not just buried in a cave, but also completely terminated.
Hades, or Hell, was known to be the place of existence for human spirits after death, and often was associated with the place of the wicked, because it was a place where people are temporarily consigned who await eternal judgment. Many of them are going to be judged to eternal spiritual death--not the loss of existence. Others, who will not be so judged already have the hope of eternal life by their faith in Christ.
So when Jesus went into Hades, the place of the dead, he was by default not contained there. He simply remained there for 3 days, and preached to those imprisoned.
The idea of being "imprisoned" suggests these are the wicked. And the fact they are identified with those who resisted Noah's preaching indicates they are the wicked. Why would Jesus preach to them?
One important element of our preaching as Christians is the need to proclaim eternal judgment. Having been given the keys to the message of eternal life we are equipped both to judge those who reject Christ as well as bring hope to those who choose to believe in Christ. We have the power to "bind" and to "loose."
So Jesus had his own personal need, as the Son of God, to declare eternal judgment to the wicked, to consign them to eternal death, even before final sentencing takes place at the end of the Millennium. It is not our job to proclaim this eternal judgment to all those who have opposed God. But it is our job to declare the fact that Jesus made this declaration during his 3 days of death.
Our gospel is therefore critical in this world, because it truly has the power to give life to those who believe us, and to consign to judgment those who are opposing this message of salvation. We let God carry out the sentence, but it is our message that brings them under God's judgment, in my opinion.
Matt 12.40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
There are a few views on this, and I realize Catholics may base some of their beliefs on purgatory on these passages, as well as on 2 Maccabees, indicating Jews may have prayed for the dead. But knowing that people have an after-death existence, and actually dwell in a place does not indicate that we can visit with them or pray for them. In fact, necromancy was strongly opposed by God under the Law. And the NT Scriptures indicate that after death is eternal judgment, indicating no more prayer is availalbe.
But I would also like to suggest that Jesus, in descending into the "heart of the earth" simply means he died. Just as someone may be buried, and be completely surrounded by earth, so Jesus was buried in the heart of the earth, ie not just buried in a cave, but also completely terminated.
Hades, or Hell, was known to be the place of existence for human spirits after death, and often was associated with the place of the wicked, because it was a place where people are temporarily consigned who await eternal judgment. Many of them are going to be judged to eternal spiritual death--not the loss of existence. Others, who will not be so judged already have the hope of eternal life by their faith in Christ.
So when Jesus went into Hades, the place of the dead, he was by default not contained there. He simply remained there for 3 days, and preached to those imprisoned.
The idea of being "imprisoned" suggests these are the wicked. And the fact they are identified with those who resisted Noah's preaching indicates they are the wicked. Why would Jesus preach to them?
One important element of our preaching as Christians is the need to proclaim eternal judgment. Having been given the keys to the message of eternal life we are equipped both to judge those who reject Christ as well as bring hope to those who choose to believe in Christ. We have the power to "bind" and to "loose."
So Jesus had his own personal need, as the Son of God, to declare eternal judgment to the wicked, to consign them to eternal death, even before final sentencing takes place at the end of the Millennium. It is not our job to proclaim this eternal judgment to all those who have opposed God. But it is our job to declare the fact that Jesus made this declaration during his 3 days of death.
Our gospel is therefore critical in this world, because it truly has the power to give life to those who believe us, and to consign to judgment those who are opposing this message of salvation. We let God carry out the sentence, but it is our message that brings them under God's judgment, in my opinion.
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