Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption (Acts 2:27,31 KJV). Jesus went to Hades ( the temporary abode of souls awaiting judgment) while in the grave. Some people believe that Jesus went to hell ( the place of eternal torment) after dying on the cross. Because older translations (e.g., KJV), which use English words differently than we use them today, use the word "hell" instead of our present-day word "Hades." For example, the KJV translates the Greek word for Hades and the Greek for hell, into the same Anglo-Saxon word "hell." It does not distinguish between the different Greek words hades and Gehenna. Tartarus (Greek tartaroo) is also translated "hell." Tartarus only appears in II Peter 2:4 "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." This tells us about the abode of sinful angels awaiting judgment. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 1:6 KJV).
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Sprit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water (I Peter 3:18-20). This has reference to the flood of Noah's day and some get it confused with Jesus' death. While in the grave, Jesus went to hades (Paradise), upon Jesus' death, he, and one of the thieves crucified with him went to hades. There are two realms in hades, one is a place of comfort and rest, the other is place of torment Read about the rich man and Lazarus in (Luke 16:19-31). Before his death, Jesus tells us that he would go to Paradise after dying on the cross. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43), which corresponds to the Hadean realm of comfort and rest (Luke 16:19).
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-13 KJV).
Summary: "...descended..." Christ's descent into the lower parts of the earth was his burial. His soul did not go into Gehenna, the eternal abode of the wicked, but into Hades, the place of the dead."...captivity..." Christ led captivity captive in that God, through the redemption in Christ, released sinners from the domain of darkness, Satan's kingdom, and transferred them into Christ's kingdom. "...led..." Christ upon his ascension to glory, took the ownership and leadership of his slaves by the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. He will reign as King and Shepherd-leader until he has put all enemies under his feet. He will then return to gather in his elect who will ascend to meet him and go with him into heaven. THESE ARE THE GIFTS THAT JESUS GAVE TO US AFTER HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN! HAVE YOU TAKEN OWNERSHIP OF YOUR GIFT? ARE YOU HANDLING YOUR GIFT WITH INTEGRITY?
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