Apparently there is a lot of confusion and Bible misinterpretation when it comes to the question of where Jesus went between his death and resurrection. The concept that Jesus Christ went to hell after his death on the Cross of Calvary, comes primarily from the new age teachers and preachers that have misinterpreted the Bible and spew large amounts of false Bible doctrine into the troughs of the world.
There are few Scriptures that describe Jesus as going to Abraham’s Bosom and many preachers and Bible versions interpret this as hell. Jesus went where hell was, but it is not the same as we know hell today.
The Rich Man & Lazarus
Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
As you can see, Lazarus was carried by the angles to Abraham’s Bosom & the rich man was woke up in torment seeing Abraham afar off and Lazarus was not in torment. So how can this be considered hell? This is in the depth of the earth and are two different places. Abraham’s Bosom and Hell! Some may call it the realm of the dead.
Jesus told the thief he would be in paradise with him.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Some refer to the Hebrew scripture and define the realm of the dead as Hades or Sheol. I believe that the 1611 King James Bible is the preserved word of God and only refer to the Hebrew for definitions.
Getting into many interpretations and other Bible versions have lead some astray and now there are teachings on purgatory and reincarnation.
In Revelation 20:11-15 the dead are risen up and judged by God and sent to the final destination. This is the distinction between A lake of fire and The lake of fire. Not between Hades and hell as some teach.
The separation between hell and Abraham’s Bosom
Sheol/Hades was a realm with two divisions—a place of blessing and a place of judgment (Matthew 11:23; Matthew 16:18; Luke 10:15; Luke 16:23; Acts 2:27–31). The abodes of the saved and the lost are both generally called “hades” in the Bible. The abode of the saved is also called “Abraham’s bosom” in Luke 16:22 and “paradise” in Luke 23:43. The abode of the unsaved is called “hell” (KJV) in Luke 16:23. The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a “great gulf” (Luke 16:26). When Jesus died, He went to paradise and, from there, took the believers with Him to heaven (Ephesians 4:8–10). The holding side of hell has remained unchanged. All unbelieving dead go there awaiting their final judgment in the future. Did Jesus go to hell? According to Ephesians 4:8–10 and 1 Peter 3:18–20, Jesus descended to the center of the earth, but not to hell. He descended to Abraham’s Bosom to retrieve the saved souls that were there awaiting the ascension.
No one could ascend to heaven before Jesus.
Jesus said to the thief beside Him, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43); He did not say, “I will see you in hell.” Jesus’ body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to be with the blessed in paradise. Unfortunately, in many versions of the Bible, translators are not consistent. Many translation want to lighten up the use of hell and call it a less scary version such as sheol or hades.
Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely unbiblical. It was the death of Jesus on the cross that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7–9). As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ’s struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin which would be poured out upon Him on the cross.
As Jesus neared death, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His suffering in our place was completed. His soul/spirit went to Paradise (the center of the earth). Jesus did not go to “hell” or the suffering side of hades; He went to “Abraham’s Bosom”. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return to glory in His ascension. Did Jesus go to hell? No. Did Jesus go to Paradise which was separated by a great gulf from hell? Yes.