A SHORT TRIP TO HEAVEN, HELL AND BACK, VIA ENGLAND
In the creed it says; "He descended into Hell." Lets take a quick trip through the history of the English language.
The word hell comes from Hel, the name of the old Germanic death goddess. When the Angles, Saxons and Jutes moved to England, they brought many Germanic words with them. These blended with the native Briton, Gaelic, Belgae and Celtic to make the pre-English language known as Anglo-Saxon. Later, the Vikings brought Norge, Swede and Dane changing the blend into Old English. Norman French (Frank, Gaul and Latin) and Dutch were added to make modern English.
That's why English is such a mess to spell in. The words, spelling and grammar rules come from several languages, not just one or two. In this blending, Hel grew an extra 'l' and became the word for the land of the dead. When the English became Christians, hell was used to translate the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades. By New Testament times Hades had also switched from being the name of the Greek death god into being the land of the dead in both Greek myth and language, so the New Testament writers used it as the eternal abode of the evil dead.
A problem came as translators into English used heaven and hell for more than single places. Heaven in the original is three places. The first is the sky where birds fly. In the KJV this is sometimes called the firmament. This rarely used older English word means an expanse. Despite the sound of the first syllable, it has nothing to do with firm, firmness or, as the Liberals pretend, a solid metal dome over the earth in Greek, Hebrew or English. The Hebrew Raqia comes from Raqa, to spread out. It's hard to spread a solid metal dome.
The second heaven, the heaven of the stars, is better known as outer space. The third heaven is where God dwells beyond space and time. Thus St. Paul refers to his friend who went for a visit to the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2-5.
Despite the fact that St. Paul goes out of his way to say that he wasn’t the man, an awful lot of people insist he was.
“I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. I know that this man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak. I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.” (2 Corinthians 12:2-5 HCSB)
As you see, St. Paul talks of knowing a man, though he isn’t sure if the man went to this third heaven bodily or was only given a vision. He also admits he will boast about his friend, but not about himself. Yet people insist that this man was not St. Paul’s friend, but St. Paul himself. They insist that he was just being modest. In short, they ignore what the verse says in favor of what they would like it to say.
Hell is also used loosely. The place most people have in mind is the eternal lake of fire, where sinners are hurled at the Last Judgment. That hell, Gehenna in the New Testament, has no inmates at present, and may not even exist yet. But it will certainly exist after the Last Judgment. Tartarus, the name of a mythical Greek place where the evil dead suffer fascinating punishments, tailor made for each sinner, is used in Jude 6 as the name of the abode of fallen angels imprisoned for corrupting the human race resulting in Noah's flood. This place is also called the Abyss in Revelation 9:1-11, whose demon locusts are released to torment sinners during the great tribulation.
Sheol sometimes refers to the grave. Hades, Abyss and Tartarus, however, are never used as anything but the abodes of the spirits of the dead, or of fallen angels. Semnos, Mnema and Mnemeion are the New Testament words for the grave, tombs and such. When the New Testament quotes the Old Testament, the distinction is made. It's also in the Septuagint (the translation of the Old Testament into Greek made by Jews in the BC era). If the Jews really meant grave instead of the land of the dead, Qeber and Qebuwrah are Hebrew words for grave, which they use in several verses. The assertion by the Jehovah's Witnesses, among others, that Sheol always means the grave is buried.
It's the third use of hell that the creed refers to. Sheol is a temporary abode for the dead as they await the resurrection and Last Judgment. In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells quite a bit about this place while telling what happened to the Rich Man and Lazarus.
One thing learned here is that Sheol has 3 parts. One side is Paradise or Abraham's Bosom. Here righteous dead, such as Abraham, stayed until Jesus came in His "descent into hell". Not as nice as Heaven, as it wasn't God's personal dwelling, it was a joyous place since everyone there knew that they were going to Heaven for eternity when the Messiah showed up.
When Jesus, both fully man as well as being fully God, died on the cross, He went to the abode of the righteous dead. While there he "preached to the spirits in prison". (1 Peter 3:18-20 NIV) In Paradise He proclaimed what occurred to the good and evil inhabitants of Sheol. Preached [Kerusso = preached, heralded or proclaimed] is better translated announced or proclaimed, since he didn't preach a sermon and give an altar call. That sort of preaching is Kerux, Kerugma or Prokerusso.
Instead, He announced that the salvation of the saints was fully accomplished. (Just as He said as He died on the cross, "It is finished." John 19:30) Now He would take them to heaven. "When He ascended on high He took captives in his train". (Ephesians 4:8 NIV) Abraham's Bosom is now empty, all those who now die in the Lord go straight to Heaven, for "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8 NIV)
Christ's announcement wasn't greeted with universal applause. Between Sheol's main parts is the Abyss. The fallen angels from the Flood didn't receive the news that their side lost the war against God with anything remotely resembling joy. Nor was a party thrown in the third section of Sheol, where the Rich Man of Luke 16 now resided.
That side of Sheol is a place of misery, though not quite as bad as the eternal hell known as the second death, or the lake of fire. You can see and speak to others, and see the Paradise you aren't going to. See also Isaiah 14. Some feel this is as bad or worse, but the inhabitants at least get a minor break from torment when released for the Last Judgment. When Christ made His proclamation, and took the saved to Heaven, the damned souls lost any hope that the redemption would somehow save them too.
This is what is meant when the creed states that Jesus descended into Hell, not that He had to go fry like a hamburger between Good Friday afternoon and Easter Sunday morning.
In the creed it says; "He descended into Hell." Lets take a quick trip through the history of the English language.
The word hell comes from Hel, the name of the old Germanic death goddess. When the Angles, Saxons and Jutes moved to England, they brought many Germanic words with them. These blended with the native Briton, Gaelic, Belgae and Celtic to make the pre-English language known as Anglo-Saxon. Later, the Vikings brought Norge, Swede and Dane changing the blend into Old English. Norman French (Frank, Gaul and Latin) and Dutch were added to make modern English.
That's why English is such a mess to spell in. The words, spelling and grammar rules come from several languages, not just one or two. In this blending, Hel grew an extra 'l' and became the word for the land of the dead. When the English became Christians, hell was used to translate the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades. By New Testament times Hades had also switched from being the name of the Greek death god into being the land of the dead in both Greek myth and language, so the New Testament writers used it as the eternal abode of the evil dead.
A problem came as translators into English used heaven and hell for more than single places. Heaven in the original is three places. The first is the sky where birds fly. In the KJV this is sometimes called the firmament. This rarely used older English word means an expanse. Despite the sound of the first syllable, it has nothing to do with firm, firmness or, as the Liberals pretend, a solid metal dome over the earth in Greek, Hebrew or English. The Hebrew Raqia comes from Raqa, to spread out. It's hard to spread a solid metal dome.
The second heaven, the heaven of the stars, is better known as outer space. The third heaven is where God dwells beyond space and time. Thus St. Paul refers to his friend who went for a visit to the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2-5.
Despite the fact that St. Paul goes out of his way to say that he wasn’t the man, an awful lot of people insist he was.
“I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. I know that this man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak. I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.” (2 Corinthians 12:2-5 HCSB)
As you see, St. Paul talks of knowing a man, though he isn’t sure if the man went to this third heaven bodily or was only given a vision. He also admits he will boast about his friend, but not about himself. Yet people insist that this man was not St. Paul’s friend, but St. Paul himself. They insist that he was just being modest. In short, they ignore what the verse says in favor of what they would like it to say.
Hell is also used loosely. The place most people have in mind is the eternal lake of fire, where sinners are hurled at the Last Judgment. That hell, Gehenna in the New Testament, has no inmates at present, and may not even exist yet. But it will certainly exist after the Last Judgment. Tartarus, the name of a mythical Greek place where the evil dead suffer fascinating punishments, tailor made for each sinner, is used in Jude 6 as the name of the abode of fallen angels imprisoned for corrupting the human race resulting in Noah's flood. This place is also called the Abyss in Revelation 9:1-11, whose demon locusts are released to torment sinners during the great tribulation.
Sheol sometimes refers to the grave. Hades, Abyss and Tartarus, however, are never used as anything but the abodes of the spirits of the dead, or of fallen angels. Semnos, Mnema and Mnemeion are the New Testament words for the grave, tombs and such. When the New Testament quotes the Old Testament, the distinction is made. It's also in the Septuagint (the translation of the Old Testament into Greek made by Jews in the BC era). If the Jews really meant grave instead of the land of the dead, Qeber and Qebuwrah are Hebrew words for grave, which they use in several verses. The assertion by the Jehovah's Witnesses, among others, that Sheol always means the grave is buried.
It's the third use of hell that the creed refers to. Sheol is a temporary abode for the dead as they await the resurrection and Last Judgment. In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells quite a bit about this place while telling what happened to the Rich Man and Lazarus.
One thing learned here is that Sheol has 3 parts. One side is Paradise or Abraham's Bosom. Here righteous dead, such as Abraham, stayed until Jesus came in His "descent into hell". Not as nice as Heaven, as it wasn't God's personal dwelling, it was a joyous place since everyone there knew that they were going to Heaven for eternity when the Messiah showed up.
When Jesus, both fully man as well as being fully God, died on the cross, He went to the abode of the righteous dead. While there he "preached to the spirits in prison". (1 Peter 3:18-20 NIV) In Paradise He proclaimed what occurred to the good and evil inhabitants of Sheol. Preached [Kerusso = preached, heralded or proclaimed] is better translated announced or proclaimed, since he didn't preach a sermon and give an altar call. That sort of preaching is Kerux, Kerugma or Prokerusso.
Instead, He announced that the salvation of the saints was fully accomplished. (Just as He said as He died on the cross, "It is finished." John 19:30) Now He would take them to heaven. "When He ascended on high He took captives in his train". (Ephesians 4:8 NIV) Abraham's Bosom is now empty, all those who now die in the Lord go straight to Heaven, for "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8 NIV)
Christ's announcement wasn't greeted with universal applause. Between Sheol's main parts is the Abyss. The fallen angels from the Flood didn't receive the news that their side lost the war against God with anything remotely resembling joy. Nor was a party thrown in the third section of Sheol, where the Rich Man of Luke 16 now resided.
That side of Sheol is a place of misery, though not quite as bad as the eternal hell known as the second death, or the lake of fire. You can see and speak to others, and see the Paradise you aren't going to. See also Isaiah 14. Some feel this is as bad or worse, but the inhabitants at least get a minor break from torment when released for the Last Judgment. When Christ made His proclamation, and took the saved to Heaven, the damned souls lost any hope that the redemption would somehow save them too.
This is what is meant when the creed states that Jesus descended into Hell, not that He had to go fry like a hamburger between Good Friday afternoon and Easter Sunday morning.
