Holy Saturday or Bright Saturday is it is called in Eastern Churches, is the day between Good Friday and Ressurection Sunday. In this intermin period, Immanuel descends into the lower regions of hell, specifically Sheol (the paradise side see John) where He preached to Abraham and other souls. We are told by Apostle Peter, "And he preached to those souls who were held in Sheol, the imprisoned spirits." (1 Peter 3:19). The Apostle Paul says, "Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?" (Ephensians 4:9). Paul is not talking about the Tomb, but that transcendent place known to us as Hades and Hell (). For it is written, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth," (Philippians 2:10). There are three locations, heaven, earth, and under the earth (hell). The Apostle Paul would not say Jesus is just Lord of the grave, He holds keyes to death, hades, and even the Second Death known as Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10, 15). Under Earth is the Hades, the place Jesus controls (Revelation 1:17) and took control from Satan (Hebrews 2:14).
The Harrowing of Hell has been fastly fading from minds of the faithful. In the Credos, there is the lines, "He was Crucified, buried, and dead, he descended into hell, on third day He rose again, He ascended into Heaven where He sits at God's mighty right hand, and he shall come back to judge the living and dead." The part about Jesus descending into hell is almost hidden from most brethren, thanks to modern translations of verses, and confusion over what "under the earth" means, it is not the Tomb as I have laid out above. We have further proof Jesus preached to the dead from Apostle Peter, "But they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead, For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit." (1 Peter 4:5-6).
Christ's journey into hades and hell was necessary to take keyes from Satan, for the author of Hebrews tells us, "What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position "a little lower than the angels"; and because he suffered death for us, he is now "crowned with glory and honor." Yes, by God's grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. Because God's children are human beings--made of flesh and blood--the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death." (Hebrews 2:9, 14). This did not take place in plain of the empty tomb, but in terrestrial plain of Hades and Hell, where Jesus set the captives free and lead them to paradise (Ephesians 4:7-10). We have to understand that hades was holding palce, what the Hebrews called Sheol and Hell is what we know as the Second Death or Lake of Fire that was made for devil and his fallen angels, "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons." (Matthew 25:41, cross ref Revelation 7:4-12, Genesis 6:4-6). We see both destinations juxtaposed next to each other in a story our Savior gives, "Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, covered with sores. He [eagerly] longed to eat the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now it happened that the poor man died and his spirit was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s [a]bosom (paradise); and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise). And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in severe agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things [all the comforts and delights], and Lazarus likewise bad things [all the discomforts and distresses]; but now he is comforted here [in paradise], while you are in severe agony. And besides all this, between us and you [people] a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to come over from here to you will not be able, and none may cross over from there to us.’ So the rich man said, ‘Then, father [Abraham], I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may solemnly warn them and witness to them, so that they too will not come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have [the Scriptures given by] Moses and the [writings of the] Prophets; let them listen to them.’ He replied, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent [they will change their old way of thinking and seek God and His righteousness].’ And he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to [the messages of] Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:19-31 AMP). Dante Algheri had ideas about hell, levels (Dante's Inferno) and he probably is right, because there are levels of Heaven, " is necessary to boast, though nothing is gained by it; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, [only] God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.And I know that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, [only] God knows—was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words which man is not permitted to speak [words too sacred to tell]. On behalf of such a man [and his experiences] I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. If I wish to boast, I will not be foolish, because I will be speaking the truth. But I abstain [from it], so that no one will credit me with more than [is justified by what] he sees in me or hears from me," (2 Corinthians 12:1-6), and "Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings[e] have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:22-24). We also understand there will be a New Heaven and New Jerusalem which comes down from Heaven and becomes part of Earth (Revelation 21:1-14). Thus it seems likely there are levels of hell, although all interconnected, "The Outer Darkness," (Matthew 8:12, Matthew 22:13), "The Gnashing of Teeth," (Matthew 24:51, Luke 13:28) and "Lake of Fire." (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:10, 14). We have such a vivid picture of Hades and Hell, and Heaven that one must believe Jesus descended into Hades (Sheol) and even Hell.
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