What Happened Within Those Three Days and Three Nights Jesus Spent in the Heart of the Earth

Beloved, the Bible says that Jesus Christ was made sin on the cross (see 2 Corinthians 5:21); all the iniquity of humanity was laid on Him (see Isaiah 53:6). Therefore Jesus died as sin and as a subject of Satan. He died as man’s Substitute bearing the punishment man deserved for his sins. And since man was destined for hell, Jesus our sin-bearer, having suffered on the cross and died as sin, was cast into hell as man’s Substitute. And so He spent three days and three nights in hell, in the heart of the earth (see Matthew 12:40); He descended into the lower parts of the earth (see Ephesians 4:8-10); He went (to prison) and preached to the spirits in prison (see 1 Peter 3:19); He was counted with those who go down the pit, and was laid in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the depths (see Psalm 88:4, 6). But His soul was not left in hell (see Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27). Jesus was in hell for three days and three nights bearing the full punishment for our sins. And once the demands of Justice had been met, once He had suffered enough to pay the full penalty for man’s disobedience, He was justified (or made righteous) in the Spirit (see 1 Timothy 3:16). Jesus was born again (or created anew) in the Spirit, as God declared: “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” (see Acts 13:33; Psalm 2:7). This means that Jesus was born out of both spiritual and physical death (the realm of Satan and sin) into life (the realm of God and righteousness). He is the firstborn from the dead (see Colossians 1:18), the firstborn over all creation (see Colossians 1:15), and the Head of the Body, the Church, the New Creation, the New Humanity (see Colossians 1:18). The Bible says that once Jesus was made alive by the Spirit (see 1 Peter 3:18) in that awful darkness of hell, He met Satan the strong man head-on, and tied him in his own house, and plundered his house, just as He had alluded to during His earth walk. (see Mark 3:27; Matthew 12:29). Paul describes it colorfully for us, that Jesus disarmed principalities and powers (that is, Satan and his angels) and made a public spectacle of them (that is, put them to public shame), triumphing over them in it. (see Colossians 2:15). Hebrews 2:14 also adds that in this battle, Jesus – who Himself became a Man and died for this very purpose – destroyed the devil who (once) had the power of death; Jesus stripped the devil of his power and brought him to nought (or left him paralyzed), defeating him right in his own camp before his own army and releasing those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (see Hebrews 2:15). Thus, Jesus the New Creation Man – and Spiritual Man – took back (for the entire new humanity) the dominion over the earth, which Adam the First or Old Creation man – and natural man – handed over to Satan by his disobedience in the garden of Eden.

Indeed, Jesus possessed “the gate of His enemies” (see Genesis 22:17) and took “the keys of death and hell.” (see Revelation 1:18). Then He preached to the spirits (of men who formerly were disobedient) that were imprisoned there in hell (see 1 Peter 3:19-20); He preached to them the gospel of grace – repentance and remission of sins in His name (see Luke 24:47) – and those prisoners or captives who believed were freed. (see Ephesians 4:8; Isaiah 42:7; Luke 4:18). And once this was accomplished, Jesus ascended out of hell with the freed captives (see Ephesians 4:7-10), and was raised bodily from the dead in a transformed and glorified body (see Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5). The Bible says that God did not leave the soul of Jesus in hell, just as He had promised in His divine contract or covenant with Him (see Psalm 16:10); neither did God allow Jesus’ body to suffer corruption or decay (see Acts 2:27). Therefore, having been delivered up to death for our sins (or our offenses), Jesus was raised when we were justified (or declared righteous); He was raised for our justification. (see Romans 4:25). Hallelujah!

Just as the first Adam sinned (as man’s substitute or representative to make all of us sinners), Jesus the second or last Adam was crucified and died as man’s Substitute or Representative to make all of us righteous. (see Romans 5:18-19). That Jesus was our Substitute means that in the eyes of Justice, we (believers) were all crucified with Him and died with Him when He was crucified and died (see Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4-6); we were all buried with Him when He was buried (see Romans 6:4-6); and we were all raised with Him when He was raised (see Romans 6:4-8). Then we were all made to sit together with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 2:4-6) at God’s right hand, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (see Ephesians 1:20-21). The Bible thus explains that when Jesus was born again or created anew in the Spirit as the Son of God (see Acts 13:33), we (believers) were created IN Him (see Ephesians 2:10). Jesus became our new world or habitat – for we were created in Him to live or abide in Him (see John 15:5-7) and walk in Him (see Colossians 2:6) – so that whatever we do in word or deed, we are to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through Him. (see Colossians 3:17). Hallelujah! May you continue to walk in Him. Remain blessed.

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