When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says His body was buried and His spirit went to the realm of the dead. Two key passages explain this in detail.

The Psalm Prophecy Quoted in Acts

In Acts 2:27, the Apostle Peter quotes a prophecy from the Psalms:

Peter explains that this prophecy referred to Jesus. The word translated “hell” here is the Greek word Hades — meaning the realm of the dead, not the final place of punishment called Gehenna.

So the verse means: God would not leave Christ in the state of the dead, and His body would not see “corruption” — meaning it would not actively decay. Physical decomposition typically begins 3–5 days after death.

Understanding the Difference

To a modern English reader, all three biblical words — Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna — can appear translated as the single word “hell.” But they are distinct places with distinct meanings. We will explore these in depth in Chapter 4.

We do not have to guess where Jesus went when He died — Jesus told us Himself. His words to the thief on the cross give us a clear and direct answer.

This statement carries profound significance. Notice what Jesus did not say — He did not say “today you will be with me in torment.” He said Paradise.

What Was Paradise?

In biblical thought, Paradise was the place of rest and comfort for the righteous dead. It is sometimes called “Abraham’s bosom” in Luke 16:22 — a place of peace and fellowship, not suffering.

The Significance for Our Study

If Jesus had gone to Gehenna — a place of divine punishment — He could not have told the thief “today you will be with me in paradise.” The words of Christ Himself confirm that He entered the comforting, restful side of the realm of the dead, not a place of torment and judgment.

One passage in particular causes many people to conclude that Jesus went to a place of suffering. Let us read it carefully:

Many interpretations of this verse exist, but it is important to note what the text does not say — it does not say Jesus went to a place of torment. It says He “preached” (or proclaimed) to “spirits in prison.”

Three Common Interpretations

Pastor Joel’s Interpretation

The best interpretation of “spirits in prison” is that these are the Old Testament saints who were waiting for the Messiah to come and save them — to take them to heaven one day. All the Old Testament saints “looked forward” to a day when their bodies would be resurrected from Sheol (the grave) and be taken into heaven.

We have compelling biblical evidence for this view in Isaiah 61:10 and the book of Hebrews:

This is perhaps the most important chapter for understanding the entire question. The English word “hell” actually translates three completely different words in the original biblical languages — and they are not the same place.

When Acts says Jesus was not left in Hades, it means He truly died but was raised — not that He avoided Gehenna (the final place of punishment).

What is Gehenna?

Gehenna is not a temporary holding place for the dead. The prophet John (the Baptist) used this very word to warn his listeners:

To a first-century Jewish listener, Gehenna was the physical Valley of Hinnom on the southern border of Jerusalem — a ravine that became a despised dumping ground for waste and corpses, always burning. It had an even darker history as the site where some Israelites sacrificed their children to the pagan god Baal (Beelzebub) in the Old Testament era. Jeremiah called it the “Valley of Slaughter.”

Putting all the passages together, we can now trace a clear and biblical picture of what happened between Jesus’ death on the cross and His glorious resurrection on the third day.

This is the biblical narrative — precise, consistent, and deeply encouraging to every believer.

There is a profound theological reason why the idea of Jesus suffering in Gehenna is not only unscriptural, but actually contradicts the very heart of the gospel message.

“It Is Finished”

Just before Jesus yielded up His spirit on the cross, He cried out with a loud voice:

The Greek word here is Tetelestai — a single, powerful word that means “paid in full.” In the ancient world, this word was stamped on bills of debt when they were completely settled. Jesus declared the debt of sin completely paid — not partially paid, not mostly paid — finished.

The Sacrifice Was Complete

If Jesus still needed to suffer further punishment in Gehenna after the cross, then “it is finished” would be a false statement. The atonement would not be finished. The cross would be insufficient.

What the Cross Accomplished

On the cross, Jesus bore the full weight of God’s judgment against sin in His own body — once, for all, completely. The prophet Isaiah had foretold it centuries earlier:

The punishment was borne at Calvary. The work was finished at the cross. The resurrection that followed was not a continuation of suffering — it was the Father’s declaration of approval and victory over sin and death.

To fully understand the New Testament picture, we must understand the Old Testament concept of Sheol — the place where all the dead went before Christ’s resurrection.

The Hebrew word here is Sheol — the realm of the dead. It was not necessarily the final place of punishment. Rather, it was understood as the place where all the dead resided. However, Scripture gradually reveals that Sheol had two distinct conditions:

A Great Gulf Fixed Between Them

The Old Testament saints believed and hoped that one day the Messiah would come and open the way into heaven itself — that the righteous who had died in faith would ultimately be brought fully into God’s presence. They looked forward to that day with anticipation.

Jesus gave us the clearest picture of Sheol’s two regions in one of His most striking accounts — the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19–31.

Lazarus — The Poor Righteous Man

The Rich Man — The Unrighteous

This account describes two separate regions of Sheol with striking clarity:

The great gulf fixed between the two sides meant that no one could cross from one to the other. The destinies were set at death.

The Waiting Saints

When Jesus was in Paradise, He was in the company of all the Old Testament saints who had died in faith — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and the prophets. They were all there, waiting for the promised resurrection and the full opening of heaven.

One of the most celebrated passages in this discussion comes from the Epistle to the Ephesians, where Paul quotes Psalm 68 and applies it to Christ’s resurrection and ascension:

Many theologians interpret this passage to mean:

The phrase “led captivity captive” suggests freeing those who were held in the grave — the Old Testament saints who had died in faith and were waiting for the Messiah’s completed work to open the doors of heaven fully.

Dramatic Confirmation at the Resurrection

The Gospel of Matthew records a mysterious and extraordinary event that occurred at the moment of Christ’s resurrection:

Also, Ephesians 4:9 states He “descended into the lower parts of the earth” — a reference consistent with entering the realm of the dead in the earth, not ascending to Gehenna or any heavenly realm.

After Christ’s resurrection, something changed permanently for believers. The language Scripture uses to describe where believers go at death is completely different from the Old Testament descriptions of Sheol.

When the Apostle Paul wrote the following verses about being “absent” from the “body (dead)”, or present with the Lord, he was not declaring they were in heaven, but paradise. Heaven is their final destination at the resurrection when the trup of God sounds in the last day of earth as we know it.

Absent from the Body — Present with the Lord

Notice that Paul does not say “depart and go to heaven where Jesus is” but the grave or a paradise to wait for the trumpet of God to sound when all the saints who have died will then go into heaven where Jesus is (John 14:3).” He says “to be with Christ” — which implies immediate after death saints are still in Christ but not where Jesus is right now. (1 Thesalonians 4:16) says that the “dead in Christ” implying they are dead but in Christ in the paradise of God where all saints go after death, a resting place as they await the resurrection of the dead. They are still with the Lord at death but in their graves. This “paradise” is like a waiting room where the bride (The Church) will recieve their wedding gowns (a new body 1 Corinthians 15:50), (1 Corinthians 15:16-18),(1 Corinthians 15:42-44), (1 Corinthians 15:52-53), and the last enemy which is physical death will no longer exist (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

Paradise Is Now in Heaven

In the New Testament, Paradise is described as being in heaven itself and the Lord will bring with Him all who are in paradise to heaven after the trump of God sounds and Christ Jesus returns to receive his bride the church. At which point there will be a new heaven (Revelation 22:1-3) where the tree of life is prardise in the new heaven where Jesus literally is right now!

The Jesus Who WAS in Paradise After His Death Is In Heaven Right Now

Right now, at this very moment, Jesus is not in hell — not in Sheol — not in Hades. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, interceding for every believer. His journey through death and the realm of the dead was a victorious mission — completed, finished, and triumphant.

We have now walked through the key passages of Scripture, examined the original language, and traced the biblical narrative from the Old Testament through the resurrection of Christ. Let us bring it all together.

The Complete Timeline

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” — 2 Timothy 2:15

— Pastor Joel · Open Heaven Christian Church · Fisher, Arkansas