A Depiction of the “Harrowing of Hell”
Today, a reply is shared on Christ having gone to the place of torment after dying on the cross. Relying upon the tools important for life in the flesh, even Christian believers may not completely and correctly apprehend the state of the dead, and the many divine operations that occur focused on and that thereby involve the dead. The intellect and the mind must employ the frameworks of time and space. However, this may introduce flawed concepts and notions of “a material place” that has boundaries, partitions, and walls to contain disembodied spirit matter once deposited within the created from the makeup of divinity to their existence and life. Where we argue an “abyss”, a “bottomless pit,” “limbo” or “purgatory” we often appeal to extra-biblical sources that may further introduce inconsistency and what appear as departures from the Gospel. It is not an error to focus upon a “more sure word of prophecy,” rather than upon extrapolations from doctrine, orthodoxy, or tradition. By focusing on the higher issues of Advent and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, many of the questions concerning punishment, salvation, hell, and the dead are superseded, and put to rest. One of the fighters at “Yahoo! Answers” who uses the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information appears) posted the following:
Why did Jesus go to Hell when he died? Did he do something bad?
THE GOLDEN ARROW: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20: 1-10, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Forgiveness, Grace and Merit (06/22/2017); Hell and The Cross? (04/10/2016); Is Hitler Now in Hell? (07/02/2015); The Harrowing of Hell? (02/10/2015); How To Accept Bible Truth? (04/17/2013); About Preaching the Gospel (04/18/2013); Understanding Hell (01/09/2013); The Golden Age? (01/10/2013)
“Anonymous”, some of the most difficult teaching from the holy writings are those points that speak to the death of Jesus on the cross, and what the Savior then accomplished that is often called “the harrowing of hell.” The divine process for imparting sacred knowledge, here, is one that employs contemplation, discernment, discovery, and growth. Even so, believers are not to rely upon the finite tools of intellect, secular knowledge, logic, and carnal reason. Here are some points to help developing Christian believers avoid spiritual confusion:
(1.) Revelation of divinity to created beings and living creatures began with their creation, and has continued ever since.
(2.) The Incarnation (i.e., divinity appearing on the earth using the form of a man) required that Jesus respond to multiple streams of authority and law. As well as parental, civil, and other social standards, the Son of GOD had to respond to the natural law and operations for life upon the earth that included completing mortality; the laws for covenant relationship with divinity; the demands of promise and prophecy; and the unseen, yet, active divine laws of eternal existence.
(3.) Hell as the grave and a repository for the dead is distinct from hell as the place of torment. We accept that Jesus was buried, and went to the grave. However, the Savior did not undergo the usual corruption, decay and rot of death. Representations of this appear throughout the Bible that may only be correctly recognized and responded to by using ones own spirit content from the makeup of GOD to discern the spirit that is present within such features as events, other persons, prophecy, and the holy writings. An example is seen in the separation by a pillar of fire (judgment) during the night between Moses and the pursuing army of Pharaoh. Another is in the parable of the rich man in torment, and the beggar in the bosom of Abraham.
(4.) Where the place of torment is spoken of as a realm or region where the dead have awareness and self-will for eternity, believers are to be very cautious. Again, the serpent’s lie to Eve comes into view: Ye shall not surely die. Acknowledgement and embrace of the serpent’s truth also requires embracing the Lake of Fire, and the annihilation of the wicked in the second death. Because all will be judged according to the record of their own deeds out of the book of life, final judgment will have no accuser. Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire before the resurrection and final tribunal of the wicked.
(5.) The understanding that Jesus Christ appeared to Adam and the other Patriarch’s, those from the time of the Judges, and those from the times of Covenant through Moses is understood in two ways: First, that Jesus appeared using angelic and other material forms to be knowable, known, and capable of affiliation and exchange with mankind (Before Abraham was I AM.). Secondly, Jesus visited the place of rest and safekeeping for those who died in hope of eventual restoration to GOD and salvation. Here, the separation of spirit from flesh at death is accounted as a parting of the divine and eternal substance imparted to the living from the person of GOD away from the carnal, instable elements from the earth that were established by the Holy Spirit (from dust thou art, unto dust thou shalt return).
There is far more to be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (6.) Believers are to be judicious, and to carefully consider the agreement and consistency among their own beliefs. What sinners and developing believers have been given as the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sufficiently challenging that mature believers tend to forgo questionable studies on death and hell. As with considering exorcism and encounters with Satan such as that experienced by Jesus following his baptism, many become “puffed up,” from exaggerated pride, others become “swallowed up” by conjecture, speculation, errors regarding the occult, and superstition. Avoiding commitment to whatever generates ungodly conflict and division, the sacred doctrines and practices acknowledged and shared within ones congregation are usually a safe path that has been approved by GOD.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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