Do you know the Bible reveals there are five compartments within Hell? Most Christians will acknowledge there is a “hell” but know little more than that. But what about there being a Paradise in Hell, you say?
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Key Takeaways
- The Bible describes five compartments of Hell. This includes Paradise and Hades, separated by a great gulf.
- When Jesus died, He went to Paradise in Hell to preach to the spirits of the Old Testament saints awaiting redemption.
- After three days and nights, Christ was resurrected from His death and became our High Priest in Heaven. He did this by offering His blood as the ultimate sacrifice.
- Paradise in Hell has been empty for 2,000 years because truly ‘born-again’ Christians go directly to Heaven upon death.
- To avoid Hell, Christians must obey the Apostle Paul’s Gospel, also referred to as ‘My Gospel.’
I recently read a blog post where the author believed Christ did NOT go to Hell. He explained the basis of his beliefs, but I reject his claims.
The Five Compartments of Hell
The KJV Bible indicates that “Hell” has five separate compartments:
- Paradise – this is where Lazarus was located after he died (Luke 16:22)
- Hades – this is where the Rich Man was located after he died (Luke 16:23)
- The Lake of Fire – is where all sinners will be tormented throughout eternity (Rev 20:10; 21:7-8). This torment occurs after Jesus Christ has judged their “works” at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-15).
- Tartarus – is the Greek word “Tartaroo” and translated as “Hell” in 2 Peter 2:4-5. This is the place where fallen angels from Noah’s day remain confined.
- The Bottomless Pit – is the place where demonic hoards are located prior to being released (Rev 9:1-21). These will roam the earth during the Great Tribulation period (Rev 9:1-11). They will cause people everywhere to want to die (Rev 9:1-12).
The Bible states that the two compartments of “Paradise” and “Hades” are separated by a “great gulf” (Luke 16:26). We see from scripture that when the Old Testament saints died, they went to either of these two places.
The souls of “the righteous” went to Paradise below the Earth (e.g. Lazarus). However, the souls of “the sinners” (i.e. the Rich Man) went to Hades to suffer “torment” (Luke 16:24).
All of these remain there prior to the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-13), which occurs at least 1,000-years from now.
Christ went to ‘Paradise in Hell’
When Jesus died on the cross, His spirit and soul – or “ghost” (Mark 15:37) went to Paradise. This is because Jesus lived and died “under the Law of Moses” (Galatians 4:4-5). As Christ was “the first to be resurrected” (1 Corinthains 15:23), no deceased saint could be resurrected ahead of Him.
After His arrival in Paradise, Jesus spoke to those who were “sometime disobedient sinners” (1 Peter 3:19-21). The term “disobedient” is used here because all Old Testament saints could only be “cleansed” by animal’s blood (Hebrews 10:4). They had to wait in ‘Paradise’ for their redeemer to save them (Job 19:25).
At His arrival, Jesus revealed to them He was their promised Messiah. For the following three days and nights He assured them He had come to release them from their imprisonment (1 Peter 3:18-19).
Christ’s Resurrection
After this 72 hour period where Christ was now in “the belly of the earth” ( Jonah 1:17; Matthew 12:40), God the Father raised up (or resurrected) Christ’s body back to life again (Acts 2:24). He also raised Christ’s spirit and soul up from ‘Paradise’ to be reunited with His body (Acts 2:30). At His resurrection, Jesus Christ then became our High Priest in Heaven (Hebrews 4:14).
It is my belief that in His new role as High Priest, Jesus gathered His own blood from the foot of Calvary’s cross and carried it with Him into Heaven. On arrival, He placed His blood upon the altar in Heaven as the “one true sacrifice” (Hebrews 10:12).
In this, He offered His own blood up to God the Father as the one true sacrifice for the sins of humanity – ONCE and forever (Hebrrews 9:12).
Christ then descended back to the earth (John 20:17) to raise up the Old Testament saints from their graves (Matthew 27:52-53). Christ then led “captivity (who had been held captive” in Paradise located under the Earth – Ephesians 4:8-9) into Heaven. He did this for Him to present each saint to God the Father as part of His victory and His triumph over Sin, Satan and Death (1 Corinthains 15:54-55).
Points to Note
Following these events in Heaven, Christ then appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-16). He later revealed Himself to more than 500 people (1 Corinthains 15:6) before He finally ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:9).
The points to note here are:
- That shortly after after Christ died on the cross, His spirit and soul departed His body (James 2:26 and Mark 15:37);
- He (as a spirit and soul) descended into “Paradise” in the heart of the earth for three days and nights (Matthew 12:40);
- On the first day of the week, He arose from the dead as the “First-fruits of the Resurrection” (1 Corinthians 15:23).
This “Paradise” compartment of Hell has been empty for the past 2,000 years. This is because “Christians” who have met the Conditions for Salvation enter into Heaven at their death. They then spend the remainder of their time awaiting the resurrection of their deceased body (Revelation 20:6). While waiting, they reside in their “mansion” that Christ has waiting for each of His saints in Heaven (John 14:2).
Now, isn’t that Good News!
Maybe you might like to read an article about Our Inner Man that departs our body at death?
Try watching this 8-minute video (below) to appreciate how Hell has been constructed by God to understand what its various purposes are, and how we need to avoid going there after we die.
To avoid entering Hell, Christians need to OBEY the Apostle Paul’s Gospel (Romans 10:16). However, many Christians have never heard of the Apostle Paul’s Gospel that he termed ‘My Gospel’ (Romans 2:16; Romans 10:26; 2 Timothy 2:8).
To discover what the “mystery” is that associates with it, please watch my video here.
No Greater Joy Ministries
Invitation
I encourage you to share this article with your pastor and your trusted church members to determine for yourself whether the claims in this article are true or not.
On the contrary, if this article has caused you any concern about your Christian faith, feel free to post a comment or question in the Comments box below.
If you prefer to ask me a private question, feel free to contact me using my website’s Contact form.
Alan Manson
A Disciple of Jesus Christ
Retired engineer
Australia
Dear Sir, my questions are.
#1. Whom or what is the seed of the serpent ? (God will put enmity between
the seed of the Serpent and the Seed of the Woman, JESUS).
#2. What is exactly the heart of man?
(As the man thinks in his HEART so
IS HE).
Hello Jose – thank you for both of your questions.
#1. Firstly, the “seed of the woman” refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
She was of the “NATURAL seed of Abraham” that produced the 12-tribes of Israel. Similarly, Christians today who meet all of the MANY CONDITIONS to become the “SPIRITUAL seed of Abraham” by FAITH” are regarded as the “…children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7).
On the other hand, the “Seed of the Serpent” refers to those who associate with Satan. The Bible reveals that the “NATURAL seed of the serpent” is seen in the giant races — prior to and following Noah’s Flood. Read Genesis chapter 6 and 1 Samuel 17 for confirmation of this claim. Similarly, the “SPIRITUAL seed of the Serpent” is seen today with those who involve themselves in politics (i.e. these people routinely speak lies). Then there are those who associate with the occult (i.e. Satanism, Witchcraft, Freemasonry, etc.).
Naturally, the aim of the “Seed of the Serpent” is to destroy both the NATURAL and the SPIRITUAL “Seed of Abraham”. This includes those Jews living in Israel and all Jews worldwide. Following that, the ”Seed of the Serpent” will seek to destroy the “SPIRITUAL seed of Abraham” — meaning, the Christian community worldwide.
The Bible states that Jesus Christ will eventually crush the head of the “Serpent”. This will happen at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16).
I hope this answers your question, Jose.
#2 Next, you asked, “What is exactly the heart of man?”
The verse you referred to is this:
“Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.” (Proverbs 23:6-8)
The scene presented here by Solomon illustrates in today’s society, (say) a wealthy property developer who has an “…evil eye” to obtain an innocent man’s property at a much cheaper price than he would like to pay.
He invites the man to a fabulous lunch (i.e. the “dainty meats”) that associate with eating and drinking (alcohol). So, in saying things that appeal to the man’s values, the property developer’s aim is to appear to be a friend of the man. This is where the scripture says, “…but his heart is not with thee”.
The next day after sobering up from the feast, the man realises that he has signed over his property for a much lower price than he required. In this, Solomon says — “The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words [by thy yelling and screaming at your loss].”
In respect of your question, the Bible says that the human heart is deceitful above ALL THINGS and that it is DESPERATELY WICKED! This means that no one can KNOW their own heart!!
(Jeremiah 17:9)
Below are Fifty Kinds of Hearts that the King James Bible has identified:
1. Broken (Psalm 34:18; Psalm 51:17; Psalm 69:20)
2. Contrite (Psalm 51:17)
3. Grieved (Genesis 6:6; Psalm 73:21)
4. Willing (Exodus 25:2; Exodus 35:5,29)
5. Discouraged (Numbers 32:7-9; Deut. 1:28)
6. Obstinate (Deut. 2:30)
7. Proud (Deut. 8:14; Psalm 101:5; Ezekiel 28:5,17)
8. Wicked (Deut. 15:9; Proverbs 6:14,18; Jeremiah 4:14-18)
9. Trembling (Deut. 28:65; Isaiah 66:2)
10. Perfect (1 Kings 8:61; 1 Chron. 29:9)
11. Double (1 Chron. 12:33; James 4:8)
12. Tender (2 Kings 22:19; 2 Chron. 34:27; Ephes. 4:32)
13. Soft (1 Samuel 24:5; Job 23:16)
14. Pure (Psalm 24:4; Matthew 5:8; 1 Peter 1:22)
15. Upright (Psalm 32:11; Psalm 36:10; Psalm 64:10; Psalm 97:11)
16. Clean (Psalm 51:10; Psalm 73:1; Proverbs 20:9)
17. Fixed (Psalm 57:7; Psalm 112:7)
18. Subtle (Proverbs 7:10)
19. Froward or perverse (Proverbs 11:20; Proverbs 12:8)
20. Wise (Exodus 28:3; Exodus 35:25; Proverbs 10:8; Proverbs 11:29)
21. Merry (2 Chron. 7:10; Proverbs 15:13-15; Proverbs 17:22)
22. Sorrowful (Proverbs 14:13; Proverbs 15:13)
23. Haughty (Proverbs 18:12; Jeremiah 48:29)
24. Fretting (Proverbs 19:3; Cp. Proverbs 24:19; Psalm 37:1-8)
25. Heavy (Proverbs 25:20; Proverbs 31:6)
26. Unsearchable (Proverbs 25:3; Psalm 64:6)
27. Despiteful (Ezekiel 25:15; cp. Romans 1:30)
28. Bitter (Ezekiel 27:31; cp. Hebrews 12:15; James 3:14)
29. New (Ezekiel 18:31; Ezekiel 36:26; cp. 2 Cor. 5:17-18)
30. Stony (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26)
31. Flesh (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26)
32. Uncircumcised (Ezekiel 44:7; Jeremiah 9:26; Acts 7:51)
33. Meek and lowly (Matthew 11:29)
34. Honest and good (Luke 8:15)
35. Overcharged (Luke 21:34)
36. Troubled (John 14:1-3,27)
37. Single (Acts 2:46; Ephes. 6:5)
38. Foolish and darkened (Romans 1:21)
39. Impenitent (Romans 1:21; Romans 2:5)
40. Circumcised (Romans 2:29; Phil. 3:3)
41. Evil (Jeremiah 3:17; Jeremiah 7:24; Jeremiah 11:8; Jeremiah 16:12; Hebrews 3:12)
42. True (Hebrews 10:22; cp. Matthew 22:16)
43. Melted (Joshua 2:11; Joshua 5:1; Joshua 7:5; Joshua 14:8)
44. Deceitful (Jeremiah 14:14; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23)
45. Hardened (Deut. 15:7; Psalm 95:8; Hebrews 3:8)
46. Whorish (Ezekiel 6:9; cp. Hosea 4:12; Hosea 9:1)
47. Mischievous (Proverbs 28:14; cp. Proverbs 22:15; Romans 1:21)
48. Diabolical (John 13:2; Acts 5:3)
49. Covetous (Jeremiah 22:17; 2 Peter 2:14)
50. Compassionate (Psalm 55:4; Jeremiah 4:19)
Traits of the regenerated heart are different from those of a wicked one as can be clearly seen from a study of the above.
The Bible says that God searches and knows all hearts (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Chron. 28:9; Jeremiah 17:9-10; Ezekiel 11:5; Luke 16:15; Romans 8:27; Hebrews 4:12).
You can read more about how the spiritual side of the human heart operates in this study I did some time ago titled, ‘Spirit, Soul and Body – the Human Heart‘.
I hope these comments have answered your questions Jose. Feel free to make some comments or to ask further questions you may have.
Blessings, Alan
According to 1 Peter 3: 19 .
Did the disobedient souls who rejected Noah , received salvation after Jesus preached to them ?
Hello Ivan – thank you for your very interesting question.
Firstly, the Bible states that in Noah’s day, the genetics of the human race had become almost totally corrupted by Satan’s evil angels having sexual relations with the “daughters of men” (Gen 6:1-4). This happened because of Satan’s attempt to prevent the “seed of the woman” (meaning Jesus Christ of the tribe of Judah – Gen 3:15) from coming to the Earth at His First Coming to commence the process of destroying Satan and his evil kingdom.
The people in Noah’s Day were all rebels against God (except Noah and his family) so they all died in Noah’s Flood and their souls went to the ‘Hades’ (torment) compartment of Hell. As an example, this included ALL of the descendants of Cain that were on the Earth in Noah’s Day that were from their ancestral ‘Father’ – Adam, the Son of God (Luke 3:38) also known as the First Adam (1 Cor 15:45).
However, ALL the souls from the RIGHTEOUS Abel (Matt 23:35) that died went into the ‘Paradise’ compartment of Hell (Luke 23:42-43) located in the “heart of the Earth (Matt 12:40) where they awaited their Savior in faith for the resurrection of their bodies and (Matt 27:51-54).
As for the “disobedient” ones among this group, I believe that these would have been the righteous souls who lived during the period from Abel to Abraham – because these did NOT have any laws of God to conform to (such as given by God to Abraham on Mt. Sinai) and would no doubt have sinned during their lifetime if judged under Moses’ laws.
To me, this explanation describes the mercy, compassion and love of God for RIGHTEOUS people – IF each truly endeavors to become as holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). To do this, one only has to follow in the footsteps of Noah by becoming a “preacher of righteousness” in the wicked world in which we live (2 Peter 2:5). I’m sure there are many similarities we can relate to today about what is happening in our world and what existed in Noah’s day (Luke 17:26)
Feel free to post any comments or further questions you may have, Ivan.
Blessings! Alan
I would direct you to the coffee talk YouTube videos of Doctor Kevin Zadai. He died and went to heaven and God showed him what actually happened the angels do not have sexual organs and cannot have sexual relationships with women. They simply corrupted the sons of Adam and created the Giants. God bless!
Hello Lynn – thanks for your comments.
Firstly, God says this about the Bible:
“ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for DOCTRINE, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS: 17 That the man of God may be PERFECT, thoroughly furnished unto ALL GOOD WORKS.” (2 Tim 3:16-17)
This website focuses on DOCTRINE – and especially “SOUND DOCTRINE” that uses as many scriptures possible to prove the claims being made.
On the contrary, there are many ministries about today that aim to “tickle the ears” of those who prefer to hear “…some new thing” (Acts 17:21), rather than them study the scriptures to become “…approved by God” (2 Timothy 2:15) and therefore found eligible for entry into Heaven at one’s death.
However, it was prophesied some 2,000-years ago that this would happen in these ‘last days’:
“For the time [in these ‘last days’] will come when they [today’s Christians] WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves [false] teachers, having itching ears [to hear more of their claims that cannot be substantiated]; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth [written in the Bible], and [Bible-based ‘truth’] shall be turned unto fables [or fairy stories].” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
In regards to your statement that “…angels do not have sexual organs and cannot have sexual relationships with women” – this statement contradicts what the Bible plainly states. In this, the Bible says:
“There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God [i.e. Satan’s fallen angels] came in [or had sexual relations ] unto the daughters of men, AND THEY BARE CHILDREN TO THEM, the same [offspring from the angels] became mighty men which were of old, MEN OF RENOWN [like Apollos, Zeus, Neptune, etc.].” – meaning, the giant races (Genesis 6:4).
If the Bible says one thing and then someone else says something quite different – who do you believe? This scenario here replicates what Satan said to Eve in the Garden of Eden – and the Bible says that he (Satan) “…beguiled Eve”:
“But I fear, lest by any means, as THE SERPENT BEGUILED EVE through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
God gives everyone who accepts Him and His Son Jesus Christ the free-will choice to read, believe and DO what the Bible says. On the contrary, the Serpent (alias Satan) often says to Christians, “Yea, hath God said… do you really need to read, believe and DO in faith what God says? (Genesis 3:1).
If you choose to cast aside the words of the Bible in favor of the words of a man like Kevin Zadai (who has NOT died and NOT risen from the dead) – God gives you that choice, Lynn.
My ministry is to preach the truths associated with God’s word.
If you have some concerns about in any of the articles on my website, feel free to ask me a question. In response, I will give you a Bible-based response if that is what you want.
The choice is yours, Lynn – and thanks again for your comments.
Another awesome article Alan. You always surprise me with new revelations and doctrines of the Holy Bible. I am so blessed after reading this and now I got the clear picture of Why Jesus went to the section of hell called Paradise and took everyone there, into Heaven. An excellent description of The Five Compartments within ‘Hell’. Praise the Lord! God bless you even more!