Paradise in Hell?

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?

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:

1. Paradise – this is where Lazarus was located after he died (Luke 16:22)

2. Hades  – this is where the Rich Man was located after he died (Luke 16:23)

3. 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).

4. 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.

5. 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 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 sinners (i.e. the Rich Man) went to Hades to suffer “torment” (Luke 16:24). They remain there prior to the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-13).

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” (Gal 4:4-5). As Christ is “the first to be resurrected” (1 Cor 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 (Heb 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; Matt 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 (Heb 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” (Heb 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 (Heb 9:12). 

Christ then descended back to the earth (John 20:17) to raise up the Old Testament saints from their graves (Matt 27:52-53). Christ then led “captivity (who had been held captive” in Paradise located under the Earth – Eph 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 Cor 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 Cor 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; 

• On the first day of the week, He arose from the dead as the “First-fruits of the Resurrection” (1 Cor 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 (Rev 20:6). While waiting, they reside in their “mansion” that Christ has waiting for each of His saints in Heaven (John 14:2) This is where Christ is (John 12:26).

Now, isn’t that Good News!

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 ending to Hell, Christians need to OBEY (Romans 10:16) the Apostle Paul’s Gospel. However, many Christians have never heard of the Apostle Paul’s Gospel that he termed ‘My Gospel’ (Romans 2:16).

To discover what the “mystery” is that associates with it, please watch my video here.