Jesus Christ descended into Hell as a mighty warrior directly after the cross, defeating Satan, casting him into the bottomless pit, breaking down the gates of Hell, and setting the captives free. This is why we call it “Good” Friday. Understanding the events of that day, along with the events of Holy Saturday, provide the means by which we can then understand the true glory of Resurrection Sunday. On that day, Jesus Christ proved in the physical world the events of the previous few days in the spiritual world by literally raising His physical body from the dead; literally walking out of that grave in victory. These events, along with the ascension, provide the means for our present indestructible Way into Heaven.

This was the teaching of our DSR this week, as we are set to finish up the gospel of Mark on Friday, April 10, 2009. This Post is early this week in honor of the Holy Days of this special weekend.

As an added bonus, please enjoy what the Early Church Fathers had to say on this subject of Jesus Christ’s victorious battle in Hell directly after the cross! Keep in mind that they, like us, maintained that only the saints were freed from captivity in Hell; freed when Jesus entered Hell, taken to Heaven at His ascension. Hell and the Lake of Fire remain for those choosing not to believe the simple and clear message of the gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Origen (around 185/186 to 254/255 A.D.) Regarding Psl. 68:18

“Christ drew up and set free from the recesses of hades, the souls that were held in captivity.”

Eusebius Of Caesarea 315 A.D.

“Christ, caring for the salvation of all, and bursting the eternal gates, opened a way of return to life for the dead bound in chains of death.”

Saint Athanasius (around 293 to 373 A.D.)

“While the devil thought to kill one, he is deprived of all cast out of hades, and sitting by the gates, sees all the fettered beings led forth by the courage of the Saviour.”

Basil Of Seleucia (died around 457 to 460 A.D.)

“That which happened to the visible tomb of Christ (i.e. its being emptied on His rising), the same happened to hades the invisible.”

St. Hilary 354 A.D.

“Christ ascended on high took (captured) those who had been captured by the devil.”

M.F. Victorinus 360 A.D.

“The Saviour descends into hades by that passion of the cross in order that He may set free every soul.”

St. Ambrose 375 A.D.

“In the liberation of all, no one remains a captive; at the time of the Lord’s passion he alone (the devil) was injured, who lost all the captives he was keeping.”

St. Basil (around 329 to 379 A.D., from 370 A.D.)

“The true Shepherd brought out of the prison of hades, and handed over to the holy angels, the sheep for whom He died.”

St. Ambrose 375 A.D.

“The Lord descends to the infernal world, in order that even those, who were in perpetual abodes, should be set free from their perpetual bonds.”

The Ambrosiaster (attributed to St. Ambrose)

“Christ descending to the infernal abodes condemned death, taking from him those whom he was keeping.”

Maximus Of Turin (around 380 to 465 A.D.)

“Hell (Tartarus) yields up those it contains to the upper world: the earth sends to heaven those whom it buries.”

“Christ carried off to heaven mankind whose cause He undertook, snatched from the jaws of hades.

Caesarus Of Arles (around 468 to 542 A.D.)

“The eternal night of hell is illuminated as Christ descends the bonds of the damned, torn asunder, fell away every cry of the groaning still. The captive souls loosed from bonds go forth from hell (Tartarus), and the Apostle’s words come true, i.e., in Jesus’ name every knee bends of things in heaven, and earth, and under the earth.”

Epiphanius

“Christ, like a swift-winged hawk, snatched away all that He had from the beginning, from the devil and left him deserted.”

St. Chrysostom 398 A.D.

“While the devil imagined that he had got hold of Christ (in hades), he lost all in fact whom he was keeping.

Cyril Of Alexandria 412 A.D.

“Christ left the devil there solitary and deserted.”

Theodoret 430 A.D.

To the devil Christ declares….”I mean to open the prison of death for the rest, but will shut up thee only. Thou wast justly despoiled of all thy subjects.

Proclus, Bishop of Constantinople 434 A.D.

“Today Christ emptied the entire treasury of death.”

“All the dead, wondering at His passion, cry for joy, we are healed by His stripes.”

Saint Chrysostom (In reference to 1 Peter)

“Christ, he asserts, not merely opened, but broke in pieces the gates of brass, in order to make the prison useless, where there is neither door, nor bar, whosoever enters is not detained. What God destroys, who can set up again? Earthly kings indeed set free prisoners, yet leave untouched the prison gates; but Christ broke in pieces the gates of brass. Christ went to the utterly black and joyless portion of hades, and turned it into heaven, transferring all its wealth, the race of man, into His royal treasury. In this, too, Christ surpasses kings, for they send messengers, but He went in person to set the captives free. So again, he says: “Our Lord, when He was in hades, set free all who were kept prisoners by death.”

Cyril Of Alexandria 412 A.D.

“The devil was deprived of all power of being able to do anything for the future. The souls of men who had been caught in his toils to their ruin, came out of the underground gates, and, leaving the hiding-places of the pit escape”

“Traversing the lowest recesses of the infernal regions, after that He had preached to the spirits there, He led forth the captives in His strength. For when death devoured Him who was the Lamb on behalf of all, it vomited forth all men in Him and with Him. Now when sin has been destroyed, how should it be but that death, too, should wholly perish?”

On the death of Christ, “All iniquity stopped its mouth, and the rule of death was destroyed, all sin (tes hamartias, sin generally) having been taken away, so, then, the sin of all having been taken away, we can justly say, ‘O death where is thy sting?’”

Theodoret, the Blessed, 423 A.D.

Theodoret became Bishop of Cyrus (Cyrrhus), in Syria he wrote of the liberation of every soul from hades.

“I shall shut up thee only… ‘Thou,’ says Christ to satan, ‘art justly despoiled of all thy subjects. Thou shalt vomit forth all that thou hast already swallowed. I shall free all from death for I paid the debt for the race.’ As the debt has been paid, it is right that those confined on account of it should be set free from their prison.”

*****

To learn more of these things and to hear how they are presented in Scripture, join our DSR community at http://www.cjrpress.com/signup. We look forward to seeing you there. The ten most recent podcasts are always available, so you can still hear this week’s readings.

Next week (beginning Monday April 13 and going through Friday April 17) we will begin reading and providing teaching commentary on the book of Romans.

As you are listening day-by-day, please feel free to share your comments with the other members of our DSR community by clicking on the comments link for this Post. We are continuing to receive excellent comments. As always, we enjoy hearing how the Audio Bible Online / Online Audio Bible – Daily Scripture Readings (DSR) are impacting your daily walk with the Lord, and enhancing your relationship with Him, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

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