A third consequence of believing the doctrine that souls live on after the body dies is that it plays into the hands of those who promote the practice of communicating with the dead. Today many people, both Christian and non-Christian, attempt to communicate with the spirits of the dead, often in séances or via “channeling.” Such practices are similar to ancestor worship, historically a practice of most non-Christian religions. Pagans believe that the spirits of departed ancestors intervene in their lives, both for good and evil. Thus, as godlike beings, they must be worshiped and entreated. Superstition and fear of the unknown are always hallmarks of such false doctrine. In fact many Catholics and Muslims believe that Mary from time to time appears to them and gives them special messages from God. If there really are “departed souls” or “spirits” that are conscious and have knowledge of eternity or other matters of interest to those of us still earthbound, why not communicate with them? Because they are not there to answer. What will answer are evil spirits (fallen angels currently under Satan’s dominion) impersonating the dead. In the Old Testament, however, God expressly forbade communication with such “familiar spirits.” For example:

 "Is there a literal Hell where one is tormented for ever":

What is Hell?

This will be a study of Hell and what happens after someone dies. I will begin with Genesis 3: [4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil; this was the 2nd lie of the Devil. Let's now look at what JC and God said about this lie a few verses later - 22] And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: BTW, did you know Skull and Bones (Harvard University) uses "322" {Gen 3:22} below their logo (i.e., the scull and cross bones.) So we can read that God did not allow man to live forever as Adam and Eve subsequently died as have all of us over these 6,000 years; the only exceptions would be Enoch and Elijah. everyone is else died.

1Cr 15:22

For  as  in  Adam  all  die  , even  so  in  Christ shall  all  be made alive  .

My first question in this study is: Would God allow a person to burn in torment from the time they died until the time they were judged; moreover, after this "final Judgment" would Jesus Christ then cast them [again] into the unquenchable fire, i.e., the 2nd death for more torture?

Here is an example:

• Let's assume it is the year 500 BC and a person named Tom (who did not love and follow God's commandments) died and went into this type of hell where he began to be tortured by fire. 
• Now let's assume Tom's great, great, great grandson died (Tom Jr.) in 1 AD or 501 years after old great grandfather Tom had already been burning (Tom Jr. was also a sinner) and now Tom Jr. begins to burn slowly in hell.)
• Now let's assume it is the year 2015 AD and Tom Jr.' great, great, grandson Tom the 5th was still living and he too was not following God's commands (nor had faith in JC) and it just so happened that JC came back (i.e., the 2nd Coming) that year; would if be [fair] for a loving God to allow one person to be tortured for thousands of years, and another for only hundreds of years, and then allow another to suffer less (or no torture at all in the case of Tom the 5th) just because they died earlier?
• Many have thought about this "unfairness" and have come up with several non-Biblical doctrines, e.g., purgatory, limbo, etc... We'll look into this teaching a little latter.

Again, the parable concerns real people, real local problems and contemporary issues. And, most importantly, the key to the answer was in the Old Testament.

The Rich Man and Lazarus:

We now come to the last of the parables in this section of Luke, the one with which we are concerned. One important point: there is no break between the "You are the ones!" (Luke 16:15) spoken to the Pharisees and the Lazarus parable. This suggests that the Pharisees were the audience of this parable as well.

Who are the characters?

The Rich Man = ?
His father = ?
His five brothers = ?
Lazarus= ?
Abraham = ?

It seems easiest to start where there is likely to be most agreement, that Abraham is the Abraham of Genesis.

Next easiest is Lazarus. There is only one person of this name found in the Bible, namely Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha who was raised from the dead by Jesus in John 11:1-44. Comparing the parallel accounts of the anointing in Bethany in John 12:3 and Matthew 26:6 we find that Lazarus’ other name was Simon, and that he had been a leper. The leprosy must have been healed when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, but he was still known as "Simon the Leper".

This explains why the Lazarus in the parable was "full of sores" (Luke 16:20). The begging had nothing to do with poverty, it was because he was unclean. According to the Law of Moses, Simon would have been ceremonially unclean and could not enter his own house in Bethany; "he must live outside the camp" (Leviticus 13:46).

So we have two men, both Jews, both called Lazarus, both beggars, both lepers, both of whom died, and both of whom would not convince people by their resurrection (compare Luke 16:30-31 and John 12:10).

This is too many coincidences for them not to have been the same person. So:

Abraham= Abraham
Lazarus = Lazarus

This would lead us to expect the Rich Man is also someone known to the audience of the parable.

Who was the Rich Man?

Reading through the story we can find the following clues to the identity of the Rich Man:

1. he was rich (vs.19)
2. dressed in purple and fine linen (vs.19)
3. lived in luxury every day (vs.19)
4. in his lifetime he received good things (vs.25)
5. he had five brothers (vs.28)
6. they lived in his father’s house (vs.27)
7. they had Moses and the Prophets (vs.25)
8. but they did not listen to them (vs.29)
9. they would not be convinced even if someone were to rise from the dead (vs.31)

It is not obvious to the modern reader who this Rich Man is. But it should be clear that the picture is much too detailed to simply be ‘a representative of all rich men’.

But the Pharisees listening would have known immediately whom Christ was referring to. There was not any chance of their mistaking it, because only one man in Israel dressed in purple and fine linen. A man who fitted exactly all the clues which Jesus gave as to the identity of the Rich Man.

As in Luke’s previous parable of the Dishonest Steward, the key to the meaning lies in the Old Testament. In Exodus 28 we find the instructions given to Aaron for making the high priest’s garments; "blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen" (note Exodus 28:5-8,15,31,39). The Pharisees could not fail to understand that the man dressed in purple and fine linen was the Jewish high priest.

The Name of the Rich Man

The high priest when Jesus spoke this parable was Caiaphas. We know from the Jewish historian Josephus, who wrote a detailed account of the period in Antiquities of the Jews, that Caiaphas met all 4 of the first qualifications of the Rich Man of Luke 16:

1. he was rich (v.19)

2. dressed in purple and fine linen (v.19)

3. lived in luxury every day (v.19)

4. in his lifetime he received good things (v.25)

(see Antiquities, XIII: 10:vi:p.281, XVIII:1:iv:p.377, also Wars of the Jews 11:8:xiv: p. 478)

His Father’s House

In Luke 3:2 and Acts 4:6 we meet the other high priest who served with Caiaphas, Annas, who was "father-in-law to Caiaphas" (John 18:13). Josephus also records that Caiaphas served as high priest 18-35AD at the time of Jesus’ ministry. Annas had been removed from his office by the Romans for openly resisting them, but behind the scenes he retained his authority and position. This is why in John 18:13-24 Jesus is first tried by Annas, and only afterwards sent to Caiaphas (v.28), but then Caiaphas, not Annas, sends Jesus to Pilate (v.29).

Five Brothers

In case anyone listening did not understand who He meant, Christ was even more specific: The "five brothers" Christ mentions are the five other high priests, who were in fact his five brothers-in-law, the five sons of Annas. The historian Josephus records:

"Now the report goes, that this elder Annas proved a most fortunate man; for he had five sons, who had all performed the office of a high priest to God, and he had himself enjoyed that dignity a long time formerly, which had never happened to any other of our high priests. . ." (Antiquities, Book XX, chapter 9, section i, p.423)

The years they served are as follows:

Eleazar 16-17AD
Jonathan 36-37AD
Theophilus 37-41AD
Matthias 41-43AD
Annas the Younger 62AD

As mentioned above, the years 18-35AD between Eleazar and Jonathan were occupied by Caiaphas. Between 43-62AD the high priests were taken from other families than of Annas. Finally in 70AD the temple was destroyed and the high priesthood along with it.

This confirms the list of coincidences between the Rich Man and Caiaphas:

5. he had five brothers (v.28)

6. they lived in his father’s house (v.27)

7. they had Moses and the Prophets (v.25)

8. but they did not listen to them (v.29)

The final coincidence is confirmed when after the resurrection of Simon of Bethany, we read that "the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him" (John 12:10)

9. they would not be convinced even if someone were to rise from the dead (v.31)

John 12:10 also confirms another coincidence between the Lazarus of the parable and Simon Lazarus of Bethany. The resurrection of both was rejected by Annas and his five sons.

Summary so far

We have established the identity of all the characters:

Abraham = Abraham
Lazarus = Simon the Leper of Bethany
The Rich Man = Caiaphas
His father = Annas
His 5 brothers = Eleazar, Jonathan, Theophilus, Matthias, Annas the Younger

But what does the parable mean?

At the Rich Man’s Gate

"At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores, and longing to eat from the Rich Man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores." (vs. 20-21)

As we noted in considering the real Lazarus, when a Jew contracted a disease they became ‘unclean’. They were at most allowed only into the outer court of the temple. This meant the unclean were no longer allowed to eat from the sacrifices offered in the inner court. In this way Simon of Bethany was barred from eating at the table of Caiaphas in Jerusalem.

There is similar language in Matthew 15 when the Canaanite woman (who was a ‘Gentile dog’ as far as the Pharisees were concerned) said to Jesus "Even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table" (Matthew 15:27).

It may be that before he died Simon the Leper literally did beg outside the temple. But the meaning here is deeper than begging for food. Jesus is saying that the weak, the unclean, and the poor, were all denied spiritual food by the ruling caste of high priests.

The Bosom of Abraham

"The time came when the beggar died, and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side" (v.22 NIV).

Now this is where the story starts to become difficult. Nowhere else in the Bible does it say that when men die they go to Abraham’s side. In older Bibles it reads "bosom of Abraham", meaning the lap of Abraham.

Today there are a hundred and one different theories about death. Many people seriously believe when they die they will go up to the gates of Heaven, to be met by the Apostle Peter. Others believe other things. But the idea that the dead go to sit 'in the lap' of Abraham is something that nobody today believes.

But people did believe it in Jesus' day. Mentions of "the bosom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" have been found in burial papyri (cf. papyrus Preisigke Sb 2034:11). In early Rabbinical legends "the Bosom of Abraham" was where the righteous went. (cf. Kiddushin 72b, Ekah 1:85). It is not in the Bible of course, but it was popularly believed.

While the NIV has "to Abraham's side", the literal AV rendering "to the bosom of Abraham" is better as the 'Bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob', was a specific concept in contemporary popular belief.

Another source showing what Jews of Jesus' day believed is a book called 4 Maccabees, which was probably written by Jews in Egypt about a generation after Christ. In this work of fiction Abraham, Isaac and Jacob receive and welcome Jewish martyrs into the world of the dead:

"After our death in this fashion Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will receive us and all our forefathers will praise us" (4 Maccabees 13:17).

Again, this is not Bible teaching, only popular superstition.

The Rich Man in Hell

The story becomes even more difficult when we read the next verse:

"The Rich Man also died and was buried. In Hell where he was in torment he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus in his bosom. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire'." (vs. 23-24)

Even with the most fertile imagination it is difficult to believe that from Hell one can see people in Heaven and talk to them. But the story gets stranger still:

"But Abraham replied. 'Son remember that in your life time you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone else cross over from there to us". (vs. 25-26)

Nothing else in the Bible prepares us for this description of Hell. Again the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus turns out to be unique.

Which Hell?

We need to clarify what the word 'Hell' means here, as in English Bibles (unlike many Asian Bibles) two words have been confused into one.

'Hell' in the English Bible can be one of two words in the original Greek text:

1. Hades, the grave, the pit, the place where the dead sleep. In the Old Testament known as Sheol (Genesis 37:35, 42:38, 44:29, Job 14:13, Psalm 6:5, 16:10, 139:8, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Matthew 16:18). In the Bible all people go to Hades to await the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:55, Revelation 1:8, 20:13). Even Jesus was in Hades for 3 days and 3 nights (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:27,31).

2. Gehenna, originally the name of the valley Gehenna on the south side of Jerusalem. In the Old Testament the valley was known as Ben Hinnom (Jeremiah 7:31). In the New Testament the name is associated with the fire in which the rejected will be destroyed at the last judgment (Matthew 5:22,29,30, 18:9, 23:15,33, Mark 9:43,45,47, Luke 12:5, James 3:6)

The problem is that in Luke 16:23 the ‘Hell’ described does not fit either of these Bible definitions. In fact the word is Hades, but it clearly does not fit with the Hades of "silence" (Psalm 31:17), where Jesus was laid (Acts 2:25-28 quoting Psalm 16:8-11). There are 9 other mentions of Hades in the New Testament, 50 in the Old. All these other references present Hades as the grave. Luke 16:23 is the odd one out.

The source for the unusual Hades in Luke 16:23, as with the source for the ‘Bosom of Abraham’ itself, lies outside the Bible in the myths of the 1st Century. Many Jewish myths survive today (e.g.. in the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Talmud, etc.). In these works a variety of fantastic pictures of Hades are given that have no connection with the Old Testament. One of the closest to the picture given in Luke 16:23-24 is in a work called The Apocalypse of Zephaniah.

Let's take a few minutes and go deeper into some of the "words" surrounding death;

Rev 20 - 12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (or sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

If you click on all the blue links above and read every verse regarding death, hell, the Lake of Fire and the Second death not only will you not find anywhere where it says the dead (you and me) will be tormented with fire but you will actually find several verses which talk about the deed will not remember anything and will sleep. Remember  only Jesus never saw corruption -

Why do folks who believe in a "burning" hell alway use "The Worm that Dieth Not" trying to prove that the dammed will never die?

Let's go deep into this "worm." Here we will read where JC mentioned this in the NT then will go to the OT where JC and the Apostles (including Luke) crossed referenced most everything. Mark 9: [43] "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the *fire that never shall be quenched: [44] Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. [45] And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: [46] Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

The Lake of Fire (borrowed from http://bibletruths.150m.com/Wrathpart4.htm ) :

What are the first impressions we had all our lives on the lake of fire?  Did you ever wonder why brimstone is included in the lake of fire?  As if God’s consuming fire alone is not enough.  Brimstone is the Greek word thion which means in the sense of flashing and it means sulfur.  Strong’s Lexicon says brimstone was used as divine incense; or should I say, sweet savor?  It also says burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify, and to ward off disease.  Now isn’t that interesting?   

Thion is taken from the word thios which was translated divine and godhead, and the other Greek word is theos and was translated as God; which means the supreme divinity.  God is not only a consuming fire but He is also brimstone.   

The consuming fire and brimstone is God purifying, refining, and cleansing His people Israel.  The Encyclopedia Britannica says sulfur is often called brimstone or burning stone, and ignited sulfur is mentioned in the earlier records of many countries as having been used for religious ceremonies, for purifying and fumigating buildings, and for bleaching cloth.  I find that very interesting.   

Words have meanings and brimstone is a symbol and this purifying, fumigating, and bleaching action are things being purified and being made white.  It is called the white throne judgment; not a throne of darkness.  Under the caption: Methods of Production it says; ancient producers described their method of obtaining sulfur from its ore as purification by fire.  Purification by fire sounds very biblical.  Under Physical Properties: Sulfur is tasteless and odorless; it has no action on the skin.  Sulfur is also a poor conductor of both heat and electricity.   

I repeat, words have meanings, and to symbolically apply or flash sulfur means there is no physical pain in the lake of fire because of no action on the skin, and if there is literal heat; sulfur as a poor conductor for heat would serve no purpose in the lake of fire.  Twentieth Century Dictionary says: sulfur has hundreds of beneficial uses; innumerable uses not the least of which are purifications and medicines.   

So why do we find sulfur in the lake of fire?  I could also ask how can God be a wrathful God and called a consuming fire, and at the same time; how can God also be love and a merciful God?  I could also ask; why is the second death a tormenting experience?  I am not implying anything and I am not telling you what to believe; I am only sharing this information for what its worth to you. 

Who Are the Spirits In Prison?

Let's take a close look at this passage in 1st Peter and see just what it is really saying.

1 Pet 3:[18] For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, Jesus Christ who was sinless, died once on the cross for sinners- ... that he might bring us to God, Through the death of Jesus, we sinners have been reconciled with God, ... being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: He died the death all we mortals must die, but He was raised to life by the Holy Spirit. 1 Pet 3:[19] By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; By the same Holy Spirit, He (the Holy Spirit by Noah) preached to those people who were prisoners of sin - as the following passage in Luke also shows-

Luke 4:[18] The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luke 4:[19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus in Luke was quoting this passage in Isaiah: Isa 61:[1] The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Isa 61:[2] To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

The "captives" in Luke and Isaiah, and the "prisoners" in 1st Peter are both referring to then living people in bondage to sin - captives and prisoners of Satan surely, but not disembodied spirits in Hell/hades/limbo. It is the Gospel message that frees you from that captivity to sin-

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
John 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Again, this passage in John shows us to be in bondage to, or prisoners of sin, yet set free by the Son of God.

1 Pet 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, ...

The Gospel message was preached to the people (those in bondage to sin) through Noah and the Holy Spirit while the Ark was being built. Sinners had 120 years of probation (Gen 6:3), while Noah was building the Ark and during that time Noah preached the message of God to a lost wicked world, nearly all of whom were prisoners of sin. So, Jesus had spoken to Noah, telling him to build the Ark, then Noah did the preaching to the people as he was guided by the Holy Spirit.

... wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

2 Pet 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

As a result of Noah's inspired preaching, eight people were saved, Noah and his family. The rest of humanity (the antediluvians) perished in the flood.

So properly understood, this passage of 1 Peter 3:18-20 has absolutely no connection with Jesus after His death on the cross and does not validate a belief in an intermediate "prison" or limbo for souls between death and heaven, as some teach today. When Christ died on the cross, He was buried, and did nothing until His resurrection. He went nowhere and preached to no one during the time period between His crucifixion and resurrection. Dead is dead. Read more here.

Paradise and the Thief on the Cross - Part II:

Some will look the thief on the cross and assert that "paradise" is not heaven, but this "limbo" or holding place in hades for the souls who died before Jesus was resurrected. It is easily proved that "paradise" IS in fact heaven:

Jesus promises the thief that day that he will be with Him in paradise: Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Note that the tree of life is also in paradise: Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

The tree of life is also placed as being in the New Jerusalem: Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

And the New Jerusalem is described as descending *from heaven* after the millennium: Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Hence the promise made to the thief on that day was that he would join Christ in the New Jerusalem, in heaven, for the millennium. It is a promise yet to be fulfilled, which will happen at the second coming and the resurrection of the righteous dead.

The Catholic teaching that paradise/limbo was a holding area in "hell" for souls, liberated when Jesus descended into hell after His death, is unfounded, a false tradition of men, and based on a complete misconception of the state of the dead. In addition to the Catechisms (see below), this erroneous teaching can also be found in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, Article V of the Apostles' Creed and in the Vatican's new Catechism of the Catholic Church #631-637.

The world faces a similar period of probation today, as it did in Noah's day. Soon the Gospel message will be preached a final time, the last person will accept Jesus Christ into his or her heart and mind, and the door of probation will then close as it did on the Ark of Noah. At that point all humanity will have had their fate decided and the plagues of God will then fall on the wicked of the world, as explained in Revelation, which will immediately precede the second coming of Jesus. (The plagues on the wicked are the future counterpart to the flood of Noah.)

LIMBO:

The Apostles' Creed and 1 Peter 3:19- Did Jesus preach to spirits in Hades?

1Peter 3:19

 19] By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;[20] Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. [21] The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

From the Apostles' creed-

... He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. ...

What? Jesus descended into Hell after his death? Just what did he do there?

1 Pet 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1 Pet 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
1 Pet 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

There is a popular interpretation of this passage, in conjunction with the Apostles' Creed, that Jesus, after His death on the cross, descended into Hades/Hell/prison to preach to spirits there.

(The Roman Catholics call this place that Jesus supposedly visited after His death "limbus patrum", or limbo of the fathers. Here is a link to an article from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia explaining LIMBO online at New Advent, a Roman Catholic website.)

It is interesting to note that the source of this fanciful story of Jesus preaching in Hell appears to be the Roman Catholic Church. Note the following quotes about article 5 of the Apostles' Creed from Catholic Catechisms:

What meaneth the fifth Article?
He descended into hell, the third day he arose again?

We must believe, that Christ's body lying in the grave, his soul descended into hell: not to suffer pains, as some heretics do say, but for consolation and comfort of many Fathers there, and out of that place (called Lymbus Patrum) he loosed the souls of the blessed Fathers from captivity, and carried them away with him: the third day he rose again from death to life, manifestly showing himself to his Disciples, eating with them, and speaking of the kingdom of God. (Matt. 8, Luke 14, Ephes. 4, 1 Cor. 15, Acts 1.)

Source: A Catechisme or Christian Doctrine, by Laurence Vaux, B.D., reprinted from a 1583 edition by The Chetham Society in 1885, Manchester England, (updated to modern spelling for this excerpt) pages 13, 14.

The Fifth Article

Q. What is the fifth article?
A. He descended into hell, the third day he arose again from the dead.

Q. What means, he descended into Hell?
A. It means, that as soon as Christ was dead, he descended into Limbo, to free the holy fathers who were there.

Q. How prove you that?
A. Out of Acts ii. 24, 27. 'Christ being slain, God raised him up loosing the sorrows of hell, as it was foretold by the prophet,' Psalm xv. 10. 'Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption.'

Q. What other proof have you?
A. Ephes. iv. 8, 9. 'He ascending on high, hath led captivity captive; he gave gifts to men; and that he ascended,' what is it but because he descended into the lower parts of the earth?

Q. Did he not descend to purgatory to free such as were there?
A. It is most probable he did according to 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20. 'Christ being dead, came in spirit; and preached to them also that were in prison, who had been incredulous in the days of Noah, when the ark was building.'

Source: The Douay Catechism (An Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine) of 1649, by Henry Tuberville, D.D., published by P. J. Kenedy, Excelsior Catholic Publishing House, 5 Barclay Street, New York, approved and recommended for his diocese by the Right Rev. Benedict, Bishop of Boston, April 24th, 1833, page 15.

THE FIFTH ARTICLE

'He descended into hell, the third day He rose again from the dead.'

1. What means, 'He descended into hell'?
That the soul of Jesus Christ, after His death, descended into 'Limbo'—i.e., to the place where the souls of the just who died before Christ were detained, and were waiting for the time of their redemption.

2. Why were souls of the just detained in Limbo?
Because Heaven was closed through sin, and was first to be opened by Christ (Hebr. ix. 6-8)

3. Why did Christ descend into Limbo?
1. To comfort and set free the souls of the just; and
2. To show forth His power and majesty even there in the lower regions (Phil. ii. 10).

Source: Rev. Joseph Deharbe's A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion, translated from the German by the Rev. John Fander, sixth American Edition, published by Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss, 53 Park Place, New York, Copyright 1912, 1919, 1924, pages 119, 120.

The Fifth Article of the Creed

    1 Q. What are we taught in the Fifth Article: He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead?
    A. The Fifth Article of the Creed teaches us that the Soul of Jesus Christ, on being separated from His Body, descended to the Limbo of the holy Fathers, and that on the third day it became united once more to His Body, never to be parted from it again.

    2 Q. What is here meant by hell?
    A. Hell here means the Limbo of the holy Fathers, that is, the place where the souls of the just were detained, in expectation of redemption through Jesus Christ.

    3 Q. Why were not the souls of the Holy Fathers admitted into heaven before the death of Jesus Christ?
    A. The souls of the holy Fathers were not admitted into heaven before the death of Jesus Christ, because heaven was closed by the sin of Adam, and it was but fitting that Jesus Christ, who reopened it by His death, should be the first to enter it.

Source: The Catechism of Pope St. Pius X.

Q. 66. Is Limbo the same place as Purgatory?
A. Limbo is not the same place as Purgatory, because the souls in Purgatory suffer, while those in Limbo do not.

Q. 67. Who were in Limbo when Our Lord descended into it?
A. There were in Limbo when Our Lord descended into it the souls of all those who died the friends of God, but could not enter heaven till the Ascension of Our Lord.

Q. 403. Why did Christ descend into Limbo?
A. Christ descended into Limbo to preach to the souls who were in prison — that is, to announce to them the joyful tidings of their redemption.

Q. 404. Where was Christ's body while His soul was in Limbo?
A. While Christ's soul was in Limbo His body was in the holy sepulchre.

Source: The Baltimore Catechism #3

[On "He descended into hell " ...]

"Hell:" here does not mean the place where the damned are, but a place called "Limbo." You know that when our first parents sinned, Heaven was closed against them and us, and no human being could be admitted into it till after the death of Our Lord; for He by His death would redeem us—make amends for our fall and once more open for us Heaven. Now from the time Adam sinned till the time Christ died is about four thousand years. During that time there were at least some good men, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and others, in the world, who tried to serve God as best they could—keeping all the divine laws known to them, and believing that the Messias would some day come to redeem them. When, therefore, they died they could not go to Heaven, because it was closed against them. They could not go to Hell, because they were good men. Neither could they go to Purgatory, because they would have to suffer there. Where could they go? God in His goodness provided a place for them—Limbo—where they could stay without suffering till Our Lord reopened Heaven. Therefore, while Our Lord's body lay in the sepulchre, His soul went down into Limbo, to tell these good men that Heaven was now opened for them, and that at His Ascension He would take them there with Him.

Source: The Baltimore Catechism #4 on Basic Catholic Prayers, the Apostles' Creed, by Rev. Thomas L. Kinkead, published by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., Rockford, Illinois, Copyright 1891 and 1921 by Benzinger Brothers and reprinted in 1978, ISBN: 0-89555-340-6, pages 11,12.

 Please also read: Matt 27:52 "the tombs broke open"

Arguments against this teaching (I just received this email from a loved one and I'll go through each verse and explain the true meaning shortly):

-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Hughes [mailto:gregh@bethanybeachcleaners.com]
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 8:16 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Hell 

Hello All, 

I’ll begin with the word Sheol {grave, pit and hell} Hebrew שאול (shĕ'owl); here are ALL of the verses in the OT with this word; you will not read in any of these verses where it says “Subterranean retreat” or “inmates”:  

Lexicon Results for shĕ'owl (Strong's H7585)

Hebrew for H7585

שאול

Outline of Biblical Usage

1) sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit

a) the underworld

b) Sheol - the OT designation for the abode of the dead

1) place of no return

2) without praise of God

3) wicked sent there for punishment

4) righteous not abandoned to it

5) of the place of exile (fig)

6) of extreme degradation in sin 

Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 65

AV — grave 31, hell 31, pit 3

Gesenius's Lexicon (Help)

Concordance for shĕ'owl (KJV Strong's H7585)
Displayed in KJV Text

Strong's Number H7585 matches the Hebrew שאול (shĕ'owl)

 In conclusion:  NONE of these verses (in context or out) say anything about a “limbo”, “paradise”, “purgatory”, “awake”, “conscious”, “torment”, “pain”, “burning”,  etc...  No, they talk about - “silent”, “no remembrance” (or memory), “rest”, “my bed”, “peace.”  You will also read (shortly when I’ve got the time) the other two words for Hell (Gehenna and Hades) will be exactly the same.  Take all of these verses “in context” and apply them to what I’m teaching in the “entire” Bible: http://www.bethanybeachcleaners.com/allroadsleadtorome/new/what_is_hell.htm and you will come to the same conclusion as to what Jesus meant when He said, Lazarus is Sleeping = death (grave, hell and pit.)  Think about this:  Why would Lazarus want to come back from Paradise to live more years in a dusty, dirty place only to see his Savior crucified?  That would be kind of mean of Jesus unless Lazarus was unconscious, dead, sleeping….. and he could help further glorify Him before His crucifixion. Again, Paradise is in Heaven, i.e. the New Jerusalem where the tree of life abodes. The only one to go there (physically – not just in the spirit; e.g., Paul and John) is Jesus Christ, i.e., Christ has "become the first-fruits of them that are asleep" (v. 21). How could Lazarus go to Paradise (Heaven) BEFORE Jesus if He was the “first-fruits” of them that are “asleep” i.e., Lazarus was asleep before Jesus raised him from the grave?

 More later, 

Greg

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