Question

Where was Jesus' soul/spirit between his death and resurrection?

Answer

From the scriptures we know of two places:  

1.  Heaven - "Jesus answered him [the thief on the cross], "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."  [Luke 23:43]   Paradise in the same as heaven.  

2. Abyss, Tartarus, Hell (demon prison) - "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water." [1 Peter 3:20]  

Now some people are curious how Jesus could go to heaven before the resurrection and still say:   "Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "  [John 20:17]   The answer is that He did not ascend with his "permanent" glorified body until after the resurrection.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
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