One of the more profound and frequently misinterpreted aspects of Christian theology is the idea that Jesus will go to hell. Early Christian creeds and scriptural allusions serve as its foundation, especially the Apostles’ Creed, which claims that Jesus “descended into hell” or “descended to the dead.” This expression conveys the fullness of Christ’s victory over sin and death as well as the profundity of His sacrifice. Important facts regarding Jesus’ mission to save humanity and the scope of His redemptive activity are revealed in the verses that touch on this topic.
The notion that Jesus will go to hell causes many Christians to question both His deity and the need for such a descent. Bible verses about Jesus going to hell offers evidence that His descend was one of victory rather than punishment. To declare triumph, to carry out prophecies, and to free the righteous who had perished before His crucifixion and resurrection, He entered the world of the dead. Our understanding of what Jesus accomplished by His death and resurrection is enhanced when we comprehend these texts.
A biblical perspective on Jesus’ descent is constructed using a number of scriptures in the Bible, some of which are direct and others of which are more symbolic or prophetic. We get hints of this riddle in passages from Psalms, Ephesians, 1 Peter, and other books. Christ is portrayed in each line as a victorious King who regains power even in the most sinister realms, rather than as a victim. We discover from these scriptures that He could reach anywhere, including the grave.
A fuller comprehension of the gospel is promoted by examining Bible verses about Jesus going to hell. It demonstrates how Christ’s act transcended the physical cross and entered the spiritual world, overcoming death and releasing people from the chains of the dead. In order for us to experience the fullness of eternal life alongside Jesus, these lines remind us that He completely identified with the human predicament, even going so far as to enter the realm of death.
30 Powerful Bible Verses About Jesus Going To Hell in 2025
1. Ephesians 4:9
“Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?”
This verse implies that before Jesus ascended to heaven, He descended to “the lower parts of the earth,” which many interpret as the realm of the dead or hell. It supports the idea that Christ fully experienced death, not just in body but in soul, descending to where the dead reside.
2. Acts 2:27
“Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
Peter quotes Psalm 16:10 here, affirming that Jesus entered the place of the dead (Hades) but was not abandoned there. His resurrection was proof that death could not hold Him, and His body did not decay.
3. Acts 2:31
“He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”
Again, Peter emphasizes that Jesus’ soul went to the realm of the dead, but He was not left there. His victory over death is shown through His resurrection before His body experienced decay.
4. 1 Peter 3:18-19
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins… being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.”
This passage suggests that after His death, Jesus preached to “spirits in prison”—interpreted by some as the souls of the dead. It supports the belief that Jesus descended into the realm of the dead, not as a victim, but as a victorious preacher.
5. 1 Peter 4:6
“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead…”
This verse strengthens the idea that Jesus, or His message, reached the dead—possibly during the time between His death and resurrection. It affirms God’s justice and the completeness of Christ’s redemptive work.
6. Romans 10:7
“Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)”
Paul refers to the depth or “abyss,” a term often used for the underworld. This underscores that Jesus truly experienced death in its entirety and was brought up from the place of the dead.
7. Matthew 12:40
“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jesus compares His coming death to Jonah’s entrapment. “Heart of the earth” is widely interpreted as the grave or the realm of the dead, indicating a full experience of death before resurrection.
8. Revelation 1:18
“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Jesus proclaims His authority over hell (Hades) and death. The fact that He has the “keys” implies He entered and conquered those realms.
9. Colossians 2:15
“And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
This verse highlights Jesus’ triumph over demonic forces, believed by some to include His descent into hell where He defeated spiritual powers and displayed His victory.
10. Psalm 16:10
“For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
Originally written by David, this prophetic verse is applied to Jesus in the New Testament. It affirms that although Christ went to the realm of the dead, He was not abandoned there.
11. Isaiah 53:9
“And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death…”
This prophecy about the suffering servant points to Jesus’ burial, but some interpret the plural “deaths” in Hebrew (if considered) as signifying a deeper descent into the realm of the dead.
12. Hebrews 2:14
“…that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”
Jesus’ death gave Him access to the domain where death ruled, enabling Him to defeat Satan who held the power over it. This victory is believed to have been won in part through His descent.
13. John 5:25
“The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God…”
This verse hints at Jesus’ authority over the dead, possibly implying that even in death, His voice reached those in the grave—interpreted by some as evidence of His descent.
14. Matthew 27:52-53
“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose…”
These events happened after Jesus’ resurrection, but they suggest that His death and resurrection disrupted the realm of the dead, further implying He had descended and led the captives free.
15. Philippians 2:8-9
“He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him…”
Jesus’ humility included experiencing death fully. His exaltation followed this descent, which some believe included a descent into hell.
16. Zechariah 9:11
“By the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.”
This Old Testament prophecy is seen by some as a reference to Jesus freeing souls from Sheol or the pit, a symbol of the realm of the dead.
17. Job 33:30
“To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.”
This verse poetically illustrates resurrection from the grave. Christ’s descent and return are often paralleled with verses like this to show God’s power over death.
18. Hosea 13:14
“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death…”
This prophecy speaks of God overcoming the grave. The New Testament sees its fulfillment in Christ, who experienced and overcame death, possibly including hell.
19. Psalm 86:13
“Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”
Though a psalm, this verse is often tied to Jesus’ experience in death, expressing deliverance from the deepest realm of the dead.
20. Jonah 2:2
“Out of the belly of hell cried I…”
Jonah’s experience foreshadows Jesus’ descent. Jesus Himself references Jonah as a sign of His own burial and time in the “heart of the earth.”
21. Lamentations 3:55
“I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon.”
A poetic image of deep despair, which some relate to Christ’s descent into the darkest depths before resurrection.
22. Revelation 20:13
“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead…”
This end-time vision shows that hell (Hades) is not eternal for all—it gives up its dead. This reinforces that Jesus’ authority over hell can free souls from it.
23. Revelation 20:14
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
Jesus will ultimately destroy death and hell. His descent was the beginning of this triumph.
24. Proverbs 15:24
“The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.”
This wisdom echoes Jesus’ role in leading souls away from death and into life.
25. Matthew 16:18
“…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Jesus states that His church will overcome hell. This suggests His own descent was part of breaking its power.
26. Isaiah 14:15
“Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”
Though about the king of Babylon, some see messianic symbolism in the idea of being brought to the pit, then rising victorious.
27. Ezekiel 31:17
“They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword.”
A reference to judgment and death. Parallels are drawn with Christ’s own descent, though He entered not for judgment but for redemption.
28. Numbers 16:33
“They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit…”
This literal descent into the earth symbolizes death and judgment, offering imagery of Jesus entering the grave.
29. 2 Corinthians 5:21
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin…”
Jesus became sin and took on its penalty, which includes death and separation—symbolic of His descent into the deepest cost of sin.
30. Luke 23:43
“Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Spoken to the thief on the cross, this shows Jesus was conscious after death and went to a realm of the dead (often contrasted with torment). Some say He first went to Hades to lead souls to paradise.
Conclusion
Scripture and theological tradition both strongly support the idea that Jesus will go to hell, which provides important context for understanding the full scope of His atoning sacrifice. Several scriptures demonstrate that Jesus not only physically died but also fully entered the afterlife, sometimes known as Sheol, Hades, or the “lower parts of the earth.” His complete identification with humanity, even in death, is symbolized by this descend. Not as a prisoner, but as a victor who came to declare victory and free the prisoners, he went where the dead live. This deed demonstrates that Jesus’ influence is not limited to any area that is too remote or dark.
Furthermore, Jesus’ death was not a passive experience. He fulfilled the promise that His gospel would reach everyone, including those who had passed away before His incarnate, by actively preaching to the spirits in prison, according to verses like 1 Peter 3:19. This emphasizes the all-encompassing character of salvation as well as God’s justice and mercy. As evidence that He not only died for our sins but also overcame death from inside, Jesus’ descent also represents His authority over sin, death, and the afterlife. He demonstrated His heavenly might and sovereignty by gaining the “keys of hell and death” (Revelation 1:18) as a result of this victory.
Knowing that Jesus has gone before us—even into death—and come out on top is a great source of consolation and confidence for believers in light of these facts. His resurrection signified that the power of death had been permanently defeated, not only that he had come back to life. Jesus assured us that death is not the end but rather a passage into His presence by paving the path for eternal life through His descend and ascension. Because it highlights the breadth of Christ’s love and the depth of His sacrifice for all of humanity, the descent into hell is a theology to be celebrated rather than feared.
