Download (PDF): The Descent of Christ: “He Descended to the Dead.”
The Son of God “descended” or “came down” from an invisible, spiritual realm (heaven) to a visible, physical realm (earth), then descended to another invisible, spiritual realm (the place of the dead) before his resurrection and ascension to heaven. This is obviously difficult to visualize, but the diagram above charts the movement as part of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation. It highlights the threefold cosmology of heaven, earth, and “under the earth,” with the place of the dead compartmentalized for the righteous and unrighteous dead, and includes the text of key Scriptures and creedal/confessional statements.
For more on Christ’s descent, read “He Descended to the Dead: Hope and Comfort on Holy Saturday.”
