Yes, Jesus went to the realm called Sheol, Hades, or hell, but He went specifically to the paradise side, not the place of torment.
Jesus told the thief on the cross, "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Les Feldick explains that paradise was a compartment within the same underworld as the torment side, separated by a great gulf. He teaches that Jesus descended into hell but went to the paradise side, and at His resurrection He took paradise to heaven.
Luke 23:43 — Jesus promises the thief that he will be with Him in paradise that day, showing He went to a place called paradise.
Luke 16:26 — The great gulf fixed between paradise and torment shows they are two distinct areas within the same realm.
Revelation 20:13 — Death and hell deliver up the dead for judgment, showing hell is a temporary holding place, not the final lake of fire.
Matthew 27:52-53 — The graves were opened and many bodies of saints arose after Jesus' resurrection, tying resurrection events to His death and burial.
In Luke 23:43, Jesus speaks to the dying thief: "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." The book of Luke also records the account of the rich man and Lazarus, where Abraham and Lazarus are in a place of comfort while the rich man is in torment, and "there is a great gulf fixed" between them (Luke 16:26). Revelation 20:13 says, "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." This shows that hell is not the final place of punishment, because it must give up its dead for judgment. Matthew 27:52-53 records that at the time of Christ's death and resurrection, "the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection."
Les Feldick teaches that in the Old Testament economy, believers did not go up to heaven when they died. Instead, they went down into paradise, which was a part of the realm called Sheol, Hades, or hell. He points to the thief on the cross as proof: Jesus told him, "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Les explains that when the Apostles' Creed says Jesus descended into hell, it means He went into the paradise side of that underworld, not into the torment side where the rich man was. He also teaches that at His resurrection, Jesus took paradise to heaven, and since then Paul can write that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Les further teaches that hell, as the place for the unsaved dead, is located in the center of the earth and will be emptied before the Great White Throne judgment, after which its occupants will be cast into the lake of fire.
The Bible shows Abraham and Lazarus in one area described as paradise, while the rich man is in a separate area of torment, with a great gulf fixed between them. Les Feldick uses this account to show that the same realm — Hades or hell — contained two different conditions. Jesus went to the paradise side, not the torment side.
Les Feldick teaches that in Old Testament times, believers went down into paradise rather than up to heaven. He says this is why the thief on the cross was promised paradise, not heaven. Old Testament believers could not enter heaven because there had been no atoning bloodshed yet; the blood of animals and goats was only a stopgap.
Les Feldick teaches that on resurrection morning, Jesus took paradise to heaven. This changed the experience of believers who die; now to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, rather than going down to a compartment in the center of the earth.
Les Feldick describes hell as being in the center of the earth. He teaches that its inhabitants will be resurrected bodily and brought before the Great White Throne, after which they will be cast into the lake of fire. Since the present earth will be destroyed, hell must be emptied first.
Death and Hell Deliver Up the Dead
Les explains that hell is a temporary holding place for the unsaved dead who will be resurrected for the Great White Throne judgment and then cast into the lake of fire.
Jesus Descended Into Paradise
Les directly addresses the question by explaining that Jesus descended into Hades/hell but went into the paradise side, not the torment side, and later took paradise to heaven.
Today You Will Be With Me in Paradise
Les uses Jesus' promise to the thief to show that in the Old Testament economy, believers went down to paradise at death, which is where Jesus went.
Redemption Explained: From Law to Grace (Romans 3 & 6)
We have died with Him. But now let's go one step further. I probably haven't got that straight. But anyway, when they took Christ from the cross, what did they do with Him? Where was He placed? In the sepulcher, in the grave. He was buried. Then after the third day and the third night, what happened? He rose from the dead. Now we've got to carry this identification all the way through.
The Three Stages of Resurrection — 1 Corinthians 15:22-23 Explained
At the time of the crucifixion, and we come down to verse 51 of Matthew 27. Christ in verse 50 has just given up the ghost, He�s died. Verse 51, And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. The earth did quake, and the rocks rent, all in response to what had just happened up there on Calvary, and his death. All of nature responded convulsively.
Old Testament Saints Went to Paradise
Les explains that Old Testament saints went to paradise rather than heaven, and that Israel's promises were earthly.
Hell Emptied for the Great White Throne
Les teaches that hell is in the center of the earth and must be emptied before the earth is destroyed, so that its inhabitants can stand before the Great White Throne.
Saints Rose After Christ's Resurrection
Les clarifies that the bodies of saints came out of the graves after Jesus' resurrection, not while He was still on the cross.
Luke 23:43: And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Jesus directly tells the thief on the cross where he will be that day — paradise.
Luke 16:26: And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
This verse shows that paradise and torment are separate areas within the same realm.
Matthew 27:52-53: And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
The resurrection of many saints is connected to Jesus' death and resurrection.
Revelation 20:13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Hell delivers up its inhabitants for judgment, showing it is not the final place of punishment.
No. Les Feldick teaches that Jesus went to the paradise side of Hades, not the torment side. The rich man was in torment, separated from paradise by a fixed gulf.
Les Feldick explains that paradise was located within the same underworld called Sheol, Hades, or hell. Jesus descended into that realm, but He went to the paradise compartment, not the place of torment.
Since Jesus took paradise to heaven at His resurrection, Les Feldick teaches that believers today who die are absent from the body and present with the Lord, rather than going down to the Old Testament paradise.
No. Hell is a temporary place that will give up its dead for the Great White Throne judgment. After that, the unsaved will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
Watch the Teaching: What Happens After Hell? The Great White Throne Explained