Christ’s Descent into Hades (The Harrowing of Hell)
Christ descends into Hades after his death, where the dead—from Adam, the patriarchs, and the prophets—are gathered in darkness awaiting redemption; they recall a promise that the Son of God would come to heal and raise humanity, while Satan and Hades debate his power and fear his arrival. A divine voice commands the gates to open, Christ enters as the King of glory, shatters the gates, binds Satan, and empties Hades by raising the dead, beginning with Adam, declaring restoration through the cross. He leads the righteous into Paradise, where figures like Enoch, Elijah, and the repentant thief testify, and the risen are sent to bear witness to the resurrection before departing.
Why did the Devil want the body of Moses? (Jude 9)
Jude 9 raises the question, Why would the devil dispute with the archangel Michael over the body of Moses? That dispute is framed as part of a larger biblical pattern: the serpent’s deception in Genesis 3 and the “curse” that functions as the devil’s job change into the “dust eater,” the one who draws humanity toward death and Sheol. Moses’ body is a symbol of a larger contest over where humans belong in death—down in the realm of the grave, or up with God—especially in light of Christ, the Lord of life, who descends into Sheol, breaks it open, and opens heaven for the saints. The argument also draws on Second Temple literature (including the tradition associated with the Testament/Assumption of Moses) and places Michael’s restraint (“The Lord rebuke you”) alongside a warning to remain faithful and not follow the patterns of rebellion associated with Cain, Balaam, and Korah. The central exhortation is that the devil contends for the bodies of the faithful, too, so believers must keep Christ on the throne by allegiance to God’s kingdom and fidelity to Scripture, rather than by compromise, self-sovereignty, or the ethics of pagan worship.