Cherry Trees in Winter around Tokyo
The Gospel of Nicodemus Reveals the State of the Hell
Nicodemus was mentioned in the Gospels as a member of the Jewish authority who sought teachings of Christ Jesus and provided embalming spices at burial of Christ Jesus.There is an apocryphal work under his name: the Gospel of Nicodemus—was produced in the mid-4th century, and is mostly a reworking of the earlier Acts of Pilate, which recounts the Harrowing of Hell (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicodemus).
This Gospel of Nicodemus is unique in that it describes the state of the Hell when the spirit of Christ Jesus came down to the Hell after death on the cross.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS, OR ACTS OF PILATE
VI (XXII)
1 When Hell and death and their wicked ministers saw that, they were stricken with fear, they and their cruel officers, at the sight of the brightness of so great light in their own realm, seeing Christ of a sudden in their abode, and they cried out, saying: We are overcome by thee. Who art thou that art sent by the Lord for our confusion? Who art thou that without all damage of corruption, and with the signs (?) of thy majesty unblemished, dost in wrath condemn our power? Who art thou that art so great and so small, both humble and exalted, both soldier and commander, a marvelous warrior in the shape of a bondsman, and a King of glory dead and living, whom the cross bare slain upon it? Thou that didst lie dead in the sepulchre hast come down unto us living and at thy death all creation quaked and all the stars were shaken and thou hast become free among the dead and dost rout our legions. Who art thou that settest free the prisoners that are held bound by original sin and restorest them into their former liberty? Who art thou that sheddest thy divine and bright light upon them that were blinded with the darkness of their sins? After the same manner all the legions of devils were stricken with like fear and cried out all together in the terror of their confusion, saying: Whence art thou, Jesus, a man so mighty and bright in majesty, so excellent without spot and clean from sin? For that world of earth which hath been always subject unto us until now, and did pay tribute to our profit, hath never sent unto us a dead man like thee, nor ever dispatched such a gift unto Hell. Who then art thou that so fearlessly enterest our borders, and not only fearest not our torments, but besides essayest to bear away all men out of our bonds? Peradventure thou art that Jesus, of whom Satan our prince said that by thy death of the cross thou shouldest receive the dominion of the whole world.
2 Then did the King of glory in his majesty trample upon death, and laid hold on Satan the prince and delivered him unto the power of Hell, and drew Adam to him unto his own brightness. (http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelnicodemus.html)
It is interesting that evil spirits in the Hell took Christ Jesus as so great and so small, both humble and exalted, both soldier and commander, a marvelous warrior in the shape of a bondsman, and a King of glory dead and living, whom the cross bare slain upon it.
It is interesting that people in the 4th century such as Romans had a belief that the spirit of Christ Jesus visited the Hell to release all the spirits captured in the Hell and put Satan under the power of the Hell.
Such spiritual interpretations of work and activities of Christ Jesus are rarely found in today's churches, though they teach that there are Heaven, the Hell, and the spirit world.
++++ ++++ ++++
Matthew 12, King James Version
10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.