SATURDAY October 10, 2026
Who Were the Spirits in Prison?
...by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison....
1 Peter 3:19
Peter taught on a subject that is probably one of the most difficult passages of Scripture in the New Testament. What did Peter mean when he said that Jesus went and preached to the spirits in prison?
Although scholars have differing opinions, most agree that the spirits in prison are fallen angels––the “sons of God” who sinned in the days of Noah, as described in Genesis 6:1-8. Peter also referred to this in 2 Peter 2:4, as does Jude in Jude 1:6-7. Though it is true that “spirits” could sometimes refer to people, the New Testament usually refers to people as “souls,” and “spirits” are most often referred to as angels or demons.
Even though, in the times of Noah, fallen angels were trying to produce a half-angel/half-human, unredeemable race so that the Messiah could not come, it did not work. God foretold the future in that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). The flood came, Noah and his family survived, and much later, Jesus was born. When He died on the Cross, He defeated Satan.
After Jesus died on the Cross, where did He go first? The moment He died, it makes sense that He first went down and proclaimed to the fallen angels held in prison (the Abyss or Tartarus) that He was victorious (1 Peter 3:19). He did not give a message of salvation, for fallen angels cannot be saved. The word for preached in Greek can mean “declare victory.” Again, what 1 Peter 3:19 declared is that between Jesus’ death and Resurrection, He went to Tartarus, where the fallen angels who sinned in the days of Noah were imprisoned, and He declared that He had triumphed over them (Colossians 2:14-15).
You may ask, “What happened to the Old Testament saints? Were they taken to heaven?” Yes, they were taken to Paradise! (Luke 23:43). You see, second, Jesus went to Hades (Abraham’s bosom) and “took captivity captive” (Ephesians 4:8-10). Amazing, amazing!
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in thee.
~Charles Wesley~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
