To whom did Yeshua make a Proclamation when He descended into “Hell”?

We have traditionally been taught that Yeshua descended into “Hell” to preach the Gospel to those who had died prior to His coming in order to release them from there. Understanding that when we die we are in the grave awaiting our resurrection (John 5.21-31) and not in heaven; the following description makes complete sense.

Yeshua went to proclaim to the disobedient spirits that He had triumphed over to put them on notice of their coming final eternal punishment. The information below is from a teaching by Tony Robinson on the Nephilim. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfY6q8ew9_Y

Tony is an outstanding Hebrew Foundation teacher. Take some time to watch his Youtube videos.

1 Peter 3:19-4:1 – ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring ^[a]us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,  ¹⁹ by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who formerly were disobedient, ^[a]when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. ²¹ There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

1 Peter 3.18-22 teaches the following:

3.19 – Pertains to Yeshua going to a specific place to a specific group of disobedient spirits (angels) who are in some type of prison.

3.22- Pertains to Yeshua going into heaven with all angels, authorities, and powers now subject to Him.

Thus, 1 Peter 1.19 does not teach that Yeshua was preaching the Gospel to people in Sheol/Hades! Yeshua was simply heralding or making a proclamation to the spirits in prison that had been disobedient during the time of Noah.

Note: The NASB translates preached as proclamation: “in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.”

Was Yeshua preaching the gospel in 1 Peter 3.19?

Kay-roos’so – means to herald/proclaim but not specifically the Gospel. Luke 9.2 – He sent them to preach (kay-roos’s-so) the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Revelation 14.6 - Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— Yoo-ang-ghel-id’-zo – means to preach the Gospel.

Yeshua was simply heralding or making a proclamation to the spirits in prison that had been disobedient in the days of Noah.

Note: The NASB translates preached as proclamation: “in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.”

When did these spirits act in disobedience?

1 Peter 3.18-20 - For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring ^[a]us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, ¹⁹ by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who formerly were disobedient, ^[b]when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

These are the same spirits Jude was talking about! Those who are held in everlasting chains under darkness. See the Connections?

2 Peter 2.4-6 - For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to ^[a]hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

Where are these spirits being held captive? 2 Peter 2.4 - For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 

The word translated as hell is tar-tar-o’-o a place where the most vial, wicked beings are being held imprisoned for judgment. This is the Abyss.

The word Tartarus is not found anywhere else in the Apostolic writings, or in the Septuagint. Therefore we must look to the Greek writers for its meaning. It was regarded by the ancient Greeks as 1) the abode of the wicked dead or 2) the place where the Titans (who were defeated by Zeus) were restrained.

Jude 6-7 - ⁶ And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; ⁷ as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Peter 3:19-20 - ¹⁹ by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Source: Tony Robinson, Restoration of Torah, “Who were the Nephilim” as seen on Youtube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfY6q8ew9_Y