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72 Hours in the Abyss: Jesus, Baptism, and the Womb of Water
by The Artist One
For 72 hours, Jesus descended into the very depths of hell. There, He bound Satan, stripped him of his authority, and preached to the souls who had passed away prior to His resurrection. This mysterious period between the cross and the empty tomb remains one of the most debated and misunderstood topics in all of theology.
Even Mel Gibson, known for tackling the untouchable, is reportedly struggling to bring this chapter to life in his cinematic sequel to The Passion of the Christ. And who can blame him? These three days are not easily explained. But let me try.
Baptism: The Protective Womb of the Spirit
As many of you know, I bring everything back to baptism. It’s not just a symbolic ritual—it is the covering, the shield, and the spiritual womb that protects us from the fire of the earth and the torment of hell.
Think about the halos in old paintings—the glow around Mary, Jesus, and the angels. These halos represent an energy field, a divine light that often seems to keep them elevated, untouched by the ground. They are in the world, but not of the world—just like how we are meant to live after being born again of water and spirit (John 3:5).
Now consider a child in the womb.
Surrounded by water.
Protected.
Nourished.
The amniotic fluid doesn’t just cushion the baby—it carries energy, nutrients, and yes, even a form of electrical conductivity, much like the spiritual current of God’s Spirit. The womb is a miniature Eden, a place of safety before the journey into a fallen world.
Before the Resurrection: Satan Held the Keys
Before Jesus’ death and resurrection, Satan held dominion over death. The souls of the righteous and the wicked alike were held in a spiritual waiting room, often referred to as Sheol or Abraham’s Bosom (Luke 16:22–23). Even Moses’ bones were contended for by Satan, according to Jude 1:9.
“When the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” – Jude 1:9
Satan tried to claim even the physical remains of God’s chosen. He was the accuser, holding humanity in a grip of death and condemnation.
Jesus Descends with the Power of Baptism
But when Jesus died, He did not enter hell as a prisoner—He entered as a conqueror. Clothed in righteousness, encapsulated in the Spirit, He was surrounded like a baby in a womb—in water and blood, which flowed from His pierced side (John 19:34). This was not just a sign of death—it was a sign of spiritual birth.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits…” – 1 Peter 3:18–19
In that descent, Jesus bound Satan and handed him over to Michael the Archangel—just as we will one day see in Revelation 20:1–3:
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon... and bound him for a thousand years.”
The Garden, The Millennium, and Satan Bound Again
When Satan deceived Adam and Eve, he took dominion over the earth. But God already had a plan—to recreate a garden, a space like Eden, where His presence would dwell once more.
In the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will rule for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4–6), and Satan will be bound once again. There will be a single place on earth where Satan is kept, just like the tree of knowledge was the one place in Eden that contained death.
It’s no coincidence that the Tree of Knowledge stood in the midst of paradise—just as Satan will be bound in the midst of the renewed earth, as a testimony to God’s justice and Christ’s victory.
The End of Water and the Spirit?
When the final kingdom comes, Revelation 21:1 tells us:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”
Why no sea? Because water has always symbolized the Spirit of God—it was present in the beginning (Genesis 1:2), flows through the living (John 7:38), and is the medium of new birth.
Water is life.
Water is spirit.
Without it, there is no existence.
Even the rocks cry out with tears of water.
Creation groans for its Creator.
Drawn from Water: The Message of Moses
And never forget—Moses, the great deliverer, was drawn from water. His very name means “drawn out.” He was the original baptizer, the one who led God's people through the waters of the Red Sea and into the wilderness of testing—just like we must walk through baptism to leave Egypt (the world) behind.
Final Word: Repent and Be Baptized
Baptism is not optional—it is the armor, the womb, the Spirit's embrace.
It is the mark of separation, the entry into Christ's death and resurrection.
If Jesus descended into hell with the Spirit's protection, we too must be covered as we walk through this world.
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:38
Stay in the water. Stay in the Word. Stay in the Spirit.
— The Artist One
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