Where did he go, what did he preach (second chance?), and to whom?
Where was Jesus when His body was in the grave?
Thank you for your question. I hope my answer helps you. If you need clarification or have other questions, please let me know.
I Peter 3:19 does not follow verse 18 chronologically. Verse 18 tells of His death and resurrection. Anyone that believe verse 19 and 20 teaches that Christ went to Hades and preached are in the awkward position that He did this in His resurrection body.
I Peter 3:19 “By which (Holy Spirit in the time of Noah) also he went and preached (through Noah) unto the spirits in prison;” (This is from Peter’s prospective: who are now in prison, (i.e. in Hades) because they did not listen to Noah’s preaching.
In the Bible there is no mention of a second chance for salvation after death. But it does say in Heb 9:27, “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes the judgment.” Rev. 20:13-15 The Great White Throne Judgment.
Jesus did not go to hell (as most people think of Hell) between His death and resurrection. But He did go to the place where the spirits of the OT saints were. But you might say, what about Acts 2:27, 31 “He seeing this before spoke (Ps. 16:10) of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.” The word “hell” (OT Hebrew, sheol) and (NT. Greek, hades) means the place of departed spirits.
The Greeks thought that the body was evil and the spirit was good. At death the spirit left the body but they really did not know where the spirit went. Hades to them was a place of the departed spirits. Over time Hades became known only as a place of punishment and misery.
Luke 16:22 says “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell [hades] he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (i.e. Paradise). There was a great gulf between them. I believe that the OT saints, at that time, did not have direct access to the Father.
Before the death of Christ, only the High Priest was allowed to be in His presence. When Christ died the temple veil was torn in two (Matt. 27:51; Heb. 9:8; 10:19-22) showing that the way was now open for all priests (all believers OT and NT) to be in the very presence of the Father.
Jesus said to the thief on the Cross (Luke 23:42-43)"Today thou shall be with me in Paradise." So where was He, “in Paradise.” Paradise is another name for the good place of departed spirits, also called Abraham's bosom in Luke 16:22-23. The thief surely did not go to a place of suffering.