بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
I would like for Christians to explain the distinction between Heaven, Hell, and "Abraham's Bosom". What do the terms used in the Bible such as "Hades", "Sheol", "Gehenna", etc., really mean, what is their distinction if any?
According to the Apostles' Creed, Jesus "descended into hell". What exactly is this hell he descended into? According to this creed, Jesus descended into some kind of hell while he was dead, but it was only
after his resurrection that he ascended to the "right hand of the Father":
"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father" (John 20.17 KJV)
Jesus supposedly made this statement after his resurrection, that his three days and three nights after his death on the cross according to the New Testament. So my question is, why did Jesus say, while he was actually being crucified, that on that very day he will be in paradise, and not three days later after his resurrection? According to the Bible, he was being crucified with two other criminals, and he told them plainly: "I tell you the truth,
today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)