Luke 16:22-23 ESV / 6 helpful votesNot Helpful. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. read the rest yourself. (Hades is not hell, But a place where we will be judged.)
The Bible teaches that the WICKED DEAD are awaiting the Great White Throne Judgement. Everyone has to see their deeds and be judged. Hell is for those that Reject Gods plan of Salvation totally.
Nobody is burning in Hell right now. Those who have ever lived and died are asleep in the grave waiting for the return of Christ and the resurrection. Notice that the Apostle Paul does not describe dead Christians as being active or alive in heaven.
They are asleep-dead-until they are resurrected at Christ's second coming. See 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.
Paul used sleep as a metaphor for death. Yet, from an early age, most of us have been taught that sinners who died were right now being tormented in eternal hellfire. Who's right? Paul or your Sunday School teacher? The Bible says Paul got it right!
But what about Revelation 20:10? Many use this scripture to "prove" that at least two human beings-the "Beast" (Antichrist) and the "False Prophet"-will be tormented eternally in Hell. So let's take a closer look:
"The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast, and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" ( Revelation 20:10).
Look closely at that verse. Do you notice that one word-are-is in italics? That means it isn't part of the Greek text, but was added by translators trying to "make clear" what's in the verse. The problem is, the translators made it clearly wrong!
Satan the Devil will go to the same destination as the Beast and the False Prophet but he will go there as a spirit-being, and will be there long after the Beast and False Prophet-like other unrepentant sinners ( Revelation 19:20; 20:15) have been burned up and destroyed ( Matthew 25:41).
Scripture tells us plainly we have a body and soul. The soul returns to God who gave it. The parable of the rich man tells us, he lifted up his eyes in hell. Period.
How do you understand Luke 16:19-31? Some believe it to be another parable of Jesus, but the fact that Jesus uses first names seems to indicate that Jesus was speaking of real people in real situations.
And Paul also speaks in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 of the fact that while he is in the body (alive on Earth) he is not in God's Presence. But if he is absent in the body (no longer alive on Earth), then he is in God's Presence. Again, some would say that there is a 'gap' between death & man's spirit going to be with the Lord or to Hell but I can't grasp this interpretation, given Paul's inference of a 'no gap' declaration.
We also see 1 Peter 3:18-20, where "Jesus was quickened by the Spirit (after His Crucifixion) & by the Spirit visited those other spirits held captive in prison, those who were disobedient from Noah's days. The point here is not who those spirits were but that they were held captive, whether in a state of suffering or in transition to another state of punishment.
What should we make of such indicators of one's spirit (& soul) departing at death to a place of rest or torment?
Nobody is burning in Hell right now. Those who have ever lived and died are asleep in the grave waiting for the return of Christ and the resurrection. Notice that the Apostle Paul does not describe dead Christians as being active or alive in heaven.
They are asleep-dead-until they are resurrected at Christ's second coming. See 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.
Paul used sleep as a metaphor for death. Yet, from an early age, most of us have been taught that sinners who died were right now being tormented in eternal hellfire. Who's right? Paul or your Sunday School teacher? The Bible says Paul got it right!
But what about Revelation 20:10? Many use this scripture to "prove" that at least two human beings-the "Beast" (Antichrist) and the "False Prophet"-will be tormented eternally in Hell. So let's take a closer look:
"The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast, and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" ( Revelation 20:10).
Look closely at that verse. Do you notice that one word-are-is in italics? That means it isn't part of the Greek text, but was added by translators trying to "make clear" what's in the verse. The problem is, the translators made it clearly wrong!
Satan the Devil will go to the same destination as the Beast and the False Prophet but he will go there as a spirit-being, and will be there long after the Beast and False Prophet-like other unrepentant sinners ( Revelation 19:20; 20:15) have been burned up and destroyed ( Matthew 25:41).
Some people alive have seen visions of hell.
And Paul also speaks in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 of the fact that while he is in the body (alive on Earth) he is not in God's Presence. But if he is absent in the body (no longer alive on Earth), then he is in God's Presence. Again, some would say that there is a 'gap' between death & man's spirit going to be with the Lord or to Hell but I can't grasp this interpretation, given Paul's inference of a 'no gap' declaration.
We also see 1 Peter 3:18-20, where "Jesus was quickened by the Spirit (after His Crucifixion) & by the Spirit visited those other spirits held captive in prison, those who were disobedient from Noah's days. The point here is not who those spirits were but that they were held captive, whether in a state of suffering or in transition to another state of punishment.
What should we make of such indicators of one's spirit (& soul) departing at death to a place of rest or torment?
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