22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Our pastor, Manning Strickland, preached on this story and did such a wonderful job explaining. I decided to ruminate over it some more in this blog post. It was just too good not to meditate on it. And one way I can get it deeper in my spirit is to write about it and study it over again. Thank you, Pastor Manning Strickland (Legacy Outreach, Pauline, SC) for this timely and deep word.
Pastor Manning pointed out that this is not one of Jesus' Parables. Because it mentions a man by name and says "there was a certain man". This was a true story that Jesus was relating.
This story is NOT describing Heaven or Hell. I have discussed this in previous blog posts. What happens when someone dies? We all go to a place called Hades (the Place of the Dead) where there are two areas that are separated by an uncrossable chasm. One are is called Torments (aka Tartarus) and is reserved for those who are lost and die without Jesus Christ. The other is called Paradise and is reserved for those who have believed in Jesus and are saved. This is a temporary address. We will not spend eternity in Torments or Paradise (all part of Hades). We are there until the end of times when Jesus judges from His throne.
You see, there are those who refuse Jesus Christ and are therefore dead in their sins. Once you are dead, you no longer have a choice. While we still have breath in our bodies, we have a choice. We can choose to accept Jesus Christ and His forgiveness for our sins or we can continue to reject the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. Once we are dead, and we no longer have a heartbeat, the choice you made is eternal. So for those who have rejected Christ, they will enter Torments and begin their torment and punishment. For those who have trusted in Jesus Christ and been forgiven of their sins, they will enter Paradise to begin their joy and blessings.
When God created us, and He blew His breath of life into us, our soul was eternal. It will live forever either with Christ or without Christ. Your soul is the part of you that makes you who you are. It's your memories, intelligence, your experiences, your recognition of who you are and who others are. It's not the physical body. If I were to write a letter to a loved one and forgot to sign it, they would know who it's from anyway because of my handwriting, my words, the expression of my concerns or activities, etc. I am uniquely known by my loved ones. God made me who I am and He knows me as different from anybody else. Same for you. That part of us will live forever somewhere. Where will you live? In Torments and then Hell or in Paradise and then Heaven?
Revelation 20:11-15 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
If you are saved through Jesus Christ then your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. You have no fear of the Great White Throne Judgment. You are saved. This judgment is reserved for those who are lost. So the dead, the unsaved, will be brought before this throne. Those in Hades will be brought out of Torments and will be brought before this throne. The books will be opened and I imagine all their sins are revealed for what they really are. No justifications, no talking your way out, no conning, no explanations - it is what it is and you will know it when you see it. Then you are thrown in the Lake of Fire.
Mark 9:42-48 (King James Version - KJV) 42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
"Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched". These words are a quotation from Isaiah 66:24. Normally, a fire extinguishes when it no longer has fuel to feed it. A worm dies when there is no longer anything to feed upon. But, in this case, it's everlasting, no end to the torment. St. Bernard says "the worm that never dies is the memory of the past, which never ceases to gnaw the conscience of the impenitent." Gill's Exposition says, "the consciences of sinners, will be continually flying in their faces, bringing their sins to remembrance, accusing them of them, upbraiding them with them, aggravating them, tormenting them for them, filling them with dreadful anguish and misery, with twinging remorses, and severe reflections, and which will never have an end. This will be always the case; conscience will be ever distressing, racking, and torturing them; it will never cease..."
Let's read this again in a modern translation (New Living Bible): 42 “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. 45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’
Some think you just cease to exist when you die. Or that the lost will be thrown in the Lake of Fire and burned up, annihilated. But this scripture speaks to a continual, everlasting torment. It doesn't end, people! You will have eternity of regrets, of tormenting, gnawing punishment.
Some will say, "A good God wouldn't have a hell or send people to everlasting punishment. That's not my kind of God, my God is a God of love." You haven't thought it through have you? God is a good and loving God and He did provide a way out for everyone. He sent His only Son so that whoever believes on Him shall have everlasting life (John 3:16). God didn't want anyone to go to Torments and then to the Lake of Fire so He, personally, provided a way out. But we have to take His way out. It's not up to us to save ourselves, for we cannot do it. We are all sinners. We all need salvation. We all need forgiveness. And Jesus provides it. We want to believe that we can save ourselves, that we can be in control, that we can dictate the terms of salvation. But there is only one way to salvation and Heaven and that's God's Way, through Jesus Christ, His Son. God loves each and every human being He created and He wanted to provide a way for everyone. So Jesus came to earth and took our sins upon Himself and provided the way to salvation. But it has to be through Him. No other way works. All religions don't lead to the same God and to Heaven. You can't be a Buddhist, Hinduist, Atheist (yes, that's a religion), Agnostic, Humanist, Wiccan, etc and think you will end up in Heaven. It is God's Way or no way and God's Way is only through His Son, Jesus Christ. Don't be deceived into thinking that you can be a good follower of the Native American Great Spirit and it lead to God and salvation. You have to believe and acknowledge Jesus Christ and Him only.
What is judgment for the believer? There is another throne and only believers will stand before it. It is the Judgment Seat of Christ. We are saved and our eternity is assured but our works will be judged at this throne. Only those who are saved appear before this throne.
2 Corinthians 5:10 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
Matthew 6:19-21 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Jesus Christ is our foundation but we each build upon that foundation by our works and life. Do we build with wood, hay, straw or do we build with gold, silver, costly stones? When you put wood, hay or straw in a fire, it burns up and is gone in a whiff of smoke. If you put gold, silver and costly stones in a fire, they are purified and remain. So what is left after the fire will be what our rewards are based upon. We are saved, but we get rewards. I'm not sure what these rewards will be. They will include crowns! In the Greek Olympic games the winners got a crown of leaves to wear. The leaves would wither and die but our crowns are imperishable.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable.
There will be mansions! The Greek word here actually means an abode or place to live in so it's sometimes translated as room(s) rather than mansions but it means Jesus is preparing a wonderful place for each of us to live in and it's close to Him.
John 14:1-3 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
We will have jobs perfectly suited to us and in which we will be very happy. Will our rewards have something to do with our jobs? I.e. Jesus says we will rule with Him and maybe some rule more or less based on our rewards?
But none of this is going to change the fact that we are welcomed into Heaven and will spend an eternity with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and everything will be perfect with no more sin, sickness, aging, pain or sorrow! But our works will be judged as through fire.
So let's go back to our scripture about the rich man and Lazarus. In Hades, in the area called Torments, everyone is receiving the same degree of punishment because they haven't stood before the Great White Throne Judgment yet. In the area called Paradise, everyone is enjoying the same bliss and joy because they haven't stood before the Judgment Seat of Christ yet. At these judgments, the unsaved will be raised out of Torments and stand before the Great White Throne. They only thought they had been in torment while they were in Hades/Torments. They will have no say and cannot plead a cause because they are lost. Once you die, it's too late to change your mind. The saved will be raised out of Paradise and stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. They only thought they had been blessed and joyful in Paradise, but now they are about to enter their eternal reward and how much better even it will be than Paradise was. Jesus was with them in Paradise. As they were crucified on the cross, the thief believed in Jesus Christ and Jesus made him a promise.
Luke 23:42-43 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43 And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
2 Corinthians 5:8 "to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord".
Now the rich man didn't go to Torments because he was rich or had an easy life. And the poor man didn't go to Paradise because he was poor or had a rough life. In verse 30, the rich man knows it was because he had not repented. Lazarus was in Paradise because he had repented. To repent means to change your mind about your sins and agree with God that your sins damn you and you need a savior, Jesus Christ, to forgive you and give you eternal life. The moment you quit trying to rely on your "goodness" and "good works" to get you into Heaven; the minute you realize that you are damned if not for Jesus Christ; the second you get the true picture and reach out to Jesus... you have repented. It's a free gift and all you have to do is repent and ask for Jesus.
What about those who have never heard of Jesus? See this post. The mentally handicapped, young children, someone living on a mountaintop in the Himalayas? Do you really think that God cannot reveal Himself to each and every person? He certainly knows where each person is and what condition they are in. He also knows if they have a heart after God, a desire for God, an attitude that seeks for God. He will make sure that all who hunger for Him will be fed. It may be that a missionary is sent, or a dream is given, or a vision reveals truth, or it's heard on a radio wave or in a TV program or a Bible finds it's way to them. But God is not limited and He certainly knows how to reach each person.
I recently read a story in The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals by Aaron Mahnke. I have no idea if it's true but a certain young nun in Spain began to have visions of visiting a Native American tribe called the J_______ (I can't remember the name) and for 3 months she had these dreams or visions of teaching them of Christ. Then the visions stopped. Her order of nuns wore blue robes. One day, in the New World (in Texas), a group of Indians came to a frontier town and asked a Spanish Priest if a missionary could come to their village and teach them more about Jesus Christ. Talk about a missionary work falling into your hands!?! The Priest was curious about how they even knew to ask for someone to teach them about Christ. The Indians said they had seen a young woman in a blue robe and for 3 months she had taught them about Jesus and they wanted to know more. The tribe of Native Americans were called the J________.
Of course, I don't know if this story is true but I certainly don't doubt God can do that in order to reach someone if they have an open heart towards God. A child can only be responsible if they have reached an age where they understand and accept (or reject) Jesus Christ. Same with someone who is mentally handicapped. Either God will be able to get through to them (He did create their mind, their brain, did He not?) or they are not held responsible.
On the second part of our pastor's message, he said there are things we can know about Hades from the scripture passage.
1) There is sensory perception. You are conscious. The rich man lifted up his eyes (sight), he cried out to Abraham (speech), he heard Abraham's reply (hearing) he asked for a drop of water to touch his tongue (taste), he talked about a finger (touch). He does not have a physical body, but he is still able to see, hear, taste, touch.
2) He has a spiritual form because it talks about a finger, eyes, tongue. He has some type of form that is recognizable and with which he can still use his senses. (His physical, earthly body is buried in the earth and won't be raised until the end.)
3) Recognizable identity. The rich man knew himself. He recognized Lazarus. He knew Abraham. He was in Torments but he could look over the chasm into Paradise and recognize people there (Abraham and Lazarus).
4) There is memory. He remembers his former life and how he knew Lazarus. He remembers he has 5 brothers still living. He remembered his lost opportunities to repent.
5) He has a desire to escape but he can't. He knows he can't. This remorse and regret is tangible.
6) He has a hopeless concern. He remembers his 5 brothers and is concerned in case they end up in Torments with him. But his concern for them is frustrated as there is nothing he can do. He had a chance on earth to lead them to repentance and to God but he didn't and now, he can't.
7) He has misguided theology. He tried to reason with Abraham about theology and how to figure out a way to reach his brothers.
27 "I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
So now the question is, Why?!? Why do we refuse and reject the only way to forgiveness, to a better life, to an eternal life in glory!?!?! Our eyes are blinded, our ears won't hear, our heart is hard and refuses the truth, our minds are deceived. We are willful and stubborn.
Now stubborn isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as you are stubborn for the right things. You have the power to determine what your heart accepts or rejects. You can harden your heart against the devil and that's a good thing. I can stubbornly believe in Jesus Christ, in the inerrancy (meaning, without error) of the Word, and in living my life as close to God as I can. These are good things. If I'm stubborn about it, then I won't be tossed about by every whim and new doctrine or ping-ponging back and forth to every fad or new fangled idea. For instance, no matter how "modern" and "American" it is, I still believe that sin is still sin in God's eyes and something we need to fight against. Just because everyone else has accepted it as a "lifestyle choice" doesn't mean it's no longer a sin. Or just because a wave of fashionable ideas takes on, doesn't mean I fall for it. I compare it to the Bible, my standard, and I stubbornly accept what the Bible says above any new thing. For instance, racism is wrong and according to the Bible, we should love our fellow men/women no matter what color or culture they are. They are created by God and are loved by Him and Jesus died for them just as He did for me. So being a racist is wrong according to the Bible. On the other hand, the way these anti-racists went about pushing their "new" agenda was very wrong. Calling themselves Antifa (Anti-Fascist), being violent, trying to steal and kill their way to the top is as wrong as it gets and I cannot be a part of it. I'm stubbornly sticking to what the Bible says: we are all loved by God but we are all sinners who need a Savior. Being white or black or purple doesn't make us any more, or any less, a sinner or any more superior, or inferior, than others.
But being stubborn can be a very bad thing when you are stubbornly rejecting Christ, stubbornly refusing the work of the Holy Spirit to lead you to salvation, stubbornly keeping your eyes and ears closed to the call of Jesus. We can be hard headed and cold hearted.
A hardened heart is: (1) unable to perceive, (2) unable to understand, (3) unable to see, (4) unable to hear, and (5) unable to remember. Someone with a hardened heart just can’t see spiritual truth. Mark 6:52 “For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” The disciples had Jesus right in front of them and had just seen the miracle of Jesus dividing the loaves and fishes and feeding thousands of people but they still weren't getting the point. They "considered not" which means they didn't study, ponder, deliberate, examine, focus on, think upon, or meditate on it.
Jeremiah 18:12 "But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'
Isaiah 42:18-25 Israel’s Failure to Listen and See
18 “Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind!
19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant?
Who is as deaf as my messenger?
Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD?
20 You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it.
You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.”
21 Because he is righteous, the LORD has exalted his glorious law.
22 But his own people have been robbed and plundered, enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped.
They are fair game for anyone and have no one to protect them, no one to take them back home.
23 Who will hear these lessons from the past and see the ruin that awaits you in the future?
24 Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt?
It was the LORD, against whom we sinned, for the people would not walk in his path, nor would they obey his law.
25 Therefore, he poured out his fury on them and destroyed them in battle.
They were enveloped in flames, but they still refused to understand.
They were consumed by fire, but they did not learn their lesson.
Jeremiah 16:12 You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me.
Matthew 13:11-15 11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. 14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. 15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
Hebrews 3:7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart..."
Don't harden your heart against Jesus Christ and the Word of God. Don't reject the working of the Holy Spirit who is trying to get your attention and point you to the truth.
One last point our pastor made: Knowing how horrible Torments (aka Tartarus) and then the Lake of Fire is, wouldn't you want to stop people from ever going there? Jesus has provided the way out and we know the truth. Frankly, I wouldn't want my worst enemy to spend eternity in hell. I know people get mad and say things like, "I hope you rot in hell" or "Go to hell". But do they really know what they are talking about? It's not something to take lightly. If we believe in Torments and Hell why aren't we telling everyone? If we aren't, either we don't really believe or we are satisfied that we are saved and could care less about anyone else's salvation. How selfish is that? I know people don't want to hear the gospel and many will say things like, "Don't try to force your Bible down my throat". They won't appreciate your intent to help them.
We need to approach people with love and respect. Once we've told them the truth about salvation through Jesus Christ, then it's no longer our responsibility and it's between them and God. But if we don't tell them the truth, then we may be held accountable for our failure in speaking up. Don't get me wrong, their salvation doesn't depend on me. What I do, or don't do, doesn't have enough power to determine someone's eternal life. If I'm not obedient, I will be held accountable for my disobedience, but God will use someone else or another way to reach out to the person. Nothing hinges on me. That would give me too much power. But my goal, as a Christian, is to learn what my wonderful Father wants me to do and do it! I love my Father God and I should want to obey Him. His Word tells us to witness so I should be obedient and tell others of Jesus Christ and the way to salvation. It's called sharing the gospel (the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ) or witnessing.
After these two sermons, our pastor gave an altar call. It was not only to ask if anyone needed to come forward and accept Christ, but also for those who want to join in God's work in sharing the gospel and who want to be obedient. That's what got me. I'm ashamed to confess that I don't witness like I should. I have neglected this commandment and I had to ask for forgiveness.