Number 347 November 17, 2010
HELL/Hades
"...the rich man also died and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, BEING IN TORMENTS, seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom," Luke16:23.& 23.
Even before I was saved (1959) I believed in Hell. And, I've learned a bit more about the God-forsaken place. A lot of scholarly works are used, but one favorite of mine is The Companion Bible.
It's author, E. W. Bullinger, says that our English word, Hell, comes from two Greek words: Hades and Gehenna. His conclusion is that the Greek word Hades, should be termed, "The Grave." Let's look at Hell/Hades.
Over time, my thinking has changed somewhat about Hell/Hades. It is a place of God's judgment for the lost. It does have two compartments. Luke 16 has Abraham's comfort for one area, and a bed of hot fire for the other place.
Hell/Hades is still not a place to go. However, looking closely, we don't get the idea that its a place of actual flames doing the tormenting. Rather, I think of a place where man's spirit is tormented.
When we look beyond the flames, Luke 16 reveals God His Holy judgment. Further, without God's love, mercy; yea, without His Son, man must face eternity without any life at all.
Luke 16 presents a picture of God's leaving man alone; all alone. God isn't there and, without God, no life exists. Torment is what Luke 16 records for those who go to Hell/Hades.
God is present on earth, all the time. He's in the Old Testament where we read of the fire in the bush that caused Moses to turn aside (Ex 3:2). God was in the bush.
And, when Moses lifted up the rod against Egypt "..and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground" (Ex 9:23).
This powerful account states that "...there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation" (Ex 9:24). So, while fires were used to support God's judgment, we have to look behind the fire accounts and see The Almighty's power. God is above all physical objects.
What kind of punishment did (does) the rich man encounter? He is without any spiritual support. The rich man is left alone. Once his body and spirit were separated, the rich man had no place to go. In Hell/Hades, there is no where to find relief.
Separation is taught throughout the Bible. James says that separation occurs for man at death. "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead (faith) also," 2:26. Without a body and, without God, the rich man had no life. He could not see life. But, he saw others who did! He saw Lazarus.
The Bible is clear that a separation takes place between God and man since the time of Adam's sin. Man's first separation is a spiritual death. Sin separates man from God. Then, at death, man is separated from his body while in the grave. Without salvation, man is left alone, in spirit, for eternity
The final separation is seen in Revelation 20:15. Here, Hades/Hell is cast into the "Lake of fire." The gospel message says that man is empty, without spiritual life until he believes in Jesus Christ. Without Christ, death removes man's body and, death removes life from God.
It is very clear, as long as a separation exists, man is unable to continue to live. Without God and His love for man, there is nothing coming but separation. Thank the Lord that we have life in His Son, Jesus.
In the case of Luke 16, the rich-man perceived a true life's view of what it means to be away from God. Notice: He was in a location of impassable distance. It was "A great gulf!" And, it was a fixed gulf. The rich man saw things now, that he did not see while on earth.
Although, the rich man had Moses and the prophets to learn God's warnings, he must have thought that it couldn't happen to him.
How about you? Judgment is coming! Don't expect help from the world, either. If we are to escape eternal punishment, it will be by God's grace. Read Ephesians 2:8-9. And please, read it carefully.
While, we cannot see Hell/Hades with fleshly eyes, its torment touches us, nevertheless. And, without Christ as your Savior, torment will be immediate and final, at death.
That's why the story of Luke 16 is written. These are the words of Jesus, remember. Clearly, no one wants to go to Hell/Hades or, anywhere near it. But, if they do, they become missionaries, that very moment. A missionary is made as quickly as the eternal pain and suffering of God's judgment happens. Man becomes concerned for others - for family, at least.
So, it was with the rich man. His requests were very sad. He cried for mercy, wanting just a little water "to cool my tongue" (Lk 16:24). The Flames of God's judgment are real and tormenting!
But, as we analyze the rich man's requests, we see a "reap what you sow" fulfillment. The rich man asked for aide and help from the very person that he neglected while on earth. On earth, all that Lazarus asked was "... to be fed with the crumbs from the rich man's table" (Lk 16:21).
God's judgment denied the rich-man's cries for mercy. And, with an impassable gulf, the rich man made a final request. He pleaded, "...send him (Lazarus) to my father's house" (Lk 16:27).
Earlier, when he was alive and on earth, the Richman family got together often. The family enjoyed life 'sumptuously' (V19). The family fared well. Never was there a care for the rich man's family.
As Lazarus lay from his gated position outside the window, he must have heard the brothers talking about their life. Ishmael Richman said, 'Look at these, duds." And, Brother Esau Richman exclaimed, "What color! I love purple. And the linen is so clean and beautiful."
All six brothers had not a care. But now, the older one was in torment and begged for Abraham to "... send Lazarus to my father's house: for I have five brothers; that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment," Luke 16:27b & 28.
Luke's account of God's judgment is horrible to man's mind. He runs and runs from such a declaration; just like Adam did in the garden. But, the answer is not running from God. It's running to God. There, you'll find His Son Jesus, waiting with open arms. Guaranteed salvation will assure your heart that you will never be where the rich man is. In Christ, there is life.