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Let us check the whole Book of John 11 to be sure.
John 11 New International Version (NIV)
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
View attachment 192069
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
View attachment 192074
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
View attachment 192073
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
View attachment 192070
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
View attachment 192071
What can we learn from this Chapter?
CONCLUSION: When people die we won't have an after-life immediately. We are to decay, smell like a dead rat then return to the dust and on Judgement Day to awake then judged according to what we have done.
- Lazarus did not go to heaven when he died, not even in hell
- Lazarus had been dead for 4 days
- Lazarus was already rotting
- The Lord Jesus Christ resurrected Lazarus from the dead
- If Lazarus was having fun in heaven on Day 1, the Lord Jesus won't resurrect Lazarus, wouldn't he?
- Lazarus was dead and The Lord Jesus said he was asleep
- When we die, we will be asleep, then rot and on Judgement Day rise again.
.Let us check the whole Book of John 11 to be sure.
John 11 New International Version (NIV)
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
View attachment 192069
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
View attachment 192074
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
View attachment 192073
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
View attachment 192070
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
View attachment 192071
What can we learn from this Chapter?
CONCLUSION: When people die we won't have an after-life immediately. We are to decay, smell like a dead rat then return to the dust and on Judgement Day to awake then judged according to what we have done.
- Lazarus did not go to heaven when he died, not even in hell
- Lazarus had been dead for 4 days
- Lazarus was already rotting
- The Lord Jesus Christ resurrected Lazarus from the dead
- If Lazarus was having fun in heaven on Day 1, the Lord Jesus won't resurrect Lazarus, wouldn't he?
- Lazarus was dead and The Lord Jesus said he was asleep
- When we die, we will be asleep, then rot and on Judgement Day rise again.
I think that many folks' view of hell is more influenced by Dante's Inferno than what is actually written in the Bible. Jesus' main description was that it was a place of outer darkness where people will wail and gnash their teeth. We have no idea where that is, but what we do know is that it is not within the bounds of our physical universe. We know from parts of the Bible (The Transfiguration, for instance) that there is another place outside our physical universe, because when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, they had to come from somewhere. And when Jesus ascended into the cloud (not iCloud, by the way! I couldn't help that.) He would have to have gone somewhere. Also, He is seated at the right hand of God, so there must be a place where the throne of God is situated. Jacob saw a ladder leading somewhere with angels ascending and descending. Where they were coming from or going to, we don't really know.
What we do know about hell, and I think we are talking about where unbelievers finally end up after the Judgment, which incidentally might take thousands of years, is that it is a definite place where there is total separation from God, and where unbelievers live out eternity with serious regrets that they did not accept Christ when they had the chance.
The lesson for all of us is, accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ while you have the chance in this Day of Grace, because when it is all over, What then?
The greatest promise in the bible is to be grantet the gift of eternal life. Only those who accept Christ is grantet this gift. But if hell is a place were humans experience regret, torment or anything else,-then it means that these individuals also receive eternal life. Wouldn't it be simpler to just discard with them once and for all? -In other words total and eternal anihilation? The bible says that God doesn't take pleasure in anyone's death, but eternal and everlasting torment beyond measure is OK? -I have yet to hear any pastor / teacher / theologian explain why God would prefer torment instead of simply anihilate the damned.
Jesus tells us to not fear those who can destroy our flesh, but to fear He who has the power to destroy both our flesh and soul. What is the original meaning of the word "destroy"? -Does it mean anihilation / going out of existence?
If so, can a soul that is destroyed / anihilated / gone out of existence regret or sense / feel anything?
Is there something about our ideas regarding hell that doesn't quite add up?
And what truth does it teach? A parable has a main meaning to it, right? What is it that Jesus wants the Pharisees to perceive from this story? If you are rich and don't give to the poor, you go to a place of torment in the afterlife and when you're poor you go to a place of relief? So as long as you're poor, you'll go to heaven? Because that's what the parable teaches if we choose to take it to its literal conclusion. Or was Jesus using commonly held ideas and images (that are not necessarily "truth" since we know Paul and others used secular ideas to make their points to a secular/pagan audience) to make a point?
If you look at the preceding parables, they are directed at the hypocritical leadership who turn away from the lost/poor, not using their blessings and wealth for the lost, the poor, and the gentile "sinners." To their shock and astonishment, what Jesus is telling them is that God's kingdom will be taken away from them and they will be left outside in the darkness where there is gnashing of teeth (anger and regret) and God will take in the foreigner, the gentile, the sinner, the lost. And that is exactly who God sent his message to after going to Israel for many, many years. God's message was taken to the outskirts, the gentile nations, and every single one of them by faith were welcomed into his Church, his Body, his Kingdom. For it is not by circumcision of works one is welcomed into the kingdom but by faith in God's message through His Messiah.
The parable has nothing to do with an afterlife and everything to do with a here and now life.
Is Hades a person?
Is Hades a supernatural being?
Or is Hades a place?
I don't want to give an opinion on the matter. I rather find the answers to the questions using the holy book. There might be somebody who might say - Hades is a cartoon character played by James Woods in Hercules.
View attachment 192092
Why did Christ used "Hades" as a term? Well, during those times, Greek was a popular spoken language like English today and later it would be easier for the Gentiles to comprehend things. Now going back, what or who or where or when is Hades? One bible verse and a couple of versions of the bible - will prove Hades is a place.
Luke 16:23 New International Version (NIV)
In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
Luke 16:23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise).
Luke 16:23 Common English Bible (CEB)
While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side.
Luke 16:23 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
He was sent to the place of death and was in great pain. He saw Abraham far away with Lazarus in his arms.
How does Hades look like?
View attachment 192091
The gates of Hades is also the power of death as described and used by the Lord Jesus - figuratively
Matthew 16:18 New International Version (NIV)
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Matthew 16:18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].
Matthew 16:18 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
So I will call you Peter, which means “a rock.” On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it.
Matthew 16:18 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
So I tell you, you are Peter. And I will build my church on this rock. The power of death will not be able to defeat my church.
Matthew 16:18 Good News Translation (GNT)
And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it.
Matthew 16:18New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:18Tree of Life Version (TLV)
And I also tell you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My community; and the gates of Sheol will not overpower it.
CONCLUSION: Hades is a place, it is death. We are going to Hades - all people are.
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Authors wrote according to what was known at the time. It was thought that Hell was deep in the earth, but we know these days that this is not the case. When Jesus died he left the physical universe and went somewhere else outside the universe. The Greeks believed in a physical world and a spiritual world. This may explain some things, for example, how angels and demons come and go from the physical world and another "world" we know little of.Jesus went into the lower regions of the earth and preached to those in prison. What is in the lower regions of the earth? Lava!
So I would say with all other scripture included hell is a real place in the lower regions of the earth and the parable was true.
As for the rich, he said it is harder for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. But with man it impossible, with God nothing is impossible. Camels had to get on their knees to go through the place called "The Eye of The Needle". Now was David, Solomon, and many other rich men of the old testament in Abraham's bosom? Was Abraham rich? I assure you these are in heaven now. It is surely hard for a rich man to rely on God, but it is not impossible for God to lead them in.
Authors wrote according to what was known at the time. It was thought that Hell was deep in the earth, but we know these days that this is not the case. When Jesus died he left the physical universe and went somewhere else outside the universe. The Greeks believed in a physical world and a spiritual world. This may explain some things, for example, how angels and demons come and go from the physical world and another "world" we know little of.
It was a parable, and the rich man was depicted as an unbelieving rich man, not a believer. That's why he ended up where he was. Lazarus was a believer so he ended up in Abraham's bosom. The point of the parable was not wealth. It was that there was basically no difference between people in God's view. He does not favour or discriminate against rich folks. He sees people in terms of believers or unbelievers.
Interesting that Hades is not in the KJ version and that Hades was the ancient Greek king of the underworld and god of the dead. Who cares what the Greek believed. And why did they change it in the newer versions, like so many other scriptures?
Hell is hell is hell! Don't go there!
It was hard for me to see you go to all that effort when i was not talking about the Lazarus you are talking about.. There where two different men called Lazarus mentioned in the Gospels.. The Lazarus Jesus resurected was not the Lazerus who was a begger at the rich mans door.. Two different men..
1 Peter 3:19 does not say that Jesus went into the lower regions of the earth. It says that He went and preached to the spirits in prison. The "lower regions of the earth" is a medieval concept of hell, which is found nowhere in Scripture.I beg to differ with you; You say, "we know these days that this is not the case." I don't know who the we are that you speak of.
Did they get a revelation from Jesus that is contrary to what scripture says? Many denominations have been started this way.
Again, if scripture says Jesus went into the lower regions of the earth and we know that there is a layer of lava in the lower regions of the earth, why do so many try to deny that hell is there? This goes beyond reason. We are told in the word to cast down imaginations and high thoughts that rise up against the word and bring every thought captive to Christ.
I see absolutely no reason to alter my convictions.
What exactly is hell?
Isaiah 55:8-9We have a soul and we have a spirit and we have a body. When Jesus raptures us the dead bodies will receive their spirit back and will be immortal. 1st Corr 15. It does not explain in scripture if the soul and spirit are united at death or separated, but it does tell us that the word of God is powerful enough to separate the soul from the spirit. However, we are told to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Hell is not judgement. It is the place where sinners go after death. It is only a holding place until judgement. At judgement hell and all in hell will be cast into the lake of fire. So hell is not in the same place as the lake of fire. I believe that hell is in the lower regions of the earth where the lava flows. I also believe the earth is hollow and that the lake of fire, not hell, is not yet created. It will be a result of the star at the center of the hollow earth crashing into the inner surface. This is a result of an asteroid hitting out here and moving the earth out of its place. Isaiah 13:9-13 and Rev 8. It is possible that the earth will once again expand when these happen as the earth will be spinning 1/3 faster. Rev 8:12.
To answer your question it is for the righteous, because at present we have no immortal body. We won't receive this until the resurrection.
For the sinners, a righteous God must bring them before Christ, the judge, and this does not take place until after the final millennium.
Hi, I was looking to explain heaven to my BIL, who says he is saved and reads to me from a track. The track is gospel but he doesn't believe in the Bible.
While studying Revelation ch. 22, I found Ch.22v15 disconcerting. I checked to find more chapters where there was no sinner left in the new earth but Revelation only has 22 chapters.
Ch. 21 deals with the last judgment, the lake of fire and all that go into it. Then God creates a new earth with no oceans and the holy city Jerusalem descends in a 1500 mile square cube. Apparently that is not all heaven because according to scripture, outside the gate exists a world according to verse 15.
I've looked up several commentaries and it seems the commentators overlooked the essence of the verse ,and rather concentrate on the meaning of dogs.
The first thing that popped into my mind is the parable of the 5 virgins that ran out of oil. All of Matthew Ch. 25 seems to verify that there is an outer darkness, ( could that be sort of like a purgatory?) or will those disobedient, unrepentant believers be there forever looking at the lights of heaven? And what about the blood that washes us as we repent?
What is a parable?
- A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles.
The parable of the 10 virgins instructive lesson is be prepared always for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson. a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.
There is no purgatory Madam @katinka , purgatory is an invented and concocted place so that people would give money called indulgences. It was used as a money making scheme - a scam
There is a heaven - it is where God is, the angels are, the 4 living creatures are, the 24 elders are, Enoch, Elijah and the Lord Jesus Christ are - these are the 3 human beings who are in heaven. How about the people who have died? They are buried or have returned to dust. That is our destiny, everyone dies. Come Judgement Day, we will be judged accordingly.
Well As Christians we believe in what the Bible says as being the final authority. The Word of God speaks of a heaven and also of a place called hell. There is no mention of a staging area call "purgatory" in the Christian Bible. This means when a person dies they either go to heaven or straight down to hell, there is no second chance, you don't negotiate with God, its a done deal. Now hell isn't a social club for sinners, it is a place of eternal torment, the worst immaginable. Now the question is simple - what if you died today is there really is an afterlife, do you really want to take that risk? Isn't it better to make your peace with God, then carry on with your life with the inner peace and assurance that if you were to die today crossing the street, that you would immediately go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ and to a wonderful place called heaven? Why take the risk? Pray and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today and He will forgive you your sins, then turn from your ways and follow Jesus, don't delay a moment longer.Is hell or hades a literal place where the souls of the damned reside, filled with fire and worms? Or is it something much more terrifying than we could ever imagine? Will it be a suffocating darkness where a lost soul will always be filled with constant dread and a never ending conscience biting at him to suffer alone with no company of demons or other damned souls wondering forever in darkness? I assume the afterlife is a big mystery to us, that we cannot comprehend what lies ahead of that veil, whether it be heaven or hell. A spiritual realm that differs from our current reality, that what we find on the other side will blow our expections away. Also do you think there are levels of suffering in hell? For example will a murderer suffer more than a robber? And one more question
Also why can't a person in hell repent and be saved? Is it because our will is fixed when we die? The state we die in is the state we will meet our maker in? Is hell closed from the inside as C.S Lewis put it? What do you guys think?
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