CABL Forum - Re: How He Loves Us

Warren Wiersbe's commentary on Luke shares this thought on that scripture, which I tend to agree more with than other commentaries on this passage:

"The King James Version uses the word hell in Luke 16:23, but the Greek word is not "hell" but "hades." It is the temporary realm of the dead as they wait the judgment. The permanent place of punishment for the lost is "hell," the lake of fire. One day, death will give up the bodies and hades will give up the souls (Rev. 20:13, where "hell" should be "hades"), and the lost will stand before Christ in judgment (Rev. 20:10-15).

From our Lord's description, we learn that hades had two sections: a paradise portion called "Abraham's bosom," and a punishment portion. It is believed by many theologians that our Lord emptied the paradise part of hades when He arose from the dead and returned to the Father (John 20:17; Eph. 4:8-10). We know that today "paradise" is in heaven, where Jesus reigns in glory (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:1-4). There is no indication in Scripture that souls in heaven can communicate with people in hades or with people on earth.

The word torment is used four times in this account, and it speaks of definite pain. This is the same word that is used for the doom feard by the evil spirits (Mark 5:7) and the judgment God will send on an unrepentant world (Rev. 9:5; 11:10; 20:10). If hell is the permant prison of the damned, then hades is the temporary jail, and the suffering in both is very real.

People ask, "How can a loving GOD even permit such a place as hell to exist, let alone send people there?" (Danimal) But in asking that question, they reveal that they do not understand either the love of God or the wickedness of sin. God's love is a holy love ("God is light," 1 John 1:5), not a shallow sentiment, and sin is rebellion against a holy and loving God. God does not "send people to hell." They send themselves there by refusing to heed His call and believe in His Son. The "unbelieving" are named second on the list of the people who go to hell, even before the murderers and the liars (Rev. 21:8; also see John 3:18-21, 36).

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Re: How He Loves Us