As I understand from my Bible Studies that our souls go back to our Heavenly Father. We are asleep in Hell, which is our graves, until Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour comes back to judge each and every one of us, even those who have passed away before us.
There is no such thing as "Hell" as people have been led to believe. Rev 20: 10: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. He describes the life of luxury the rich man had and the life of misery that Lazarus had on earth at the rich man's gate. The rich man never did the slightest kindness for Lazarus and his dogs were more caring than he was about Lazarus' condition. They eventually both died. Lazarus was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom immediately upon his death and the rich man's body is buried. However the soul of no longer rich man finds himself in torment in hades but can see Lazarus and Abraham when he lifts his eyes.
Abraham's conversation with the tormented soul in this parable is fascinating for a variety of reasons. Abraham knows about the lives that both Lazarus and the tormented soul lived while they were on earth. Abraham's description of where Lazarus is matches the key characteristics meant by the word heaven and where the tormented soul is fits the key characteristics of the place we commonly call hell.
The tormented soul is aware that at the time of his conversation with Abraham that he has two brothers living at that moment who need to be told to avoid coming where he is. So this is not a conversation occurring at the end of the age. Abraham is aware that these brothers had God's word through Moses and the Prophets, even though Abraham died more than 400 years before Moses, let alone the Prophets that came afterward. Abraham also knew if the brothers wouldn't listen to Moses and the Prophets they wouldn't believe if someone rose from the dead.
The way Abraham behaves in this parable is consistent with Luke 20:37-38 where Jesus told the Sadducees that when God said "I am the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob" to Moses using the present tense that was proof that God raises the dead "For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."
The thief on the cross asked to be remembered at the end of the age, but Jesus said he would be in paradise with Him that very day.
Mark 12:26-27 is the parallel passage to Luke 20:37-38 where Jesus made the arguement using God's statement "I am the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob", while Luke seems to be arguing that when Moses wrote that the memorial name of the Lord is the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob that Moses intended to teach that God is the God of the living. Either way, the Sadducees only accepted the Torah as God's Word and held that the resurrection of the dead was never taught by Moses. Jesus said they were greatly mistaken about Moses teaching and had no understanding of the meaning of this part of his conversation with the Lord at the burning bush.
As I understand from my Bible Studies that our souls go back to our Heavenly Father. We are asleep in Hell, which is our graves, until Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour comes back to judge each and every one of us, even those who have passed away before us.
There is no such thing as "Hell" as people have been led to believe. Rev 20: 10: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Abraham's conversation with the tormented soul in this parable is fascinating for a variety of reasons. Abraham knows about the lives that both Lazarus and the tormented soul lived while they were on earth. Abraham's description of where Lazarus is matches the key characteristics meant by the word heaven and where the tormented soul is fits the key characteristics of the place we commonly call hell.
The tormented soul is aware that at the time of his conversation with Abraham that he has two brothers living at that moment who need to be told to avoid coming where he is. So this is not a conversation occurring at the end of the age. Abraham is aware that these brothers had God's word through Moses and the Prophets, even though Abraham died more than 400 years before Moses, let alone the Prophets that came afterward. Abraham also knew if the brothers wouldn't listen to Moses and the Prophets they wouldn't believe if someone rose from the dead.
The way Abraham behaves in this parable is consistent with Luke 20:37-38 where Jesus told the Sadducees that when God said "I am the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob" to Moses using the present tense that was proof that God raises the dead "For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."
The thief on the cross asked to be remembered at the end of the age, but Jesus said he would be in paradise with Him that very day.
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