Subject: where is Christ battling Satan in HELL |
Bible Note: There are many things. First scripture tells us in Heaven there is not more tears no more mourning. If the scene was heaven and hell then those in heaven can see the torment of the those in Hell. Not a happy thought. And yes I agree that one day we will fully understand God's justice but that fact notwithstanding to view a formers loved one in constant agony would cause many to be sad. Second everything I read in scripture says the only way to heaven is by Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ hadn't made a way into heaven yet for Abraham, we know Abraham was righteous but righteousness itself is not the door into heaven. We know Abraham was looking for a Messiah to open that door. So I can't see any place in scripture that suggests the righteous dead of the Old Testament went to heaven until Christ made the way. Third Jesus said to the thief on cross, today you will be with me in paradise he did not say heaven. Paradise to the all that heard meant the definition I offered and not heaven. Fourth Hell/Hades is not the judgment of the unrighteous, the Lake of Fire is. Rev 20 Fifth and lastly, whether you want to accept it or not the listeners of the time had that view of Hades. They viewed Hades as the resting place for the dead. One side they believe the unrighteous dead awaited judgment and the other the righteous dead lived in paradise awaiting a Messiah to take them to heaven. That was what the listeners to Jesus' parable believed. Now for Jesus to repeat exactly what they believed in His parable would tend to confirm to them that they were correct would it not? Would Jesus allow such a misunderstanding? If their view of Hades was wrong I would imagine Jesus if he didn't want to correct it would have avoided the subject and used another example in His parable. Or Jesus would have said this is what you believe and it is wrong. Neither of these things happened. Jesus instead used a common teaching in his parable, to me that one thing more than anything else confirms to me that it is true. Now let us look at the theological ramifications of what I believe and what you believe. First you believe Jesus wasn't the only way into heaven that there was another way. Belief in the Messiah. I believe every good Jew believes in the Messiah, what they don't believe is that Jesus was the Messiah. So under your theology some Jews got in because the believed in the Messiah but not necessarily Jesus while other Jews didn't get in even though they believe in a Messiah but don't think Jesus was He. Isn’t that a conflict? Secondly if my view is correct there is absolutely no violation of Christian theology or of scripture. The righteous dead did have to await their Messiah to take them into the promised land (heaven) as first seen in the Exodus. And since the Messiah did come Paul’s teaching on being absent from the body and present with the Lord is fully realized. Now I answered you. Now tell me why you are so resistant to accepting this as a picture of Hades as painted by our Lord? |