April 30 2025

Wednesday April 30

Luke 16:22-26 – Hell, A Place of Eternal Torment

22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'

Today, we're looking at Luke16:22-26, and we're talking about the subject of hell. Yesterday, we mentioned the reality of death and hell. For sure, everyone is terminal, we're all going to die. Hebrews 9:27 says: “It's appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment."  Unless the rapture takes place first, everyone on planet Earth will die. We will all face judgment and the Bible teaches we will either go to a place of eternal torment, a literal hell, or to wonderful place of paradise called heaven. Jesus spoke about a literal hell on many occasions.

God did not create hell for human beings. He created paradise, heaven for human beings. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14). But hell was created for the devil and his angel, as Matthew 25:41 explains, where Jesus speaks to those on the left, saying, "Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."

This passage in Luke 16, from the lips of Jesus refutes so-called "soul sleep," for both the rich man and Lazarus were conscious, one enjoying comfort and the other suffering torment. It is a solemn thing to ponder one's eternal destiny and realize the reality of divine punishment.

It appears from reading the context of the whole Scripture that there is a place, somewhere in the heart of the earth today, called Sheol or Hades, and it's the place of the departed dead. In this passage of Scripture, and what I believe from reading all of Scripture, in the Old Testament, before the resurrection of Christ, everyone went to this place called Sheol, which had two compartments, as Jesus points out here, with a gulf fixed between them so you couldn't pass from one to the other. One part was a place we call hell, a place of fire and torment. The rich man died, and in this place of torment, he lifted up his eyes, and he was in torment. Four times in this passage, the word "torment" is used. It's a place of flame, a place of pain, a place of torment, and a place where you still have your feelings.

In the Old Testament, everyone who died either died in faith, looking forward to the death of Christ on the cross through the sacrifices, or they died and went to the hell side. This was up to the cross and the resurrection of Christ. We believe that when Jesus died and was buried, during that time, He emptied the paradise side, bringing those souls to the third heaven. Paul talked about having an experience where he was caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). He says in the epistles, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Remember Stephen, when he was being stoned to death, saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56). Remember Jesus said, "You will be with me" (John 14:3).

I am convinced today that when believers die, they go to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). Because, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).  When lost people die, they still go to this place called Hades, the place called hell, where there is torment. I'm convinced that, according to Scripture, one day hell will give up the dead that are in it. There will be the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of the millennium, and the devil, his angels, and everyone who rejects Jesus Christ as Savior, will end up in what is called “the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15). That's where the false prophet and the beast were cast just before the millennial reign of Christ (Revelation 19:20).

My friend, God didn't create hell for you and me. He created heaven for us. Eternity is in our hearts, and today we can, by faith, receive Jesus Christ and never have to fear going to this place of torment because we have a place prepared for us in heaven by the Lord Himself. We must make a choice. God doesn't send people to hell. They send themselves to hell when they reject Jesus Christ. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11).

Jesus loves us and died for us and Scripture tells us, "Today is the day of salvation; behold, now is the accepted time (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). Please trust Him today to be your Savior!

God bless.