Ep.1346: How Do We Understand the Rich Man and Lazarus? (Hellfire Series Part III)
Understanding the torment and agony of this dramatic story
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The subject of eternal torment can be volatile, as there are so many variations in its explanations. Aside from all of the questions and debates regarding the interpretation of Scripture, there’s one fundamental question that often gets overlooked: If a hell of torment is the ultimate consequence for sin, did God’s people always know that? Think about the power of this question. For the many Christians who see the eternal torture of hell as a deterrent from sin, wouldn’t God in His justice have given all of His people through all of history ample knowledge of this overwhelming consequence? Is the doctrine of eternal torment plainly revealed throughout the whole Bible? When do we see this teaching revealed in any ancient pagan belief systems? What is the history of hellfire?
The biblical account of Adam and Eve speaks volumes.
It is a straightforward way for us to understand how the principles of justice emanate from the mind and hand of God to the human race. God creates Adam and then Eve. He puts them into this garden to cultivate and gives them everything they need for a perfect and eternal life. God gives them the rules and plainly expresses that death is the penalty for disobedience. They disobey. They are removed from the Garden and the dying process begins. God had said that they came from the dust of the ground and to that dust they would return.
Such a clearly defined explanation of life and death at the very beginning of humanity’s course SHOULD be the basis for any conversation about the doctrine of eternal torment. Our first important question:
If such an eternally painful and horrifying consequence did come from God, why would He not proclaim it from the beginning?
Why would God tell Adam he would return to the “dust of the ground” if he was to be eternally tortured? Built upon this first question are two further fundamental questions:
Why in the almost 4,000-year history of Old Testament writings is a hell of torment never referenced? Why would God be silent with so much at stake?
What did pagan history during that same period of time teach in great detail about afterlife torture? In how many different pagan cultures did these afterlife torture teachings appear?
Check out our recent podcast, “Did a Belief in Hell Always Exist? (Hellfire Series Part IV)." We delve deeply into these three questions. We trace pagan history in great detail. This history of hellfire reveals clear and incontrovertible evidence of afterlife torment and torture in many cultures. We compare the timeframe in which these beliefs were relevant with what was simultaneously happening in biblical history. The conclusions the evidence presents are more than just thought provoking, they are profound. Join us for this amazing and factual journey through questions rarely asked. What is at stake is our comprehension of the very character of God. What we find are glorious answers!
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