Hi BH,
If we're going to "Rethink" Hell, shouldn't we do it from a Biblical perspective? Shouldn't we look at what the Bible has to say on the subject rather than what a forum thread or website has to say about it? Let's consider a few things from Scripture. How could people suffer in this fiery place people call Hell. Wouldn't they have to be alive after they were dead? If people are dead, how are they alive. The idea that the dead live on after death doesn't come from Scripture, it comes from Greek Philosophy and Gnosticism. This idea says that man is something other than human. It claims that his spirit and/or soul lives on after death. However, that doesn't fit with Scripture. Let's look at what Moses said about the creation of man.
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ge 2:7.
According to Moses, God created man from the dust of the ground and breathed His breath into the man. These two combined to form a living soul. We can see from this that a soul consists of both the breath of God and the man or flesh body. Thus, a soul cannot exist apart from the body. The breath or spirit is something of God Himself and not something of man. It's clear from this that when God's breath or spirit of life leaves the body, the soul ceases to exist, and the body decays and returns to the dust. There is nothing left to live on. What did God say about man's death?
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ge 3:17–19.
Here God said that Adam was dust. This isn't the only place God describes man.
3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ge 6:2–3.
Here God says that man is flesh. If man is flesh, as God said, and the flesh dies, the man no longer exists.
Regarding Lazarus and the Rich Man. it is a parable or an allegory. The claim that Jesus never used literal names in a parable is actually a fallacy called an Argument from Silence. John said that Jesus did so many things that he supposed that if it was all written down the world could not contain the books.
24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Jn 21:24–25.
This may be hyperbole, but the point is that Jesus did many things. Compare, the world could not contain the books, with the four short Gospels we have recorded, and I think it's pretty clear that what we have is a drop in the bucket of the things Jesus did and spoke. So, to claim He never used names in a parable simply cannot be established as fact. What we can establish as fact is that He didn't use names in any of the parables we have recorded in our Bibles except that of Lazarus and the Rich Man. However, as we see that's a very limited selection of what Jesus did and spoke.
Let us also consider who the parable was addressed to.
14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Lk 16:14–18.
We can see from this that Jesus is addressing the Pharisees. It's likely the Scribes were there also. How did Jesus address the unbelieving Jews?
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 13:10–15.
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 13:34–35.
Here we find that Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables. Mathew says that without a parable Jesus didn't speak to them. We can conclude from this that Jesus' words to the Pharisees were parables. The story of Lazarus and the Rich Man was directed at the Pharisees; thus, it must be a parable.
Now, let us consider the parable itself. Why might Jesus use a name in a parable? Back in Biblical times names were often everyday words. Jesus' name for instance, Yeshua, was the word for salvation. The word Lazarus was the Greek form of the Hebrew word Eleazar. Notice the first to letters, "El" this represents God. The word literally means, "God is my help" or "God help". The Pharisees knew this. Whoever Jesus is indicating Lazarus to be, He is indicating that God helped this person. But we're given something more than just a name. We are given a lot of details. This parable is more detailed than the typical parable. Why might that be? Maybe the name Lazarus and all of the details are pertinent to the story. Consider the details. The Rich man was rich. The priesthood (Pharisees and Scribes) was rich. the Rich Man was dressed in purple and fine linen. The Priesthood was dressed in purple and fine linen. The Rich Man fared sumptuously; the Priesthood fared sumptuously. The Rich Man had five brothers. The Priesthood is from the tribe of Levi, who had five brothers. Consider Lazarus. He was poor, Jesus was poor. Lazarus was laid at the Rich Man's gate. Jesus was laid at the Jews gate, metaphorically. He came to the Jews. The Rich Man neglected Lazarus. The Jews rejected Jesus. The dogs licked Lazarus' sores. They comforted or accepted him. The Jews called the Gentiles dogs. The Jews rejected Jesus, while the Gentiles accepted Him. Lazarus was carried by angels to his father's bosom. Jesus was carried by angels to His Father's bosom. John said that Jesus is in the bosom of the Father.
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Jn 1:17–18.
Surely all of these details are not a coincidence. Jesus was giving a parable about the destruction or death of the Priesthood, thus the use of Hades, the grave. The Priesthood was going to the grave. Note Jesus' words just prior to the parable.
16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Lk 16:16.
The Law and the prophets were until John. In other words, you Pharisees, your time is up. Your reign is over. It's going to the grave. Thus, the use of hade, the grave, in the parable. The name Lazarus means God help. God helped Jesus. Psalm 22 talks about the crucifixion and God helping Jesus. There's a lot more that can be said on this parable, but this is getting long.
Here's something else to consider. In Scripture, when people are said to be suffering in fire it's in Gehenna, not hades. There are only two passages of Scripture that speak of someone suffering burning in hades. The first mention of this is in Deuteronomy.
Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful,
And hast forgotten God that formed thee.
19 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them,
Because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.
20 And he said, I will hide my face from them,
I will see what their end shall be:
For they are a very froward generation,
Children in whom is no faith.
21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God;
They have provoked me to anger with their vanities:
And I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people;
I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger,
And shall burn unto the lowest hell,
And ||shall consume the earth with her increase,
And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Dt 32:18–22.
God is angry with Israel and said a fire is kindled in His anger and it will burn to the lowest hades. The Rich Man is an Israelite. The Priesthood consists of Israelites. We know this passage is talking about Christ's day because the apostle Paul quotes verse 21 and applies it to his day. We see from this that the fire that the Rich Man is suffering is not literal fire but rather God's anger against Israel, thus the destruction of the Priesthood.
To claim this parable is about people be tortured after they die is nonsensical. Nowhere do the Scriptures tell us that the wicked will burn in hades, it's always Gehenna where the wicked burn.
There's a lot more that can be said on this parable. It's taken from four Old Testament passages which the Scribes adnd Pharisees would have been familiar with.
