A Place of Torment
The following is about a parable that Jesus told in Luke 16, which most Christians use for their “proof” that Hell is a real place with real flames and eternal. But in order not to get side-tracked from the more important part of this parable, it would be good to try to understand the message Jesus was trying to get across, first.
The Parable of the Rich man and the Beggar (Lk 16:19-31)
The “rich man” and the “beggar” both died. The rich man went to a place of torment and the “beggar” went to “Abraham’s bosom” where he would no longer suffer. The rich man went to the place of torment. Why? Because of the way that he lived, in that he was selfish and refused share his abundance with the beggar to relieve his hunger.
The Point of the Parable
It is more important to understand the message behind this parable than the question of whether or not it proves that Hell is a real place with real flames. The reality and eternalness seems to be more a question of semantics. . In his parables, the moral of the story is the important part — not whether or not the story actually happened or not.
The Deceitfulness of Riches
The whole of Luke chapter 16 seems to be speaking about being faithful with riches. In each of these parables the Lord of the servant is testing his servant on how he had used the riches he had been loaned — whether he was faithful or unfaithful.
In this particular parable the rich man was being punished for not helping Lazarus, the poor man, in his hour of need. The “sin” wasn’t so much being rich, as it was enjoying his riches while Lazarus was suffering in his need.
This parable is speaking of punishments for being “unfaithful“. Upon careful analysis of this parable, it becomes apparent that the rich man’s “unfaithfulness” was his selfishness with his material wealth and lack of helping the poor beggar man using the wealth he was entrusted with — merely a loan, so-to-speak.
Place of Torment: Eternal?
The rich man after his death went to the “place of torment” (verse 28). where he went to be “tormented in flames“, but was his punishment eternal? The main purpose of the punishment was to rehabilitate him, wouldn’t you think? If this was the main reason for the punishment, then how could it be unending? Eternal punishment would in no way deter him from wrong-doing or especially to rehabilitate him.
In the parable it seems that the rich man knew that the beggar could have gone to his brethren to warn them not to come to that place. Abraham knew that they wouldn’t hear him even though the beggar came back from the dead. This indicates that there is something that may have been possible to have been to warn his brethren from coming to that place of torment — whatever place that was. Remember, this parable is a story with a message, not a literal happening.
First of all, that place was a place for punishment for his sins, to get him to repent. In the Bible, covetousness is “a strong desire for worldly possessions or gain”. Covetousness is an abomination to God:
“And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.”
“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.” (Lk 16:14, 15)
And Second, the place was not eternal. We know this because the Lord’s servant, in another parable, was be beaten with few or many stripes — not an eternal number of stripes. (Lk 12)
Reward for Faithfulness with Riches — Righteousness
When Jesus said: “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness…” (Lk 16:9), I really do not think he was saying, make rich people your friends, but in the context of the chapter, in my view, he was saying, ‘be faithful with the worldly riches that have been placed in your stewardship so that when this life is over you will be commended by God for your faithfulness in that which he has entrusted you with’. And righteousness, in this case, is helping the less fortunate. (Mt 25:31-46)
Riches Are a Test in This Life — Be Ready to be Found Faithful
Whether you believe it or not, riches are merely a test in this life to see whether you will love your neighbor or be deceived by riches. People who are deceived by riches, have more than they could use in many lifetimes, and only leave them behind when they die!
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (for you).
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? (to feed those who are in poverty)
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find (him) so doing. (Matthew 24:44-51 KJV)
God is Merciful
Jesus does use the word “flames” — not literal sense of flames but figurative, showing the pain the rich man was suffering. I don’t believe it’s a literal physical suffering, since the rich man has no physical body. In addition, his suffering can not be considered Eternal as is in the description of the teaching the church gives of Hell. In the very next chapter Jesus teaches forgiveness if the offender repents. How much more is God merciful to his children who repent?
“And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” (Lk 17:3)
“For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations” (Ps 100:5)
If God is merciful and forgiving, how can this “place of torment” be eternal?
Origin of the Concept of Hell
“Gehenna” is not Hell (as is incorrectly translated), but a place where garbage and such was burnt, a place near Jerusalem — which no longer exists. The word “Hell” should not even exist in the Bible. (In some translations of the Bible the word “Hell” doesn’t exist at all!)
The origin of Hell comes from Germanic mythology around the 12th century, in which the afterlife was called “Hel”. The Old Testament speaks of a place called “Sheol” where the dead went — not of fire and eternal anguish, as Hell is taught in Church.
The closest to this place mentioned in the New Testament is the Lake of Fire, a place of punishment, prepared for “the devil and his angels” — but not intended for Humans — from Greek mythology.
Reincarnation Rules Out an Eternal Hell
The reality is that most Christians are unable to get the true meaning of this parable because the Church as thrown away the the key to unlocking the real meaning to this parable: Reincarnation. However, there are other teachings of Jesus that, when applied, help reveal the True meaning to this parable.
Where this place of torment is and what the environment is like is not really the point of this parable. It could be argued that there is no physical body to feel pain — only “moral suffering” of you might say a kind of regret. The reason the rich man had to suffer this torment could only have been for the purpose of purging and to bring about repentance, otherwise God would appear to be a merciless monster, which was obviously never the intention Jesus intended to portray.
If you read these verses in the lens of Reincarnation, you will see that Jesus was speaking of the next life — not an imaginary place called “Hell”. If it were not for Reincarnation it would be almost impossible to understand the correct message Jesus was trying to get across — especially since the reality is that the Bible says nothing of a literal place called Hell with flames and eternal agony, except in wrongly translated scriptures in books designed to create fear in the hearts of people.
The Kingdom of God and The Rich
Giving to the poor makes it easier for the rich to enter into the Kingdom of God. They are deceived by the riches that they think are theirs, but are only on loan to them to help the poor.
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” (Matt 13:22)
“Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, “Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
“And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
“And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”
“For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
“And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? (Luke 18:23 – 26)
Takeaways of Jesus’ Teachings on this Place:
- The “torment” takes place after physical death — in the afterlife
- Torments are to the rich for not helping the poor – not just unbelievers
- The duration of time of “torment” is not eternal (“few or many stripes”)
- The punishments always fits the crime (“few or many stripes”)
- Punishments are to the unfaithful servants of the Lord.
- Riches are deceitful. It is hard (but not impossible) for the rich to enter into the kingdom of Heaven. It just takes them much longer.
- The word “Hell” does not exist in a correctly translated Bible.
- Riches are deceitful. It is hard (but not impossible) for the rich to enter into the kingdom of Heaven. It just takes them much longer. (“till their time be accomplished”)
From Parable of The Rich Man and the Beggar — Gospel of the Nazarenes:
“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
And thus are the changes of life for the perfecting of souls. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence, till their time be accomplished.” (47:14)