Historic example or Parable?

[LisaLisa]

I explained this a few days ago (maybe in another thread). Hell isn't necessarily the "lake of fire". Before the atoning death and resurrection, there was one of two places that souls would go after they died. For those who died without believing in the coming messiah, they went to Hades. For those who trusted that God would send the messiah to save them from their sins, they went to Abraham's bosom. As showed in the story of the OP, they were pretty much the same place separated by a chasm. On the Hades side, there was (and would be) torment until the great white throne judgment. On the other side, in Abraham's bosom, they were comforted. This is where old testament "believers" went until the messiah came (Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and many others. When Christ died, He descended into Abraham's bosom to tell those people that He had come and that His work had been finished. He did NOT descend into Hades to tell those people, "I told you so!! Nener, Nener!" It was too late for them to do anything about their salvation. Since Christ, the unsaved when they die go to Hades to await final judgment. The saved go directly to be with God. (To be absent from the body is to be present with God.) Christ has already atoned for their sins. There is no judgment for those who are in Christ.

Thanks for the explanation!

 

[HyOnLyph]

The same Greek word used for "eternal" for both believers with God, and unbelievers under eternal separation and punishment.
What ever the time frame of God's existance, Christian's existance with Him, and non believers active punishment is the same.

If we take it for what it really says, it's possible that the explanation isn't about eternity but about the age. We attribute it to eternity because we want to. We either take it for what it says... apply other scriptures to get clarity or we stay in our box. I'm willing to consider.. on the whole that the scripture really means what it says.