Hades

Some additional thoughts about the text used in the message at SSB yesterday:

1 Peter 4:4-6 reports on “those” who think ill of God’s people – those upper story people who no longer join in the doings, thinking, and chatter of the world, but are about following the will of God. The lowers talk badly about uppers and do even bad things to them (implied in 4:6 which speaks of those now dead who were judged by man).  And what does God think?  According to verse 5, He is ready to judge them.  He sees, cares and is anticipating the time to judge them for their ways.

In Luke 16 we find “them” after their death.  They are yet alive, removed from their earthly house – their body, waiting the day when they will be returned to their resurrected body (John 5:28-29) to stand before Jesus to be eternally sentenced for their thoughts, words, and deeds (Revelation 20:12).  Before that day, they will continue in existence in Hades (a temporary Hell with Hell being permanent).

We suggested yesterday that torture is not the right thought for the suffering of those in Hades as God is love and always good (Psalm 5:1, The goodness of God endures continually).  Torture is contrary to His very character.  We also noted that God does all things for His glory so there is some way that even Hades brings Him glory (Romans 9:14-24).  We know that His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8) and that God has not revealed to us all the details of either His thinking or His doings (Deuteronomy 29:29 and per the story of Job).  Therefore, the pain, thirst and torment of Hell might not be what we might classically think – yet NOT good.

What they are experiencing in Hades is the complete absence of grace which means no small or large blessings (rain on the unjust – not even a drop of water), no light (God’s mercy/hope), no love (no fellowship, rather fears for loved ones on the other side coming to Hades), and unrelenting guilt, fear, anger and shame – a fiery, tormenting conscience.

What is not heard from those in Hades is any repentance (their sins are forever before them and before God, Psalm 51:4), any questioning about how long, or any complaints about God’s justice.  They seem to be fully accepting of their fate.  They appear to be understanding of what God has done.

What we do find, other than a request for even a brief reprieve from the anguish experienced with just a little joy from but a drop of water, are “prayers” for the salvation of loved ones not yet dead.  How interesting is that idea? They request a witness to those back on earth and they are told that the Old Testament is all the witness they need.  The rich man in Hades responds with passion asking that God would perform a miracle so to move loved ones to repentance and salvation.

Not so, from God.

No, they have the Old Testament which is all the witness they need and even trumps the miracle of someone resurrected from the dead coming to plead with them.  What a powerful statement about God’s Word.  Give them the Word!

So often we are praying for a miracle, a healing, or a powerful encounter of some sort so that a non-saved one might come to know God and embrace Him as their Savior.  Too often we are not giving them Scripture, even the Old Testament, which God has declared as fully sufficient to bring about repentance, confession, and submission to His salvation.

I say all that to say that I don’t grasp a lot about Hell except that, as the rich man, I don’t want any to go there for it is an eternity of torment.  It is a forever removed from the things that make life good.  It is not on God, who is longsuffering not desiring any to go there, but being holy and just, He is obligated to give man his due.  It is man’s rejection of God’s call and God’s grace that will put him there.

Interesting that today’s “desiringGod” post of “Ask Pastor John” is about Purgatory.