Yes the SOULS of saints are saved. That's the point of the gospel.
Death is the LAST enemy to go. Not a tool of God.
God is life.
Well at least you agree without the parable there is very little proof for the eternal torment doctrine. We're making progress.
Moving on: Lazarus isn't a parable????
The Random House College Dictionary describes a parable as “a short, allegorical story designed to convey a truth or moral lesson.”
Was Jesus teaching a lesson about hell? Does the context say, okay disciples, let me tell you about hell... No.
It's called an allegorical story, and Jesus Himself said He only spoke in PARABLES...
And if this was a doctrinal truth, you would see Paul mention certainly? But you don't.
You see "fiery indignation" which people assume is hell. But God is also an all consuming fire. And Holy Spirit is compared to tongues of fire. It sure appears "fire" can have multiple meanings in Scripture.
But I digress.
Okay so you think the following is true since Lazarus isn't a parable...
1. In Heaven you can see people burning alive in Hell with a small chasm between the two?
2. You think Lazarus would ask for a DROP of water on his tongue? While his entire body is burning?
3. You think people go to hell because they don't take care of the poor? That's what Jesus said about the rich man.
4. You believe people are in Abraham's Bosom in Heaven?
5. You believe people can hear the screams and torment over a chasm? So that people can talk to each other?
6. You believe that people have eyes, ears, and a tongue in heaven? What about their bodies still in the grave?
Obviously these are just a few questions that show this is a parable...
But what about the gospel?
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Death, not eternal torment.
What happens to the wicked?
Psalm 37:20 “But the wicked shall
perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into
smoke shall they consume away.”
Perish is being consumed into smoke, what consumes into smoke? The 2nd death, or the unquenchable fire, that I showed you in Isaiah 66. Does this fit with NT? Yes.
Jesus says I come that they may not
perish, but have eternal life.
The ultimate fate of the wicked is:
death.
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: andthe day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”
Malachi 4:1.
“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Malachi 4:3.
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:28.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
burned up.”
2 Peter 3:10.
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Revelation 21:8.
But God doesn't love death, He is Life. Death is an enemy. So He who is Life, made a way for us to be One with Him. There is NO Eternal Life apart from Him. That's what people don't get. We have to be UNITED to Him, but this wasn't possible until Christ.
The Tabernacle is a picture of Christ. His flesh was the curtain that was torn in 2. So we could abide with Him and Him with us, eternally.
But apart from Him who is eternal life, souls die. As I explained earlier.
Behold,
they shall be as stubble,
The fire shall burn them;
They shall not deliver themselves
From the power of the flame;
It shall not
be a coal to be warmed by,
Nor a fire to sit before!
By the way, hell as outlined in Scripture isn't the lake of fire, because it is burnt up in the lake of fire as well.
Hell is a Latin word, but it's better translated Hades in Greek.
And Sheol is its Hebrew counterpart.
But the doctrine of eternal torment needs to have different translations to keep it's illusion. Do a word search on it.
C.