The Rich Man is clearly sorrowful. He has Christian like concern for his family, that they not end up like he. Moreover, the redeemed in heaven want to comfort the Rich Man (
Lk. 16:26), but that would be out of place if he were irredeemably wicked and was being punished eternally for sin. That would be rebellion against God’s judgment (compare:
Deut. 19:21).
If the Rich Man knew his torment was eternal, that he had no hope for life.....its much more likely he would curse God and Abraham and everyone else., including Lazarus.
If the “torment” (3600 ὀδυνάω odunao) is the classic idea of hell-fire, the Rich Man would ask for a lot more than a little water to cool his tongue.
Odunao here refers to mental anguish (
Luke 2:48;
16:25;
Acts 20:38). Its antithesis is
parakaleo ‘to be consoled for sorrow’ like Lazarus (
Lk. 16:25).
Christ chose the word “torment” (931 βάσανος basanos) to describe the Torment in
Hades:
Meaning: 1) a touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the colour of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal 2) the rack or instrument of torture by which one is forced to divulge the truth.-Strong’s Concordance
This “torment” is the kind that brings truth to the surface, resulting in “anguish” and “sorrow” (3600 ὀδυνάω odunao cp.
Acts 20:38) for sin. The imagery of purging from sin is common in the Old Testament (
Zech. 13:9;
Ps. 51:7;
66:10;
Isa. 1:25;
4:4;
6:7;
48:10;
Ezek. 24:13;
Dan. 11:35):
2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderer’s soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness. (Mal. 3:2-3 NKJ)
In
Luke 16:24 the “flame” (5395 φλόξ phlox) causes the “agony” or “anguish” (3600 ὀδυνάω odunao). The Rich Man is being purged (
Mal. 3:3;
Job 23:10;
Zech. 13:9 cp.
1 Pet. 1:7) by the “flame of God’s inspection”: “His eyes like a flame” (
Rev. 1:14;
2:18;
19:12). The “flame” is the “visible aspect of a fire that springs upward and is usually orange”(Logos Bible Sense Lexicon). God is revealed in the “flame” (
Ex. 3:2;
Judges 13:20;
Isa. 66:15 LXX;
Acts 7:30;
2 Thess. 1:8).
The “torments of
Hades” are designed to bring the true person to the surface, liberate their free will from all bondage to sin and delusion. After suffering for their sins “judged according to men in the flesh”, if they choose to believe the gospel preached to them in
Hades they will “live according to God in the Spirit” apart from any torment, eagerly waiting for the Second Coming of Christ when they will rise with the dead in Christ.
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to 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 kept secret from the foundation of the world." (Matt. 13:34-35
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