This parable of Jesus Christ describes the rich man, “in hell,” “being in torments,” crying to “Abraham” to send the beggar, “Lazarus” who “was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom” to warn his “five brethren,” “lest they also come in to this place of torment.” And Abraham’s response (which is the whole point of the parable), “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.”

     This was a well-known story in Christ’s day. It was called “The Fable of Tantalum.” (See The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, by Alfred Eddersheim, single volume edition, pg. 669). In the original story, as was taught by the rabbis, the rich man was the one in heaven, and the poverty and ill ridden Lazarus was the one in fiery torments. In Christ’s day, the religious leaders taught that the rich were the ones blessed of GOD and therefore had a guaranteed entrance into heaven; while the poor and sickly were in their condition due to GOD’S curse resting on them and were therefore condemned to eternal damnation. This theology made the rabbis very rich, for their flattery of wealthy men filled their coffers (Ps.12:2,3).

     But Jesus reversed the roles in this story by placing Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom and the rich man in torments, thereby exposing the popular doctrine as false. This is affirmed in Luke 18:24-26, when 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?”—In other words, if the rich were most likely lost what of those without the blessings of good health and financial prosperity?

     The church today has trampled Christ’s one intended lesson in His parable (ver.26) and replaced it with a doctrine that assaults not only the love born of heaven but promotes the “doctrines of devils” that the apostle Paul warned would enter the church (I Tim.4:1). With the exception of its moral (ver.26), every aspect of the modern Christian view of this parable contradicts Christ’s plain and simple words (Matt.10:28).

What other verses of Scripture are used to support the Church’s claim that eternal torment in hellfire exists?

Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

     This is another verse used to bolster the belief in eternal hellfire. The Greek word for “hell” in this verse and others is the word gehenna, which was the trash heap outside of Jerusalem. A perpetual fire was kept to maintain a limit on the buildup of garbage. The fire burned the refuse to ashes, thereby preventing the garbage from overrunning its appointed boundaries. And the lesson of gehenna as with other illustrations Christ used to describe the fate of “the wicked” is very simple and ethical: GOD’S use of fire in Scripture is always for purifying and cleansing, never for the use of torture or physical pain as the church ascribes.

There are examples where fire was used to destroy people:

1. When GOD ended the lives of eternally unrepentant men and women (Gen.19:24-29; Lev.10:1,2; Nu.11:1; II Ki.1:9-12; Ju.7).
2. When Satan caused fire to fall from the sky and burn alive innocent men and animals (Job 1:16).

     It is important to know GOD’S use of fire vs. Satan’s because Revelation 13:13 warns us that Satan will cause fire to fall again, but this time on a more grand scale. Thus, Satan will provoke the sin-evangelizing church to take desperate measures to ‘appease an angry god’ (as every pagan religion in history has ever done). Therefore, the remedy our church leaders will impose to preserve mankind will be to legislate the great sin of Rome into federal law: the law of the sun-god, not the Law of the Son of GOD (Jn.8:58). This in turn will drive GOD’S protection even further away, as “the LORD” warned long ago, “Woe also to them when I depart from them.” Hos.9:12. And when GOD leaves, Satan is given a free hand; and his will is never for the benefit of man.

     Again, to settle this issue of “hell,” the clarity of the truth, wisdom, and love of Jesus Christ should be acknowledged: “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.” “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.” “But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matt.13:40; 10:28; 19:17.

     To sum up: blind-to-tradition theologians have taken the words of Scripture, "perish," "death," "die," "destroy," "devour," "consume," and given them a mystical meaning beyond any dictionary’s definition, and followed Satan’s deceiving miracles to disqualify the many verses of Scripture that teach the truth on this matter (Isa.5:20). This has always been and will always be the method of “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev.17:5). Prophecy forewarned that the pope of Rome would be exalted to rule the world, and tyranny would be his weapon to accomplish his selfish aims to lead the whole world to stand condemned with him in his sins, just as Satan deceives the world to stand condemned with him in his sins (Dan.7:1-8,25; Matt.24:4,5; Rev.13). But Christ will come, and every false religion will be “broken to pieces together…like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them.” Dan.2:35.

     Ministers stand naked in their ignorance of how Jesus bore the same punishment the most wicked man will face. They stand naked in their ignorance of how Jesus conquered the dominion of death. They stand naked in their ignorance of the Law that justifies the righteous to eternal life but condemns the unrepentant. They stand naked in their ignorance of GOD’S ordained method to destroy Satan, and unrepentant men. And they stand naked in their hatred of those who expose their corrupt hearts, calling them to repent and be saved for Christ’s sake. As the priests of Christ’s day stirred up the people against Him and His Apostles, so today’s priests will do likewise and use every means to block the Light from the Cross of Calvary to those “which do hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matt.5:6).

     The truth of GOD'S Love will soon lighten the Earth. Soon, GOD’S desire will shine forth to every man, to lavish His forgiveness and receive the sinner’s repentance. It is only by men’s determination to attribute their own cruelty to that of GOD that will lead to their destruction, as “the LORD” said, “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee.” Ps.50:21.