Bronze....a little disagreement here.
Jesus told the story of a rich man (a jew) and lazarus (a beggar).
The rich man was on the wrong side of the fence in sheol (the lower hell). The beggar was on the right side (paradise).
When Jesus descended into the depths, He went to Paradise, from whence He led "captivity" (those waiting on Him to complete His work) free (to Heaven).
The rich man stayed where he was.
When Paul is speaking of "all Israel will be saved", he is referring to those alive when Jesus begins His reign, and who acknowledge Him as Messiah, Savior, Redeemer.
In the meantime....to die without Jesus is to be lost for eternity.
What you have been saying smacks loudly of John Hagee and the Two Covenant Theology.
My friend...
To begin - Do you know the difference between
Sheol and
Gehenna? If you do - and let's assume for arguments sake that the "Rich Man" "parable" was literal (which it isn't) but if it were, then the rich man is not described as being in
Gehenna is he?
This is an important detail, because I contend that God promised that the Jews will be forgiven and saved at the end of the time of the Gentiles - when Jesus Returns I believe they do go to their "graves"( sheol ) when they die BEFORE JESUS RETURNS
The author of Hebrews clearly tells us that Abraham, as well as all the other Old Testament saints, have not yet received the promises given to them by God.
HEBREWS 11:13 All these [Abraham, Noah, Abel, etc.] died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. . . . 39 And all these [including Abraham], having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
The great men and women of faith listed in Hebrews 11 have not yet been made perfect and given eternal life. They, along with
all the saints of God from every age, are currently sleeping in their
graves (Job 3:11-19; Psa. 6:5; 115:17; Ecc. 9:5, 10; I Cor. 15:20; Isa. 57:1-2; Dan. 12:2; Acts 2:29, 34; 13:36).
These saints are awaiting the first resurrection, which will take place when Yeshua the Messiah returns at the sounding of the seventh trumpet (Matt. 24:30-31; I Cor. 15:51-52; I The. 4:16; Rev. 11:15-18).
The story of the "rich man" is a
parable my friend.
You posted that parable but then you added
1Peter 3:18-20 onto it, which appears to make the parable literal my friend. That's not possible.
But, let's look at
1Peter 3:18-20 - who did Jesus preach to there? and for what purpose?
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man, has been used a long time by mainstream ministers to teach the reality of "hell" - however, it really has nothing to say about punishment or reward in the afterlife at all. Christ used this story (parable), which fit the common misconception about life after death in his day, to show the fate that awaited the Jewish nation because of the unbelief and faithlessness, which led them to reject him as the Messiah.
They still suffer from that fate to this very day. Yet the time is soon coming when God will pour on the Jews the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Christ whom they pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn (
Zec. 12:10).
Look folks, we have to stop being blind to God's promise with His Chosen people - it smacks of conceit and jealousy, whether intentional or not. In the very least, and under the best possible scenario, it shows a total lack of understanding and ignorance of God's ability to keep His promises.
In order to come to such erroneous conclusions, we are forced to supplant God's own Truth with our own. The fact is that God did make an
EVERLASTING covenant with the Jews - Hence the term
HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE. This is not ambiguous at all people - stop trying to interpret God's Word.
Christ uses the last two verses of the "rich man" parable as an amazing prophecy of his pending resurrection from the dead. The rich man says that although his brothers may not accept the scriptural evidence for the identity of the Messiah, they will accept the evidence of
one who is raised from the dead. But Abraham answers and plainly tells him that anyone who rejects God's Word about the Messiah will also refuse to acknowledge the evidence of a miraculous resurrection. This last verse is a sad prophecy about the Jews and about all the Israelites who have not, despite God's resurrection of His son from the power of the grave, recognized Christ as the Messiah.
Christ ends this parable abruptly, with no real resolution presented. The picture presented is a bleak one, yet there is hope for the Jews and for all Israel. In
Romans 11, Paul laid out that hope in such a manner
that scarcely few today have really believed it.
In
Romans 11:1 Paul rhetorically asks if God has cast away His people, Israel.
He answers his own question emphatically by saying "Certainly not!" He tells us that God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Paul writes that there is currently a remnant of Israel, analogous to the seven thousand reserved to God in Elijah's time (I Kings 19:18), that God has elected by grace. The rest God hardened, that the Gentiles might also be included in salvation through grace. He gives the resolution of the situation in verse 26.
ROMANS 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26
And so all Israel will be saved,
as it is written: "
The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27
for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." 28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30
For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! If I were to accept your version of the future of the Jews, I would have to deny the verses I just posted among several others which explain and confirm God's promise to the Jews.
They are
His CHOSEN people folks - we'll all just have to get over it.
p.s. I love Hagee's ministery!
Bronzesnake
