Quick question regarding today’s BLOG (below), “Only What God Decides”. I thought that when Jesus descended, he went to offer his testimony to those in Paradise, not Hell (though they are close together). Does the Bible say he preached to those in Hell?
MD
============
Good question, Michael! I realized that might be a problem to someone who carefully considered what I wrote.
Before Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, hell was divided into two sections, Paradise and Torment. People in Paradise were geographically close to the damned who were in Torment, but they, like Jesus, were not close to being damned by God.
I hope that clears things up.
Pastor John
Only What God Decides
“A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.”
Psalm 91:7
Ordinarily, if 10,000 people fell dead at your right hand, you would say that death had come close to you. But this man didn’t think so. He had faith, and faith knows that if God decides that death will not touch you, then death is not close to you no matter how many people die nearby.
Consider Jesus’ example. After his crucifixion, Jesus descended into the hell, but that doesn’t mean that Jesus almost lost his soul. Damnation was never close to Jesus, even when he was in the presence of millions of damned souls. Likewise, death and damnation are far from those who love Jesus now, in this condemned, death-filled world.
Only what God decides matters.