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nowadays. Lazarus was close toAbraham, but since Christ has been exalted Christians go to be with Him (Philippians 1:23). Those who are not, no doubt remain in Hades. When Christ comes for his own, the dead will be raised to be with Christ in glorified bodies (Philippians 3:20/21). Those who are not raised at that time will remain in death until they are raised for the final judgement (Revelation 20:5). It is only after they have been judged that anyone will be cast into the Lake of Fire which is Gehenna (see for example: Revelation 20:11-15; Matthew 13:42 & 50; 18:9). It may be mentioned here that the Lake of Fire is a lake, not a sea or ocean of fire. It is a confined area: a lake is surrounded by land. Evil is going to be confined. Secondly, whereas the physical Gehenna is usually identified with the valley of Hinnom; the place outside Jerusalem where fires were continually burning to get rid of the city's rubbish, the spiritual equivalent is the Lake of Fire. The terribleness of the latter should not be watered down in our minds, but neither should we dwell on it simply in an imaginative way.

It may be mentioned here that the case of the dying thief was somewhat unique as when Christ died he was not glorified and the thief can hardly have been with Christ in the same way as the saints are today. Christ was in death as well as the thief. On the other hand the thief was more privileged than the Old Testament saints who were simply gathered to their peoples (Genesis 25:8). It may be noted here that Scripture speaks of Death giving up the dead which are in it as well as Hades. From this we may gather that 'Death' is distinct from 'Hades'. The rich man in Luke 16 was said to be in Hades, but it is not said where Abraham and Lazarus were. They were clearly in the realm of the dead, but this may not mean that they were definitely in Hades, for Hades is distinguished from Death in both Revelation 6:8 and 20:13. In the second quote the Sea is also distinguished from Hades.

April 2000

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