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Question
The Bible speaks about the rich man in hell wanting water. How is it he was in hell? I thought you only go to hell after the judgment also Jesus went to hell. What was the reason for that?
Hi Sydney,
The easiest way to understand this passage is to recognize it as a story used by Jesus to illustrate a point. Jesus was not teaching about hell but rather he was teaching about the importance of heeding his words. He used this commonly held belief among the Jews as a vehicle to teach.
The Jewish historian Josephus wrote an article known as the "Discourse to the Greeks Concerning Hades." In it he explains what the Jews believed about hell. It has several things in common with the story Jesus told.
You can read it here:
http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/hades.htm
Hell is not an eternally burning place in which people suffer for eternity. It doesn't even exist at this time. It will destroy Satan and the wicked after Christ returns.
Hope this helps
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