What really happens to the wicked after death? ….read the teaching of Lazarus and the rich man and believe what you think it means to the dead after they die
Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Mal 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
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“ hell “is a temporary holding place until this day when this creation comes to an end
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
John 5:28-29
Jesus is talking about this day
“And
I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
And
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;
and
the books were opened:
and
another book was opened, which is the book of life:
and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and
death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the
second death.
And whosoever was
not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”( the second death )
Revelation 20:11-15
If you look at the book of revelation you see that
death and Hell in earth are a result of the forth seal being opened , based upon man’s breaking of the first covenant of mankind In The beginning ( adams covenant )
“And
when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say,
Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and
his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
Revelation 6:7-8 KJV
then in the end of the book after you see the chaos created by sin and death and all the evils of hell working upon earth through the middle part you see that hell and death who came riding into the earth as a conqueror over mankind in revelation 6 now you see the kings return at the end and what happens to sin and death and he’ll and how everyone is held accountable by the things written in the
books to every word and deed they did
But there’s another book introduced and opened at judgement
it is the lambs book of life and everyone not written on this book is cast into the fore as hell and death themselves are cast into an inferno of fire and eternal death that happens after the resurrection of the dead
Yes hell exists you reference Lazarus and the rich man look closely that’s occurring to the dead men in tbe story while the living still are on earth living thier lives when we die our spirit leaves our body and goes to God for judgement if we belong to him the Christ the author of life , or we wait in hades and purgatory there is a
spiritual prison where the wicked and unbelieving wait until they are raised back up for judgement this day we are reading about
to answer your question scripture isn’t ambiguous hell does exist but , hell isn’t the final destination after that day of jedgement when many are saved by the book of life (the gospel offering eternal life to believers ) but the others not in this book and all of creation the earth is already ablaze because of the prior events now hell ends death have given up thier dead in then (like the rich man in the story ) and everyone is judged by thier own deeds based upon what’s in the other books and are cast into the fire but then immediately John sees
the true and glorious hope of all Christian’s
“
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for
the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw
the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Revelation 21:1-8 KJV
There is one death of the body and then the spirit is raised up to be judged if we aren’t born in Christ through the gospel if we follow him by the spirit in truth we don’t have to worry about any of that because when we die we are going to him that day to be judged by his life giving word that offers repentance and forgiveness and the things he taught and said to believe and do in the gospel
they are the living not the dead
“Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 5:24 KJV