None Can Cross the Great Chasm Between Paradise and Sheol

Looking at the Rich Man and Lazarus again. If we only think the way knees jerk as a reflex reaction, we may jump to the conclusion (like a frog) that absolutely NO ONE... EVER...IN ANY STATE WHATSOEVER...CROSSES from Heaven to Hell.

Here is the passage quoted again:

The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-26)

Luke:16:19 "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20"And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with thecrumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22"Now the poor man died and was carriedaway by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24"And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' 25"But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may crossover from there to us.'

Taking the words for what they say, no one crosses between Hades and the bosom of Abraham.

The answer to this seeming problem lies in the fact that the prisoner in Hades will return to God the Father - not to Abraham's bosom in Paradise. Ecclesiastes 12:7 "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:6-8 (in Context) The spirit, in this case, is not going to go up to see Abraham and Lazarus but is going to report to God. God will direct him where he must go from there.

We know from 2 Peter that Jesus preached to the spirits in prison which formerly did not obey God during the time of Noah. Obviously Jesus was able to go into Hades and come out into the earth plane and from there into heaven. So, we should not take Luke 16:26 too literally with regard to "none may crossover."

Remedialist