Luke 16:19-31, Lazarus and The Rich Man

The first thing that needs to be understood about this parable is it deals with Hades not Gehenna, so we know this condition can't be permanent because of Revelation 20.

I've spent some time in the past defaulting to the interpretation that this is a Parable and so not a real depiction of the contemporary after life at all, and I still think that's probable.  But I want to break it down some more.

In the KJV some form of the word "torment" occurs four times.  They are two different words in The Greek, neither is the best word for describing torture inflicted for no reason other then pain or punishment.  The word Torture actually comes from a Greek root.  Luke could have used words used of Jesus's scourging, or the words used by the "Discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades" that's been variously attributed to both Josephus and Hippolytus of Rome.

Verses 23 and 28 use forms of Basanos.  Basanos was a Greek word for a Touch-Stone used for testing and refining Gold and other precious metals.  Forms of the word are also translated "travail" in Revelation 12:2 and "tossed" in Matthew 14:24.  An argument can be made that a good deal of the time it's used as a verb "tested" would be the best translation.  Basanos is also the basis for every use of "tormented" linked to the Lake of Fire in Revelation.  A form of Basanos is also the basis for "Tormentors" in Matthew 18:34 where Jesus explicitly described it as not indefinite.

Verses 24 and 25 use Odunao, a word not at all used of physical pain but of mental or psychological sorrow or anguish.  Like how it's used in Luke 2:48 or Acts 20:38.

The use of the word "flame" here is the rich man describing his Odunao.  So maybe it's an expression of how he feels and not literally saying he's on fire.

Now even leaving aside what we know elsewhere in Scripture about Hades fate in Revelation 20 or the Harrowing of Hell, there are a couple things in this parable on it's own that imply it won't be a permanent state.

One is the meaning of Basanos, Metals are tested with a Tocuh-Stone for a purpose, as already made clear above.

The other is Abraham's explanation to the Rich Man, The Rich Man is now experiencing what Lazarus did.  But if this state were permanent it at some point wouldn't be a just retribution anymore.