JosephLove
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- Aug 31, 2010
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The story of the rich man and Lazarus is one of the most discussed parables in all the Bible. I believe the story is about two men who died, and came up in a resurrection.
"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
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"And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake He not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples." - Mark 4:33-34
When Jesus was teaching, he always used a parable. So yes, Lazarus and the rich man is a parable and so we must accept it as just that.
But for the purpose of this study, let's pretend it is a real scenario. Let's study the whole story verse by verse, and get a clear understanding of what Jesus is teaching in the parable.
But before we begin our study of the parable, consider the following scriptures:
"As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 13:40-42
The wicked will not burn in the fire as soon as they die, but rather they will be cast into a furnace of fire at the end of the world. So no one is burning right now, including the rich man.
If you study 1 Corinthians 15, you will see those who die in Christ will be resurrected to eternal life and immortality at the last trump. So no one has eternal life yet, including Lazarus.
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man can be found in the Book of Luke, chapter 16. The story begins at verse 19. Let's carefully read the parable verse by verse, and understand the lesson Jesus is teaching:
Verse 19 ----- "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day"
Verse 20 ----- "And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores"
Verse 21 ----- "And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores."
Lazarus was a beggar who was very poor. The rich man would not even give him the crumbs from his table. In fact, the local wandering dogs had more compassion for Lazarus, because they at least licked his sores.
Verse 22 ----- "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried"
Both Lazarus and the rich man died. Lazarus was carried by the angels. But notice the story does not say when he is carried.
It is revealed in the Book of Matthew that when Jesus returns He will bring the angels with him:
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory" - Matthew 25:31
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." - Matthew 24:31
At the last trump, Lazarus was carried into Abraham's bosom by the angels. Of course, this does not mean he literally arrived inside Abraham's chest.
Lazarus being in Abraham's bosom describes the very close relationship between them. In other words, Lazarus was hugged up in Abraham's arms with his head against his chest.
You may ask, why is Abraham mentioned in this parable? The reason is because the saved will inherit the promises made by God to Abraham:
"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." - Galatians 3:29
All Christians are in fact, children of Abraham:
"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." - Galatians 3:7
All Christians will inherit the promise made to Abraham. But what is this promise?
"For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever." - Genesis 13:15
God promised all of the land to both Abraham and his seed for ever. So this was an eternal promise that includes eternal life and eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:15)
This makes sense because Christ also taught:
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." - Matthew 5:5
Verse 23 ----- "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
The original Greek word is Hades and it means the grave. This makes sense because in the previous verse we read the rich man was buried.
Next it says he "lift up his eyes" which means he awakened. He died, was buried, his eyes had been closed in death, and now there came a time when they opened - he lift up his eyes.
"And many of them that sleep (eyes closed) in the dust of the earth (their graves - buried - in hades) shall awake (lift up their eyes), some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." - Daniel 12:2
After waking up, the rich man was in "torments." The original Greek word translated into "torments" is actually "basanos" and its meaning is fascinating.
It means: “A touchstone, having to do with touching pure gold, against the particular stone, to test its purity and validity, to be under a severe trial, torture.”
In other words, Basanos can be a case of mental torture which involves being under a severe trial.
What severe trial was the rich man under? He was standing before the judgment described in the Book of Hebrews:
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" - Hebrews 9:27
Verse 24 ----- "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
The part of this verse that reads "I am tormented in this flame" was originally written in Greek as: "odunOmai en tE phlogi tautE."
The Greek word, en, means: "In, by, with, etc."
One of the possible translations for this verse is "I am tormented by this flame," which would change the scenario.
The rich man would not yet be in the flame, but rather tormented because he is near the flame.
Or "tormented by the flame" could also mean the flame is the cause of his torment.
What is this flame Jesus Christ is speaking of?
"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." - Revelation 20:12-15
The rich man was standing before God, being judged, and facing the lake of fire! Can you imagine a more severe trial than this?
The heat from the lake of fire is so hot, the rich man is obviously sweating and for good reason, too! He has now developed what is commonly known as "cotton mouth" and that is why he wants a drop of water to cool his tongue.
Think of it this way; if you were roasting alive in conditions involving walls of fire all around you, would you merely ask for a few drops of water, just for the purpose of cooling your tongue? Or would you rather have someone dump a whole bucket of water on your head?
Something else to consider for those who believe in the immortality of the soul. Do immortal souls have tongues?
One of the teachings of this parable is that God does not favor the rich over the poor. Remember, the rich man would not even give Lazarus the crumbs from his table. So now in return, the rich man who once had many possessions is begging for just one drop of water to cool his tongue.
Verse 25 ----- "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."
Notice how Abraham says "remember that thou in thy lifetime...", this indicates that a significant amount of time has passed. What would be the point of saying "remember in thy lifetime" if the rich man encountered all this as soon as he died?
The rich man had lain in his grave for a very long period of time and is now being reminded of the errors from his previous life.
Verse 26 ----- "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
Many believe this verse proves the rich man is in an ever-burning hell, and Lazarus was in a place of paradise beside this hell. But if this were true, many problems would arise with this story.
Ask: What kind of reward for the Old Testament saints would this have been? Abraham and Lazarus, as well as Moses, Noah, David and all other Old Testament saints' reward would be stuck in the center of the earth? No more sky or clouds, no more sunshine, just trapped and being forced to watch and listen to millions of screaming souls in hell.
This would hardly be a reward at all!
So what is this great gulf fixed between the rich man and Lazarus?
"Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." - Isaiah 59:1-2
It is un-repented sins that cut us off from God and fixes a great gulf between man and God. It is not that God does not wish to hear man and help him, but rather our iniquities and sins separate us from Him.
The rich man’s sins had cut him off from God. This is why Abraham said that no one on either side of this “gulf” was able to cross to the other side. It was impossible, literally!
Verse 27 ----- "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house"
Verse 28 ----- "For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment."
The rich man wants Lazarus to warn his brothers so they will not have to suffer the same fate. This would be a natural request for any man concerned about his family. But because the rich man had been sleeping in his grave, he is unaware of how much time has passed since his death:
"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten." - Ecclesiastes 9:5
For those who try to prove the above verse means only the living's memory for the dead is forgotten, ask yourself. Have you had someone who you loved, die? Have your memories of them been forgotten? - No! Of course not!
However, their memories of you have temporarily deceased! Why? Because "the dead know not anything!"
Verse 29 ----- "Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."
This part of the parable is a warning for those who ignore the Bible. It is a warning for you, the reader! You should listen to Moses and any prophet that is of God!
Verse 30 ----- "And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent."
Because both the rich man and Lazarus had died and then were brought back to life in a resurrection, the rich man believed that would be enough evidence to convince his brothers to repent.
That's why he said, "but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent."
Verse 31 ----- "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
Why do so many people ignore this plain statement from the Bible? Many books, television programs and radio stations have all produced stories of people who died and went to "Hell".
But yet, the Bible plainly states: "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
In other words, even if you claim you died and then came back from the dead, no one will be persuaded by your story.
You may also notice that everyone's vision or experience of an ever-burning hell are all very different. Some people claim they seen monsters, chains, prison bars, etc. Others claim they only saw total darkness.
If the ever-burning Hell was true, there would only be one version of it. So why is everyone's vision of it not the same?
Abraham's reply was a very truthful statement. Even if someone dies and then comes back from the dead like Lazarus did, it is still not enough to convict or persuade someone who has hardened their heart against God.
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The story of the rich man and Lazarus teaches us that God does not favor the rich over the poor.
The rich man's wealth was not God's favor to someone, just as Lazarus' poverty was not God's judgment upon a person.
Jesus is teaching the Jews that they would not inherit the promise made to Abraham by birthright.
The rich man makes the mistake of crying out to "father Abraham" believing his family heritage would be enough to grant him the promise of eternal life.
Many of the Jews also made this same mistake, so Jesus was warning the Jews of the error in their ways of thinking.
In conclusion to our study of Lazarus and the rich man, consider this statement from the New Bible Dictionary:
"Probably the story of Dives (rich man) and Lazarus, like the story of the unjust steward, is a parable which made use of certain Jewish thinking and is not intended to teach anything about the state of the dead.”
"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
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"And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake He not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples." - Mark 4:33-34
When Jesus was teaching, he always used a parable. So yes, Lazarus and the rich man is a parable and so we must accept it as just that.
But for the purpose of this study, let's pretend it is a real scenario. Let's study the whole story verse by verse, and get a clear understanding of what Jesus is teaching in the parable.
But before we begin our study of the parable, consider the following scriptures:
"As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 13:40-42
The wicked will not burn in the fire as soon as they die, but rather they will be cast into a furnace of fire at the end of the world. So no one is burning right now, including the rich man.
If you study 1 Corinthians 15, you will see those who die in Christ will be resurrected to eternal life and immortality at the last trump. So no one has eternal life yet, including Lazarus.
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man can be found in the Book of Luke, chapter 16. The story begins at verse 19. Let's carefully read the parable verse by verse, and understand the lesson Jesus is teaching:
Verse 19 ----- "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day"
Verse 20 ----- "And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores"
Verse 21 ----- "And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores."
Lazarus was a beggar who was very poor. The rich man would not even give him the crumbs from his table. In fact, the local wandering dogs had more compassion for Lazarus, because they at least licked his sores.
Verse 22 ----- "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried"
Both Lazarus and the rich man died. Lazarus was carried by the angels. But notice the story does not say when he is carried.
It is revealed in the Book of Matthew that when Jesus returns He will bring the angels with him:
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory" - Matthew 25:31
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." - Matthew 24:31
At the last trump, Lazarus was carried into Abraham's bosom by the angels. Of course, this does not mean he literally arrived inside Abraham's chest.
Lazarus being in Abraham's bosom describes the very close relationship between them. In other words, Lazarus was hugged up in Abraham's arms with his head against his chest.
You may ask, why is Abraham mentioned in this parable? The reason is because the saved will inherit the promises made by God to Abraham:
"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." - Galatians 3:29
All Christians are in fact, children of Abraham:
"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." - Galatians 3:7
All Christians will inherit the promise made to Abraham. But what is this promise?
"For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever." - Genesis 13:15
God promised all of the land to both Abraham and his seed for ever. So this was an eternal promise that includes eternal life and eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:15)
This makes sense because Christ also taught:
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." - Matthew 5:5
Verse 23 ----- "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
The original Greek word is Hades and it means the grave. This makes sense because in the previous verse we read the rich man was buried.
Next it says he "lift up his eyes" which means he awakened. He died, was buried, his eyes had been closed in death, and now there came a time when they opened - he lift up his eyes.
"And many of them that sleep (eyes closed) in the dust of the earth (their graves - buried - in hades) shall awake (lift up their eyes), some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." - Daniel 12:2
After waking up, the rich man was in "torments." The original Greek word translated into "torments" is actually "basanos" and its meaning is fascinating.
It means: “A touchstone, having to do with touching pure gold, against the particular stone, to test its purity and validity, to be under a severe trial, torture.”
In other words, Basanos can be a case of mental torture which involves being under a severe trial.
What severe trial was the rich man under? He was standing before the judgment described in the Book of Hebrews:
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" - Hebrews 9:27
Verse 24 ----- "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
The part of this verse that reads "I am tormented in this flame" was originally written in Greek as: "odunOmai en tE phlogi tautE."
The Greek word, en, means: "In, by, with, etc."
One of the possible translations for this verse is "I am tormented by this flame," which would change the scenario.
The rich man would not yet be in the flame, but rather tormented because he is near the flame.
Or "tormented by the flame" could also mean the flame is the cause of his torment.
What is this flame Jesus Christ is speaking of?
"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." - Revelation 20:12-15
The rich man was standing before God, being judged, and facing the lake of fire! Can you imagine a more severe trial than this?
The heat from the lake of fire is so hot, the rich man is obviously sweating and for good reason, too! He has now developed what is commonly known as "cotton mouth" and that is why he wants a drop of water to cool his tongue.
Think of it this way; if you were roasting alive in conditions involving walls of fire all around you, would you merely ask for a few drops of water, just for the purpose of cooling your tongue? Or would you rather have someone dump a whole bucket of water on your head?
Something else to consider for those who believe in the immortality of the soul. Do immortal souls have tongues?
One of the teachings of this parable is that God does not favor the rich over the poor. Remember, the rich man would not even give Lazarus the crumbs from his table. So now in return, the rich man who once had many possessions is begging for just one drop of water to cool his tongue.
Verse 25 ----- "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."
Notice how Abraham says "remember that thou in thy lifetime...", this indicates that a significant amount of time has passed. What would be the point of saying "remember in thy lifetime" if the rich man encountered all this as soon as he died?
The rich man had lain in his grave for a very long period of time and is now being reminded of the errors from his previous life.
Verse 26 ----- "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
Many believe this verse proves the rich man is in an ever-burning hell, and Lazarus was in a place of paradise beside this hell. But if this were true, many problems would arise with this story.
Ask: What kind of reward for the Old Testament saints would this have been? Abraham and Lazarus, as well as Moses, Noah, David and all other Old Testament saints' reward would be stuck in the center of the earth? No more sky or clouds, no more sunshine, just trapped and being forced to watch and listen to millions of screaming souls in hell.
This would hardly be a reward at all!
So what is this great gulf fixed between the rich man and Lazarus?
"Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." - Isaiah 59:1-2
It is un-repented sins that cut us off from God and fixes a great gulf between man and God. It is not that God does not wish to hear man and help him, but rather our iniquities and sins separate us from Him.
The rich man’s sins had cut him off from God. This is why Abraham said that no one on either side of this “gulf” was able to cross to the other side. It was impossible, literally!
Verse 27 ----- "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house"
Verse 28 ----- "For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment."
The rich man wants Lazarus to warn his brothers so they will not have to suffer the same fate. This would be a natural request for any man concerned about his family. But because the rich man had been sleeping in his grave, he is unaware of how much time has passed since his death:
"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten." - Ecclesiastes 9:5
For those who try to prove the above verse means only the living's memory for the dead is forgotten, ask yourself. Have you had someone who you loved, die? Have your memories of them been forgotten? - No! Of course not!
However, their memories of you have temporarily deceased! Why? Because "the dead know not anything!"
Verse 29 ----- "Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."
This part of the parable is a warning for those who ignore the Bible. It is a warning for you, the reader! You should listen to Moses and any prophet that is of God!
Verse 30 ----- "And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent."
Because both the rich man and Lazarus had died and then were brought back to life in a resurrection, the rich man believed that would be enough evidence to convince his brothers to repent.
That's why he said, "but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent."
Verse 31 ----- "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
Why do so many people ignore this plain statement from the Bible? Many books, television programs and radio stations have all produced stories of people who died and went to "Hell".
But yet, the Bible plainly states: "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
In other words, even if you claim you died and then came back from the dead, no one will be persuaded by your story.
You may also notice that everyone's vision or experience of an ever-burning hell are all very different. Some people claim they seen monsters, chains, prison bars, etc. Others claim they only saw total darkness.
If the ever-burning Hell was true, there would only be one version of it. So why is everyone's vision of it not the same?
Abraham's reply was a very truthful statement. Even if someone dies and then comes back from the dead like Lazarus did, it is still not enough to convict or persuade someone who has hardened their heart against God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The story of the rich man and Lazarus teaches us that God does not favor the rich over the poor.
The rich man's wealth was not God's favor to someone, just as Lazarus' poverty was not God's judgment upon a person.
Jesus is teaching the Jews that they would not inherit the promise made to Abraham by birthright.
The rich man makes the mistake of crying out to "father Abraham" believing his family heritage would be enough to grant him the promise of eternal life.
Many of the Jews also made this same mistake, so Jesus was warning the Jews of the error in their ways of thinking.
In conclusion to our study of Lazarus and the rich man, consider this statement from the New Bible Dictionary:
"Probably the story of Dives (rich man) and Lazarus, like the story of the unjust steward, is a parable which made use of certain Jewish thinking and is not intended to teach anything about the state of the dead.”
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