anexcerpt from Hope of Life After Death by Ron Day

an excerpt from Hope of Life After Death by Ron Day http://reslight.addr.com/life.html

"Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come forth . . ." John 5:28,29a

Next we will discuss the Rich Man in Hades. This parable has often been quoted as proof that the bad will suffer in eternal torment after death. But does it? What will a close examination of this parable in the light of the context show us?

The Rich Man and Lazarus
Luke 16:19-31

(63) It is evident from the whole setting of this passage that it is a parable. Otherwise the logical lesson to be drawn from it is that unless we are poor beggars, full of sores, we will never enter eternal bliss; and that future torment will be our portion if we happen to wear fine linen and purple and fare sumptuously every day. And, if taken literally, those who are poor are taken, not to heaven, but to Abraham's bosom. However, the context of this passage shows that Christ in this parable was teaching a great dispensational truth, namely, the change of favor from the Mosaic Law Covenant to the Covenant of faith. (Luke 16:16-18; Galatians 3:6-29) If you read carefully the 32nd chapter of Deuteronomy, you will see that Jesus was merely repeating in vivid pictorial language what Moses had already said. See particularly verses 20 to 29; and also Paul's quotation of the 21st verse in Romans 10:19, where he shows that Moses' prophecy referred to the overthrow of Israel consequent upon Jesus' rejection of that nation.

Notes to paragraph 63:

(a) Jesus was evidently drawing upon something that was in the real world, the apostate Jewish belief which blended the Grecian philosophies into the Bible. The Jewish leaders knew of these beliefs and it was the Jewish leaders that he was addressing. He used their own beliefs, not to condone their apostate beliefs, but to illustrate the change he had just spoken of: "The law and the prophets were until John." -- Luke 16:16.

(b) Some other reasons that this story should be viewed as a parable:

To think that Jesus was supporting the idea of eternal roasting after death by use of this parable is contrary to God's justice, for justice demanded the forfeiture of man's life for sin (Genesis 2:17), for "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and of God it is said (Psalm 145:20): "all the wicked will he destroy." Therefore, it would be an infraction of God's justice for him to preserve the wicked and eternally torture them.

Additionally, such a conclusion violates God's wisdom, for wisdom devises plans which useful ends are attained. There is surely no useful purpose in keeping the rich man eternally in a place of torture.

Of course, the parable says nothing about Lazarus remaining in hades for eternity, but as Revelation 20:13 shows, all in hades will be brought back for the judgment day, and then hades will be destroyed in the lake of fire. -- Revelation 20:14; See also Hosea 13:14.

If the Rich Man were in literal flames in hades, this could contradict the entire testimony of the rest of the Bible, which shows that sheol/hades is nothingness, oblivion, silence, destruction. -- Ecclesiastes 9:10; Psalm 6:5; 115:17; 146:3,4; Isaiah 38:18; 63:16; Job 14:21; etc. This has been showned throughout this publication. See also Hell in the Bible

It would contradict God's stated purpose to bless mankind. -- Genesis 12:1-3.

It would contradict the ransom, which is clearly taught, for example, in 1 Corinthians 15:3,21,22, Hebrews 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:6, which scriptures teach that Christ died (not ) suffered eternal torment for our sins according to the Hebrew scriptures. The prophecy of Isaiah 53:4-12 shows that our Lord would bear our penalty (which is death --Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23 -- not eternal torment), pouring out his soul to death. The effect of this ransom is to be the salvation of all men, not the eternal torture of the vast majority. (1 Timothy 4:10; 1 John 2:2) See The Ransom for All.

(64) The rich man of the parable represented the proud and self-righteous of the Jewish nation in our Savior's time, seeking righteousness by means of the Law Covenant. (Galatians 2:21; Philippians 3:9; Romans 9:31,32) The Pharisees seem to be particularly represented by the Rich Man. (Luke 16:14,15) The scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses seat' (Matthew 23:2) as the religious leaders and representatives in Israel. (Matthew 23:5-7) The Rich Man's clothing of purple and fine linen represented the honors and privileges accorded to the scribes and Pharisees. (Matthew 23:5-7) The fine linen represented the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, which they claimed by the Law. (John 9:40,41) The purple clothing represented royalty -- not only was purple the royal color in our Savior's day, but we still speak of royal purple. (Judges 8:26; John 19:2,3; Mark 15:17,18) The scribes and Pharisees were sitting in Moses' seat, therefore they had the purple in the sense that to it belonged the honor of being the typical Kingdom of God, and the promises respecting the future dominion of God as the Kingdom of God. The abundance of food upon the Rich Man's table represented the abundance of divine promises and blessings and instructions given to the scribes and Pharisees. (Romans 9:4,5) It was this table of divine favors that the apostle referred to saying: "What advantage does the Jew have? Much in every way, chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God." (Romans 3:1-3) This was the table respecting which the prophet and the apostle spoke concerning Israel: "Let their table become a trap and a snare to them." (Romans 11:9) In other words, the very bounties and blessings of God's revelations or oracles tended to make them not humble, but proud, and ultimately assisted in their stumbling and rejection of the Savior due to their insistence of their righteousness by works of the Law. -- Romans 9:30-32.

(65) The scribes and Pharisees would not so much as eat with any they considered as sinners. (Matthew 9:11) They viewed Jewish sinners the same as if they were Gentiles, without law. Those who accepted the Messiah's teachings were of this lowly Jewish class. Matthew, one of his apostles, was a tax collector, others were common fishermen. (Matthew 10:3; Mark 1:16,19) None of them were recognized by the religious aristocracy of the time. They were looked down upon, declared not to be heirs with the holy Pharisees and educated Scribes and Doctors of the Law. The Pharisees even determined that Jesus himself was not only a friend of publicans and sinners but an injurious person who must not be allowed to live. (Matthew 12:14) From the Jewish leaders' standpoint Jesus and his followers were all outside the gates, excluded from the special privileges and blessings of God through the "righteousness" Law. These lowly Jewish followers of Jesus were the first of the Lazarus class.

(66) The Lazarus class also later included those Gentiles of humble heart who accepted Jesus, thus becoming Jews inwardly and participants in the Abrahamic promises. (Colossians 3:11; Galatians 3:28,29; Romans 2:28,29; 10:12) As an illustration of how these fed on the crumbs that fell from the Rich Man's table let us remember Jesus' words to the Syrophenician woman, a Gentile who came to him entreating for the healing of her daughter. Our Master, to illustrate the relative position of the Jews and Gentiles from God's standpoint, said to her: "It is not proper to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs." (Matthew 15:26) In other words, Jesus was saying: It would not be proper for me to devote my time and energies to the blessing of yourself and daughter, who are Gentiles, because the Jewish nation is by covenant in the favored place with God. Any special blessings and favors that God has to give must be given to them first of all. Non-Jews are not to expect to get the favors I was sent to give to Israel.' We remember his words to the disciples also: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, for I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 15:24

(67) The message and blessings and opportunities could not go to the Gentiles until first they had been offered to the Jewish table (occupied by the Rich Man) and had been rejected by all except a remnant the Jewish Lazarus class who would seek righteousness by faith. (John 1:11,12; Romans 1:15; 2:9,10; 11:5; Matthew 22:3-10) But mark that as Lazarus got some of the "crumbs," according to the parable, so did the Syrophenician woman. She exclaimed: "True, Lord. Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." (Matthew 15:27; Mark 7:28) Jesus answered her: "'O woman, your faith is great. Let it be to you even as thou desire.' And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." (Matthew 15:28) Jesus gave her the crumb of faith from the children's table -- the table being occupied by the Rich Man.

The Death of Lazarus

(68) In the context of this parable Jesus said the following: "The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since then the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it." (Luke 16:16) To those who view this parable as literal, this statement would seem to be dealing with a completely different subject. Yet Jesus gave the parable as an illustration of this very statement. Jesus made a similar statement as recorded in Matthew 11:12,13: "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is pressing forward vigorously and those who are vigorous seize it eagerly. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

(69) Jesus also stated: "Whoever puts away his wife, and marries another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her that is put away from her husband commits adultery." (Luke 16:18) Again, this seems to be unrelated to the parable. However, it has much to do with the parable as we will see.

(70) The parable tells us: "The beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom." The death of the beggar illustrates the Jew who puts his faith in Jesus as figuratively dying with Jesus. Thus Paul says: "Do you not know, brothers, (for I speak to them that know the law,) that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman which has a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he lives. But if the husband should die, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she should marry to another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband should die, she is free from that law; so she is no adulteress, though she should marry another man. Therefore, my brothers, you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we have been delivered from the law, because being dead to that in which we were held, we should serve in a new manner by spirit, and not in the old manner by the letter." (Romans 7:1-6) Notice how well this parallels Luke 16:18.

(71) When Lazarus died, he was taken by the angels to Abraham's bosom. This signifies the faith-believing Jew becoming part of the true seed of Abraham in Jesus by promise apart from the Law. "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise." (Galatians 3:18) "When the full measure of time had come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:4,5) They were being received into the favored position before God. -- Romans 4:13,14.

(72) Likewise, the believing Gentile also, being a law unto himself, had to die to the Law of Sin that ruled in his body. (Romans 2:12-15; 3:9-20) Thus both the believing Jew as well as the believing Gentile are represented in Lazarus.

The Death of the Rich Man

(73) John the Baptist warned the Pharisees and Sadducees: "Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:10) The Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes claimed to be the representatives of that law. (Matthew 12:2; 19:3; 22:34-36; John 7:47-49) As a rich man riding upon the Law as a means to righteousness, they missed the righteousness of God. "Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. . . . For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." -- Romans 9:31,32; 10:3

(74) Did the Jewish nation, seeking righteousness after the law, continue in the favor of God? Or, on the other hand did that nation die to special blessings and mercies of God that they previously so richly enjoyed? Shortly before Jesus died, he wept over Jerusalem and said: "Your house is left to you in desolation." Thus the parable continues: "The rich man also died, and was buried." With the rejection of the national polity of Jerusalem, the city of the Jews, Rich Man died, for he no longer had any standing before Yahweh. This was signified by the vail being ripped apart in the temple at Jesus' death. -- Mark 15:38.

The Rich Man in Torments

(75) Then we read that the Rich Man, in Hades, lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and he saw Abraham in the distance, and Lazarus in his bosom. So much were the Jewish leaders tormented by the change of conditions that they persecuted the followers of Jesus, even to putting them to death. The torment of the Jewish leaders is demonstrated at Acts 5:33, when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard the things Peter and the other apostles told them: "They were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them." They demonstrated a similar torment at the words of Stephen: "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth." (Acts 7:54) The fulfillment of this is also well-illustrated by Saul (before he became Paul the apostle), who was a Pharisee. Paul himself states: "For you have heard of my past conduct in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and destroyed it." (Galatians 1:13) "I actually thought to myself, that I should do many things to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. These things I did also in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I put into prison, having received authority from the chief priests. When they were being put to death, I gave my voice against them. I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme. Being exceedingly angry against them, I persecuted them even in foreign cities." (Acts 26:9-11) Their torment of feeling the rejection of God by the preaching of Jesus' followers led them to try to prove that they had not been rejected. A successful revolt against the Roman yoke would be such a proof.

(76) The Rich Man asks Abraham to send Lazarus, that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and cool the Rich Man's tongue while he is tormented in the flames. (Luke 16:24) The Rich Man is not here really wanting to receive help from the Lazarus class. He speaks, not to Lazarus, but to Abraham, asking for water from Lazarus. The Jewish leaders began to realize that something was happening. They did not want to admit that they had missed the Messiah. They wanted Messiah to deliver them, but on their own terms. Seeing Lazarus at a distance, they desired a Messiah, someone to deliver them from the torments they had come into. Especially were they seeking deliverance from the Roman yoke. In May, 66 CE, the group known as Zealots, with whom were joined Pharisees and Sadducees, openly rebelled against Roman rule. Under the leadership of one Joseph Ben Matthias, a Pharisee (better known as Flavius Josephus), the Jews repulsed the Roman armies for 47 days before surrendering the fortress of Jotapata. By seeking deliverance from another source than through faith in Jesus they in effect were saying to Abraham: "Send Lazarus over to us, that he may cool our tongue." Returning to the parable, Abraham reminded the Rich Man how he had the good things during his lifetime, while Lazarus received bad things. The Rich Man had all the favors -- the Law and the Prophets. "To them were committed the oracles of God." (Romans 3:2) Now Lazarus was comforted with the knowledge of the Good News, while the Rich Man was in anguish. -- Luke 16:25; Acts 9:31; 2 Corinthians 1:3-6.

The Chasm

(77) Then Abraham informs the Rich Man that there is a great chasm (canyon, gulf) between the Rich Man and himself. This chasm represents the difference between faith in Jesus and the seeking of righteousness through the Law. The Rich Man, representing those holding to the Law and denying Jesus as the Messiah, could not cross over the chasm to the other side in an endeavor to blend faith in the Messiah with seeking righteousness by Law. Likewise, Lazarus, representing those who are justified by faith in Jesus apart from the works of the Law, could not cross the chasm to the other side so as to blend the two opposing parties. Any individual Jew putting faith in Jesus (apart from the Law) would be represented in the Lazarus class. Any individual Jew who continued in seeking righteousness according to the Law would be represented by the Rich Man class. The Jew could be represented by one or the other. One could not accept righteousness through faith in the Messiah and at the same time seek righteousness by Law. Such would be crossing the chasm, that is, trying to bring salvation by works of the Law over to the side of Lazarus, or trying to take salvation by faith in the Messiah over to the side of the Rich Man, neither of which could be done. -- Galatians 2:16,21.

The Rich Man's Brothers

(78) Next, the Rich Man, again addressing Abraham, asks for Lazarus to go to his father's house to warn his five brothers, that they not come into the place of torment he was in. (Luke 16:28) In the years 67-68 CE many Jews were taken prisoners by Vespasian. A knowledge that God was punishing the chosen people was growing amongst many of the Jewish people who had been taken prisoners. Josephus was among these. Another Pharisee, Jochanan ben Zakkai, likewise began to recognize that it was not God's will for the Jews to be freed from the Romans. These prisoners and others, in effect, were asking Abraham for a Messiah, not to deliver the remaining revolting Jews from the Roman yoke, but to warn them of the tragedy that was to come if they continued in their revolt. In doing this, however, they still did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah nor his followers as the true Lazarus. They wanted a justification, a Lazarus who would come to help their "brothers" under the Law. Abraham replied that they had Moses and the Prophets; they could listen to them. These, we are told, would lead them to the Messiah. (Galatians 3:24) To send the true Lazarus to the "brothers" of the Rich Man, would have necessitated the revoking of their death to sin and the law. (Romans 6:2,7,8,11; 7:4) To do so would have meant they would become "twice dead" condemned to death twice by the law of sin. Thus Abraham told the Rich Man that if his brothers would not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither would they listen to one who rose from the dead -- those dead with Messiah. The remaining Jews in Jerusalem, Masada, etc., did not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they continued their rebellion until the city of Jerusalem with its temple was totally destroyed in the year 70 CE. In the year 73 the siege of Masada ended in disastrous results to the "brothers" of the Rich Man. Jesus does not take the narrative any further.

Note to Paragraph 78:

The number of "brothers" used in the parable is a total of six; the one who dies and the five who remain alive. We believe this number -- six -- the number of imperfection, is used to represent the unrighteous condition of the six brothers, that is, they had not been justified in the blood of the lamb.

(79) Some try to show that Abraham's bosom in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus represents heaven or paradise. They argue: "The fact that at death Abraham's soul went to heaven is plainly stated in Scripture (Hebrews 11:10,16; cf. Matthew 8:11)" Yet, neither Hebrews 11:10,16 nor Matthew 8:11 say anything about Abraham's continuance of life in heaven while in death. Those who refer to the scriptures in this manner desire to read into scripture something which is not there. Matthew 8:10-12 and Luke 13:28-30 depict the end results of the Jewish rejection of their Messiah in the resurrection. The Kingdom was taken from them and given to a nation producing its fruitage. (Matthew 21:43) Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sit in this kingdom because it is this nation that becomes the seed of Abraham. Of course, the language of the parable is pictorial, not to be taken literally. The children of the kingdom, the Jews as a whole, were cast out into outer darkness. There they were weeping and gnashing their teeth. They were cast out when Jesus stated: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem you who killed the prophets, and stoned them that were sent to you how often I would have gathered your children together, as hen gathers her offspring under her wings, but you would not allow it! Look, your house is left to you in desolation. Truly I say to that you will not see until the time comes when you will say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh!'" (Luke 13:34,35) In all this there is no reference to a living existence of Abraham going to heaven when he died.

(80) Likewise Hebrews 11:10,16 refers to the city that will come down from heaven in the next age. (Revelation 21:1-4) Thus it will be in the time when Abraham will be resurrected, and the time when God himself is spoken of as dwelling with men. Hebrews 11:35 indicates that the resurrection, not an undieable soul, is referred to. Abraham did not receive the promise, we are told, nor was he made perfect before the believers in the Messiah. (Hebrews 11:39,40) Nothing is stated in the scriptures cited nor in the context to the effect that Abraham's soul went to heaven when he died.