Metaphors And Symbolic Passages
THE INTERMEDIATE BOSOM: THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
Luke 16:19-31
Does hades have a good side and a bad side? This parable is one of the most used scriptures to prove both (1) that persons have a part of them self‘s that goes to Heaven or Hell, (2) or they has a part that goes into a holding place unto the resurrection. If this were a literal story and not a parable, as many believe it is, it would be both in conflict with and a contradiction of the belief that all go at once to Heaven or Hell at death; it would be positive proof that no one does.
Many realizing that the Orthodox teaching that a person goes to Heaven or Hell at death is not from the Bible, and no one will be in Heaven before and without a resurrection and judgment, knew they had to have an intermediate or third place that is not Heaven or Hell to put immortal souls (if there were immortal souls) from death unto 302
the resurrection. Is the best they can do is to try to make a parable into a true story, making Abraham's bosom into a holding place unto the resurrection? In doing this, they must set aside the plain teaching on death and the resurrection as if they did not exist.
Making this into a real story and not a parable may be a life or death struggle with them, for the Bible gives them nowhere for the living soul to be living in before the resurrection, no other place, and they need to make this into a real place. If they do not, they have living souls with nowhere for them to be living in before the resurrection and judgment. They cannot have them in Heaven or their Hell unto the resurrection; but they must have somewhere to keep them. They cannot even agree among themselves, for some say it is a parable, and some say, "No it is a true story." Many that think it is a parable will use it as if it were a true story. They say it teaches the same thing either way.
"Notes On The Parables Of Our Lord" by R. C. Trench is ranked as one of the best on the parables. He not only says this is a parable, but on page 17 says parables are not to be made the first sources to teach a doctrine. To go from the clear to the obscure has been recognized as the law of Scriptural interpretation, but this has been forgotten by those looking for an argument to sustain a weak position, and often invent for themselves support in parables. On page 162 Trench says it is most important to keep in mind that this parable has as it's central thought the rebuke of unbelief. Nevertheless, this parable is used as the first and only source to teach a doctrine that is not found in any other part of the Bible.
Some that believe in Hell often point to Luke 16 to prove there is torment after death; but when pushed, most of them will admit hades is not Hell; but they need to prove there is torment in Hell and therefore use the torment of the rich man in hades in this parable and hope in some way to transfer the torment in hades to torment in Hell. Even if this were a true story and not a parable, it may prove that there is torment before the resurrection, but it would prove nothing about what will be after the resurrection, or that there will even be a Hell after the resurrection; yet, Luke 16 is one of the most used passages to try to prove there is a Hell and there is torment in Hell even though there is nothing about Hell in the parable. They are desperately looking for proof of Hell, which they cannot find. It says nothing of Heaven. Hell, or a soul. The complete silence of the scriptures about the dead being anywhere before the resurrection other than the grave is a deathblow to the doctrine of an immortal soul; Those who make this parable into a literal story and are trying to prove the Abraham's bosom view, or to prove Hell, use it to put aside hundreds of plain passages of scripture.
This is the last in a series of five parables all spoken to the Pharisee and Scribes, all in the same speech.
1. The lost sheep [Luke 15:3-7].
2. The lost coin [Luke 15:8-10] not called a parable.
3. The lost son [Luke 15:11-32] "a certain man" not called a parable.
4. The unjust steward [Luke 16:1-13] "a certain rich man" not called a parable.
5. The rich man and Lazarus [Luke 16:19-31] "a certain rich man" not called a parable.
Four of the five are not called a parable.
Three of the five begin with "a certain...man."
Two of the five have "a certain rich man."
No one makes the other four be a true story, but they desperately need the rich man and Lazarus to be a true story to have proof of their doctrine.
Five "a certain" in a row
1. "A certain man" [Luke 14:16].
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2. "A certain man" [Luke 15:11]. No one questions these two being a parable.
3. " A certain rich man" [Luke 16:1]. And no one questions this being a parable.
4. " A certain rich man" [Luke 16:19]. Why do many question this being a parable?
5. "And a certain beggar named Lazarus" [Luke 16:20].
Christ used "a certain" 18 times, and all 18 are in parables [Matthew 18:23; 21:28; 31:23; 22:2; Mark 12:1; Luke 7:41; 10:30; 10:31; 10:33; 12:16; 13:6; 14:16; 15:11; 16:1; 16:19: 16:20; 19:12; 20:9]. No one questions that the other 16 times "a certain" is used as being in parables, only the two in this parable to make them fit with their literal view, but they desperately need this not to be a parable for it to be proof of their doctrine of Hell even if it makes the passage contradict what they believe about Hell.
The objection of some is that it is not called a parable. Less than half, only 11 of the 26 parables in Luke are called a parable. The three parables before this one that are a part of the series of five parables all spoken to the Pharisee and Scribes in the same speech are not called parables but no one questions them being parables. The objection of others is that parables do not use proper names. "And he took up his parable, and said, 'From
Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel'" [Numbers 23:7]. Not one but five proper names are used in one parable. " Satan" [Mark 4:14] and " the son of man" [Matthew 13:37] are used in parables. Also Ezekiel 23:1-4.
Those who make this parable into a literal story do not accept the main part of it as being literal. They do not accept Abraham‘s bosom as being a literal place but as a symbolic place; his literal bosom had turned to dust many years before and there would not be room for even one person in Abraham‘s literal bosom; therefore, if part of it cannot be literal none of it can be literal, if it is a true story all of it must be literal. It is a symbolic picture or a true story; it cannot be a mixture of the two.
If one attempts to explain all the elements as though they are literal, the difficulties of making this be a true story will be seen.
THE RICH MAN
This is an allegory of the Jews who were rich in God's blessing. Israel was spiritually rich [see Romans 9:3-5]. All Luke 16 is on the subject of stewardship. The Jews failed to share with the Gentiles giving them only the crumb, and most of the Jews failed to believe in Christ. The Gentiles were spiritually poor. This parable is a satire condemning the Jewish nation, the Scribes, and Pharisees. Christ used one of their own uninspired fables, which those He was speaking to would know about [see Josephus and others], which He changed only slightly as the base of this parable to show the end of the Jewish nation as God's chosen people. See Matthew 21:43-45; 24:2; Luke 13:28; Matthew 23:1-39. Throughout much of the Old Testament Israel did not obey God and rejected Christ, therefore, were rejected by God. Israel is no longer His chosen people. Their torment was being without God and rejected by Him, and as a nation Israel is dead and in hades, the grave. When they reject Christ there was no comfort for them, no water to cool their tongue [Luke 16:24].
A picture of the rich Jews and the poor Gentiles is given in Matthew 15:22-27. "And behold, a Canaanitish women came out from those borders, and saying, have mercy on me, O Lord...But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the house of Israel. But, she came and worshipped him saying, Lord help me. And he answered and said, It is not good to take the children's [Israel's] bread and cast it to the dogs [Gentiles]. But she said, 304
Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." He gives her the crumbs and healed her daughter.
"And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth" [Matthew 8:11-12]. "Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" [Matthew 21:43]. "O Jerusalem...your house is left unto you desolate" [Matthew 23:37-38].
"Odunaomai" [Used only four times in the New Testament, and is translated
"tormented" in the King James Version in Luke 16:24 and 25, but is translated "in anguish" both times in the American Standard Version. It is used only two other times and was translated "sorrowing" in the King James Version, when Mary said to Christ
"and I have sought thee sorrowing [odunaomai]" Luke 2:48 and when Paul told the elders at Miletus that they would see him no more, "sorrowing [odunaomai] most of all for the words which he had spoken" Acts 20:38; neither Mary or the elders at Miletus were tormented. The anguish (or sorrowing– not torment) of the rich man was Israel being rejected by God as a nation. This parable is about those who were rich in God's blessing and those who were poor in God's blessing, not a literal story about a person who was a beggar. "Ptokos" is used thirty-four times in the New Testament and is always translated
"poor" except in this parable and Galatians 4:9 and where it is mistranslated ― beggar” in the King James Version, and translated ― poor” in the New American Standard.
―And given to the poor (ptokos) Matthew 26:11
―A certain poor (ptokos) widow‖ Mark 12:42
―Preach the gospel to the poor (ptokos)‖ Luke 4:18
―Contribution to the poor (ptokos) saints‖ Romans 15:26
―As poor (ptokos), yet making many rich‖ 2 Corinthians 6:10
―And a certain poor (ptokos) man named Lazarus‖ Luke 16:20 New American Standard.
This parable is about the Jews who were rich in God‘s word and the rest of the world that was poor (ptokos), in spiritual poverty, “having no hope and without God in the world” [Ephesians 2:12].
Dr. Gill, an orthodox Protestant who believed in the intermediate state of the dead, in his commentary of Luke said,
"The rich man died: It may also be understood of the political and ecclesiastical death of the Jewish people, which lay in the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and of the temple, and in the abolition of the temple worship, and the whole ceremonial law: a Loammi was written upon their church state, and the covenant between God and them was broken; the gospel was removed from them, which was as death...their civil power and authority, were taken away from them by the Romans." Many orthodox writers say the same.
LAZARUS
Lazarus is the Gentiles, the people in spiritual poverty who had only the crumbs of God's blessing [see Matthew 15:21-26], but become the seed of Abraham-the church.
Lazarus [the Gentiles] becomes rich in God's blessing by the Gospel. Christ says, "The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" [Matthew 21:43]. "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ" [Galatians 3:14]. See Matthew 8:11-12; Luke 8:28'
Acts 8:46; 26:23; Romans 2:28-29; 9:3-5; 9:8; 3:26-29; 4:28; Philippians 3:3; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 2:12-13]. In the parable Lazarus (the church) is now in Abraham's bosom where the Jews once were. "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise" [Galatians 4:28]. "For we are the circumcision, who worship by the spirit of 305
God" [Philippians 3:3]. "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart" [Romans 2:29]. "And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise" [Galatians 3:29]. Paul calls the church "a new creation" "the Israel of God" [Galatians 6:15-16]. Ever person who is now a Christian is the seed of Abraham and an heir of the promise made to Abraham.
ABRAHAM
Abraham was the father of the Jewish Nation, which was the chosen nation, the nation that was in covenant relationship with God [Galatians 3:6-22; Romans 9:8]. The blessing of Abraham came to the Gentiles through the Church. Israel does not now by birth have the blessing of Abraham and are not now God‘s chosen people therefore are "in anguish, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." Israel is not now in covenant relationship with God; the Church is now the "sons of Abraham" [Galatians 3:7] are now the chosen people. "So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham"
[Galatians 3:9]. Israel has been "broken off" or "cast off" [Romans 11]. The church is now "the Israel of God," is now figuratively in Abraham‘s bosom, now God‘s chosen people [Galatians 6:16; also 1 Peter 2:9-10; Hebrews 12:22].
THE GULF
The rejection of Christ cut Israel off from Abraham and the blessing of God. One cannot reject Christ and worship God. Without believing in Christ and His resurrection, there is a gulf between God and Israel. One cannot go back to the Law as some Jews in Paul's time tried to do. As long as they reject Christ, there is not "a drop" of spiritual comfort for them in Christianity. Those that believe in Christ can give no comfort, no hope of salvation to them that do not believe whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The Law of Moses, which Israel gloried in, died at the death of Christ. "Having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross" [Colossians 2:14]. "Be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage" [Ephesians 2:11-22]. Also Acts 15:24. We cannot cross the gulf and go back to the Law [Galatians 5:1 ]. "That which Israel seeks for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it" [Romans 11:7]. The only way any person can become a child of God today is by being born again. The Law is dead and will never be restored.
The nation of Israel can never be restored. The only way any Jew could ever again be a child of God is to believe the Gospel and be baptized into Christ. "By their unbelief they (branches-plural, Jews, not nations-plural) were broken off" and Gentiles (not Gentiles nations) were grafted in. "And they (individual Jews) also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them (branches–plural Jews–not plural nations of Israel ) in again" [Romans 11:17-24].
The rich man [Israel] went to the grave [hades]. Israel is no longer God's chosen people. Lazarus, the Gentiles believers went to Abraham's bosom [into a covenant relationship with God], not to the grave. Abraham's bosom is not a division of hades, not one side of hades – the grave. Many draw a circle and make one side of it be where the rich man is and the other side where Lazarus is with a gulf between the two sides. This circle is in the back of most Bibles printed by Star Bible and Tract, and in many other books printed by members of the church of Christ.
THE FIVE BROTHERS
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Christ was telling the Pharisees and scribes they would not believe even when He rose from the dead [See Trench "Notes On The Parables" Page 162]. In the parable Abraham tells the rich man that if their own scriptures cannot convince them of their error, neither would they be persuaded if one rose from the dead. Christ did rise from the dead, but few Jews believed on Him. After the judgment there will be none alive on earth to be persuaded by one sent back from the dead.
Judea and his five brothers became six of the twelve tribes. Some believe five brothers are used to identify the rich man as Judea to the Pharisees to whom He was speaking this parable.
IF THIS WERE A TRUE STORY AND NOT A PARABLE
If this is a true story, it is in direct conflict with Christ and Paul. Christ said, "For you shall be recompensed in the resurrection of the just" [Luke 14:14]; but if this is a true story, their recompense is in "Abraham's bosom" immediately after death before the resurrection. What will happen after death? Christ said , "For the hour comes, in which all
that are in the tombs [not in Abraham's bosom] shall hear his voice, and come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment" [John 5:28-29]. If hades is not the grave, no one will be in the tombs when Christ comes. Paul said, "There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord...shall give me at that day" [2 Timothy 4:8]. The resurrection keeps getting in the way of the immortal soul doctrine for it seems to be more than just a little difficult to have a resurrection of something that is alive and not dead.
o If all go to Heaven or Hell instantly after death, no one will be in the tombs when Christ comes.
o If all go to Abraham‘s bosom or the bad side across the gulf, no one will be in the tombs when Christ comes.
If this is a true story it makes the judgment a mockery and an empty show. All are judged instantly after death. The wicked are now being punished and the saved are now being rewarded before the Judgment Day, therefore, both punishment and reward would begin immediately after death without the judgment, not at the resurrection.
If this is a true story, it makes the resurrection useless and not needed. No one is dead. It makes void the teaching of Christ about the resurrection of the dead at His coming. Not only would the resurrection be useless but also a lie for if no one is dead, no one can be resurrected. The dead would be more alive than we are and at the second coming of Christ, no one will be in the grave to "come forth" [John 5:28-29]. They would have to "come back" from somewhere, but it would not be a resurrection of the dead.
"Abraham's bosom," if made to be a real place in a true story, and the teaching of going directly to Heaven or Hell after death, both makes a resurrection impossible and not needed. A living soul or person coming back from Abraham's bosom or from Heaven for the judgment would not be a resurrection of the dead. Any doctrine which makes the dead not be dead, and those who are asleep are not asleep, makes a resurrection an impossibility and useless. If this is a true story and not a parable, it is an undeniable contradiction of the Protestant view that everyone goes directly to Heaven or to Hell at death.
If this is a true story it makes the wages of sin being death not possible. There would be no real death; to be dead would be just to be alive in another form. It is used to show 307
the nature of punishment after death in Hell. Even if it were a true story, it says nothing about anything after the judgment or about Hell. It does not mention the soul, Heaven, or Hell but is used to prove all three.
If this is a true story it would be an actual description of the intermediate state, which must be true in ever detail, such as praying to Abraham, able to see and hear those in torment. Both the saved and the lost would receive their reward or punishment immediately after death before and without the resurrection and judgment day.
If this is a true story it is when the rich man had brothers living on earth, not after the judgment, therefore could not be used to prove that is a Hell after the judgment by those who believe the Abraham bosom version for they teach no one will be in Hell unto after Judgment Day; according to then no one in Hell will have brothers living on the earth.
If this is a true story those who believe souls are immortal and live after the death of the earthly body believe the rich man and Lazarus to be two immortal souls that do not have a body. This is the point they want to make, that a person has a soul that lives after the death of the body. Do they think one immortal soul would want another immortal soul to bring it a drop of water? They tell us the "soul" of both the saved and the lost are in hades, and tell us at death "the spirit returns to God" [Ecclesiastes 12:7].
They have the "soul" in hades and the "spirit" in Heaven at the same time.
If this were a true story those in Abraham's bosom would be able to hear and see those on the other side of the gulf. The gulf must be narrow enough to be in speaking distance. Could parents be in joy while they watched their children in agony? Could anyone be happy and have peace while they could hear the cries of anguish of those on the other side? Would you be happy if you were confined in a place for centuries where you had to see the agony and hear the screaming of some of your loved ones; would that be a reward for anyone; but if this is a true story them you will see and hear their agony and screaming? Even most who believes this to be a parable, do not believe the good and the bad dead can talk to each other, or that the dead can now come back and talk to the living as the rich man wanted Lazarus to do. The view taught today is Abraham's bosom is like a lake of fire with the lost in the lake and the saved sitting on the shore watching their torment, and according to the way Revelation 6:9-10 is used by those that use this passage to prove Hell those on the shore would be asking God to torment them more.
If it were a true story it is the one place in the Bible where the veil is drawn aside and we can see what it is like after death. We can even hear the conversation of those on the other side, and it was given to unbelievers, the Pharisees and Scribes. Luke 15 and 16
is a discourse to them, not to the Apostles.
If this were a true story we have a biblical example of praying to a Saint and to a person as if he were God, which we are forbidden to do. If after death anyone can pray to Saint Abraham, why do most why are orthodox teach we cannot pray to Saint Abraham
or any other saint?
THIS PARABLE HAS ELEMENTS
THAT COULD NOT BE TRUE IN A TRUE STORY
[1] If this is not a parable, and if the rich man and Lazarus are real people, Then Abraham is also a real person, but he is now in the place of a God. Is he a God? No, for this is a parable, not a true story. If it were a true story it would make Abraham, not God the source of reward after death. God or Christ is not mentioned in the parable. Coffman said the element of Abraham presiding over paradise forces one to 308
seek an analogy. "Commentary On Luke" Page 385. Lazarus in the bosom of the God Abraham can have no parallel in reality; it is a parable, not a true story. It cannot be both.
It cannot have both an allegorical and a literal meaning. If it did, how would one be different than the other? If taken literally, Abraham is put into a position of being a God, which he never was, is not, and never will be.
Abraham is not a God. This is figurative language, not a true story.
Abraham's bosom is not a place. This is figurative language, not a true story.
Abraham's bosom is not literally the home of the saved after death. This is figurative language, not a true story. Many died before Abraham was born. They
could not have gone to Abraham's bosom, a place where Abraham presided over
before Abraham was born, before Abraham‘s bosom could have existed; but those
who believe in Abraham's bosom view believe all the saved in the Old Testament
went to it, therefore, Abraham's bosom could only be symbolic language.
[2] Many regard this as a parable, but they reason and draw conclusions from it as though it were a literal true story. They go both ways as it suits them. "No reason why Luke 16:19-31 should be viewed only as a parable" Csonka, Guardian Of Truth, January 5, 1995, Page 16. This article says it is a parable, but it‘s author thinks it is also a true story both at the same