[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The Rich Man And Lazarus Part 2[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jesus was telling them [Pharisees and those listening] that if they did not share the Gospel with the "Poor", that they might find that many come from the East and the West and sit down in the Kingdom with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [at the Resurrection at the end of the world], and that they themselves would be cast out while [To whom much is given, much is required] the Gentiles be let in.
This was a huge reversal to the reality that the Pharisaical Jews had in mind about who was to be in the Kingdom and how it was to come.
They had come to believe that there was a salvation by physical descendancy, nationality, by bloodline.
Christ Jesus told them it was not so by the use of the parable. They would have been taken aback and aghast that such a statement should be made.
Key factors that identify it as a Symbolical [and not literal] Parable:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]1.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jesus was speaking directly to the Pharisees while amongst many, ie. a parable and uses their own incorrect understandings in a role-reversal.
[Another close relation can be viewed elsewhere when God is speaking of a similar time of failure of the Jewish nation to be what they were supposed to be]:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. Eze. 16:49
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]2.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] The dead know nothing. Also how could any communicate or consciously form coherent thought and speech while in writhing burning agony [literal physical or extreme mental anguish makes no difference]. God is no sadist, and neither are the redeemed, they would not enjoy seeing people burn for all eternity, for that is a picture of the character of God that Satan himself has foisted upon Christ - it makes God out to be the devil, the one who wants/allows pain and suffering and misery to continue.
[Yet we know that it was satan in the Garden who wanted Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Life after partaking of the other Tree and remain immortal sinners...in Loving Mercy, Christ allowed no such thing, and barred the way to the Tree of Life. God has said that sin, pain and suffering will end for all time and never rise again, God will not allow it to be prolonged into eternity.]:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. Psa. 115:17
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. Ecc. 9:5
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecc. 9:10
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif][See previous evidence on this.][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]3. [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The certain rich man [Pharisaical Israel, the children of Abraham] prays not to God, but to Abraham [salvation by special relation, ie. Salvation simply by being a Jew; which Christ Jesus over and over again refuted ...[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Mat. 3:9
"... begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." Luk 3:8;p
"They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father..." Jhn 8:39;p]
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]...of which Lazarus [meaning: He whom God helps, a form of Eleazer, ie. "the poor"] is directly in the bosom of.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]4.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] The Bosom of Abraham, which is a colloquial or euphemistic saying [symbolical], for Abraham himself, who not yet being in Heaven but in the grave, is still sleeping and awaiting for New Jerusalem from above and for the promises:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God. Heb. 11:10
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off ...and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Heb. 11:13;p
But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Heb. 11:16
In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Jhn 14:2
"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven..." Rev. 21:2;p
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]5.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] One drop of literal water being able to cool and relieve someone in hellfire is unsound, but since Water in the Bible symbolically represents the "Water of Life"[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Jhn 4:14
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif][See also Exo. 17:6; Psa. 114:8; 1 Cor. 10:4; Rev. 21:6, 22:1,17, etc]
...and the "Living Water"...[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
"... he would have given thee living water." Jhn 4:10;p
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif][See also Exo. 17:6; Psa. 114:8; 1 Cor. 10:4; Jer. 2:13, Jhn 4:11, 7:38, etc] it is to this that it represents.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
"... he would have given thee living water." Jhn 4:10;p
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Jhn 7:38
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 1 Cor. 10:4
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]6. [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The word used here in the Greek for Hell is hades [/FONT][FONT=Cambria Math, serif]ᾅ[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]δης and means the general idea of the grave and death, the destination of men:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return. Gen. 3:19, like the Hebrew term Sheol and not a place of eternal torment.
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif][See previous evidence...][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]7.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] Abraham is asked to send "Lazarus" to dip his "Finger" in water and the Rich man has a "Tongue". If they both are supposed to be "bodyless" [immortal incorporal men-shades] then how is this so?[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]8.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] Abraham in the story tells the rich man if his relatives do not hear the Law [Moses] and the Prophets [ie. The Word of God; See Mat. 5:17, 7:12, 11:13, 22:40; Luk 16:16, 24:27,44; Jhn 1:45; Acts 13:15, 24:24, 28:23; Rom. 3:21], then they will not repent though one rose from the Dead; the Law and the Prophets speak of Jesus:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Jhn 5:39
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]...the one who would rise from the dead [some have said is speaking of the actual Lazarus whom Jesus was to later Raise, but even more so it is speaking of Jesus whom the scriptures reveal]:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Jhn 2:19
But he spake of the temple of his body. Jhn 2:21
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]...and the one whom they rejected because they had already rejected the Law:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Mrk 7:9
I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. Jhn 8:37
But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Jhn 8:40
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]...and rejected the Prophets:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? Mat. 21:25
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen [it], repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. Mat. 21:32
The baptism of John, was [it] from heaven, or of men? answer me. Mrk 11:30
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. Luk 7:30
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? Luk 20:4
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? Luk 20:5
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]More to Come... ...This same example was given of Herod the Tetrarch with John the Baptist. ...[/FONT]
