Question on the Rich Man and Lazarus?

Abraham's bosom only shows up one time in the bible and notice jesus is talking to the Pharisees. Most likely there was never an Abraham's bosom it was just traditions made up by the jews. In revelations it mentions there will be no more crying and pain, it wouldn't make sense then for people shooting up to heaven, it seems like those in hell are no longer in existence .

Scripture only says Lazarus was in "Abraham's bosom" in the story. Abraham was comforting him. But because of this, "Abraham's bosom" is used as another way of saying "paradise", which was an actual location where all those people could literally fit.

If you read Jesus word's in Luke 16, he is speaking quite literally. He prefaces true parables with statements like "it is like unto" or "what shall I compare it to" to indicate they are idioms. But in Luke 16, he says "there was a certain man", etc...

Scripture teaches that Jesus spent 3 days and 3 nights in the earth's belly, which was where paradise was located. This is why he told the thief on the cross that he would be with him in "paradise" that day. Parables? You will have to believe Mat 27:53 is also a parable then, because many of these OT saints came out of their graves and were seen by many in the city.

You are right about the "fullness of the Gentiles" having to come in before blindness is removed from Israel and God turns back to them. But your use of the Lazarus story is misapplied, I think.

In John 20:17, when Jesus first resurrected, he told Mary not to touch him, because he had not ascended to the Father yet. Later that day, he told Thomas to touch him to see it was really him. Jesus therefore ascended to the Father sometime between these two events to present himself to the Father and to escort those OT saints to Heaven.

I think the literal Jesus is talking about (There really is a heaven and a hell). The poor man suffered while he lived. The rich man was so self centered, even the dogs had more compassion for a human being than he did. (Be it heaven or hell you will recognize others on the other side) (If a person does not believe the ones who preach the Word of God?)...then, they will not believe even though one were to come from the dead.

People tend to think it's the poor who envy those who are rich. A rich man will tell you quick there is nothing wrong with having money...just as long as he is the only one around who has it. Even the rich know envy...of course they call it competition. Not envy.

The rich man and Lazarus is about a rich man who was so wrapped up in his own self-seeking that he couldn't be bothered with a sick man so poor that his only medical treatment was to have dogs lick his sores.

The parable is about hell, where "a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us." That does not mean that saints like Abraham cannot communicate with those in hell. The denizens of hell have to see the monumental error in their rejection of God.

Cheers,

Bruce

You're right...Its a parable against "lovers of money." I think *John* is also right about "Abraham's bosom" being a tradition, however, I may be wrong. But it is written Jesus the Righteous knew what was in men (John 2:25). <the voice of one gnat who fears God>

whats with Abrahams bossom......

you seem to be making a deal big over noghting...these questions you have don't make sense.....I have taught relgion for 30 years and this is foolishness.....

.....the valley of dry bones is symbolic of the jews coming back to Jerusalem...

.........every man on this earth has the blood of Abraham...this was Gods promise.

...the withering of the fig tree is the signs of apostasy in the last days

...................wells without water represents nations without the gospel

........the fullness of the gentiles has arrived as the saints have been going all over the world and preaching...giving all gentiles a chance..

........the thirst of the rich man means.....he has everything he wants but the gospel..so he always thirsts for eternal life which he cannot buy and must obey

jean

You might be right in your thinking. But maybe one day we can all sit down in the kingdom of heaven and ask God himself what everything means. But to me the most important thing is to make your heart right with God. So that death does not have the victory over us. Either way our souls will live forever either eternal death or eternal life. Have you made your heart right with God. Don't sit their and say I know I am saved and need to do nothing for the Christian life is all about renewing the mind daily and doing the will of God to the best of our abilities. Thanks for the question friend. God bless

Here is my explanation of this parable -- hopefully it will help:

http://www.journeyintotheson.com/2012/04/raising-l...

http://www.journeyintotheson.com/2012/04/raising-l...

While I was getting electrocuted crucifixion style the electricity was flowing right through me, I saw my spirit leave my body. Instantly, I was in hell! At that time, I didn't know anything about the bible. I wasn't a religious person or a Christian and didn't know any Christians. I just know that I was cast into outer darkness. I heard the most horrifying, tormenting screams imaginable. I heard these time and time again, and although I never saw who was screaming, I, myself, would scream because of the fear of those frightening screams.

My sins were tormenting me while I was in hell, January 27, 1977. I saw my sins pass from my right to my left down to the age of five. Now here I am a young man of 27 years, seeing all my sins pass before me in living color. It was like watching a motion picture screen! I saw my very first sin committed at the age of 5. The sin of disobedience, and not honoring my mother and my father. My mother said, "I don't want you boys to eat those marshmallows. We are going to roast them over the fire in the back yard with the family tonight." Well, my mother caught my brother, Cliff, and I, hiding behind a stump, in our back yard in Farmington, Michigan, eating those marshmallows. This wasn't a sin of murder, or rape, or what ever the world considers a horrible sin, but a simple sin of disobedience. It was the last of a long line of sins shown to me. I saw sin, after sin, after sin. For every sin, there was a scream! Screams from me!

People have asked me, "How long were you there?" Well, it felt like eternity! It was that long! I couldn't tell you how long I was there, but I don't want to go back.

Besides the screaming there were also demons. Yes, there really are demons. Indescribable and most ugly things you had ever seen. They came up to me and taunted me. Yelling in my face, "We got you now!" Laughing at me saying, "We fooled you!"

"We fooled you!" "We got you now!" Followed by hideous laughter.

I found a Savior that took away all my strokes, back pain, brought back and restored my memory, enriched my life, and also took all my sins! He took all my sins and has forgiven me! It wasn't till about 4 years later that I could start talking about it to others!

In September of 1987, when I was at the Nazarene Bible College, I was in prayer and God came. He took me into another dimension and showed me the "lake of fire" and held me there! There were millions of people burning in the "lake of fire." Their bodies were whole but they were burning! It was awful! Horrifying! Screaming people! It was a fearful thing to see, but I was at peace, knowing that God had his hand on my shoulder. I didn't know what to think about that. So I just kept it in my thoughts and went to school the next day. After arriving home, I went again to the Lord in prayer, at 3:30 in the afternoon and he came again. This time he showed me the whole thing and showed me the edge of the lake of fire. There were people falling over the edge. People were right on the brink of the fire. He said to me, "You are going to pluck them out of hell. You are going to save them and pull them back over the edge with your testimony. You will get them before they go in."

There were hundreds of millions of them. What a fearful site! I remember writing it all down and asking, "Lord, where are all those people?" He told me they were all over the world. And I believe that in this day and age, God is going to use my testimony, and pluck them right back into existence and living for Jesus.

My wife and I went to a camp meeting in Henderson, North Carolina and went to a church while there, and the pastor asked me and my wife to speak and give our testimonies. I told them about me dying and going to hell.

After the service, there was this elderly gentleman, in the back who motioned me to his side. He told me he was 68 years old. He said, "I have been a church member here for 30 years. I have been on the board for 20 years. Ten years ago I died! I am very influential in the church. I was in a car accident. I was put in a body bag. I died and went to hell! I didn't tell anyone, that I died and went to hell! I was ashamed to tell anyone that I was sent there. Here I was a grandfather of this church!

http://bibleprobe.com/lafond.htm

A trip to hell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5yoS6FBtxE&feature...