Rich Man and Lazarus – A Brief Biblical Explanation

Verses:

“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.

“Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

“In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

“And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.

‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’

“And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’  “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” – Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 16:19 – 31, NASB)

“AGAIN I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a RICH MAN to enter the kingdom of God.” – Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:24, NASB)

HOPE is not LOST despite afterlife Judgment first (Luke 16:25) though these will NOT repent on earth (Luke 16:30 – 31); (remember the rich man in Hades (Luke 16:23)? because of CHRIST’s INTERVENTION to SAVE them too eventually:

‘“Our Lord descends, and was shut up in the eternal (aionion, more correctly, age-during) bars, in order that He might set free all who had been shut up… The Lord descended to the place of punishment and torment, in which was the RICH MAN, in order to liberate the prisoners.” – St. Jerome of the Vulgate

Can you SEE how AMAZING CHRIST is?

The Great Chasm “that none may cross over from there to us” (Luke 16:26, NASB) was EASILY CROSSED by CHRIST as it is mentioned CLEARLY as “having been made alive in the spirit, in which also having gone, HE preached to the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:18 – 19, BLB) since the ‘none in Luke 16:26 as Abraham mentioned = refers to All Created things only excluding Christ the Creator, in principle of this exclusion in 1 Corinthians 15:27’. Also, just like Abraham mentioned in Luke 16 is a real person, this entire passage depicting HADES/SHEOL is literal too as it is WRITTEN.

He revealed the ‘impossibilities’ of being SAVED from HADES/SHEOL/HELL in Luke 16 (from a creation’s ability or point of view as only Abraham said or implied ‘such impossibilities’ and NOT Christ – can you see it?) —> to show that HE is the SAVIOUR Who can OVERCOME all these impossibilities in the Context of SALVATION as 1 Peter 3:18 – 19 mentions the FIRST OCCURRENCE of this SALVATION Post-afterlife Judgment (as HE only Crossed Over after He DIED on His Cross – which made this POSSIBLE) —> and apostle Peter Generalizes this Post-afterlife-Judgment Salvation thereafter for any DEAD in 1 Peter 4:5 – 6 where the ‘spirit will live to God’ in the END —> agreeing to His Beautiful Reply in “With people this is impossible, but with GOD all things are POSSIBLE.” (Matthew 19:26, NASB) to the Question, “Then who can be saved?” (Matthew 19:25, NASB) PROVING CONTEXT irrefutably even in the ‘hard’ situation of “a rich man to enter His Kingdom too’ (Matthew 19:24, NASB). Can wee SEE it as it is WRITTEN Beautifully?

‘The One Who can SAVE from HELL is God Himself for Hell Swallowed whole all who claimed to be god and they remain a prisoner there till Christ Saves them; thus Jesus Christ ALONE is the TRUE GOD’ – Anonymous

“Are they servants of Christ?– I speak as if insane– I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.” – apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 11:23, NASB)

It’s very easy to inflict pain on others being in a position of power to do so; but real strength is to endure pain of which CHRIST is GOD to endure the PAIN from the WHOLE SIN of the WORLD since the Foundation itself as the LAMB that was SLAIN (Revelation 13:8) to take all SIN of the WORLD AWAY eventually by DOING SO (John 1:29) and that’s why His apostles chose to share in these sufferings in any way they can making sense of the infamous quote below too:

‘I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus.’ – Blessed Theresa of Calcutta (‘Mother Theresa’)

Can you see how Christ tied HIMSELF up to the SUFFERING of EVERY HUMAN BEING in light of the Quoted Scripture & the quote above in order that HE WILL MAKE ALIVE all who DIE in Adam to SAVE ALL MEN (1 Corinthians 15:22, 1 Timothy 4:10)?

Indeed, we can ONLY Understand Deep Truths with CORRECT DOCTRINE and see the Fact that ALL MEN are dearly LOVED and are IMPORTANT to God and that’s why HE WILL SAVE ALL MEN eventually as it is WRITTEN:

“Who will have ALL MEN to be SAVED, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” – apostle Paul (1 Timothy 2:4, KJV)

“And I, when I am Lifted Up from the earth, will draw ALL MEN to Myself.” – Lord Jesus Christ (John 12:32, BSB)

‘Let us believe His Holy Word as it is WRITTEN without SEEING any signs or wonders too (John 4:48)’ – Anonymous

P/S: Can you see it?

“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of WISDOM: and the KNOWLEDGE of the Holy is UNDERSTANDING.” (Proverbs 9:8 – 10, NASB)

‘The Biggest Joke in All Theology is when they claim that even God cannot do anything about it’ – Unknown