Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: SOD
Program Code: SOD000003
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00:01 If a man dies shall he live again?
00:07 What does it mean to be absent from the body 00:10 and present with the Lord? 00:13 Did Jesus go with a thief to Paradise on Good Friday? 00:18 Did the souls of dead people really cry out 00:22 from below the altar? 00:24 Pastor Bohr answers these questions and more 00:28 in the amazing series, 00:37 Shall we bow our heads for prayer? 00:39 Father in Heaven, once again we're thankful for the 00:43 privilege of being here. 00:44 And as we open Your Holy Word, we ask for the guidance 00:47 of Your Holy Spirit. 00:48 We realize that in these last days there is much mishandling 00:54 of Your Holy Word. 00:55 We just ask that You will help us to handle Your Word 00:59 with reverence recognizing that it's holy from a Holy God. 01:03 We thank you, Father, for the privilege of opening its pages. 01:07 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 01:10 for we ask it in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. 01:13 In our study today we're going to discuss a parable of Jesus 01:20 known as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. 01:24 And I'd like to begin by reading this parable so that we have a 01:29 clear picture of what the parable is all about. 01:33 I'm reading from Luke 16:19-31, and I'm not going to make any 01:41 remarks, I just want you to have the parable clear in your mind. 01:45 And then we will make some remarks about several aspects 01:49 of the parable. It says there: 04:00 This is the famous parable of the rich man and Lazarus. 04:04 Now some people question whether this was really a parable. 04:08 And really, there's no reason to question whether it was 04:11 a parable or not, because this formula, 04:14 there was a certain man, was used repeatedly 04:18 in the gospel of Luke to describe a parable. 04:23 Let me just read you one example, other than this one, 04:26 from Luke 16. Let's turn in our Bibles to Luke 15:11. 04:32 This is very similar in its introductory formula. It says: 04:50 Clearly this is a parable, and it's introduced in the same way, 04:54 as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, 04:57 with the formula, there was a certain rich man. 05:00 So there's no doubt that the story of the rich man and 05:03 Lazarus is a parable. 05:04 It is not an actual story that took place in real life. 05:09 Now many times Jesus would take the parables that existed 05:13 in His day, and He would turn them upside down and give them 05:17 a strange twist. This parable of the rich man and Lazarus 05:22 was not invented by Jesus. 05:24 It was actually a well-known story that was used by the 05:27 Rabbis. But for the Rabbi's the poor man Lazarus was the one 05:32 who would end up burning in the fires of hell, 05:35 whereas the rich man, who had enjoyed the blessings of God 05:38 in this life, would end up in Abraham's bosom. 05:41 Jesus simply took their common story; he turned it upside down 05:46 and He gave it an unexpected twist. 05:50 Now it's important to realize that this parable was actually 05:55 told because of the Pharisees. 05:59 Jesus was actually speaking to the Pharisees in this parable. 06:04 Notice Luke 16:14. Immediately before the parable we find 06:10 this statement about the audience 06:13 that Jesus was speaking to. 06:14 It says there: Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of 06:19 money, also heard these things, and they derided him. 06:24 So the special audience that Jesus is speaking to 06:29 is the Pharisees. Incidentally, this parable is found 06:34 in the gospel of Luke. 06:35 And according to the scholars Luke was written especially 06:39 to those of Greek mentality. 06:40 It was written to the Greeks, and therefore the anthropology 06:45 of this parable fits very well with the Greek idea 06:48 of an immortal soul that flies off at the moment of death. 06:52 Jesus is taking a story that is used in His day and age. 06:56 He's not saying that the story is true, He's simply speaking to 07:00 these people in a language that they can understand. 07:03 Now I need to say a few things about the Pharisees. 07:07 Flavius Josephus, who was himself a Pharisee, 07:11 , told us very 07:16 clearly what the beliefs of the Pharisees were regarding 07:20 the nature of man. I read from the book, Wars of the Jews, 07:25 this following statement from Josephus: 07:56 In other words, the Sadducees did not believe in the 07:59 immortality of the soul. 08:00 They did not believe in the afterlife. 08:01 The Pharisees believed that all souls are incorruptible. 08:06 They believed in the immortality of the soul. 08:10 By the way, the Bible corroborates the view 08:14 that Josephus is expressing. 08:16 In Acts 23:8, Acts 23:8, the Apostle Paul says, 08:33 So in other words, if Jesus had told this parable to the 08:36 Sadducees, it wouldn't have made any sense to them. 08:39 Jesus is using the frame of reference of the Pharisees 08:44 to get a great truth across. 08:46 He's using the belief system that they have to teach a great 08:49 truth, which we're going to notice in a little while. 08:52 Now Ellen White is in harmony with both the book of Acts 08:58 and Josephus on the issue of whom Jesus was addressing 09:04 in this parable. In the book, Christ's Object Lessons, 09:07 page 263, we find this statement: 09:41 In other words, He took their preconceived ideas, 09:44 and He framed this parable to teach them a great truth within 09:49 their frame of thinking. 09:51 Incidentally, even the disciples of Jesus had assimilated this 09:55 false view that there were ghosts, or spirits of the dead, 10:00 hovering over the earth. 10:01 Notice, for example, Mark 6:49. 10:05 This is when Jesus is walking on the sea, and the disciples 10:09 were frightened. And I want you to notice why they were 10:13 frightened. It says there in Mark 6:49, 10:27 So even the disciples of Jesus had assimilated this idea 10:31 that the soul of man is immortal, leaves the body 10:34 at the moment of death, and can come back as a disincarnated 10:38 spirit, or as a ghost. 10:41 Now it's interesting to notice the description that Josephus 10:46 gives about what happened, according to the Pharisees, 10:49 when a person died. And I'm going to read as it is described 10:53 by a scholar, the belief system of the Pharisees about what 10:57 happened immediately at the moment of death. 10:59 By the way, this is in Josephus' work, Discourse to the Greeks 11:04 Concerning Hades. Here is the description: 11:08 In this work Josephus explains that Hades was a subterraneous 11:16 region which has two compartments. 11:19 One compartment, or region, contained a lake of unquenchable 11:24 everlasting fire. And the other was called the bosom of Abraham. 11:30 So you have this idea of a subterraneous region. 11:33 It's divided into two parts: the bosom of Abraham, (by the way, 11:37 it's on the right side), and the other side is a lake of burning 11:43 everlasting fire. This scholar continues saying, According to 11:48 this view, when the wicked and the righteous died, 11:52 they were taken down a descent where there was a gate 11:56 guarded by an archangel, accompanied by a host of angels. 12:02 At the gate the wicked were taken by the angels to the 12:06 compartment which was located on the left side. 12:10 There was the lake of unquenchable fire where they 12:15 were to suffer everlasting punishment. 12:18 The righteous, on the other hand, were guided by the angels 12:22 to the compartment on the right side, where the bosom of Abraham 12:27 was located. Between these two regions there was a great gulf 12:33 which did not allow the righteous to pass to the region 12:37 of the wicked, or the wicked to the region of the righteous. 12:42 Now is it obvious that Jesus is picking up on this idea that is 12:46 being expressed by Josephus in his work, 12:49 Discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades? 12:52 Obviously, yes. Jesus does not believe in this concept. 12:57 Jesus is simply speaking within their own frame of reference. 13:01 Now I want you to remember the details of what Josephus says 13:06 happens to the dead when they die, because we're going to 13:10 come back to this in the light of what the New Testament 13:13 teaches about what occurs to man when man dies. 13:18 Now the question is, does the Bible really speak about two 13:22 regions where the dead are retained; one eternally burning 13:28 in the lake of fire, and the other in the bosom of Abraham? 13:33 The fact is, the Bible does not have anything even close to 13:37 this idea. The Bible is very clear that when a person dies, 13:42 they go to the grave. 13:44 Let's notice what Jesus said. 13:46 John 5:28, 29, John 5:28, 29. 13:54 Here Jesus says this: 14:06 By the way, if they're in the bosom of Abraham, 14:09 or they're in the everlasting fire at the moment of death, 14:12 why would Jesus call them from their graves? Verse 29: 14:26 Now we need to ask the question, according to the New Testament, 14:31 when are the wicked cast into the fire? 14:35 Are they cast into the fire at the moment of death, 14:39 or are they cast into the fire at the end of the age? 14:43 The fact is that with this one possible exception, 14:47 the story of the rich man and Lazarus, this parable, 14:50 all of the other references in the New Testament state clearly 14:55 that the wicked are cast into the fire at the end of the age, 14:59 never at the moment of death. 15:02 Lets notice a few examples. 15:04 Matthew 13:40-43, Matthew 13:40-43. 15:12 This is a famous parable of the wheat and the tares. 15:18 By the way, they represent the wicked. 15:33 Now remember what Josephus said. 15:40 When are the wicked gathered by the angels? 15:42 Josephus says at the moment of what? of death. 15:45 What does the Bible teach? 15:46 It's at the moment of the end of the world, 15:49 or the end of the age. 15:51 And so it says here, 16:09 Let me ask you, was the rich man wailing and gnashing 16:12 his teeth as he was in the fires? Yes he was. 16:15 The parable seems to indicate that it was at the moment of 16:18 death. But the rest of the New Testament teaches very clearly 16:22 that the wailing and gnashing of teeth is future, 16:25 at the end of the age. 16:27 And then notice the last verse. 16:35 When is it that the righteous are going to be in the kingdom 16:38 of the Father? At the end of the world. 16:41 When are the wicked cast into the fire? 16:43 At the end of the world. 16:44 So it does not happen at the moment of death. 16:47 Notice also Matthew 25:31-34, and then we'll also read 16:54 verse 41 and verse 46. 16:56 Matthew 25:31. Do you remember that Josephus says 17:01 that the angels would actually take the wicked, and they would 17:06 throw them down the left side into the everlasting fire; 17:09 and they would take the righteous, at that point, 17:12 and they would place them in the bosom of Abraham? 17:14 Well, the question is, when is it that the righteous are 17:18 going to be placed at the right hand? 17:19 And when is it that the wicked are going to be placed at the 17:22 left hand? And whose right hand, and whose left hand? 17:25 Notice Matthew 25:31: 17:31 By the way, when is that? 17:32 Is that at the moment of death? Of course not. 17:41 That's the coming of Jesus, right? 17:52 When will they be separated? 17:54 Is it at the moment of death that they go either to the 17:56 bosom of Abraham, or to the everlasting fire? 17:58 Absolutely not. It's when He sits on the throne of His glory. 18:02 He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides 18:06 his sheep from the goats. 18:15 When is it that the righteous are placed on the right hand, 18:18 and the wicked on the left? 18:19 It's when Jesus comes in His Kingdom. 18:31 Then let's jump down to verse 41. 18:52 By the way, later on in this series we're going to deal with 18:55 the issue of everlasting punishment 18:57 and everlasting fire. 18:59 So put a hold on that. 19:00 The point that I want us to notice now is that the wicked 19:04 are cast into the fire, not at the moment of death, 19:07 but at the moment in which Jesus Christ comes in His Kingdom 19:13 at the end of the age. 19:15 That's when He places the righteous on His right side, 19:18 and the wicked on His left side. 19:20 Notice also Revelation 21:8 on when the wicked are cast into 19:25 the fire. Revelation 21:8. It says here: 19:53 When is it that the wicked are cast into the fire? 19:55 At the moment of their first death, or at the moment of their 19:59 second death? It's second death. 20:01 And second death always takes place after the millennium, 20:05 after the thousand years of Revelation 20. 20:08 So if they're cast into the lake of fire, and this is the second 20:12 death, after the millennium, it means that they were not cast 20:15 into the fire at the moment of their death. 20:19 Also Revelation 20:11-15, we're not going to read this passage, 20:24 by the way, but I'm just going to refer to it. 20:26 Revelation 20:11-15 tells us that all of the nations will be 20:30 gathered before the throne of Jesus Christ, and at that time 20:35 Jesus Christ is going to open the books, and He's going to 20:39 show the wicked why they are outside the Holy City; 20:42 why they are lost. 20:44 In other words, there's going to be a judgment of the wicked 20:47 who are outside the Holy City. 20:49 And then we're told, at the end of that passage in verses 14 20:53 and 15, that after the wicked have been judged they see why 20:57 they were left outside the Holy City. 20:58 Then they are taken and cast into the lake of fire. 21:02 Listen folks, those individuals who's say that a person goes 21:05 to hell when they die, what they're doing is they're saying 21:09 that they're going to hell without having a fair judgment 21:14 to show that they deserved to go to the fire. 21:17 God will not condemn the wicked to the fire until He has given 21:21 them due process; until He has given them a fair trial. 21:26 Now let's go to another issue. 21:28 When is it, according to the Bible, that the righteous will 21:32 be gathered together? 21:34 Josephus said, well, the righteous will be gathered 21:37 at the moment of death by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. 21:42 But according to the Bible when do the angels gather 21:46 the righteous, and to whom do they gather the righteous? 21:49 Matthew 24 and let's notice verse 31. 21:53 It says here, speaking about Jesus: 22:02 By the way, what event is being described there? 22:04 The second coming of Jesus. Yes. 22:13 What? When is it that the angels gather? 22:16 Not at the moment of death. 22:18 They gather people at the second coming. It says: 22:35 And, by the way, who are the righteous gathered to? 22:39 They are not gathered to the bosom of Abraham. 22:42 They are gathered to Jesus Christ. 22:45 We're told in 1 Thessalonians 4 that we'll be caught up in the 22:50 clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 22:52 Jesus said, In my Father's house are many mansions, 22:56 and then He says, I will gather you unto Myself, 22:59 so there's no such idea as the angels, at the moment of death, 23:02 gathering the righteous to the bosom of Abraham. 23:05 The New Testament teaches that the angels will gather 23:08 the elect, will gather the righteous, 23:10 but they will gather them to Jesus Christ, 23:13 not at the moment of death, but at the end of the age. 23:16 Furthermore we noticed in our last study that God forbade the 23:21 idea of trying to communicate with what? with the dead. 23:26 Have you noticed in this parable that, actually, dead people are 23:30 talking to each other? 23:32 Notice Leviticus 20:27, Leviticus 20:27. 23:38 Even Abraham, in this parable, is talking to the rich man. 23:42 Would God allow Abraham to violate the idea of not 23:47 communicating, the dead not communicating with other dead 23:52 people, or with living people? 23:53 Of course not! Notice Leviticus 20:27. 24:09 Another interesting detail about this parable is that the rich 24:15 man is in the fires of hell with all of his body parts. 24:20 Now I want you to notice Genesis 3:19. 24:25 What happens to the body when a person dies? 24:28 You know, as a minister, I've done dozens, 24:30 and dozens of funerals, and I can certify one thing, 24:34 and that is that the person who dies, their body is in the 24:38 casket, and their body goes into the ground. 24:42 I can see it! So the body does not go anywhere except 24:46 into the casket, and into the ground. 24:48 Keep that in mind. Now notice Genesis 3:19. 24:51 God said what was going to happen as a result of sin. 24:54 God says to Adam: 25:10 Now let me ask you, did Lazarus die, and was he buried? Yes. 25:15 Did the rich man die, and was he also buried? Absolutely. 25:21 Notice Luke 16:22, Luke 16:22. It says: 25:40 So the question is, where would the body of the rich man be 25:45 if he was buried? The body of this man would be in the grave. 25:50 So the question is, what is he doing with all of his body parts 25:55 in the burning fire? 25:56 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 25:58 Now go with me to Luke 16:23, Luke 16:23. It says there: 26:13 His what? But wait a minute! 26:16 When he died where did his eyes go? 26:20 His eyes are part of his body. 26:23 They went to the grave, right? 26:25 But here in the fires he has what? eyes! 26:30 By the way, this parable never says that the rich man died 26:35 and he immediately went to the fires of hell. 26:37 That is an assumption that people make that in the parable 26:41 the rich man died and immediately he went to burn 26:44 in the fires. The parable does not say he immediately went 26:48 to burn in the fires. 26:49 The evidence seems to indicate that because he has body parts 26:52 this did not happen at death, but it will happen when? 26:55 It will happen at the end of the age. 26:57 Notice also Luke 16:24. 27:00 Once again the idea of body parts in the fire. 27:03 If this is at the moment of death, why are body parts 27:07 in the burning fires? 27:08 The body parts should be in the grave. 27:10 It says here in Luke 16:24: 27:24 Oh, so Lazarus, after he dies he has fingers. Interesting! 27:31 Cool my what? Oh, the rich man has a tongue there, too. 27:34 I thought that would have gone to the grave. It says: 27:41 Let me ask you, when is it that the body will be cast into the 27:45 fires of hell? Is it as the moment of death, 27:48 or is it at the moment that Jesus comes in power and glory, 27:52 after the judgment of the wicked, 27:54 that they are cast into the fires. 27:56 Notice Matthew 5:29, 30, Matthew 5:29, 30. 28:02 The Bible is clear that the body is cast into the fires 28:05 at the end oft the age, which means that this is not 28:09 describing the rich man going directly to hell at the moment 28:13 of death, because he has body parts. 28:15 This must be describing the rich man being punished later on. 28:19 The parable does not say that he went to the fires immediately. 28:23 Notice what we find in Matthew 5:29, 30. 28:27 If your right eye causes you to sin, 28:31 pluck it out, and cast it from you: 28:36 for it is more profitable for you that one of your members... 28:39 That is one of the members of your body. 28:47 What is it that's cast into hell? The whole body. 28:50 Can that happen at death? 28:52 No, because at death the body goes where? 28:54 It goes to the grave. 28:56 Notice verse 30. And if your right hand causes you to sin, 29:00 cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is more profitable 29:04 for you that one of your members perish, than for your, 29:07 once again, your whole body to be cast into hell. 29:12 Now this problem of body parts in the burning fire has led 29:17 an individual called Robert Morey, who, by the way, 29:21 is a staunch defender of the idea of the immortality 29:25 of the soul. In fact, he wrote a book called, 29:28 Death and the Afterlife, where he tries to prove, 29:30 to the utmost of his ability, that people have immortal souls 29:36 that go to heaven when they die, if they were good, 29:38 or they go to hell if they were wicked. 29:41 I want you to notice the admission that he makes 29:43 regarding this parable. 29:45 Everyone, says Robert Morey, understood that these parables 29:52 and dialogues did not literally take place. 29:56 It was understood that the Rabbi's used imaginative stories 30:04 and dialogues as a teaching method. 30:08 It was understood by all that these dialogues 30:12 never took place. What is he saying? 30:15 He said this story never took place. 30:18 He continues saying, Jesus was merely using the dialogue 30:23 method to get across the concept that there is no escape 30:28 from torment; no second chance, and we must believe 30:32 the scripture in this life unto salvation. 30:37 And this man wrote a book. 30:39 By the way, I have the book, and I've answered every 30:42 argument with a fine toothed comb; 30:44 every argument that he uses in favor of the immortality 30:48 of the soul in favor of the idea that the souls of the righteous 30:53 go to Heaven at death; the idea that the souls of the wicked go 30:57 to hell at the moment of death. 30:59 Every single thing that he says has a clear Biblical answer, 31:03 but it's interesting that he finds it necessary to admit 31:07 that this story never actually took place. 31:10 So the only story in all of the New Testament that would seem 31:15 to indicate that a person went to suffer in the flames 31:20 at the moment of death cannot be used, 31:22 because it never took place. 31:23 All of the rest of the statements in the New Testament 31:27 point to the fire punishment taking place at the end 31:31 of the age. Now let's talk just a moment about the bosom of 31:36 Abraham. What does this rich man represent, or who does this 31:40 rich man represent? Let's talk first of all about the bosom; 31:44 what the bosom means. 31:45 John 1:18, John 1:18. 31:51 The word bosom represents closeness. 31:54 What do we do with the baby? 31:56 We hug the baby close to our what? close to our bosom. 32:00 It's a sign of closeness. 32:02 It's a sign that this baby is our child; 32:05 that there's a special link between us and our child. 32:09 Now notice John 1:18 on the idea of the bosom. It says here: 32:30 Where is Jesus? He is in the bosom of the Father. 32:33 Why are we told here that Jesus is in the bosom of the Father? 32:36 Because Jesus has a special what? a special closeness 32:40 to His Father. By the way, the arguments sometimes is used 32:44 even by Adventist preachers that, Oh, the bosom of Abraham; 32:47 that has to be an awful big place for everybody to fit 32:51 on Abraham's chest. But the fact is, that Josephus did not, 32:55 literally mean that people were taken real close to the chest 32:59 of Abraham. What he meant is that there was a region called 33:03 the bosom of Abraham, where those who had a close link, 33:07 or connection with Abraham were taken. 33:10 Now, what does the rich man represent? 33:13 There are clear clues in this passage. 33:16 Go with me to Luke 16 and we're going read verse 24, 25, 27 33:21 and then verse 30. Notice what it says beginning in verse 24. 33:26 The rich man. 33:32 Let me ask you, who claimed Abraham as father? 33:37 The Jews, and more particularly the Pharisees. 33:59 Hum, this is a father/son relationship. 34:03 Who would Abraham have called sons? 34:07 His descendents, his seed. 34:09 And who was the seed of Abraham? The Jews, exactly. 34:31 See, once again, the idea of father. 34:44 So the rich man has what? five brothers. 34:47 And he says to Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's house, 34:51 so that he can warn them so that they don't come to this terrible 34:54 place. Now notice: 35:00 Let me ask you, who were the ones who had Moses 35:02 and the prophets? The Jews. 35:05 By the way, I believe that what we have here, the five brothers 35:10 represent the different denominations of Judaism 35:13 in the days of Christ: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, 35:17 the Herodians, the Essenes, the Scribes. 35:20 In other words, his brothers are those who have 35:23 Moses and the prophets. 35:25 The Jews were the ones who claimed to have Moses 35:27 and the prophets. In fact, Jesus said in John 5, If you believe 35:31 Moses you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 35:34 And then notice verse 30: 35:40 And there it is again. 35:42 And now notice this: 35:49 Now there's a very, very important point, 35:52 perhaps the most important point of this whole presentation. 35:57 I want you to notice here that in the last verse, in verse 30, 36:03 that the rich man says, No father Abraham, but if one goes 36:08 to them from the dead they will repent. 36:12 Let me ask you, did the rich man believe in the 36:14 immortality of the soul? 36:15 Yes, he says, send Lazarus to my brothers, 36:26 from the dead, so that he can what? 36:29 So that he can warn them and testify to them. 36:31 So the rich man is saying, Send this dead man Lazarus 36:35 to speak to my five brothers. 36:37 From the dead it says. 36:40 But I want you to notice the answer of Jesus. 36:42 The answer is found in verse 31. 36:45 And he said, No father Abraham: but if one goes to them from 36:51 the dead, they will repent. 36:52 That's verse 30; verse 31: 37:04 Are you catching... Did Jesus believe in the immortality 37:07 of the soul? No, Jesus says, I will send someone, 37:11 but someone who rises from the dead. 37:14 The rich man is saying, send someone to my brothers from 37:17 the dead. Are you catching my point? 37:19 You're saying, well, it's a technicality. 37:21 No it isn't. You see, there's a word, a very important little 37:24 Greek word that is used in verse 31 that is not used in verse 30, 37:28 and that's the word rise from the dead. 37:32 You see, the rich man says, Send him from the dead. 37:34 Jesus says, Send one who has risen from the dead. 37:39 By the way, if you want to notice that expression, 37:41 rise from the dead, Luke 24:46, It says: 37:55 So did the rich man believe in the immortality of the soul? 37:57 Of course he did. He says, send Lazarus from the dead 38:00 to my brothers. Did Jesus believe in the immortality 38:03 of the soul? He says, No, if I send someone it's going to be 38:06 someone that has risen from what? 38:08 Someone that has risen from the dead. 38:11 So what does the rich man represent? 38:14 The rich man represents the Jewish nation. 38:17 Particularly what sect of the Jewish nation? 38:21 Particularly the Pharisees. 38:23 Now the question is, what does Lazarus represent? 38:26 You know, there's a strange thing about this parable. 38:30 One argument that people use to say that this isn't a parable 38:34 is the fact that you have a proper name in this parable. 38:38 You see, the parables never give proper names. 38:41 They say there was a certain man; they never give the name 38:43 of the person. But in the parable of the rich man and 38:46 Lazarus, you have an exceptional case, because you have the name 38:51 of Lazarus. The rich man is not named, but Lazarus is named. 38:54 Why would you have a proper name here if this was a parable? 38:59 Well, we'll notice that in a moment, but I want you to notice 39:03 what this beggar, Lazarus, represents. 39:07 Go with me to Matthew 15:26, 27, Matthew 15:26, 27. 39:15 This is speaking about the woman who came to Jesus. 39:18 She wanted her daughter healed. 39:19 She kept coming after Him, and Jesus finally acceded to her 39:24 wish. And before He acceded to the wish, I want you to notice 39:29 what Jesus said to her. 39:31 This is verse 26. But He answered and said, 39:35 It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it 39:39 to the little dogs. Do you remember that Lazarus was at 39:43 the bottom of the table of the rich man, 39:45 and crumbs fell from the table, and the dogs came and licked 39:49 his sores? Now notice this: It is not good, Jesus says, 39:53 to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs. 39:56 By the way, this woman was a Canaanite woman. 39:58 She was not a Jew. She was a Gentile. 40:00 But notice the faith of this woman: And she said, 40:04 Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall 40:10 from their Master's table. 40:12 So let me ask you, what does Lazarus represent? 40:15 Lazarus represents the Gentiles. 40:18 This woman was a Gentile. 40:20 You have the same terminology: you have dogs, you have crumbs, 40:24 you have the idea of the table, you have the idea of poverty. 40:28 In other words, this Canaanite woman is what is represented 40:34 by Lazarus in this story. 40:36 By the way, it's important to realize that those who read this 40:41 parable many times add concepts and ideas that are not found 40:45 in the parable. Let me read you the parable as many Christians 40:49 like to read it. They add ideas. 40:51 This is their reading of the parable. 40:54 Now it was that the baker died and immediately his soul was 41:00 carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. 41:03 The rich man also died and his body was buried. 41:06 And being in torments in the everlasting flames of Hades, 41:10 he lifted up his eyes and saw the soul of Abraham afar off, 41:14 and the soul of Lazarus in his bosom. 41:17 Is that what it says? 41:19 Of course not! Then his soul cried out and said, 41:23 Father Abraham, have mercy on my soul, and send the soul 41:28 of Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water 41:32 and cool my tongue, for my soul is tormented in this everlasting 41:36 flame. Is that the way it reads? 41:39 That's the way Christians read it. 41:41 They add the word soul, and everlasting, and fire. 41:44 You know, they put all kinds of concepts into it. 41:46 But Abraham said, Son remember that in your lifetime you 41:50 received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things. 41:54 But now his soul is comforted and your soul is tormented. 41:59 The parable doesn't say any of those things. 42:01 But that is the way in which it is interpreted by Christians. 42:06 By the way, as I was mentioning, there is no proof that this 42:10 takes place immediately after death. 42:12 The word immediately is not used there. 42:15 We've already noticed that body parts go into the fire 42:18 at the end of the age. 42:19 So this man, according to Jesus, must have been punished 42:23 in the fires when? at the end of the age with all of his body 42:28 parts. By the way, let me tell you the reason why the name of 42:33 Lazarus is used; there's a specific function. 42:36 Jesus wanted to connect this parable with something that 42:40 was shortly going to happen in His ministry. 42:43 You say, what event was that? 42:44 Well, the fact is that a short while after Jesus told this 42:51 parable, a man called Lazarus was resurrected from the dead. 42:59 Let's read about it in John 11: 43, 44, John 11:43, 44. 43:11 Now when He had said these things, 43:14 he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! 43:21 And he who had died... 43:24 By the way, he had been dead four days. 43:26 ...And he who had died came out, bound hand and foot 43:31 with grave clothes: and his face was wrapped with a cloth. 43:35 Jesus said to them, Loose him, and let him go. 43:38 They will not believe even though someone what? 43:41 rises from the dead. 43:43 What was his name? His name was Lazarus. 43:48 Believe in whom? The parable doesn't say. 43:53 They won't believe even if someone raises from the dead. 43:56 This story tells us that they did not believe in whom? 43:59 They did not believe in Jesus. 44:02 By the way, to whom did Moses and the prophets point? 44:05 They pointed to Jesus. 44:07 Jesus said, if you believe Moses you will believe Me, 44:10 because he wrote about Me. 44:13 Now, when Lazarus was resurrected that was 44:16 the greatest sign of the Messiahship of Jesus. 44:18 Imagine someone resurrecting a dead person. 44:22 Did the Pharisees believe in Jesus when Lazarus 44:26 was resurrected? By the way, did Lazarus, in a certain way, 44:31 go to these men and preach the truth about the resurrection 44:35 of Jesus? He most certainly did. 44:37 But he didn't go from the dead, he came after he had risen 44:43 from the dead. Are you with me or not? 44:48 Now notice, John 11:46-50, John 11:46-50. 44:52 But some of them went away to the Pharisees... 44:56 See, the Pharisees are in view. 44:58 ...and told them the things Jesus did. 45:00 That is that He had resurrected Lazarus. 45:06 See, there's the Pharisees again. 45:20 What? believe. If they do not what? 45:23 If they do not accept Moses and the prophets 45:28 they will not what? believe even if someone rises from the dead. 45:32 Who were they supposed to believe in? Jesus! 45:59 In other words, instead of believing in Jesus, they said 46:03 we've got to get rid of this man. 46:05 Was Jesus right when He said, if they don't believe Moses 46:08 and the prophets, they won't believe even if a man called 46:11 Lazarus rises from the dead? 46:13 His words were proven true. 46:14 See, if Jesus had not used the name of Lazarus, 46:16 He could have not connected the two events: 46:18 The parable and what actually happened. 46:20 By the way, do you know that they also wanted 46:23 to kill Lazarus? Notice John 12:9, 10, John 12:9, 10. 46:32 It says here: 46:58 Poor Lazarus, they wanted to have him die another time. 47:01 So it says: 47:10 Notice the reason why. 47:16 There's the word again! 47:21 Is this clear? Go with me now to John 12:19. 47:27 Look at the complaint of the Pharisees, because after this 47:32 miracle everybody wants to follow Jesus, because Jesus 47:37 has resurrected someone from the dead. 47:38 Notice, John 12:19. The Pharisees therefore said among 47:44 themselves, You see that you are accomplishing nothing? 47:50 Look, the world has gone after him. 47:54 They're complaining about the fact that the whole world 47:58 is following whom? is following Jesus. 48:01 By the way, were the Pharisees really children of Abraham? 48:08 They were not really children of Abraham. 48:11 You say, why weren't they children of Abraham? 48:13 Well, literally they were children of Abraham, okay? 48:16 They were descendents of Abraham literally, 48:18 according to the flesh, but they were not truly, 48:21 in the spiritual sense, sons of Abraham. 48:24 You say, Why not? Let's look at it this way, 48:25 and we're going to read a text in a moment. 48:28 Abraham, according to John 8, saw the day of Jesus, 48:34 and he rejoiced. He longed for the day when Jesus would come. 48:41 He saw in his son, Isaac, a symbol of the death of Jesus, 48:45 and the resurrection on the third day, 48:47 according to Hebrews 11:17, 18. 48:50 He believed that the Messiah, Jesus, 48:53 would resurrect from the dead. 48:54 And so we find here Abraham, believing in Jesus, 49:03 who was to come, but those who were living in the days 49:06 of Jesus, particularly the Pharisees, what did they 49:09 want to do with Jesus? 49:10 They didn't long to see Him come. 49:13 They weren't happy about seeing His day. 49:15 They wanted to get rid of Him. 49:16 So let me ask you, were they really sons of Abraham? No! 49:20 Jesus says, If you were sons of Abraham, you would love Me, 49:24 because Abraham loved Me. 49:26 He rejoiced to see my day. 49:28 And you, say that you're the children of Abraham, 49:30 and you hate Me. How can Abraham love Me, and you say you're his 49:33 children and you hate Me? 49:35 Are you with me? How is it that Abraham believed in Me, 49:41 and you who claim to be the children of Abraham, 49:44 don't believe in Me? 49:46 So notice what Jesus said in John 8:44, John 8:44. 49:52 You know, Jesus... We usually think of Jesus as loving, 49:57 and kind, and merciful, and He was all of that, but Jesus was 50:00 never politically correct. 50:02 He told things the way they were. 50:05 With love, yes, but straight- forward. 50:09 Jesus said, You are of your father the devil. 50:13 He's speaking to these people. 50:15 And the desires of your father you want to do. 50:19 He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand 50:24 in the truth, because there is no truth in him. 50:27 When he speaks a lie he speaks from his own resources, 50:31 for he is a liar and the father of it. 50:34 And, by the way, when Jesus pronounced His woes 50:38 upon the Scribes and the Pharisees in Matthew 23 50:42 we find these words in the woes on the Scribes and Pharisees. 50:46 Jesus called them serpents, brood of vipers. 50:53 I mean who was the great serpent? the devil. 50:58 So if they were serpents where were they born from? 51:01 They were born from Satan. 51:04 That's right. Who wanted to see Jesus dead? Satan. 51:08 They wanted to see Jesus dead. 51:11 So the spirit of who were they reflecting? 51:14 The spirit of their father. 51:16 That's right. Now notice this: serpents, brood of vipers. 51:22 How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 51:26 Where were they going to end up? 51:28 In hell according to this. 51:32 When? At the very moment they died they were going to go 51:34 directly to hell? Of course not. 51:37 We've already noticed Jesus saying, serpents, brood of 51:40 vipers because you do not believe in Jesus, 51:44 even though He resurrected the man called Lazarus. 51:49 You are going to end up where? 51:51 You're going to end up in the fires of hell. 51:53 But He's not saying at the moment of death. 51:57 He speaking about the end of the age. 51:59 By the way, if you go with me to Matthew 8:11, 12, 52:03 Matthew 8:11, 12. It speaks about what's going to happen 52:07 at the end of the age. 52:08 Do you notice in this parable that there's a reversal 52:12 of roles? Where does the rich man end up? 52:18 The one who claimed to be the son of Abraham, 52:21 the one who had enjoyed all of the privileges, 52:23 and the covenants, and the temple, and the blessings 52:25 of God; where did he end up? In hell. 52:28 Where did the poor old Gentile, Lazarus, who, you know, 52:34 was cast aside, ate the crumbs that fell, the crumbs of bread 52:38 of spiritual truth that fell from the table of the rich man, 52:42 where did he end up? 52:44 He ended up in the bosom of Abraham. 52:47 There was a reversal of roles. 52:48 Now notice what Jesus says in Matthew 8:11, 12. 52:53 And I say to you that many will come from East and West... 53:01 Who do you think these are that will come from East and West? 53:06 They are the Gentiles. 53:08 You say, how do we know that? 53:09 Because immediately before this Jesus has healed the servant 53:16 of a Centurion; a Roman Centurion. 53:18 And Jesus says, I haven't found so much faith like this 53:22 in Israel, because the Centurion says, You don't have to come 53:26 to my house. Just speak the word. 53:28 I believe You're the Messiah. 53:29 Just say it and it will happen. 53:31 Jesus says, I haven't found faith like this in Israel. 53:34 And then He says, And I say to you that many... 53:38 That is Gentiles, like the Centurion. 53:39 ...many will come from from East and West... 53:43 And notice this. ... and sit down with Abraham. 53:47 Who are the ones who were going to sit down with Abraham? 53:51 The Jews or the Gentiles? 53:53 Hum, the Gentiles who accepted Jesus. 53:55 By the way, also the Jews who accepted Jesus. 53:58 I say to you that many will come from East and West, and sit down 54:04 with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 54:05 Where? In the kingdom of Heaven. 54:09 Now notice, but the sons of the kingdom... 54:13 Who are the sons of the kingdom? 54:14 Those who descended from Abraham according to the flesh, 54:19 but were not spiritually children of the Lord, 54:23 but the sons of the kingdom, will be cast out 54:32 into outer darkness. 54:36 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 54:41 When does the weeping and gnashing of teeth take place? 54:44 It takes place immediately when they were going to die, right? 54:48 No! It's when the righteous sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 54:51 in the kingdom. Then is the wailing and gnashing of teeth. 54:55 But listen to what I'm going to say. Many Christians say, 54:58 they actually add a word here where it says there will be 55:02 weeping and gnashing of teeth. 55:03 They say, there will be eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth. 55:08 The fact is that the word eternal is not there. 55:11 Is there going to be weeping and gnashing of teeth 55:14 when the wicked go into the fires, 55:16 and are suffering separated from God? 55:19 Yes, but it does not say everlasting weeping and gnashing 55:22 of teeth. And, by the way, this takes place at the end 55:26 of the age. The crying out o the rich man does not 55:29 take place immediately after his death. 55:31 It takes place at the end of the age, according to this verse. 55:34 Let's compare another one. 55:37 Luke 13:28, Luke 13:28. 55:41 This is a parallel passage to the one that we read from 55:45 Matthew 8:11, 12. It says there, Jesus is speaking. 55:50 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see 55:58 Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets 56:03 in the kingdom of God, and yourselves what? 56:06 Yourselves thrust out. 56:09 When is it that the wicked are going to be trust out? 56:12 When is it that the righteous are going to sit with Abraham, 56:15 Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom at God's table? 56:18 It is going to be at the end of the age, not at the moment 56:22 of death. One final point that I would like to make is this: 56:28 This punishment of fire that is spoken of in the parable 56:34 actually was fulfilled literally with the Jewish nation 56:39 in the year 70. Do you know what happened in the year 70? 56:44 In the year 70 the Roman legions came to the city of Jerusalem. 56:52 They surrounded it, and there was a siege, actually, 56:56 that lasted from the year 68 to the year 70. 57:01 It was a long siege, because those inside the city did not 57:05 want to give up. But eventually the Romans were able to break 57:09 through the barriers. 57:11 They entered the city and they burned the city, and they burned 57:17 the temple all the way to the ground. 57:20 In other words, just like the parable says, 57:23 Jerusalem was destroyed by fire. |
Revised 2014-12-17