IS LAZARUS AND THE
RICH MAN (LUKE 16:19-31) A REAL STORY OR A PARABLE?
By Bob LaForge
ABSTRACT
Lazarus and the Rich Man is a well-known and often referred
to Scripture. But is it a parable with a focus on money matters or a real story
that reveals the afterlife of every person? Comparing this passage to the
characteristics of Gospel parables and examining reasons for defining it as a
parable the conclusion is that this was a real story that Jesus was relating to
His disciples and to the Pharisees. Having an accurate understanding of how
this passage should be interpreted gives significant and trustworthy insight
into everyone’s eternal destinations.
The passage in Luke 16:19-31 is usually referred to as
“Lazarus and the Rich Man.” Some call it “Dives and Lazarus.” Dives in Latin
means “rich” and is the common noun used for the rich man in the Vulgate Bible.
This passage is cited frequently and has been very
influential regarding the afterlife and social justice.
In the sixteenth century in Germany during the Reformation
there were no less than ten plays that were written that dramatize this story.1
“The ten plays in question all deal with wealth and poverty, personal luxuries
and severe deprivation, gluttony and drunkenness and starvation. These were all
evident in German society, and they were explosive issues.”2
This story even appears in contemporary, secular works such
as “The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook” regarding charity and social
giving.3 “This is the Christian role model of true compassion.
Similarly, Dives roasts in hell for his neglect to rescue Lazarus, who died on
the rich man’s doorstep, getting more pity from the master’s dogs. The fate of
such hard-hearted men as Dives who refused to consider their neighbors shows
the ultimate recompense of selfishness and ethnocentrism.”4
This passage can be divided into three sections. The first
section from verses 19 – 21 occurs on the earth and contrasts the lives of a
rich man and a poor man. Both lived in proximity to each other. Verse 22 is the
transition section. The rich man goes to a place of torment whereas the poor
man, Lazarus, is carried to Abraham’s bosom which is a place of comfort. The
third section is verses 23-31 and is primarily a dialogue between the rich man
and Father Abraham that takes places in the afterlife. There are several themes
here including a brief description of both places, the finality of destiny once
dead, how we live our lives affects our afterlife, and the sufficiency of
Scripture relating to the choice of eternal destiny.
How one interprets and applies this passage depends greatly
on whether it is considered to be a parable or an actual real event. Surveying
a number of commentaries 29 believe it to be a parable5 and two consider it to be a real event6.
If it was a real story then it is interpreted literally
meaning that its details provide insight into what happens when people die. The
focus is on the third section. Here is commentary by the apostolic father Irenaeus,
“By these things, then, it is plainly declared that souls continue to exist,
that they do not pass from body to body, that they possess the form of a man,
so that they may be recognized, and retain the memory of things in this
world..”7
If it is considered to be a parable then it is generally
interpreted analogously with the primary lesson referring to money matters and
how to treat other people. The focus is on the first section. Sometimes there
will be a light-weight insight into the afterlife but usually as an addendum.
Here are some examples,
“Of course, Jesus is saying that riches don't count for
anything after we die, but that isn't the thrust of this parable. I think he is
making two points. 1) Wealth without active mercy for the poor is great
wickedness. 2) If we close our eyes to the truth we are given, then we are
doomed.”8
“In this story, God’s eternal judgment has everything to do
with how we use wealth in this life and whether we attend to those less
fortunate in our midst.”9
“… he is using it simply to meet his
opponents, the Pharisees, on their own ground: using a story familiar to them,
in order to convict them out of their own mouths, as it were, for both their
indifference to the poor and their contemptuous dismissal of His own teaching
and mission.”10
Some explicitly state that this
story cannot be used to interpret the afterlife.
“he does not intend here to
give a preview of life after death.”11 and “it is not safe to draw any inferences from
the narrative relative to the future state.”12
It does matter whether this story was real or is a parable.
WHAT IS A PARABLE?
The Bible uses many literary devices: simile, metaphor,
allegory, symbol, personification, hyperbole, proverb and others. Parable is
one of these devices.
The root word of parable is “paraballo.”
“Para” means “at or to one side of, deside, side by
side” and “ballo” means to “a throwing.” Hence parable
means “to throw alongside” as in a comparison.
Aggregating a number of definitions 13 we see
that a Biblical parable has the following characteristics.
1)
It is a comparison between two different things.
2)
It is a short story usually between one sentence
and several paragraphs.
3)
It has a front side which is the story and a
back side which is what is being illustrated.
4)
The front side is not necessarily historical but
will be true to life.
5)
The front side is familiar, recognizable, and
easily understood and will draw from nature, common activities or situations,
family life, business, personnel interactions, and politics.
6)
The back side is a spiritual principle or moral
lesson that is harder to understand.
7)
The back side is not stated or revealed in the
story; it is hidden. It must be derived by reasoning and deduction.
8)
It has one central point.
9)
The details of the front side are there only to
illustrate the main point and are not meant to call attention to themselves.
Thus we can define a parable as a familiar, realistic short
story that illustrates a spiritual truth.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary calls a parable “an earthly story
with a heavenly meaning.” 14
DOES LAZARUS AND THE
RICH MAN FIT THE CRITERIA OF A PARABLE?
FRONT AND BACK SIDES
By its very definition there are two sides to a parable.
There is the front side. This is the telling of an event or events that is
potentially observable and familiar. But the front side is not the main point;
it is not the reason for the telling of the story.
In the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-9) Jesus is not
telling the story to encourage us to look for lost money. This is merely an
illustration of a back side. We can match up the front side to the back side.
The coin represents a person. A coin has
special value because it has stamped on it the image of the king; otherwise, it
is just a piece of metal. Likewise, a person has special value because we are
made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). The woman represents God who has a
tremendous concern about this lost person. So the woman lights a lamp symbolic
of how Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12) and she sweeps out the dirt
showing how He washes away our sins (Psalm 51:2). Then when she has found the
coin she rejoices with her friends and neighbors just as when a person repents
and is born-again all of heaven rejoices. The real moral of the story is how
much God cares about the eternal destiny of each person and therefore we should
be driven by that same attitude.
Every parable has these two stories: an illustrative front
story based on the recognizable and natural and the meaningful back story based
on the supernatural.
Lazarus does not have a front and back side. Yes, the first section (verses 19 – 21) are common, natural events. You
could walk down the street in Jerusalem in that day and see a poor man lying at
the gate of a rich man. And the third section (verses 22 – 31) is supernatural.
But the first section which occurs on the earth transitions to the third
section which occurs in the supernatural. The third section is not an explanation
of the first section; it is the result of the first section.
This is unlike a parable such as the Sower in Matthew
13:3-23 where we can read both sides of the parable. Verses 3 – 9 are the
actual parable as Jesus told to the crowd. This is the front side. Verses 18-23 are the back story but was the explanation that
Jesus gave later on only to His disciples. This passage was not part of the
actual, initial parable.
Lazarus and the Rich Man likewise can be separated into two
parts: the natural and the supernatural but the difference from the Sower is
that Luke 16 is one linear story that occurs in two realms. Verses 22 – 31 are
not the explanation of verses 19 – 21 as we see with the Sower; rather, they
are the consequence of it. Lazarus and the Rich Man is essentially a
supernatural story where the setup is natural but then segues into the
supernatural where the primary revelation occurs.
So here in Lazarus and the Rich Man we do not see a recognizable
front side and a back side that must be deduced by reasoning. The entire story
is laid out right in front of us.
HIDDEN MEANING
When in Matthew 13:10 the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do You
speak to them in parables?” He answered that the reason was to hide spiritual
meaning from those who have closed their eyes to the spiritual. The real
meaning behind the story will only be discerned by those who actually care, by
those who want to want to take the time and make an effort to understand. To
the rest (the “them” in verse 11) the story of the parable is nothing more than
what they hear upfront.
For example, the parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matt
13:24-30) could be interpreted by a non-believer as being simply about
gardening. If someone who does not like you throws weed seed into your garden
then wait until both are mature before you weed otherwise you may pull out your
good plants with the bad. That was all that Jesus was talking about, they
claim, and they do not care about anything more.
But those who are spiritual see the deeper spiritual meaning
of how the wicked and the deceivers are mixed in with true believers and that
they can be hard to tell apart. The final separating must be left to God and to
the truths that He has given to us in the Bible.
Every parable has this obscuration. Lazarus and the Rich Man
does not. Its meaning is straightforward. A non-Christian
can understand it even if he or she cannot mine every nuance and truth. They
can easily take away that the selfish and wicked will go to a place of torment
and the good, regardless of their earthly state, will go to a place of comfort.
Lazarus and the Rich Man does not
have the hidden meaning that Jesus said every parable must have.
PRESENTATION OF THE STORY
Every Biblical parable presented a short story from
beginning to end that was commonplace and familiar. They were relatable. In
every one of them a person could be standing off to the side and watch what is
going on. You could be walking on a road and see five women entering a carriage
with lit lanterns while five other women are rushing down the street to buy oil
for their extinguished lanterns. It may be an unlikely event but it, or
something very similar, could be witnessed. We could see a man searching in
ditches and bushes for his lost sheep. We could be coming home from the market
and find a man who is beaten and left on the side of the road. These were recognizable
if not always common situations. There was a wedding feast, someone who owes a
lot of money, a tree with no figs and so on.
The entire story of Lazarus and the Rich Man is not commonplace nor familiar. It is not something that
anyone could witness as they go about their day. This story primarily takes
place in a realm that is beyond access. No one in the course of their day would
see angel’s carrying someone into the afterlife or run across Abraham’s Bosom.
This would be impossible apart from a supernatural intervention.
Therefore, Lazarus and the Rich Man is
very different from all of Jesus’ parables regarding presentation.
NO COMPARISON
The definition of “parable” is a comparison of one thing
that is placed or “thrown” alongside another thing. This is the front side
compared to the back side. They are two threads, the natural and the
supernatural, that run alongside of and parallel to each other.
In Luke 8:16-18 a lamp is not put under a basket but put on
a lampstand compares to the Gospel not been hidden in our lives but eagerly
shared with those who do not know.
In Matt 7:24-27 the house built on sand falls when
opposition comes but the house built on a rock will endure. Likewise, a person
who builds his or her life on money, prestige, or power will fall when trials
come, but the person who builds his life on the eternal foundation of Jesus
Christ and the Bible will endure.
In Lazarus and the Rich Man there is no comparison. The
first section is not a comparison to the third section. They are a linear
series of events with verse 22 as the transition.
IS IT EVER CALLED A PARABLE?
When I ask Bible teachers who have just taught on Lazarus
and the Rich Man why they say that it is a parable their response is always,
“Because the Bible says that it is a parable.” Does it?
Of the 38 parables in the Bible, 26
clearly state that they are a parable. 15
Some immediately introduce the passage with the word
“parable.” Luke 12:16 starts with, “And He told them a parable…” Jesus then
immediately tells the story of the rich fool who builds bigger barns to store
all of his crops thinking that he can now lead a life of ease not knowing that
God will require his soul that very night.
Others are sets of parables that are bookended by the word
“parable.” Mark 4:2 starts with “And He was teaching them many things in
parables…” Then follows the four parables of Sower, Lamp
under a Basket, Seed that God grows, and Mustard Seed. This ends with
verse 33, “With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as
they were able to hear it.”
Three others do not use the word “parable” but use
terminology that are consistent with it being a
parable. Matthew 25:1, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable…” just
before the Ten Virgins. Matthew 20:1, “For the kingdom of heaven is like…” just
before the Workers in the Vineyard. Matthew 18:23, “the kingdom of heaven may
be compared…” just before the Unforgiving Servant.
For the nine without a clear proclamation as being a parable,
their structure and characteristics seem to clearly indicate a parable. 16
Lazarus and the Rich Man is not
introduced nor bookended by the word “parable” or a similar phrase such as
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable…”
Many commentators connect the parable in Luke 16:1-9 with
Lazarus and the Rich Man by claiming that the flow of the chapter is about
money and since each of these stories is primarily about money they are,
therefore, both parables.
But when we examine the themes of Luke 16 we see that is not
the case.
Verses 1-9 Money
Verses 10-13 Money
Verses 14-15 Money
Verses 16-17 The
permanency of the Law and Gospel
Verse 18 Marriage and divorce
Verses 19-31 Lazarus and the Rich Man
By verse 16 we see that Jesus has moved away from the theme
of money. Therefore there is no flowing connection between the money themed
story in verses 1 – 9 and Lazarus and the Rich Man.
This passage is never referred to as a parable.
PROPER NAME OF LAZARUS
In this
story, one of the characters is given a proper/formal name, Lazarus. Does that definitively
mean that this is a real story? Could a Biblical parable have a proper name?
The
Greek name Λαζαροσ (Lazaros) is the Hellenized version of the Hebrew name אלעזר, Eleazar17. The name means “God is my help.” But
even though “Lazarus” is a proper name could, in this case, it be used as a title instead? I.e., the “Lazarus” in this story
is representative of all people whom God helps find comfort in the afterlife
rather than a single real person?
A way to
determine if this is possible is to examine all other proper names in the
Gospels. If there are instances where proper names refer to real people and
then also to fictionalized characters then just because the character in Lazarus
and the Rich Man has a formal name does not
necessarily mean that he is a real person.
In the
four Gospels there are 89 characters with a proper name18. The
genealogies are not included because it is obvious that these were all real
people. In every one of these 89 instances this character was clearly a real
person.
There
are also twenty Old Testament proper names mentioned in the Gospels19
and in every case these clearly refer to real people.
There is
not a single instance in the Gospels where a proper name is ascribed to someone
who is not a real person. Therefore, it is extremely improbable that the name
“Lazarus” in Lazarus and the Rich Man is not
likewise referring to a real person. Out of 109 names in the Gospels there is zero
precedent for a proper name to be attributed to a fictitious character.
William Robert West attempts to
answer this argument. “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] ‘THE SON OF MAN’ [Matthew 13:37].”
20
Regarding Numbers 23:7, the word
that KJV translates as “parable” can also be translated as proverb, by-word,
discourse, similitude, and poem21. In the 38 times that מָשָׁל is used in the Old
Testament only three refer to an actual parable. 22 Of those three,
not one uses a proper name. Even in Ezekiel 17:1-10 where it says “speak a
parable to the house of Israel” the actual parable itself never uses the name
“Israel” or any other proper name. The same is true in Ezekiel 20:45-49 where
Ezekiel is told to speak the parable to several places by name but then in the
actual parable no proper name is mentioned.
In the uses in Numbers it is
always a prophetic reference to real people in real places. If you would call
those parables then you would have to call the entire book of Revelation a
parable since it is similar in style.
Therefore, it is not true that
“FIVE PROPER NAMES are used in one parable” but rather that proper names are
being used in a prophetic discourse similar to many prophetic discourses in the
Bible (Daniel and Revelation for example).
Mark 4:14 is Jesus’ explanation of
the parable and not the parable itself. The actual parable contains no proper
names which only strengthens the definition of a parable as a saying that has
no proper names.
The same is true of Matthew 13:37.
When Jesus says “the Son of Man” He is giving the explanation of a parable; it
is not the parable itself.
We can conclude that if Luke 16:19-31 is a parable then it
would be the only time in the Bible and certainly in the Gospels where a proper
name is used. That is extremely unlikely and without precedence. Therefore,
that a character has a proper name is significant in determining that this
story was real.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST IT
BEING A REAL STORY
SAME BEGINNING AS LUKE 16:1 WHICH IS A PARABLE
Luke 16:1-9 which is considered to be a parable starts with
“There was a rich man…” In the same chapter, verse 19 begins almost
identically, “Now there was a rich man… ” The conclusion is that therefore Lazarus
and the Rich Man is also a parable.
However, similar initial phrases does
not indicate the same literary type.
The phrase “The kingdom of heaven” starts many parables
(Matthew 13:11, Matthew 13:24, Matthew 13:31, Matthew 13:33, Matthew 13:44,
Matthew 13:35, Matthew 13:47, Matthew 13:52) yet there are other times that
Jesus starts a discourse with that same phrase and it is clearly not a parable
(Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 10:7, Matthew 18:1).
We see the same with the phrase “What do you think?” In
Matthew 18:12 and Matthew 21:28 it starts a parable. In Matthew 17:25 and
Matthew 22:17 it starts a comment that is not a parable.
Having a similarly sounding or even the exact same phrase to
start a discussion does not at all mean that they are the same literary types.
AFTER AN EGYPTIAN STORY
Several commentators claim that Jesus was adapting an
Egyptian source tale and giving it a Jewish bent.
G.B. Caird wrote, “In this parable
Jesus was using a familiar folk-tale and adapting it to a new purpose by adding
an unfamiliar twist to the end of it. The story of the wicked rich man and the
pious poor man, whose fortunes were reversed in the afterlife, seems to have
come originally from Egypt, and was popular among Jewish teachers. The picture
of the fate in store for the good and the evil after death is also drawn from
traditional Jewish sources (c£ 2 En. 9'°).”23
Caird is probably referring to the
story of Si-Osiris. A story in the Palestinian Talmud has a similar plot to
Lazarus and the Rich Man.
Si-Osiris tells us, a father and son witness two funerals,
one of a rich man being buried in splendor and much ceremony and another of a
poor man being buried in poverty and simplicity. The father professed that he
would rather have the fate of the rich whereas the son disagreed. To prove his
point, the son took his father to the seven halls of Amente
(the realm of the dead). There they saw the rich man in torment whereas the
poor man was elevated to a position near Osiris, the Lord of the Underworld.
In the Palestinian Talmud we read about a rich tax collector
and a poor Torah scholar who both die on the same day. The tax collector is
buried in grandeur whereas the poor scholar is buried without ceremony. A
friend of the poor man has a dream and sees the rich man in torment whereas the
poor man is in paradise24.
Even if there was a similar story in Egyptian stories this
does not prove that Jesus stole it from there.
There were flood stories in Mesopotamian, Babylonian, and
Hindu literature. Does that mean that Noah stole the Genesis story from them?
Perhaps it is in all of that literature because it really did happen and each
one recorded it but with the Bible’s account being the only inspired and fully
accurate one.
Likewise, there are resurrection stories outside of the
Bible: Ancient Greek (Dionysus, Persephone, Asclepius, Achilles and others),
Egyptian (Osiris), Hindu (Ganesha and Krishna), Norse
(Odin), Sumerian (Tammuz), and Finnish (Lemminkainen).
Yet I believe that Jesus actually and physically rose from the dead and not
that the disciples fabricated His resurrection because they were familiar with
other religious resurrection accounts.
Jesus, being God, would not need to rely upon other cultural
or religious tales. He created “all things” (Colossians 1:16). He, more than
anyone ever, would be very able to present a true story no matter how
unfamiliar and astonishing.
HOW CAN THERE BE JOY IN HEAVEN IF THEY CAN SEE THEIR DAMNED
FAMILY MEMBERS IN HELL?
“If hell is truly as it is pictured in this story, then the
saved will be able to view the lost who are burning
there. Could anyone enjoy eternal existence if they were able to see lost
friends, family, and acquaintances being incinerated in hell, yet never burning
up?” 25
A great mistake of this criticism is that the places in
Lazarus and the Rich Man are the final places of both the righteous and the
wicked and that we will be near each other for all eternity. They are not. The
two places in Luke 16:19-31 are not the final destinations of Heaven and Hell.
These are only holding places until the major resurrections when one side is
transported to Heaven and the other side is cast into Hell. Abraham’s Bosom was
permanently emptied when Jesus ascended (Ephesians 4:8). The Rich Man’s side
will be emptied at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). After
those two resurrections no one will ever be in either of these two places.
There is no indication in Scripture that those in Heaven and those in Hell will
be able to see each.
Also, could it not be argued that if you do not see a
relative in Heaven that, therefore, he must be in Hell? Though you could not
see him you would still have a deep understanding of the torment that he is
going through. Would this not be nearly the same anguish that this criticism is
arguing against? But we know that Heaven will be a place of perfect peace. How can
this then be? God, who loves each person far more intimately than we do, actually
will see these people in Hell and yet He will not spend eternity in sorrow and
distress. That is because He has a full and complete understanding of sin and
judgment, of holiness and arrogance. Once we are in Heaven and have had the veil
of sin removed from our eyes we will likewise have a much clearer understanding
of these same themes. We will never see as God does, but it will certainly be
with much greater understanding than we have now.
HOW WOULD THE RICH MAN RECOGNIZE ABRAHAM?
How did the three disciples recognize Moses and Elijah on
the Mount of Transfiguration? Did Moses and Elijah announce themselves? Did
Jesus introduce them? However Peter, James, and John knew it was
them it could have been something similar with the Rich Man and Lazarus.
IT IMPLIES THAT THE RICH GO TO HELL AND THE POOR GO TO
HEAVEN
“Those who insist that this is not a parable, but a true,
literal story Christ told to describe the condition of the lost in hell must
overlook several facts to arrive at that conclusion. First, Yeshua
the Messiah never accuses the rich man of any sin. He is simply portrayed as a
wealthy man who lived the good life. Furthermore, Lazarus is never proclaimed
to be a righteous man. He is just one who had the misfortune to be poor and
unable to care for himself. If this story is literal,
then the logical implication is that all the rich are destined to burn in hell,
while all the homeless and destitute will be saved. Does anyone believe this to
be the case?”26
Whatever your view of this story you face the same dilemma.
What is the relationship of riches and poverty to the afterlife? Whether or not
it is a parable or literal does not affect that. It is not like those who
believe it to be a parable have a cut-and-dry answer and the literalists must
squirm in their seats trying to devise a solution. The rest of Scripture
teaches us that one must be born-again to enter into Heaven. That same tenet
applied to Lazarus and the rich man. This is not a story about salvation; it is
a story about destinations.
SHEOL NOT AN ACTUAL PLACE
“This is the only place in the Bible where the dead are
depicted as suffering in ‘hades’ (or ‘sheol’, the Old
Testament equivalent). Everywhere else, the word ‘hades’
(verse 23) has its Old Testament meaning, Sheol.
It simply means death or the realm of death.”27
“It is a place or state of ‘corruption’ (Acts 2:27). In the
Bible, the ‘underworld’ is never hell but the place of the dead awaiting
judgment.”28
This claim is that Lazarus and the Rich Man is the only
passage in the Bible depicting Sheol as an actual
place where people consciously suffer. Therefore, it is inconsistent with the
rest of Scripture which depicts Sheol/Hades as merely
the physical grave or just as death itself.
Sheol and Hades are the same
place. Sheol is the Hebrew word and Hades is the
Greek word. Sheol is used 65 times in the NASB Bible
all in the Old Testament. Hades is used ten times all in the New Testament. In
Psalm 16:10 we read, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”
Then in Acts 2:31 Peter quotes the same verse but says, “he
looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither
abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.” In Psalm 16 David calls it
Sheol but in Acts 2 Peter calls it Hades.
Is Sheol an actual place or does
it merely synonymous with death or the grave?
We see that both the righteous (Genesis 37:35) and the
wicked (Numbers 16:30) go there. Job 11:8 implies that its location is much
deeper than a grave.29 If Sheol is merely
a synonym for death then how are the righteous ransomed or delivered from Sheol (Psalm 49:15; 86:13)? Both the
righteous and the wicked die. In Sheol there
is sorrow (2 Samuel 22:6) and pain (Psalm 116:3), and those in Sheol tremble (Job 26:5-6). These are all physical,
conscious, active experiences contrasted to the stillness of death or the
grave.
In no instances is an actual burial site or grave referred
to using Sheol (שְׁאוֹל).
Rather it will use a word like קָֽבֶר such as in Genesis 23:9, 20.
Developing the theme of Sheol/Hades
would require its own extensive article, but Scripture indicates that it is an
actual place apart from being merely the grave or death.
EMPTY GRAVES
“Another dilemma that arises with a literal interpretation
of this story could be called ‘the mystery of the empty graves.’ If this is
taken literally, apparently neither of the two leading characters spent very
long in the grave--both being whisked away rather quickly to their respective
places of reward. Their bodies obviously came along, for we find the rich man
lifting up his eyes, and desiring to have his tongue cooled by a drop of water
from the finger of Lazarus who was resting, as we have seen, in Abraham's
bosom. Enough graves have been exhumed in recent years to know that the bodies
of the deceased are carried neither to heaven or hell after burial. They
finally turn to dust and await the resurrection.”30
“Since this passage is cited as a literal description of
actual events (and not as a parable) it is helpful to show that even the
immortal soulist cannot take this passage as a
literal description. The following is the evidence: The passage speaks about
bodies not souls. E.g., eyes, bosom (vs. 23) tip of finger
and tongue (vs. 24).”31
“Contenders for literalism suppose that the rich man and
Lazarus were disembodied spirits, destitute of bodies. Yet the rich man is
described as having "eyes" that see and a "tongue" that
speaks, as well as seeking relief from the "finger" of Lazarus-all
real body parts. They are portrayed as existing physically, despite the fact
that the rich man's body was duly buried in the grave. Was his body carried
away into hades together with his soul by mistake?”32
We know that no one could be resurrected into Heaven until
Jesus (the first fruits) was resurrected first. We also know that unbelievers
will not be resurrected until the Great White Throne judgement. We read in
Revelation 20:13, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and
Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of
them according to their deeds.” So there were, are, and will be people in
Hades. Are they in disembodied states? Are they in a sleep state? Psalm 73 in a
description of what happens when the wicked man dies says in verses 18-19,
“Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them
down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept
away by sudden terrors!” This is Asaph describing the death of the wicked
thousands of years before the Great White Throne judgement in Revelation 20.
The wicked do not die and sleep in a disembodied state. Rather, they have the
faculties to experience terror and “sudden” terror. Not terror thousands of
years later. They will be conscious.
The dead having tangible bodies can be seen in “The
Transfiguration.” Matthew 17:3-4 reads, “And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared
to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be
here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for
Moses, and one for Elijah.’” Clearly Moses and Elijah were not invisible,
ghostly apparitions. They must have had some kind of outward body since Peter
saw them. Though one might argue that Elijah had never died and so might have
maintained his earthly body Moses had died (Deuteronomy 34:5). In Mark 9:4 and
Luke 9:30 it says that Elijah and Moses were talking with Jesus. Therefore,
they had mouths with which to speak and ears to listen. There is no indication
that Peter, James, and John were horrified by how
Elijah and Moses appeared. Peter even offered to build tabernacles for them and
Jesus. Therefore, the dead do have ears, ears, mouths, arms, legs and all the
rest of their physical body parts.
The story of Saul and the medium at Endor
in 1 Samuel 28 is, of course, much debated as to what the spirit of Samuel
really was. Was it a demon, Samuel himself, or something else? The Bible,
however, specifically says Samuel appeared. Samuel’s accurate and specific
predictions furthermore indicate that this was not a demonic spirit. Only God
knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) and, according to Deuteronomy
18:22, only prophets from God give predictions that consistently are 100
percent correct. The medium’s surprise to see Samuel strongly suggests that God
brought up Samuel in an unprecedented miracle for the specific purpose of
rebuking Saul. If it was Samuel himself then we see that he was recognizable,
had a mouth with which to speak, ears to hear, eyes to see. He was not
disembodied. He had the usual faculties after he had died. Therefore, depending
on your view of this story, it either proves that people who
have died before Christ’s resurrection had bodies with the same capabilities as
when they were alive or it does not disprove it.
Clearly the bodies that these people had after death are not
the bodies that they died with. They have temporary bodies that God gives to
them until they receive their final imperishable, spiritual body (1 Corinthians
15:42-44). Otherwise, those whose bodies were cremated or destroyed upon death
would suffer as disembodied spirits because their earthly body was gone.
SUMMARY
Examining the characteristics of a parable we
see that the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man do not meet any of the criteria.
·
There is no front and back side.
·
There is no hidden meaning.
·
The presentation is different.
·
There is no comparison.
·
It is not called a parable.
·
A character in the story, Lazarus, has a proper
name.
The arguments for why this cannot be a real
story were addressed.
·
Same beginning as Luke 16:1 which is a parable.
·
It is after an Egyptian story.
·
How can there be joy in Heaven if they can see
their damned relatives in Hell?
·
How did the Rich Man recognize Lazarus?
·
It teaches that the rich go to Hell while the
poor go to Heaven.
·
Scripture never teaches that it is an actual
place.
·
There are no empty graves.
Therefore, the conclusion is
that the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man was an actual, true story and not a
parable. This enables us to interpret it as providing important truths about
the afterlife and the destinies of all peoples.
1 Stephen L. Wailes, The Rich Man and Lazarus on the Reformation
Stage: A Contribution to the Social History of German Drama, (Susquehanna
University Press, 1997), 12.
2 Wailes,
ibid, 13.
3 Edited by Walter W. Powell, Richard Steinberg, The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook,
(Yale University Press, 2006).
4 Powell, ibid, 21.
5 All the
Parables From the Bible, accessed July 12, 2018, http://access-jesus.com/parables-of-jesus-bible-list-html/,
(January 17, 2016);
Bob Deffinbaugh, “52. The Rich Man
and Lazarus (Luke 16:14-31),” Luke: The
Gospel of the Gentiles, accessed July 17, 2018, https://bible.org/seriespage/52-rich-man-and-lazarus-luke-1614-31,
(June 24, 2004);
Bryan T. Huie, Lazarus and the Rich Man, http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/Lazarus-byHuie.htm
(January 9, 1998);
Commentary on the
Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, accessed July 19, 2018, http://orthodoxinfo.com/death/theo_laz.aspx;
Darris McNeely, “Lessons From the Parables,” Lazarus
and the Rich Man: Attitudes and Consequences, accessed July 9, 2018, https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/lessons-from-the-parables-lazarus-and-the-rich-man-attitudes-and-consequences,
(June 26, 2014);
Dennis Crews, The Rich
Man and Lazarus, accessed July 12, 2018, https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/book/e/71/t/the-rich-man-and-lazarus;
Gospels of Jesus, accessed
July 24, 2018, https://kwing.christiansonnet.org/courses/misc/parables-list_e.htm;
Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, Meyer’s Commentary on the New Testament,
Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Gospels of Mark and Luke,
(Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1983), 475.
Edited John F. Walvoord,
Roy B. Zuck, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Victor Books a division of SP Publications,
Inc., 1984), 247.
Marcus Tidmarsh, List of Parables, accessed July 12,
2018, http://www.learningscriptures.info/biblical-parables/list-of-parables.htm,
(2018);
Martin G. Collins, Parable
of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Part One), accessed July 12, 2018, https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/BS/k/928/The-Parable-of-Lazarus-and-Rich-Man-Part-One.htm,
(July 2004);
Lazarus and the Rich
Man parable, accessed July 13, 2018, http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/rich-man-and-lazarus-parable.html;
Leon Morris, Tyndale
New Testament Commentaries, Luke, (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
1984), 252.
List of Parables In the Bible, accessed July 19, 2018, http://biblesymbol.com/list-of-parables/;
Cornelus Postell, List of Parables, https://classroom.synonym.com/list-of-parables-12082667.html,
(September 29, 2017);
Edited Michael Rydelnik, Michael VanLaningham, The Moody Bible Commentary, (Moody
Publishers, 2014),1584.
“Our Lord’s
Parables,” Blue Letter Bible, accessed July 9, 2018, https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/pnt/pnt06.cfm;
Parable of the Rich Man
and Lazarus, accessed July 9, 2018, https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/the-fourfold-gospel/by-sections/parable-of-the-rich-man-and-lazarus.html,
(2018);
“Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19-31),” The IVP
New Testament Commentary Series: Luke, (IVP Academic, April
2, 2010). (“The account is an example story, not a parable” but
since it does not classify it as a real story it is included in the parable
section especially since the title of this section is “Parable of the Rich Man
and Lazarus.”);
Paul Ingram, List of
Parables, accessed July 11, 2018, http://www.katapi.org.uk/4Gospels/Parables.htm,
(2004);
Ralph F. Wilson, “#71. The Rich Man and Lazarus,” JesusWalk: Luke’s
Gospel, (Luke 16:19-31), accessed August 9, 2018, http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/16_19-31.htm,
(2018);
Robert
Jamieson, A.R. Fausset, and David Brown, A Commentary Critical, Experimental, and
Practical on the Old and New Testaments, Volume Three, Part One Matthew-John,
(William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984), 295.
“Ron Graham, List of the Parables, accessed July 10,
2018, https://www.simplybible.com/f660-list-of-parables-jesus-told.htm, (2001);
The Parables of Jesus,” Christian
Bible Reference Site, accessed July 9, 2018, https://www.christianbiblereference.org/jparable.htm;
The Parables of Jesus
Christ, accessed July 9, 2018, http://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Parable.html;
The Parables In The Gospels, accessed July 17, 2018, http://www.centuryone.com/parables.html,
(2003);
Warren Prestidge, Life, Death and Destiny, (lulu.com, 2010); Henry Buis, The Teaching of
the New Testament, accessed July 17, 2018, http://www.ccel.us/buis.ch3.html.
What does the parable
of Lazarus and the rich man mean?, accessed July 17, 2018, https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/what-does-the-parable-of-lazarus-and-the-rich-man-mean,
(November 9, 2010);
6 Edited by Alexander Roberts, Sir James
Donaldson, Arthur Cleveland Coxe, Allan Menzies, Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume I: The Apostolic
Fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, (Veritatis
Splendor Publications; First Edition, May 21, 2014), 411.
Exposition of Luke
16:19-31, accessed August 3, 2018, http://www.bible.ca/su-hades-luke16.htm#mainline;
7 Edited by Alexander Roberts, Sir James
Donaldson, Arthur Cleveland Coxe, Allan Menzies, Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume I: The Apostolic
Fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, (Veritatis
Splendor Publications; First Edition, May 21, 2014), 411.
8 Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, #71.
The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), accessed August 3,
2018, http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/16_19-31.htm.
9 Lois Malcolm, Commentary on Luke 16:19-31, accessed
August 4, 2018, accessed July 9, 2018, https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1784.
10 E. E.
Ellis, The Gospel of Luke, (Grand Rapids: W.
B. Eerdmans, 1981), 202.
11 Ellis, ibid,
202.
12 J. W. McGarvey and
Philip Y. Pendleton, Harmony of the Four
Gospels, accessed July 2, 2018, https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/the-fourfold-gospel/by-sections/parable-of-the-rich-man-and-lazarus.html
13 Easton, M.G., accessed August 10, 2018,
“Parable,” Easton’s Bible Dictionary,
(Thomas Nelson, 1897).
Kenneth Boa, IV.
Literary Forms in the Bible, accessed August 9, 2018, https://bible.org/seriespage/iv-literary-forms-bible,
(May 5, 2010).
KJV Dictionary
Definition: parable,
accessed August 9, 2018, https://av1611.com/kjbp/kjv-dictionary/parable.html.
List of Parables, accessed
August 9, 2018, http://www.learningscriptures.info/biblical-parables/list-of-parables.htm.
Literary Devices, accessed
August 9, 2018, https://literarydevices.net/parable/.
The Parables of Jesus, accessed
August 9, 2018, https://www.christianbiblereference.org/jparable.htm.
The Purpose of the Parables, accessed
August 10, 2018, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/purpose-parables/.
Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, #71.
The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), accessed July 26, 2018,http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/16_19-31.htm.
Rashada, Literary Forms of the Gospels, accessed July 25, 2018, https://quizlet.com/93202891/literary-forms-of-the-gospels-flash-cards/.
14 Easton, M.G., “Parable,” Easton’s Bible Dictionary, (Thomas
Nelson, 1897).
15 Seed (Mark 4:26-29); Mustard Seed (Matt.
13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-19); Sower (Matt. 13:3-9, Mark 4:3-9, Luke
8:5-8); Lamp under a Basket (Matt. 5:14-15, Mark 4:21-23, Luke 8:16-18); Rich
Fool (Luke 12:16-21); Clothe & Wineskins (Matt. 9:16-17, Mark 2:21-22, Luke
5:36-39); Tares among Wheat (Matt. 13:24-30); Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6-9);
Leaven (Matt. 13:33, Luke 13:20-21); Hidden Treasure (Matt. 13:44); Costly
Pearl (Matt. 13:45-46); Dragnet (Matt. 13:47-50); The Lost Sheep (Matt.
18:12-14, Luke 15:4-6); Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-9); Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32);
Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-5); Pharisees & Publican (Luke 18:9-14); Two Sons
(Matt. 21:28-32); Wicked vine-growers (Matt. 21:33-41, Mark 12:1-9, Luke
20:9-16); Great Banquet (Matt. 22:1-14, Luke 14:15-24); Budding Fig Tree (Matt.
24:32-35, Mark 13:28-31, Luke 21:29-33); Ready to Serve the Master (Mark
13:34-37, Luke 12:35-40); Faithful vs. Unfaithful Servant (Matt. 24:45-51, Luke
12:42-48); Talents (Matt. 25:14-30, Luke 19:12-27); Wedding Feast (Luke
14:7-14); Old & New Treasure (Matt. 13:52)
16 Two debtors (Luke 7:41-42); Good Samaritan
(Luke 10:30-37); Good Friend (Luke 11:5-8); Wise & Foolish Builders (Matt.
7:24-27, Luke 6:48-49); Strong Man (Matt. 12:29, Mark 3:27, Luke 11:21-22);
Counting the Cost (Luke 14:28-33); Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-9); Master & Servant (Luke 17:7-10); Sheep &
Goats (Matt. 25:31-46)
17 The name
Lazarus in the Bible,
accessed July 2, 2018, http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Lazarus.html.
18 Agabus; Agrippa
I, aka King Herod aka Herod; Alexander, son of Simon of Cyrene; Andrew; Anna; Annas; Apollos; Aquila; Archelaus;
Barabbas; Barnabas; Bartholomew; Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus; Caesar
Augustus; Caiaphas; Cleopas; Clopas, husband
of Mary; Dionysius the Areopagite; Elizabeth; Epaphras;
Felix governor of Judea; Herod Antipas, called “Herod the Tetrarch” or “Herod”;
Herod the Great; Herodias; Jairus; James the Just,
brother of Jesus; James the son of Alphaeus; James
the son of Zebedee; James, father of Judas; Jesus; Joanna; John the Baptist;
John the son of Zededee; Joseph of Arimathea; Joseph,
father of Jesus; Joses, aka Joseph, brother of Jesus;
Judas; Judas Iscariot; Jude; Jude, brother of
Jesus; Lazarus (Luke 16); Lazarus of Bethany; Luke; Lysanias;
Malchus; Mark; Martha; Mary Magdalene; Mary, mother
of James and Joseph; Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus;
Mary, wife of Clopas;
Matthew, aka Levi; Matthias; Nathanael; Nicodemus; Onesimus;
Paul (Saul); Peter aka Simon aka Simon
Peter aka Simon Barjona; Phanuel,
father of Anna; Philemon; Philip; Philip, Herod’s brother; Philip, son of Herod
the Tetrarch; Pontius Pilate; Priscilla; Quirinius;
Rufus, son of Simon of Cyrene; Salome; Silas; Simeon; Simon of Cyrene; Simon
the leper; Simon the Pharisee; Simon the Zealot; Simon, brother of Jesus;
Simon, father of Judas Iscariot; Sopater; Stephen,
first martyr; Susanna; Thaddaeus; Theophilus; Thomas,
aka Didymus; Tiberius Caesar; Timothy; Titus; Zaccheus; Zacharias; Zechariah
19 Aaron; Abel; Abiathar;
Abijah; Abraham; Asher; David; Elijah; Elisha; Isaac;
Isaiah; Jacob; Jeremiah; Jonah; Joseph; Moses; Naaman;
Noah; Solomon; Zechariah, son of Berechiah
20 William Robert West, If the Soul or Spirit Is Immortal, There Can Be No Resurrection from
the Dead, (Author House, Third Edition, September 2006), 229.
21 Brown-Driver-Briggs, “4912.
mashal,” accessed August 2,
2018, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4912.htm.
22 Here is the 35 of 38: Numbers 23:7, Numbers 23:18, Numbers 24:3, Numbers 24:15, Numbers 24:20,
Numbers 24:21, Numbers 24:23, Deuteronomy
28:37, 1 Samuel 10:12, 1 Samuel
24:13, 1 Kings 4:32, 1 Kings 9:7, 2 Chronicles
7:20, Job 27:1, Job 29:1, Psalm 44:14, Psalm 49:4, Psalm 69:11, Psalm 78:2, Proverbs 1:1, Proverbs 1:6, Proverbs 10:1, Proverbs 25:1,
Proverbs 26:7, Proverbs 26:9, Ecclesiastes 12:9, Isaiah 14:4, Jeremiah 24:9, Ezekiel 12:22, Ezekiel 12:23, Ezekiel 14:8, Ezekiel 18:2, Ezekiel 18:3, Micah 2:4, Habakkuk 2:6. Here are the three: Ezekiel 17:2, Ezekiel 20:49, Ezekiel 24:3.
23 G. B. Caird, Saint Luke, (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books
Ltd, 1968), 191.
24 R. B. Bauckham, The Fate of the Dead: Studies on the Jewish and
Christian Apocalypses (Supplements to Novum Testamentum), (Society of Biblical Literature, January
1, 1998), 97-118.
25 Bryan T. Huie, Lazarus and the Rich Man, accessed
August 11, 2018, http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/Lazarus-byHuie.htm
(January 9, 1998).
26 Huie, ibid.
27 E. E. Ellis, The Gospel of Luke,
(Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans, 1981), 157.
28 E. Schweizer, The Good News According to Luke, (London:
S.P.C.K., E.T.1984), 261.
29 “They are high as the heavens, what can you
do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?” To
contrast as high as the heavens to a grave which is only a few feet deep is out
of balance. Sheol would have to be similarly very
deep.
30 Dennis Crews, The
Rich Man and Lazarus, accessed August 16, 2018,https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/book/e/71/t/the-rich-man-and-lazarus.
31 Ron Abel, Wrested
Scriptures: A Christadelphian Handbook of Suggested Explanations to Difficult
Passages, (The Christadelphians), 107.
32 Samuele Bacchiocchi, Immortality
or Resurrection?: A Biblical Study on Human Nature and
Destiny, (Biblical Perspectives, 2001), 174.
FINAL EXPLANATION
It is important that the Bible be treated respectfully and
accurately. To determine that a passage is to be understood allegorically or as
a parable rather than literally usually results in a different interpretation.
We see that problem with the Book of Revelation. Those who perceive the events
and characters to be allegorical generally have an amillennial
viewpoint. In contrast, those who have a predominately literal interpretation
will more likely result in a premillennial viewpoint. We must approach Scripture
with a well-informed understanding as to what literal type it is. Lazarus and
the Rich Man provides great depth of revelation
regarding the afterlife if viewed as a real story. But when viewed as a parable
then the focus tends to be regarding the use of money. I believe that we should
have an accurate understanding of how this passage should be interpreted so
that it can give significant and trustworthy insight into our eternal
destinations. Also, viewing this as a real story will, I believe, further honor
Jesus Christ as the first-fruit.