An Examination of the Scripture Testimony

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

e. The case of the rich man and Lazarus [Luke 16,] is brought forward in support of the doctrine of the conscious state of the dead. We now notice it in connection with the objections to the destruction of the wicked, from the fact that it is supposed to refer to the punishment of the wicked. It is claimed that this is a literal description of two individuals who lived on this earth, and their final end. MPC 181.3

Is this a literal history? If it is, it means just as it says. Verses 19-22. “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.” Did the angels of God literally come down from heaven and carry dead Lazarus there and place him in Abraham’s bosom? Oh! no, say you, they came and carried his soul. What, angels come and carry his soul into Abraham’s bosom? Why says one, Abraham’s bosom is heaven. Abraham’s bosom is a figure of speech. MPC 181.4

“The rich man also died, and was buried: and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” the rich man who died lifted up his eyes in hell! Says the objector, It was his soul that went to hell. The Bible says it was the rich man. MPC 182.1

We shall claim that this is a parable. 1st. It stands in the midst of parables. 2nd. Christ was teaching the Pharisees, the most prominent sect among the Jews, and “without a parable he spake not to them.” Matthew 13:13-15; Mark 4:34. MPC 182.2

Parables are not to be used as teaching doctrines, but doctrines are merely enforced by them. Parables of course could not consistently be claimed to enforce doctrines which were not taught elsewhere in Scripture. This parable of the rich man and Lazarus has been used to enforce the doctrine of conscious existence in death, and to prove that both righteous and wicked were rewarded at death. We have proved from Scripture testimony that the dead are unconscious and without reward until the resurrection. MPC 182.3

As this is one of a chain of parables, we may learn the drift of Christ’s discourse before coming to this parable, by looking at the others which precede it. Mark the three parables of Chap. 15. How well adapted to enforce the doctrine upon their minds, that God was willing to forgive the truly humble and penitent. The parable of the two sons, properly understood, would reveal to them their own ungratefulness and jealousy, because God was favoring those who had been wandering away from him, but were now returning, humble and penitent, to seek a servant’s place. MPC 182.4

In the parable of the unjust steward he enforces the fact, that “the children of this world are wiser in their generation,” that is, to secure the things of this world, “than the children of light” are to seek a thorough preparation for the kingdom of God. Here we see the tenor of Christ’s remarks is, urging the necessity of a preparation for a future state. He was conversing with that class who claimed Abraham as their father, and rejected him. They professed to believe the testimony of Moses, and yet were constantly wishing Christ to perform some great act to convince them that he was the true Messiah. MPC 183.1

His fifth parable is that of the rich man and Lazarus. In this parable he is enforcing a sentiment, not foreign to what he had been previously advocating. He forced upon them, 1st. The necessity of believing and obeying the testimony they then had. 2nd. He showed them the awful danger that would result from trusting in riches and neglecting in this life a preparation for the future. 3rd. That the means God has given are adequate to perform the work for his children, and they would not repent if more was done to convince them: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither would they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.” From the parables connected with this, and from this parable itself, (especially Christ’s concluding remarks,) we conclude that the great truth to be enforced by it is, that the testimony God has given us is all-sufficient for us. Before proceeding with the exposition, we will quote an extract from Cumming’s Scripture Readings. MPC 183.2

“We must never wring from every incident in a parable distinct and specific meaning. There must be some traits or facts that are incidentally requisite to constitute the integrity of the story, and not to be interpreted each, however minute, as conveying some great moral or spiritual lesson; but, on the contrary, subsidiary to the great object of the parable, which is to set forth one given and definite truth.” MPC 184.1

Verse 22. “The beggar died, and was carried by the angels.” Let the beggar represent the saints. The saints are not carried by angels at death, but at the resurrection. Matthew 24:31. “And he shall send his angels... and they shall gather together his elect.” MPC 184.2

But, it may be claimed, that the parable represents the saints as being carried at death. Then they must be carried while dead. For it is the beggar that died who is carried. While the beggar is dead he is unconscious. The next that is known of him is in the resurrection state. Then, the angels will carry the saints. MPC 184.3

“Carried ... to Abraham’s bosom.” What is meant by Abraham’s bosom? It doubtless figures forth the kingdom of God. His affections were placed on that inheritance God had promised him. As the bosom is the seat of the affections, it may be used in this text to figure forth that the kingdom on which the affections of Abraham were placed. MPC 184.4

“The rich man also died, and was buried: and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” In death the wicked are unconscious, and have no more being until their resurrection at the end of the thousand years. Then they will come around the camp of the saints, fire comes down form God out of heaven upon them. The Scriptures testify that the wicked shall see the saints in the kingdom. Luke 13:28. Then the rich man (the wicked) will be in torments, and lift up their eyes and see Lazarus (all the saints) in the kingdom of God. (Abraham’s bosom.) the New Jerusalem with all its dazzling glories will be spread out before them, and they will behold the saints immortal and glorious in it, and realize that they themselves are cast out forever. MPC 184.5

The rich man requests of Abraham, Send Lazarus to cool my tongue. Says Abraham, [Verse 26;] “Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.” MPC 185.1

We do not understand that at the time the wicked come around the camp of the saints and the beloved city, that they will hold converse with the righteous, but their destinies will be sealed-one company will be immortal and happy; the other corruptible, and in the very jaws of death—the second death. Of one class it will have been said, “He that is holy, let him be holy still,” and of the other, “He that is filthy, let him be filthy still.” A great gulf will be fixed between them. That gulf will be as great as the difference in the destinies of the two, and their condition at that time. MPC 185.2

The rich man next requests for his friends. Send Lazarus to teach them. Abraham is represented as saying, [verse 31.] “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.” From this testimony we learn that before any one could be sent, it was necessary that there should be a resurrection from the dead. But says the objector, Who is there to preach to after the saints of God are all in the kingdom, and the wicked are receiving their punishment? Not any one. Then, say you, you have made a wrong application of the testimony before us. MPC 185.3

This is a parable, and is merely used to enforce some great leading idea, and not to teach a new doctrine. Now we have clearly shown by the testimony of Scripture that this torment of the wicked when they behold the saints, is at the end of the 1,000 years of Revelation 20. The Scriptures do not teach that there is to be any one to receive pardon after that time; and of course there will be none to preach to. “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” But in this parable, Christ, for the sake of enforcing the great idea of the parable on their minds, speaks of things as already in existence, that would not exist until after the 1,000 years of Revelation 20. The resurrection of the dead spoken of, we understand to be a coming back from viewing the second death. That is, if it were possible for one of the saints of God to pass through the state of the dead, have resurrection, and pass into the New Jerusalem, and there witness testimonies concerning the second death, come back and preach to the inhabitants of this earth, their testimony would be no sooner believed than that of Moses and the prophets. MPC 186.1

Christ by this parable put a lasting rebuke on that class of people who were always seeking signs and in the end, wished him to come down from the cross, and then they would believe. Were they ready to believe when one was raised from the dead? Nay, they sought to put Lazarus to death. Thus we have endeavored to explain this parable, as Cummings states. MPC 186.2

We have explained “the facts that are incidentally requisite to constitute the integrity of the story,” “not as conveying each some great moral or spiritual lesson,” but “subsidiary to the great object of the parable, which is to set forth one given and definite truth;” that, if men will not believe with the testimony God has given them, “neither would they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.” MPC 187.1

We see by the investigation of this parable, that there is nothing connected with it to favor the idea of consciousness in death; and consequently, that rewards and punishments are bestowed on the dead prior to the resurrection. But on the contrary, before any one could be sent to the living, it was necessary that one should “rise from the dead.” MPC 187.2