The Rich man and Lazarus does not teach hell

This parable has nothing to do with heaven and hell

I was once sitting in the pastor’s office at a baptist church and one of the churchgoers told me that ‘the rich man and Lazarus’ proves eternal hell. I responded that this was a parable. He said, “So, that doesn’t mean its not literal and real.”

Really? “Can a dead man be walking and talking in another man’s bosom?”

I have heard people try to use this parable spoken by our Lord to prove eternal hell. This verse has nothing to do with one’s eternal destiny, especially a made up destiny such as ‘eternal conscious torment.’ This parable doesn’t even talk about heaven.

If this parable was talking about literal entrance into heaven and hell, then why would it not mention how to get there. Even worse, if taken to mean literal entrance into heaven or hell, this parable would contradict how Christ taught one would be saved.

According to eternal hell believers, the rich man is in hell only because ‘he was rich.’ Lazarus is in Abraham’s bosom which many say is heaven. I don’t know how someone would think that a man’s bosom is heaven, perhaps through the use of LSD. I don’t know. Nonetheless, Lazarus in there because he was poor.

So, if this parable is talking about heaven and hell, then are we to believe we get to heaven by being poor and go to hell if we are rich? Nonsense. If Jesus was talking about literal entrance to heaven, He would have described how ‘literally’ to be saved.

Okay, so what is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus?

First, this is a parable in a series of other parables that Jesus spoke. Jesus used parables as analogies to teach particular truths. They were not literal but did teach literal truths. So, let’s see who Christ was talking to:

In Luke 15: 1-2, Jesus was talking to tribute collectors, sinners, scribes, and Pharisees. In fact, both the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying that “This man sinners is receiving, and is eating with them.”

Then, Jesus addresses the various groups mentioned above, using three parables.

1. The parable of the lost sheep

2. The parable of the lost coin

3. The parable of the prodigal son

All of the lost in these parables were found by the higher power. The sheep and the coin did nothing to be found, yet, Jesus teaches that 100% will be saved in these two parables. The prodigal son did repent, however, it was the father that ran to him. God finds his lost by causing them to repent.

Then, Jesus goes into the parable of the unjust administrator. I just mention these to show that He is still speaking to the audience of tax collectors, scribes, and Pharisees.

Now, Jesus sets up the ‘rich man and Lazarus.’ He is clearly addressing the Pharisees that were inherently fond of money and justified themselves in the sight of men.

14 Now the Pharisees also, inherently fond of money, heard all these things, and they scouted Him.
15 And He said to them, "You are those who are justifying yourselves in the sight of men, yet God knows your hearts, for what is high among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
16 "The law and the prophets are unto John; thenceforth, the evangel of the kingdom of God is being brought, and everyone is violently forcing into it, and the violent are snatching it.
17 Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass by than for one serif of the law to fall.
18 "Everyone dismissing his wife and marrying another is committing adultery. And everyone marrying her who has been dismissed from a husband, is committing adultery. - Luke 16: 14-18

So, Jesus is talking to many but is specifically addressing the Pharisees as He begins the parable.

The rich man represents the Pharisees, not all of humanity:

The rich man was dressed in purple and cambric. The color purple represented the ‘royal status’ of the priesthood. These were those that should have known John the baptist, Moses, and the prophets. Yet, they rejected the Messiah that these men pointed to.

Lazarus represents the filthy sinners the Pharisee’s look down upon according to Luke 15:2. Lazarus represents the faithful remnant that heeded the words of the prophets and accepted Jesus Christ as Messiah.

The rich man, like the Pharisee’s, represents the nation of Israel in apostasy:

Again, the scribes and the Pharisee’s of Israel rejected Jesus Christ. They led the charge of Israel to reject their Messiah. The Pharisee’s encouraged the people of Israel to crucify Jesus Christ.

Neither shall they be persuaded if someone should be rising from among the dead:

The rich man eventually asks Abraham if he would send Lazarus to warn his five brothers. However, Abraham says that those brothers have Moses and the prophets. The rich man responds as if this is not enough and states, “No, father Abraham, but if someone should be going to them from the dead, they will be repenting (Luke 16: 30-31).”

This is referring to Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ raised from the dead at his resurrection. Still, the nation of Israel remained in apostasy. The people ruled by these Pharisee’s and the Pharisee’s themselves, still rejected Christ as a nation after Christ’s resurrection when a man actually did come back from the dead. This is why Abraham says, “If Moses and the prophets they are not hearing, neither will they be persuaded if someone should be rising from among the dead (Luke 16: 31).”

This parable has to do with Israel’s 1000 year Millennial Reign only:

While on earth, Jesus refers to the future kingdom in which Israel will serve as priests for 1000 years. The parable of ‘the rich man and Lazarus’ relates to those sinners that have accepted Moses and the prophet’s teaching of the Messiah. Likewise, exposes those that rejected these teachings even while having the high position of a Pharisee that should have brought recognition of the Christ. Again, this parable has to do with Israel in the 1000 years and has nothing to do with ‘endless punishment.’

The Rich man, Lazarus, and Abraham are DEAD:

One way to know that this parable is not a literal story is that dead men are walking and talking. Scripture says that the dead ‘know nothing’ according to Ecclesiastes 9: 5. Death is equated to repose or sleep, not consciousness in scripture (1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14). The dead do not live during the 1000 years (Revelation 20:5).

Death is not life somewhere else. In fact, remember that this parable is discussing Israel’s 1000 year kingdom and scripture specifically states that the dead DO NOT live during this time.

5 (The rest of the dead do not live until the thousand years should be finished.) This is the former resurrection. -Revelation 20:5

The dead do not live during the 1000 years, especially in other men’s bosoms. So, this parable should not be taken literally because it personifies death to teach a point. It is not talking about literal death and therefore, Jesus is not speaking of literal heaven or hell.

Also, the rich man, Lazarus, and Abraham being dead could represent the fact that Israel is still in apostasy as Paul’s message from the glorified Christ is reaching the nations as discussed in Romans chapter 9 through 11. I’m not getting into that here, but Israel’s message can be considered ‘dead’ now until God picks up with them after the age of grace.

Lazarus is in Abraham’s bosom:

The baptist guy told me that the parable of the rich man and Lazarus could be a literal event. He wants it to be literal because he wants this passage to teach about hell, which it does not.

Could you imagine the rich man shouting to Abraham and seeing Lazarus in his chest, in his bosom? Not to mention that if this represents heaven, then thousands of believers would be in Abraham’s chest? How could a man being in another man’s chest be literally true. Ridiculous.

So, if Lazarus being in Abraham’s chest is not literally true, then Jesus is not speaking of literal heaven and hell in this passage. How can my baptist friend believe that an obvious non-literal representation can then be turned to teach a literal heaven and hell? That’s not how parables work and this is only done by those in a futile attempt to prove the lie of eternal conscious torment.

The torment of ‘the rich man:’

Is the torment of the ‘rich man’ eternal hell?

24 And he shouting, said, 'Father Abraham, be merciful to me, and send Lazarus that he should be dipping the tip of his finger in water and cooling my tongue, for I am pained in this flame.' - Luke 16:24

Many Christians are so inconsistent and will do anything to prove eternal hell true. However, the popular Christian conception of hell is that people are being tortured by excruciating pain covered in flames.

However, the rich man asks that Lazarus dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue. This is hardly a literal description of the traditional hell. I don’t think a painful tongue that can be cooled by a drop of water describes the hell that Christians want you to believe is real.

Well, eternal hell is a doctrine of demons and found nowhere in all of properly translated scripture. However, this parable does not have eternity in view at all. As mentioned before, Jesus’s words here have to do with Israel and acceptance of the prophets and of Christ Himself as the Messiah.

So, either way, the rich man and Lazarus will not be in the state they are forever. It will last for a period of time. The apostle Paul received revelation from the glorified Christ that eventually all that die in Adam will be ‘made alive’ by Christ (1 Corinthians 15: 21-22) and that God will be All in all (1 Corinthians 15:28). The entire creation will be reconciled to God through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1: 15-20).

You can bet that this includes the rich man, if he were real.

So, what is the torment?

It is the same torment described when the five virgins were locked out of the wedding feast, the same torment of those described as ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth,’ the same torment of age-long banishment from the kingdom. The rich man is feeling the pain of regret and agony for missing the warning of Moses and the prophets and ultimately rejecting Israel’s messiah.

This is a horrible thing for an Israelite to miss out on the Millennial rule with their Messiah. Its especially painful for those of the pharisees given special privilege in Israel. However, they are not tortured in hell and certainly are not separate from God forever.

Yes, the cross of Christ will eventually erase any chasm between God and his creatures, including death.

Abraham does not hold the keys to Hades:

Father Abraham is representative of the children of Israel in this passage. This shows that the parable speaks of the 1000 year kingdom and Israel’s acceptance or rejection of Christ. If this is a literal teaching on heaven and hell, then why is Abraham making decisions on who can get out of death?

The ‘rich man’ acknowledges Abraham’s apparent control of death by asking him to send Lazarus to his five brothers that are still alive. Abraham does not say, “I do not have power over death.” No, he explains that not even one coming back from the dead would convince your brothers, referring to Christ.

How can this parable speak of literal death when its Christ that holds the keys to death and the unseen (revelation 1: 18)?

Where is faith in Christ? Paul’s message?

Jesus tells the rich man that his brothers have Moses and the prophets. Well, what about Paul? Where is Paul’s message of the faith of Christ, His death for sin, His entombment and His resurrection? Belief in this gives us God’s righteousness now and is for everyone eventually (Romans 3:21-23).

If the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is about entrance into heaven or being ‘saved,’ then why would Jesus just elude to being the Messiah of Israel and not what the cross has accomplished?

The answer is because this parable has nothing to do with hell or being saved for eternity, it has to do with the 1000 year kingdom in which Israel will rule with Christ. In the fullness of time, the figurative ‘rich man’ and every man will be with God because of Christ’s faith, His death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection (Romans 5: 18-19, 1 Corinthians 15: 21-28, Colossians 1: 15-20, 1 Timothy 4:10).

Paul explains all of this in his letters after Jesus spoke this parable. It appears that Christians ignore the revelation of the full accomplishment of the cross spoken by Paul. They do this in order to jam themselves into Israel’s message and disgrace God by jamming eternal hell into this parable. Paul, remember, received his revelation from the glorified Jesus Christ. So, this parable and Paul’s words are not at odds with each other, but we must put them in their proper place.

Grace and peace to you all.