The Rich Man and Lazarus—Parable or Narrative?
THE great majority of the religious sects of Christendom hold that eternal torment in a burning hell is the destiny of the wicked. The words of Jesus recorded at Luke 16:19-31 regarding the rich man and Lazarus are among the proofs offered in support of this teaching. It is argued that these words tell of an incident, are a narration of what actually took place. A tract published by one who holds to this view asks: “Do you not think all who heard the Lord Jesus relate the story of the rich man and Lazarus, would naturally suppose He meant to teach conscious existence after death in happiness or woe?”
Granting, for the sake of argument, that his listeners did think it was an actual incident, that, far from proving that it was, proves just the opposite. How so? Because we are explicitly told that the reason Jesus spoke in parables or illustrations was—that people might understand?—no, but that they might NOT understand. Note his words: “To you [his disciples] it is granted to understand the sacred secrets of the kingdom of God, but for the rest it is in illustrations, in order that, though looking, they may look in vain and, though hearing, they may not get the meaning.” (Luke 8:10, NW) Obviously, whatever meaning his listeners got from the illustration was bound to be the wrong one.
But some further object because Jesus did not indicate in so many words that this was an illustration. But is it necessary that Jesus do this every time, when we have the plain statement that “without an illustration he would not speak to them”? (Matt. 13:34, NW) The mere fact that names are given cannot be used as an argument against its being an illustration, in view of all the evidence that proves that to take it literally is to outrage reason and common sense and to contradict the rest of God’s Word.
ABSURDITIES
Briefly, in this illustration we first read of a rich man clothed in purple and fine linen who lived in magnificence and of a beggar named Lazarus who sat at his gate, full of ulcers, and who craved the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Each in course of time died. Lazarus was taken by angels to recline upon Abraham’s bosom whereas the rich man was buried, and in Hades suffered torment and from which place he saw Lazarus.—Luke 16:19-23, NW.
Note here that not one word is said about Lazarus’ having been a good man, about his having had faith and proving it by works; both of which are indispensable to gaining everlasting life. (Heb. 11:6; Jas. 2:14-26) When are mere wretchedness, poverty and disease a guarantee of salvation?
Neither is there a word about the rich man’s having been wicked. By what kind of reasoning and by what principles of justice can it be maintained that simply because a man enjoyed the good things of this life to the full for threescore years and ten he must suffer the agonies of a burning hell for billions times billions of years, yes, for eternity? Even fallen, imperfect man appreciates that justice requires that “the punishment fit the crime,” and certainly God is more just than man. Abraham, David, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea, all had great wealth; does that fact doom them to eternal torment?
Further, Jesus in his arguments with the Jewish clergy evinced a fine sense of logic, second to none. Would he give such a dire warning on the wages of sin and not even mention sin, or tell of the rewards of faith and obedience and not even mention them? Had Jesus meant to warn his listeners about eternal torment he certainly would have stressed these points; but he did nothing of the kind.
Not only that, but we read that Lazarus was carried off to Abraham’s bosom. Are all those gaining salvation reclining on Abraham’s bosom? If we grant that this expression is a figure of speech, why insist that what befell the rich man be taken literally? It simply does not make sense to take one part of the account literally and another parallel part figuratively.
Further note that this is the only place in the Scriptures where consciousness and suffering are associated with Hades. Nor will it do to claim that before Jesus’ death Hades had two compartments, one for the good and the other for the wicked, and that after he died for man’s sin then the good went to heaven, for at the time Jesus spoke this illustration he had not yet died. That Hades is used figuratively is apparent from Revelation 6:8, 9, where Hades is shown as riding horseback, and also at Revelation 20:14, where Hades is shown—not as being the lake of fire—but as being itself cast into the lake of fire.
UNSCRIPTURAL
Making Jesus’ words regarding the rich man and Lazarus literal becomes even more untenable when compared with what the rest of God’s Word has to say regarding the penalty of sin and the condition of the dead. Adam was not warned of eternal torment, and upon sinning was simply and plainly told: “Dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Gen. 3:19; 2:17, NW) Nor did Jehovah God say, “Your body will return to the dust”; no, but YOU, Adam, will do so. There is no mistaking the plain testimony of the Scriptures: “The wages sin pays is death.”—Rom. 6:23, NW.
And what is death, the state or condition of the dead—conscious suffering or conscious bliss? No! Man dies as the beast; the dead know not anything; there is no consciousness in Sheol (Hebrew equivalent for Hades). Man’s “breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” David prayed for God to spare his life lest “I go hence, and be [yes, exist] no more.” Peter likened the wicked to brute beasts that perish. Brute beasts are not tormented after death.—Ps. 146:4; 39:13; Eccl. 3:19-21; 9:5, 10; 2 Pet. 2:12, NW.
Besides, are we not assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust? Why a resurrection if at death man receives his eternal reward? (Acts 24:15; John 5:28, 29, NW) When the brother of Mary and Martha, Jesus’ friend Lazarus, died, did Jesus comfort those women by assuring them that Lazarus was not dead? No, but with the assurance that he would rise from the dead. His sisters knew that he would “rise in the resurrection on the last day.” And when Jesus called him forth, did he call Lazarus down from Abraham’s bosom, from limbo or from a burning hell? No, but from the grave. Incidentally, had Lazarus been conscious in any such place we may be certain he would have told all his friends about the remarkable experience he had, for he had been dead four days. His very silence on this point is strong circumstantial evidence that he was unconscious.—John 11:22-44, NW.
Besides, how could we account for Abraham’s being in heaven in view of Jesus’ words: “No man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man”? And did not Peter on the day of Pentecost point out to his listeners that David “both deceased and was buried and his tomb is among us to this day. Actually David did not ascend to the heavens”? (John 3:13; Acts 2:29, 34, NW) None of God’s servants had a heavenly reward held out to them before the coming of Christ Jesus; that is why his apostles even after his resurrection were looking to an earthly kingdom.—Ps. 45:16; Acts 1:6-8.
Returning to the illustration: it next tells us of the rich man’s calling “Father Abraham” to send Lazarus to give him relief by a drop of water on the tip of his finger, upon which Abraham reminds him of the good things he enjoyed in his lifetime as compared with what Lazarus had; besides, there is a great chasm between, which makes it impossible for anyone to cross from one place to the other. The rich man then requests that Lazarus be sent to warn his five brothers, but he is told that they have Moses and the Prophets and that if they would not listen to these they would not listen to one raised from the dead.—Luke 16:24-31, NW.
According to the Scriptures heaven and Hades (Sheol) are at opposite extremes. (Ps. 139:8; Luke 10:15) Could we imagine those in one place seeing those in the other and carrying on a conversation? And were the rich man in a burning hell would he ask for just a drop of water to cool his tongue? How much relief would that bring? Would it last to reach him? Could anyone get anywhere near a burning hell with just a drop of water? Obviously this is a figure of speech even as is Abraham’s bosom, yes, and as are all the rest of Jesus’ words on that occasion.
MEANING OF THE ILLUSTRATION
Since we cannot escape the conclusion that Jesus’ words regarding the rich man and Lazarus are an illustration, what do they illustrate, what is their meaning? In brief they tell of the change in the relative positions of two classes of people due to the preaching of the truth, both in Jesus’ day and in ours.
The rich man well pictures the Jewish clergy who were well provided for with spiritual provision; who considered themselves children of the kingdom, clothed in purple; who were very self-righteous, wearing fine linen; and who were proud of being Abraham’s offspring.—Rom. 3:1, 2; Matt. 8:12; 23:27, 28; Rev. 19:8; Matt. 3:9, NW.
The beggar Lazarus, whose name means “God is helper,” well pictures the Jewish common people, who were despised by the clergy, who because of neglect were spiritually sick and were hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and who appreciated their need of the Great Physician, Christ Jesus.—John 7:49; Matt. 5:6; Mark 2:17, NW.
The death of the rich man and of Lazarus pictured a change taking place in the relative positions of these two classes. That this should be so should not surprise us, for time and again the Scriptures speak of persons as dying or having died though still alive, meaning thereby that a change has taken place in their lives. (See 1 Corinthians 11:30; Colossians 3:3; 1 Timothy 5:6; Jude 12.) The preaching by Jesus that exposed the hypocrisy, greed and false teaching of the Jewish clergy caused a change to take place in their lives. (Matt. 23; Luke 16:14; Matt. 15:1-9) From a state of self-satisfied and luxurious ease they were brought into a state of torment; such torment that they had no peace until they had put the Son of God to death.—Matt. 21:45, 46.
Those pictured by Lazarus, the Jewish common people of faith toward God, likewise experienced a change in their condition due to the preaching of Jesus, to become the spiritual remnant of Jewry. Even as their name “Lazarus” indicates, they were helped, comforted of God and given the hope of God’s heavenly kingdom. Yes, the poor and spiritually sick harlots and tax collectors were entering the kingdom of God and were receiving God’s favor, as pictured by reclining upon Abraham’s bosom. The heavy burdens the Pharisees had placed upon them were being removed, and they became themselves part of the “seed of Abraham” in whom all the families of the earth are to bless themselves.—Matt. 11:6; 21:31; Gal. 3:7, 26; Matt. 23:4; 11:28-30, NW.
And the great chasm between the two classes? This pictures Jehovah’s righteous judgments, which cannot be changed. The religious leaders as a class had fixed their destiny by sinning against the holy spirit, for which there is no forgiveness; and their plea to have their torment eased, even in the slightest, by diminishing the preaching of the truth, was not to be complied with.—Mark 3:29; Acts 5:27-32, NW.
The five brothers of the rich man well picture the associates of the Jewish clergy who manifested the same spirit as the Pharisees. These, refusing to believe in Jesus, showed thereby that they actually were not taking heed to what Moses and the Prophets had said. And that they would not believe even if one rose from the dead was borne out when Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, did actually rise from the dead.—John 7:47, 48; 5:46, 47; 12:10, 11.
All these facts in fulfillment of this illustration find a striking parallel in our day. For a long time the hypocritical, greedy, tradition-following clergy of Christendom had things all their own way in exploiting their flocks and neglecting their spiritual interests, whereas the remnant of anointed spiritual Israelites were viewed and treated as a diseased beggar fit only for association with dogs of the street. But with the preaching of the good news of Jehovah’s kingdom a change has taken place in these two classes, and since 1919 this once-despised, outcast spiritual remnant of anointed Christians have been lifted high in the favor of the Greater Abraham, Jehovah God, and have been given Kingdom interests, especially to preach the good news of God’s now-established Government for mankind’s blessing. Thus others not of the remnant may share in their comfort, and they now do.—Ezek. 34:1-16, AS; Matt. 24:14.
Today the clergy are being tormented by the great witness since being given by the Christian witnesses of Jehovah whereas the “laity” of good will are being comforted and are being brought into a position of favor with the Greater Abraham, Jehovah God; a case in point being the joy these experienced at the international assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses in 1953. Again there will be no soothing of the torment of the clergy by a letup in the preaching work; neither will any special sign be given now to convince the commercial and political allies of the clergy that this message is of Jehovah God.
Only if viewed thus do the words of Jesus recorded at Luke 16:19-31 make sense, have value and pertinency for our day, and harmonize with the rest of the Scriptures.