Luke 16

19-31

The rich man and Lazarus

19 ¶ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:

28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

 

This is part of the Lord’s teachings on His way to Jerusalem. Scripture tells us, in Luke 13: 22 “And he went through the cities and villages teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. He taught all; tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees, scribes, His disciples, and all who were within ear shot and seeking.

The above is not a parable, as some have surmised, concluded, or voiced. Rich men and beggars were common in Christ’s time as in our present time. The Lord may have had a particular case in mind. The Lord Jesus Christ never used individuals names when teaching parables.

(Verse 16:23) The Greek word hades, like its Hebrew equivalent, sheol, is used two ways:

To indicate the condition of the unsaved between death and the great white throne judgment (Revelation 20: 11-15). Here in Luke 16: 23-24 shows that the lost in hades are conscious, possess full use of their faculties, memory, etc., and are in torment. This continues until the final judgment of the lost (2 Peter 2: 9) when all the unsaved, and hades itself, will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20: 13-15).

To also indicate, in general, the condition of all departed human spirits between death and the resurrection. This usage is found occasionally in the Older Testament but rarely, if ever, in the Newer Testament. (Genesis 37: 35, 42: 38, 44: 29, 31). It should not lead anyone to think that there is a possibility of change from one state to the other after death, for verse 23 shows that when the unsaved man who was in hades saw Abraham and Lazurus, they were “afar off,” and verse 26 states that between the two places there is a great gulf fixed, so that no one can pass from one to the other.

Blue Letter Bible study aid for further study in Luke 16