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Hi TruthComber, you said…
The spirit of Christ is the spirit of God after Christ existed.
Thus my question…
Are you suggesting that the HolySpirit that descended on Christ
at the Jordan river was (according to you) not the Spirit of God?psst, by the way asking questions for clarification is not an accusation
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Thank you
Ed JPeople seem to lose sight of the implications of their words…
For example:
If someone says “Jesus is God”
That implies that God did not exist outside of Jesus while Jesus walked the earth.
And we know that is not true, because there are a lot of Scriptural accounts
that say that God did exist outside of Jesus as well as inside of JesusIt is really that simple TruthComber. Words carry meanings
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God bless
Ed JNick….Seeds reproduces the “exact” kind of plant they came from, the plants DNA is perfectly perserved by it’s seed. Just as our is with the spirit of God, the “exact” same kind of being is resurected. Therefore every hair in our head is numbered, why number anything if it is all done away with?
To each seed God gave it a body of it’s own, just as it pleases him. God hasen’t changed his creation of man, he simply adds back eternal life by forgiving us our sins, and then spritually restoring our bodies at the resurection, to be just like Jesus’ body that was resurected from the grave.
Peace and love to you and yours. ……gene
Hi Gene,
The old body is the seed planted.
The NEW body is heavenly, imperishable, but not for you?
You prefer the nakedness of Ps 49?
Truthcomber,
You have not produced a scripture that says the dead saints came alive without bodies and went to heaven. Neither have you produced a scripture that shows at Pentecost people received the Holy Spirit that caused them to have a form of immortality and receive a body later at Christs coming.
Receiving the Holy Spirit when you are alive we are specifically told what that means, you are given gifts of the Spirit, some to speak in tongues, some to prophecy, some to heal, etc.. When they received this Spirit it didn’t make them immortal, it made them messengers of God with the purpose to bring people into faith, so that they could be counted worthy of the resurrection at Christ’s coming.
The Spirit was working in them, giving them knowledge, wisdom, understanding, abilities in their human brain that are closed off unless God gives it. A person who is patient and kind also has the Spirit of God working in them, working in their human character. When a person dies they no longer think, act, pray, or praise, they can no longer see, hear, or speak, their body along with their brain is dead. What you speak of is nonsense, it is Greek mythology twisted into scripture.
Jesus died paying the penalty for all, you misinterpret the words of Paul in many places. Christ died in order to bring a resurrection to all, he did not pay the penalty so that people could have some part of them come alive and then receive a body later. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul is focused only on those that are Christs, not those of the SECOND resurrection that comes 1,000 years after Christ has established his kingdom.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
NOTICE TC that it is ONLY Christ that rose from the dead.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
Notice TC at Christ’s COMING those that are his are raised from being dead.
Please explain this, as it does not fit at all with what you are saying, what you are saying makes you sound delusional given these passages. Christ in verse 20 represented Jesus alone, Christ in verse 21 also represents just Jesus, we know this even further because it says in verse 23 AFTERWARDS they that are Christ’s at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Christ comes and those that are his are resurrected and those that are his receive eternal life, they meet him in the air and then they all come down to earth and are dispersed to destroy the wicked and set up a righteous government. After 1,000 years then comes the second resurrection, all sin is then destroyed, if all sin is destroyed then death is destroyed and God is all in all.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
You speak and you don’t define soul as scripture does, you speak and do not have the correct understanding of what the Holy Spirit is and what it causes in mankind.
Consider the below passage as it directly speaks against you TC.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
SEE TC, NO business on receiving that which you speak.
We live a new life, not of the will of man who seeks to live, but of a man that is willing to die to keep truth and show faith.
United in a death like his,
10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Jesus we are told was perfected through his suffering, likewise we are united in a death like his when we go to our deaths keeping the faith.
Christ gave a promise of the Holy Spirit to those that were alive, and that purpose we are told specifically as to what that was for, to TEACH, to be able to remember the words of Jesus and be able to bring others into faith. This is not the same promise of receiving the Holy Spirit of eternal life. This was NOT a PROMISE of receiving some form of immortality, no such promise is ever made in any scripture. Jesus received eternal life upon his resurrection, and this is our promise spoken of in Romans 6.
United in a DEATH like his was to die under persecution holding your faith. People were witnesses of Jesus resurrection, that is what they held when they died having been falsely accused, beaten, stoned, crucified, until their last breath, all the while knowing that they would RECEIVE a flesh and bones body that could never die, JUST LIKE JESUS.
Any addition to this is vanity and false, it is antichrist, as CHRIST represents a HUMAN being of the red earth given God’s Spirit, meaning having our bodies have God’s life in it for eternity, meaning having our brain hold His truth and desire His will that He has for us, having our character be like that of God’s full of love, patience, kindness, and peace.
Hi Jodi
Right on, Good post . If a person can’t see truth in this post they must be blind, thank God He gives sight to the blind. Father open there eye’s of understanding. God bless Jodi
Hi All
Most of the major religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Traditional Christianity, believe in the survival of a conscious spirit or soul immediately after death. During this life, they say that the soul is the real person dwelling in a temporary physical body. They believe that when the body dies, the soul of the person continues to live on consciously just like before death. Traditional Christianity believes that when a person dies, his conscious soul is judged immediately to go to either heaven or hell. And that there judged in there owe order.they seem to miss the order of the resurrection, and apply it to each individual.
The Bible says that Satan deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9). In the Garden of Eden, Satan deceived our first parents, Adam and Eve, and they believed the lie of Satan, which was ‘You will not surely die’, before they ate the forbidden fruit.
Genesis 3:4
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die“. God blessJODI and Anthony, right on. The pagan teaching of still living after we die is false, we do not return to life again untill the resurection, that will witness the redemption of OUR BODIES, just as scripture says. Many force our text to meet their own desires, but God is not mocked and his words abide still, “the soul that sins it shall die”, all have sinned all die, but thanks be to God, through our lord Jesus, we can live again, by being resurected back to life at thereturn of Jesus, with a regenerated soul, (body and spirit), that has eternal life.
Peace and love to you both and yours. …….gene
Nick….Yes and the spirit abiding that seed that is buried rasies up the exaxt same body it was in. You deny so many scriptures in your false views.
Rom 8:11…But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also “quicken” (bring to life), your mortal “BODIES” by his Spirit that dwells in you.
What body Nick, (YOUR BODY). What part of us is mortal or dying NICK, is it not our bodies?
How plain, how clear, how exact, how could anyone who is of the truth, not clearly understand that.
Nick how can you stumble over such a clear and straight forward scriptures, and still expect us to believe you have “spiritual” insight. Your pagan teachings about a person still alive after they die are all false Greek PLATONIAN CONCEPTS. YOU TEACH A FORM OF “MYSTERY RELIGION” and are completely unaware of it. Sad for you Nick.
Peace and love to you and yours. …..gene
Hi All
Science says it’s impossible for the conscious to live after death
Dr Carroll states “the laws of physics underlying everyday life are completely understood” and everything happens within the realms of possibility.
He says for there to be an afterlife, consciousness would need to be something that is entirely separated from our physical body – which it is not.
Rather, consciousness at the very basic level is a series of atoms and electrons which essentially give us our mind
God bless.
Hi Edj
You said: Hi Anthony, looks like you never found this video…
That was a great video excellent Thanks Edj God bless you I agree to All of that. Pillip Maruo that book I was saying I read believes the same. God bless you Edj. Now I know we can stand together on this subject, I’m going to download the site, Great Thanks
Hi Anthony,
Yes man would love to define what is visible and measurable as all of life.
Do not follow fools.
Hi Nick
You said:
Hi Anthony,
Yes man would love to define what is visible and measurable as all of life.
Do not follow fools
Nick I thought you and TC would hear this from science seeing your not excepting much from the scriptures. Nick don’t follow the foolishness of your owe imagination. God bless
Hi Nick when we’re dead where dead till the resurrection. No more no less. It’s simple as that Nick,but you can’t expect scriptures that goes against your imaginational doctorine. It’s seem to me that you think your Spiritual then others and the Father is giving you some kind of mysterious insight to scriptures of some kind. Don’t believe that,your not spacial Nick, there is no new revaluations, that say otherwise then what scriptures are saying. God bless
Anthony. …AMEN BROTHER, me and Jodi, and others have been trying to tell NICK that for years now. His views on life after a person dies is completely wrong, he takes scriptures out of context, like the parable of the rich man, and others, while rejecting all the clearly written scriptures of what a soul is as well as what scripture says about the dead, and even what God himself said about what happens to a man when he dies. He denies even what Jesus said he was after his resurection, a man with a flesh and bone body, and he was not a spirit, but Nick says he was a spirit, but no scripture says Jesus is a spirit being.
Keep up the good work Anthony, It delights my heart to see brothers and sisters here like you and Jodi
Here.Peace and love to you and yours. ……gene
Hi All
This is one of the teaching on
The rich man and Lazarus. I have another by Ernest Matine. It’s a parable from start to finish.
The account of the rich man and Lazarus, given in Luke 16:19-31 is clearly a parable and not a true story. However, hell believers choose to read this account not as a parable but as if it were a true literal account of something that had actually happened, and this is one reason why they misunderstand and misapply the spiritual truths contained in the parable.
Before we make an in-depth study of this parable, we need to first remind ourselves of some relevant facts about how God is working out His universal Plan of Salvation for both the nation of Israel and the Gentile nations. Apostle Paul understood that God has blinded the majority of his fellow Jews from believing the Gospel until the full number of God’s Gentile Elect have come to Christ.
Romans 11:25-27
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”This scripture provides the key to understanding the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, unlocking the mystery hidden in the parable. Here, Apostle Paul urges us not to be ignorant of ‘this mystery’ that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved. This will be when the Deliverer, who is none other than the Jewish Messiah Jesus Christ, will return to Zion to fulfil the unconditional covenant God made to Abraham, the Father of the Jewish nation, to bless (save) all Israel and all the families of the earth.
When the Word of God above says that all Israel will be saved, it means exactly what it says. God’s purpose has always been to save all Israel. All Israel means absolutely all Israel, past, present and future, without a single exception. However, before God saves all Israel, God’s plan is to first call and save a set number of Gentile Elect together with a set number of Jewish Elect, who are referred to as the Firstfruits. They will rise in the First Resurrection in their glorified immortal spirit bodies as the Bride of Christ, at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, to rule and reign with Christ forever. However, all those who die as unbelievers, both from the nation of Israel and the Gentile nations, will rise in the Second Resurrection and they will first need to undergo God’s refining Lake of Fire judgement during the Great White Throne Judgement Day, before they are saved and hence enter into the Kingdom of God. Yes ultimately, in God’s time and order, not only will all Israel will be saved but also all Gentiles.
With this knowledge and understanding, we are now in a position to make an in-depth study of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
Luke 16:19-31
19 There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham‘s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 Then 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 in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
27 Then he said, “I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father‘s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.” 29 Abraham said to him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” 30 And he said, “No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” 31 But he said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”
The first thing we need to understand in this parable is that the rich man and Lazarus are two fictitious characters who represent two groups of real people. It is important to identify who these two groups of real people are.
It is clear that the rich man is an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham through the spiritually rich line of Isaac and Jacob. This is because he calls Abraham, Father Abraham, and Abraham calls him son. The rich man represents all unbelieving Israelites (the Jewish non-Elect) who are the olive branches that have been temporarily cut off from their own natural spiritually rich and royal Holy Olive Tree of Israel (Romans 11:16-17).
Let us now understand that Lazarus represents all of the Gentile Elect, who are naturally wild olive branches that are grafted into the spiritually rich Holy Olive Tree of Israel (Romans 11:19). The true story, the actual occurrence, of Jesus dealing with the Gentile Canaanite woman in the following scripture of Matthew 15:21-28 gives us the revelation of the identity of Lazarus, in the parable, as a Gentile Elect.
Matthew 15:21-28
21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters‘ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.As we can clearly see, this is not a parable but a true account of when a Canaanite woman, who was a Gentile believer, sought healing from Jesus for her daughter. She was one of God’s Gentile Elect, who had the gift of God given faith to believe as a true worshiper of Jesus Christ. She had an amazingly humble spirit, in great contrast to the self-righteous and proud Jewish Pharisees.
Pharisees looked down upon the Gentiles as dogs, and Jesus Christ used this same terminology to test the faith of the Gentile Canaanite woman. She wanted every crumb of blessing she could get from Jesus, and totally depended on Jesus, the Bread of Life, for her daughter’s healing.
The description and attitude of Lazarus in the parable resemble that of the Gentile Canaanite woman in the true account. Like her, Lazarus is associated with dogs, and dependent upon the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus Christ used the name Lazarus to denote a Gentile believer. The name Lazarus is a form of the Hebrew name Eliezer (Strong’s G2976). Eliezer was a faithful Gentile servant of Abraham, whom God used to get a bride for Isaac (Genesis 15:2, 24:1-66).
It is important to keep in mind that unbelieving Israelites (like the rich man) are the temporarily broken off branches from their spiritually rich natural Holy Olive Tree of Israel. This has happened in order to fulfil God’s plan to graft in a set number of wild olive branches, who are God’s Gentile Elect, into the Holy Olive Tree of Israel, before all Israel can be saved (Romans 11:16-20).
All unbelieving Israelites (the cut off natural olive branches) will miss out on the first phase of the Kingdom of God on earth, which is Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. However, Apostle Paul makes it abundantly clear in Romans 11 that God has not permanently cut off and rejected unbelieving Israelites. Romans 11 is an important chapter about God’s revelation to Apostle Paul that all unbelieving Israelites are not permanently rejected by God, and they will all be saved. We strongly advise our readers to make sure that you have read and studied Chapter 7 where we have given a detailed commentary on Romans 11.
Luke 16:22
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham‘s bosom…This scripture is referring to the First Resurrection when all of God’s Elect Saints, the Firstfruits, from both the nation of Israel (represented by Abraham) and the Gentile nations (represented by Lazarus), will be gathered by God’s angels to be with Christ at His Second Coming, as stated in Matthew 24:30-31.
In Luke 16:22 above, Lazarus, after his death, is pictured in Abraham’s bosom. This is a beautiful spiritual picture of Lazarus, representing one of God’s Elect Gentile believers (a wild olive branch) who is blessed by having been grafted into the spiritually rich Holy Olive Tree of Israel; the Seed of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ Himself.
Luke 16:22b-23
22 The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments (basanos meaning purifying) in Hades (meaning the grave), he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.This scripture absolutely proves that the story of the rich man and Lazarus is a parable and not a true factual account. It would be ridiculous to think that currently billions of dead unbelievers are able to lift up their eyes from their graves (hades) and see Abraham and believers like Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom.
Please note that the above scripture says that the rich man after his death finds himself in ‘Hades’ where he is ‘tormented’ in a flame of fire. This scripture only makes sense when we understand the biblical truth that on the Great White Throne Judgement Day, death and hades will be cast into the Lake of Fire and it will be in this Lake of Fire that all unbelieving humanity will be cast for judgement.
Revelation 20:14-15
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.We have covered the subject of God’s refining Lake of Fire Judgement and the Second Death in great detail in Chapter 12. However, let us remind ourselves of the meaning of the Greek word basanos, which has been translated as torment in Luke 16:23 above.
According to Strong’s G931, the primary meaning of basanos is ‘to test (metals) by the touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the colour of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal’.
The use of the Greek word basanos confirms that there is a refining judgement awaiting all unbelieving Israelites (represented by the rich man in the parable) after their resurrection, and not eternal torment. It is important to realise that God’s Lake of Fire judgement is not for the purpose of hurting or tormenting unbelievers physically because resurrected bodies are immortal bodies, which cannot be damaged by physical fire. However, unbelievers will experience the emotional pain of sorrow, which can be very impactful.
Luke 16:24
Then 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 (odynao, meaning sorrowing) in this flame.’Here, the Greek word odynao has been mistranslated to mean ‘tormented’ when the correct meaning is ‘sorrowing’ as translated in scriptures such as Luke 2:48 and Acts 20:38.
This wonderful verse Luke 16:24 above proves that after death, all unbelieving Jews, represented by the rich man, will be sorrowing about their sin of unbelief, and they will repent and plead for God’s mercy. This will happen when they are judged in God’s age-to-come, age-lasting, refining Lake of Fire on the Great White Throne Judgement Day.
The rich man humbly accepts that it is Lazarus the Gentile rather than himself, the Israelite, who is connected (grafted) into the spiritually rich Holy Olive Tree of Israel, and it is Lazarus the Gentile who has access to the Living Water flowing from the Seed of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ Himself. The rich man further understands and knows that even one drop of water, given to him by Lazarus who has access to the Living Water of Life, is sufficient to satisfy his spiritual thirst.
Apostle Paul says that God’s purpose to save the Gentile Elect before most of the Jews will provoke the unbelieving Jews to jealousy (Romans 11:11). This will be a holy jealousy provoking them to desire the same Living Water accessed by God’s Gentile Elect. Paul further says that it is through the Gentile Elect (the grafted in wild olive branches) that God will show mercy to unbelieving Jews (the temporarily cut off true olive branches). Ultimately, all unbelieving Jews will receive God’s mercy (Romans 11:30-32).
The attitude of the rich man in hades, after his death, desiring a little water from Lazarus, wonderfully compares with the attitude of Lazarus before his death, desiring crumbs from the rich man’s table.
Before death, all Gentile Elect believers, represented by Lazarus, will repent and be humbled to become spiritual beggars. In this life, through the gift of God given faith, they will come to believe the true Gospel, understanding that even the crumbs, which fall from the rich man’s table, are sufficient to satisfy their spiritual hunger. These crumbs represent the Bread of Life promised to the Jewish nation through the Abrahamic Covenant. The Bread of Life is Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Seed of Abraham.
After death, all unbelieving Israelites, represented by the rich man, will be humbled to become spiritual beggars just like Lazarus was before he died. All unbelieving Israelites, who are temporarily cut off (sacrificed) from their rich Holy Olive Tree, will be resurrected at the Second Resurrection, and they will be humbled, repent and plead for God’s mercy in God’s refining yet merciful Lake of Fire judgement. They will understand through the gift of God given faith that even a drop of Living Water from God’s Gentile Elect, represented by Lazarus, is sufficient to satisfy their spiritual thirst. All unbelieving Jews will come to know that this Living Water is Jesus Christ Himself, their Messiah.
In the true account of when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, He said that He would give Living Water to the thirsty, and anyone who receives this Living Water will never thirst again (John 4:4-14). In the parable, the rich man in hades was thirsty for the Living Water and pleaded to Abraham for God’s mercy so that he could receive this Water of Life. Revelation 21:6 says, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.’ Do we think that it is too late, after death, for people like the repentant rich man in this parable to receive the Living Water from Jesus, who is the Saviour of Israel, indeed the Saviour of the whole world, whose mercy endures forever? Absolutely not!
Luke 16:25
But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented (odynao, meaning sorrowing).’This verse refers to the self-righteous unbelieving Israelites who consider themselves as spiritually rich in this lifetime and the Gentiles as spiritually poor, and referred to as mere dogs. The truth of the matter is quite the opposite. It is the unbelieving Israelites who are spiritually very poor because they are the broken off branches from their rich Holy Olive Tree of Israel. It is the believing Gentiles, God’s Elect, who are spiritually very rich because they are grafted into the Holy Olive Tree of Israel, and benefit by taking the place of the broken off Jewish branches.
The verse above also makes nonsense of the traditional view of hell, which says that God’s love for unbelievers ends at death. Please note that Abraham has a loving and caring fatherly approach towards the rich man shown by Abraham calling him son.
Luke 16:26
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.The great gulf fixed spoken of in this verse is the great gulf of time of the glorious one thousand-year age of the Millennial Kingdom of God on earth. This verse is not speaking about a permanent eternal gulf of unbelief and separation between Lazarus and the rich man. The gulf will be bridged after all unbelieving Israelites, represented by the rich man, are resurrected from the grave (Hades) in their new immortal, yet still unsaved, bodies in the Second Resurrection at the end of the Millennial Age. This is when all unbelieving Israelites, who are the cut off branches, will face God’s refining yet merciful judgement in the Lake of Fire. They will all be humbled, repent of unbelief and come to believe in the true Christ of the Bible, God’s only begotten Son Yeshua, who is indeed their Messiah. It is then that they will be grafted back into their rich Holy Olive Tree of Israel, and they will all enter the Eternal Kingdom of God, thus fulfilling the scripture ‘and so all Israel will be saved’ (Romans 11:26).
Luke 16:27-30
27 Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father‘s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment (basanos)’. 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them’. 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’The rich man shows love, concern and compassion for his brothers, fellow Israelites who remain unbelievers. Apostle Paul also had great love, concern and compassion for his fellow Israelites who remained unbelievers. Also, the verses above show that the rich man understands the importance of genuine repentance before death, in order for his fellow Israelites not to miss out on Christ’s glorious Millennial Kingdom, and also for them not to have to face God’s future refining judgement in the Lake of Fire.
Luke 16:31
But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’This verse refers to the Law of Moses and to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jews cannot be saved through keeping the Law of Moses or even if they personally witness or hear of the miracle of Jesus Christ rising from the dead. This demonstrates the powerful truth of Election by Grace. Salvation is entirely a matter of God’s will, not man’s will. The unbelieving Jews are blinded from the truth of the Gospel up until God chooses to open the eyes of those that are blind, in His time and His order. It is not within God’s plan to open the eyes of the blind and save the non-Elect unbelieving Israelites, like the rich man, before they die. However, ultimately, in God’s time and order, it is God’s sovereign purpose to save all unbelieving Israelites and all unbelieving Gentiles through God’s age-to-come righteous, refining and corrective Lake of Fire Judgement.
Conclusion
There are three important truths hidden in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. You are blessed indeed, if you are able to grasp these truths, which are:
- Gentile Elect, represented by Lazarus, are pictured as spiritually ‘carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom’ after death. This picture shows that Gentile Elect believers are grafted into the spiritually rich Holy Olive Tree of Israel. They, together with Abraham and other Jewish Elect believers, are the Firstfruits who will be resurrected in the First Resurrection to enter the Millennial Kingdom of God at Christ’s Second Coming.
- All unbelieving Israelites, represented by the rich man, will miss out on the rich Abrahamic blessing of entering the Millennial Kingdom of God with Christ, because they are temporarily cut off from their rich Holy Olive Tree of Israel. They will first need to endure God’s refining, corrective judgement in the age-to-come, age-lasting Lake of Fire, after they rise at the Second Resurrection. This is when they will seek God’s mercy, repent of unbelief and be saved by the Seed of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ Himself. Ultimately, all Israelites who die as unbelievers will be grafted back into their rich Holy Olive Tree of Israel, and hence all Israel will be saved.
- The powerful truth of Election by Grace is that no Jew can be saved through the Law of Moses or through the writings of the Old Testament prophets, or even through witnessing or hearing about the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation is entirely a matter of God’s will, and His sovereign will is, by grace through the gift of God given faith in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. The glorious truth of the Bible is that Father God, Yahweh is working out His sovereign will to save all men in seven ages, in His time and order, through His only begotten Son, Yeshua, Jesus Christ. God bless
Hi Anthony,
You cannot see the kingdom till you are reborn from above,
Seek ye first the kingdom and everything else will be added to you.
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