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. (King
James Version)
COMMENTARY
First of all, let me say, this story came straight from the mouth of my
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If it were not true, He would have
declared it as just a story or a parable, or such. No, He says, "There
was a certain man...", which tells me that this man was just as real as
George Soros or Bill Gates, or any other rich man. He lived enjoying
fine things in this life and gave no thought to eternity. Whether you
have riches or not, it is dangerous to give no thought to eternity. We
are not promised tomorrow.
Why did Jesus call Lazarus by name and not the rich man? Because He
"calls His own sheep by name". Let that sink in for just a moment.
When you are saved, Jesus calls you by name.
Why did Lazarus have such a hard time in life? Because he was part of a
nation that had drifted so far from God and forfeited all right to
claim His temporal mercies; mercies that were promised to the nation if
they obeyed the Divine Law. Note that the dogs who licked his sores
cared more for him than did the rich man.
The timing of this was before the death and resurrection of Jesus.
From the time He died on the cross, His children are with Him in
Paradise, not in "Abraham's bosom".
But here is the saddest part: Abraham refused to send "one back from
death" to witness to the rich man's brothers. The rich man, himself, did not
study the Torah. He did not attend the synagogue. He was too busy
with selfish pleasure to be bothered. His brothers had the same opportunity as he.
Verily, I say to you, "Time is running out". We are quickly coming to
an end of this age of grace. The time is now, if you are going to take
action and #preparefortherapture! Let me end this post by quoting Proverbs 11:4: Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. (NIV)
It is my prayer, that all who read
this post will accept the gift of salvation and have his name written in
The Lamb's Book of Life.
