Lazarus & Rich Man – Scriptural Proof of Hell? hwalibrary.com

First, the Bible is clear that there is no consciousness after death and no immortal soul. There are, however, resurrections in sequence for both the righteous and the unrighteous. Both Lazarus and the rich man died. One was to be resurrected to life, the other to permanent destruction. Christ is using an allegory with terms familiar to His audience. It is in the context of a discussion about riches and priorities. If we are Christ’s, God considers us Abraham’s children and heirs with him. This is an intimate relationship and the sense in which righteous Lazarus was taken to “Abraham’s bosom.” Abraham has not received those promises yet; this pictures a future fulfillment. The rich man, conversely, is lifted up from “hades” (which simply means the “grave”) at the moment of his resurrection – again, a future event. Having rejected God, the rich man faced a permanent death by condemnation to the lake of fire described in Revelation. The “gulf” between the men is not the distance between a utopian heaven and a burning hell in the conventional Catholic doctrine. Rather, it is the difference between mortality and immortality, and between life and death. Christ points the Pharisees to the scripture as sufficient witness and warning for them.