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
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
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
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
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 someone rose from the dead which 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 or from Jehovah God. After all I honestly believe the majority of mankind especially the religious leaders of Christendom have failed to believe the truth about the True God and his Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God and teach that truth to the people.
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.
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
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
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
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
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 someone rose from the dead which 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 or from Jehovah God. After all I honestly believe the majority of mankind especially the religious leaders of Christendom have failed to believe the truth about the True God and his Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God and teach that truth to the people.
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.
