These four verses set the stage for the final parable in this series designed to explain the Jewish Harvest.

We should first note that these verses are directly to the scoffing Pharisees — no longer primarily to the disciples. These intermediary verses are designed to let the Pharisees know why they are disfavored of God, what is changing, and the legal basis for God’s leaving them. Then, the Rich Man and Lazarus Parable will illustrate that change of age.

16:15. Verse 15 points the finger: “You are those…” Jesus then tells the Pharisees the reality versus the perception. The perception is that the Pharisees spend their time and energy in a way that everyone SEES them as righteous. In other words, you are the “older brother” of 15:11-32. Jesus summarizes the contrast: (1) Men hold you in esteem; (2) God finds you (Interestingly, it will be just the opposite with the Church!)

16:16. Here Jesus dates the change of age. “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John.” We have a date for the change of age. Once John had proclaimed “The Lamb of God” and “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2), THE AGE CHANGED. That was in A.D. 29.

Jesus is telling the Pharisees that THE EVENT HAS HAPPENED. And more and more of Israel’s remnant were “forcing [their] way into it.” A “shrewd” steward should be taking note! It was time to be welcomed into a new “house.”

16:17, 18. Here Jesus begins a two-verse explanation of the LEGAL ramifications for this change. First he points out that the Jewish heaven (rulership) and earth (society) ARE easily passing away. Then he adds “BUT.” But “one stroke of a letter of the Law” will not fail.

This is so ingenious of Jesus! While the Law (its letter) will no longer hold anyone captive, the letter of the Law will always remain because it is perfect and typical. Jesus is saying that the AGE ENDS, but the perfection of the Law remains forever.

Because of this, Jesus uses the Law to legally justify the casting off of Israel. He refers to the Law on marriage. His legal point is that God is LAWFULLY and JUSTLY divorcing Israel. (Jeremiah 31:32; Isaiah 50:1; Hebrews 8:8, 9; Jeremiah 3:6-10) The stage now is set for the Rich Man Parable.

The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

This parable, and the material upon which Jesus draws in constructing it, form the perfect final parable in the series designed to explain the Jewish Harvest and its results.

As mentioned, this parable is spoken to the Pharisees. This is particularly appropriate for this parable since one of its aims is to explain their fate, and the fate of Israel.

Nominal Christianity, as we know, has made a mockery of this parable — many even claiming that it is not a parable. But as a literal statement, it would be nothing short of absurd. As a parable it is nothing short of masterful.

16:19. The Rich Man is the nation of Israel — particularly that segment of Israel dwelling in the Holy Land at the time of Jesus. Verse 29 points out that this man is from a family which has “Moses and the Prophets.” No one other than Israel fits that description.

The man’s clothing helps to identify him. In Scripture, clothing is a symbol of justification — identity justification. To our own day, clothing represents the position of someone. If we see a blue uniform with a badge, we immediately assume the wearer is justified in arresting people. If we see in a hospital a man in green scrubs, we immediately assume he is justified in being in the surgical suites and/or in operating on people.

This man is clothed in purple and in white linen. (Compare Exodus 19:6 and II Chronicles 5:12.) He is royal (purple) and he is justified (white) by the Law Covenant. His clothing perfectly reflects his being the Royal Nation under the Jewish Law.

Israel always exulted in its “riches” under God — “every day.”

16:20, 21. A second player is here introduced — a “poor man” (“beggar” in the KJV). If he were a Jew, he would automatically not be a faithful Jew because the Law promised riches in “basket and store” to those who faithfully served it. But this man, as we shall see, is not a Jew. He is a Gentile. He represents the spiritual poverty of those nations outside of Israel.

This man is named — and we shall see that this is for good reason. Lazarus means “Helped of God.” The name is especially appropriate here because the Gentiles would never be a part of the Abrahamic seed unless God helped them do so.

The Hebrew equivalent of Lazarus is Eliezer. We might recall that Abraham sent Eliezer to seek a Bride for Isaac. In the type, Eliezer represented the Holy Spirit. Thus, this “beggar” is “Helped of God” — virtually given the Holy Spirit — to engraft him into the Olive Tree of the Abrahamic Covenant.

The poor man is “laid at his (the rich man’s) gate.” He is outside of the fellowship of Israel. He is “covered with sores” — he is in great need of healing — most particularly in the sense of needing answers. And he had a longing to have some kind of taste of the “nutrition” that the Jews seemed to enjoy because of their relationship to God. (Compare Romans 8:19, 22.)

It is this “crumbs” reference which helps us to positively identify this man as representative of Gentiles. Read Matthew 15:27. In it we find Jesus’ refusing to give help to a Canaanite woman — a Gentile. But she is extremely persistent. Jesus says that he serves only “the lost sheep (the remnant) of the house of Israel,” and that “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” “Dogs” represent Gentiles, and the term was widely used by Jews to refer to Gentiles. But the woman’s faith triumphs as she informs Jesus that “even the dogs feed on the crumbs from their master’s table.”

Jesus almost certainly had this woman in mind as he constructed this parable. And he used her faith to show how the Gentiles were “longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table.”

The final descriptive element of the neglected Gentile nations is in the words, “Besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.” The only comforts Gentiles had during the entire 1,845 years of Jewish favor were the philosophies, religions, and “comforts” offered by their fellow Gentiles. Those “lickings” accomplished nothing. The “sores” remained.

16:22, 23. Now that the characters have been introduced, Jesus explains their fates.

To “die,” in symbolism, is to leave behind what we were, because we have become “alive” to a new condition. Thus a Christian’s humanity is said to be “dead;” but we are “alive” in or to Christ. The symbolism holds up throughout New Testament usage.

The “poor man died.” He lost or “died to” his poverty. He became rich. How did this happen? He was accepted into the spiritual seed of the Abrahamic Covenant. We could well date the event. When Peter visited Cornelius in A.D. 36, the Gentiles were “carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.”

Even the words “carried away” indicate symbolic meaning. Have we ever been “carried away” by a wonderful message? It was the “angels” (messengers) who “carried away” the Gentiles into the spiritual seed of Abraham. Peter was the first messenger (angel) to bring Gentiles to Christ. Paul, then, was an irresistible force to a continent of Gentiles. Obviously, there were yet other “angels,” but these two explain the symbol.

Contrary to corrupt theology, the poor man didn’t go to heaven. Abraham wasn’t in heaven! (John 3:13; Acts 2:34; Matthew 11:11) Heaven isn’t even mentioned in the parable. “Abraham’s bosom” means INTO ABRAHAM — into the condition of being a part of Abraham’s promised seed (Isaac), as opposed to his genetic seed (Ishmael — representing Natural Israel).

“The rich man also died and was buried.” Israel ceased to be a “rich man.” It lost its riches as well as its polity and land. “Buried” is a superior word here. In the Old Testament, “sheol” is translated “grave” 33 times, “pit” 3 times, and “hell” 33 times. “Grave,” of course is the best. This is why the rich man is BURIED. “Sheol” means oblivion — the state of non-existence IN THE GRAVE. The “rich man” was, indeed, “buried” as a nation.

It could be put another way. Jesus had warned that God was divorcing Israel (16:18). This obliterated or “buried” the old relationship.

It is ONLY NATURAL that “Hades” occurs in verse 23. It is the exact Greek equivalent of “sheol” in Hebrew. Notice the proximity of thoughts as verse 22 ends, and verse 23 begins:

“The rich man also died and was buried. And in hades…”

“Hades” is obviously the equivalent of being buried — being in the grave.

Now, we know there is no knowledge in sheol or hades (Ecclesiastes 9:4; 9:10). Therefore, the reason this “rich man” can speak is because he is not an individual. He is the “dead” Jewish nation during its Diaspora. The nation “died,” but has remained as a communicative people.

Israel (since about A.D. 70 when they were forced out of their land) has been in torment. For nearly 2,000 prior years they lived with God as their Protector and Provider.

Since the Diaspora began, they are mentally (and, quite unfortunately physically) subjected to torment. The greatest torment is the LACK OF EXPLANATION for what has happened to them. They SEE the Gentiles claiming to be a kind of Israel — a supplanter of Israel’s hopes and promises. They KNOW their prophecies will have them to be a blesser nation. But, OH!, what have the last 2,000 years of the Gospel Age meant?

Poor Israel has had centuries of feeling “far off” from the promises to Abraham, and the Gentiles claiming to be Abraham’s true seed.

16:24. So they address the very foundation of all of their hopes, claims, and aspirations: “FATHER ABRAHAM!” They add, “Have mercy on me.” They plead for comprehension of their true relationship to that all- encompassing Abrahamic Covenant. It is even suggested here that, if Lazarus is anything like he claims, why can’t he give me a little water of truth on the matter? Note: they want water (truth) for their tongues. They want explanation. The “fire” of the righteous judgment of the Jewish “double” is agonizing! John the Baptist had promised that they would be baptized with “fire.”

This brings us to a revealing prophecy in Zechariah 9 which, almost certainly, Jesus had in mind as he crafted this parable.

In Zechariah 9:9 we have the prophecy of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem just prior to his crucifixion. It was, of course, the Jewish rejection of this presentation and their insistence on his crucifixion which sealed their doom. (See Matthew 23:37-39.) Verse 10 then shows that the organizational structure (“chariot”) will be terminated as a result. (Remember the name Ephraim in this Zechariah passage. It will come up again before we have concluded the parable.)

Note that doctrine (“horse”) will no longer be coming from Jerusalem. They will also no longer have an army or defenses (“the bow of war”).

It is at this very point in Zechariah’s prophecy that we see the Gentiles (Lazarus) of the parable come into play: “He will speak peace to the Gentiles.” And He will do so until it is time for the Kingdom — “Dominion is from sea to sea.” This is Zechariah’s version of Romans 11:25. Israel will have a “partial hardening…until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” — i.e., when it is time for the Kingdom.

Zechariah 9:11 then brings in the “covenant.” It is a reference to the New Covenant when Israel will be received back into favor. Romans 11:26 and 27 make this reference also.

When that time comes, Zechariah promises that the Jews will be set “free from the waterless pit.” The 12th verse shows that this must await the time of the completion of the Jewish “double.” The “waterless pit” condition is the reference in Luke 16:24 — a little “water” for explanation’s sake, please!

16:25. But the Abrahamic Covenant, when studied carefully, has the answer: “Child (the genetic son, not the son of promise), remember: there was the first half of the “double” when YOU had the favor. The Gentiles during that time had no relationship with me. “But now” (the Gospel Age — the second half of the Jewish “double” which Zechariah 9 promised), the Gentiles are “being comforted…and you are in agony.” Or, as Paul says in Romans 11:28-32, “God hath [at one time or another] shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.”

16:26. The study of the Abrahamic Promise also points out clearly that the ONE THING which will separate Fleshly Israel from Spiritual Israel is MESSIAH. He is the “great gulf (chasm) fixed” which prevents Israel from seeing the Gospel Age treasures. Romans 11 had shown that Israel only had a PARTIAL HARDENING (or blindness). They actually see most of the Divine Plan for man better than most of Christianity does. But the one blindness, the one hardening which prevents “water” to “cool off” the “tongue,” is the identity of Messiah. As verse 26 concludes: No one can witness to a Jew because of it; no Jew can find the value in true Christianity because of it. The “great chasm” is FIXED; and it remains immovable.

In one sense the parable could end there. But the rest of it (16:27-31), when we dig deeply, draws another prophecy to our attention which greatly enhances appreciation of the Jewish rejection and reinstatement.

16:27, 28. The parable had centered much on the Israel of Jesus’ day and locality. But we all know that, ever since

Solomon, Israel was DIVIDED into two tribes and ten tribes. The two-tribe segment, usually called Judah, was the Israel of Jesus’ day and locality.

In this verse, the tormented rich man begins to think of the rest of Israel. The ratio here is one to five. But that is because the TWO-TRIBE group is represented in the one rich man. Thus the TEN-TRIBE group (proportionately) is represented as FIVE brothers. One plus Five translates to Two plus Ten in reality.

The two-tribe Kingdom of Judah begins to claim its FAMILIAL inheritance in Abraham — “Warn them” — warn the rest of Abraham’s descendants. Maybe THEY can escape what has befallen Judah!

16:29. That the rich man AND his brothers constitute the whole of Israel is confirmed by this verse. “THEY HAVE MOSES AND THE PROPHETS.” Only Israel fits this description.

The verse ends with the admonition that IF they study and believe Moses and the Prophets, they will figure it all out! But the ten-tribe part of Israel was notoriously ignorant of the Scriptures, Scripture study, and faith in Scripture. It is no wonder that the rich man protests in the next verse: “No, Father Abraham!” In other words, “That will never work! They’ll never study and believe!”

But before considering verses 30 and 31, a look at Ezekiel 37:15-28 will be of great profit, because that prophecy confirms both the existence of the two-tribe split and its ultimate repair. It is altogether likely that verses 27-29 of this parable came about because of Jesus’ awareness of the Ezekiel text and its appropriateness as a conclusion to this parable.

Ezekiel 37:15-28

As this Old Testament prophecy begins, God acknowledges the split in Israel. He likens each segment to a separate stick. He names the two sticks. Each has one name. The first stick is Judah — but clearly represents all in the two- tribe division. Thus it states “For Judah — AND for the sons of Israel his companions.” God does likewise for the second stick: “Ephraim AND all the house of Israel, his companions.”

(Here we might want to recall Zechariah 9:10 where Ephraim is mentioned as losing its military, and Jerusalem [the home of Judah] loses its position as a spreader of doctrine. It is so observant of these prophecies that the two-tribe Kingdom was more studious of the doctrine of the Law, and the ten-tribe Kingdom was more military. Prophecy doesn’t miss the smallest detail. Hence, in the parable, the two-tribe “rich man” scoffs at the suggestion that his “five brothers” might search the Scriptures!)

In Ezekiel 37:19 the Lord looks forward to the Kingdom. He says, FUSE THE TWO STICKS INTO ONE. The

Diaspora has helped Israel gain a unified identity. They are now Israel, not Judah and Ephraim! The Israel of today has no division into two and ten.

In Ezekiel 37:21-27 God promises the regathering of our day and its glorious results in a re-established Israel.

In 37:24-27, their new leadership is promised as well as their new faithfulness to the new Law Covenant. When verse 28 comes, we see that the GENTILES (“the nations”) will also realize Israel’s favored position.

Thus, the Luke 16:27-30 verses are shown to be of great significance.

16:30, 31. After complaining that Scripture will not satisfy the “water on the tongue” problem, the rich man requests a SIGN. (Compare Matthew 12:39 and I Corinthians 1:22 to see Jesus’ and Paul’s treatment of this request!) The rich man says that if someone returns “to them from the dead,” they will repent. Well! Jesus said he would grant them that sign — the “only sign” he would give them: the sign of Jonah. Did it work?

Verse 31 predicts the outcome. If the Jews can’t believe the Scriptures, a rising from the dead won’t persuade them either. After all, wasn’t it the awakening of Lazarus that caused the Jewish hierarchy to have Jesus crucified?! This may be one good reason why this parable names Lazarus. The parable begins with a name they hated; it ends with a pinprick of conscience that “YOUR REQUEST WAS ALREADY GRANTED before you were officially cast off”!!

We have come to the conclusion of Jesus’ marvelous collection of tales covering Chapters 14 through 16 and his answering just about every detail regarding the Jewish Harvest. The sum of these parables is greater than the separate parts. While each parable is a little gem, there is no way the great impact of Jesus’ teachings on the subject can be experienced without seeing the contextual unity of all of them combined.