Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1914 — BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDY ON [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDY ON

RICH TO HELL—POOR TO HEAVEN Luke 16:19-31—May 17. •‘Whoso stoppeth his cars at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, hut shall not be heard.”~Proverbs gI;JS. DID Jesus mean this? Are the rich to spend eternity in misery because of faring sumptuously every day* and wearing purple and fine linen? To get; td Heaven must we be 1 poor beggars, covered with sores, and eating crumbs from a rich man's table? Has character nothing to do with future rewards and punishments? Again, will the rich, tormented in tire, see the poor in bliss, and will the honored poor see the rich-in eternal misery? For many years this parable has distressed God's people; both heart and head have rebelled. We remembered that Abraham and other Biblical personages were rich; and that God Himself is very rich. Finally we looked the subject up in both Hebrew and Greek, and found that Abraham did Hot go to Gehenna, the hopeless condition. the Second Death, but to Sbeol, Hades, the grave, the death state, where there is no fire. Our greater knowledge increased the mystery; for the Scriptures declare that Sheol. Hades, the tomb, is to be destroyed; and that all are to be brought from it In the resurrection. No other Scripture seemed to agree with this parable, except as we might use for its support one text in, Revelation, which speaks of a symbolic beast and a symbolic false prophet in torment. Thus thinking- Christians have been perplexed for centuries by the story of this lesson. Now All Is Clear —Plain. Now we see that our lesson is a parable. (Matthew 13:34.) To take it literally Involves the absurdity of supposing that all beggars go to Heaven, and

all wealthy to Hell; for the parable says nothing about character. But in a parable the thing said is not the thing meant. T h u s wheat and sheep represent children of God; tares and goats represent those dominated by the Adversary. In our lesson the rich man was the

Jewish nation. The promises, the Prophets ami the Law Covenant were their purple, fine linen and sumptuous table. The fine linen symbolized their typical justification through typical sacrifices. The purple raiment typified royalty; for they were the typical kingdom. The sumptuous fare represented the Divine promises, as St. Paul implies. Romans 11:0. In Jesus' day Jewish favor began to end. They were completely cut off in A. D. 70, as all Jews admit. Figuratively. tlie rich man died and was buried. Nationally the Jews went to Hades, tlie tomb; and their resurrec-, tion lias not yet been accomplished, although Zionism is its beginning. Nationally dead and buried, the Jews individually have had anguish of soul, as they have received persecutions, sometimes, alas! from those who profess the name of Jesus, but deny Him in practise, For nineteen centuries the Jews have cried to God. represented in the parable by Abraham. The only answer they have had is that there is a gulf between them and Jehovah. Thank God. the New Dispensation dawns. In which the rich man will return from Hades! Israel will be rehabilitated.—Ezekiel 37. etc.

The Poor Man of the Parable. Lazarus represented au outcast class —publicans and sinners, who had alienated themselves from God’s favor; anti Gentiles, to whom favor had never been extended. (Ephesians 2:12.1 These had no fine linen of typical jus-

tiflcation, no purple of Kingdom prospects, no rich promises. All that they could have were crumbs fr o m the rich man’s talile. Tiie Scriptures illustrate t w o such crumbs given by Jesus. Ills healing of the Roman centurion’s servant, at tiie request of the

.Jews, was a crumb Similarly, the Syro Phoenician woman got a crumb when she entreated Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus noted |ier faitti and gave her the desired crumb. See Matthew 15:24-28. As the. Jews died to their favor, so tiie outcasts <Hed to their disfavor. The early Church was made up of tliis Lazarus class. In the parable they .are represented as Abraham’s children in his arms. Jesus and His followers .'lie Abraham’s Spiritual Seed. Thus SI Pan! wi lies.-Galhtians 3:29. Dives’ Five Brethren. The partible mentions the fact that the rich man had five brethren. In Jesus' day the Jews of Palestine represented chiefly tiie tribes of Judah and Benjamin, while the majority of> the other ten tribes were scattered abroad. Tiie statement of the parable, ’’They have Moses and the Prophets,” proves that Jews only were referred to; for no Gentile had Moses and the Prophets, The number five is also in accord. Whereas two tribes. Judah and Benjamin, were represented by one rich man. proportionately the other ten tribes would be represented by five brethren.

The Ricn Man’s Table.

Lazars at the Gale.