READ: Luke 16:19-31
“And in hell he lift up his EYES, being in torments, and SEETH Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he CRIED [mouth/voice] and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his FINGER in water and cool my TONGUE;…” – Luke 16:23,24
When Lazarus of Luke 16 died, the Bible teaches us that he was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom… Luke 16:22
Lazarus himself, the real man, was carried into Abraham’s bosom. Remember also the testimony of the rich man. He had everything in life. He had better health care so he lived longer than Lazarus. However, it came to pass that he also died. He probably had a grand funeral.
The Bible says in Hell he lifted up his eyes. The man still had eyes even though he was in Hell. He cried out to Father Abraham that he should allow Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue.
Notice that different parts of the body have been mentioned. The picture of a man is being painted. This is interesting because the Bible describes the spirit of a man as the hidden man, the inward man or the inner man.
Dear friend, the Lazarus who was in Abraham’s bosom was the real Lazarus. It was the soul and spirit of Lazarus. The rich man who was languishing in Hell was not the rich man who had been buried at that lavish funeral. It was the soul and the spirit of the rich man that was experiencing the fires of Hell. You can verify for yourself, whether the body stays in the grave or not! The mortal remains of human beings remain on earth long after the spirit has departed to eternal life or damnation.
I know that many Christians are not aware of this great reality: that they are spirit, soul and body. After the body dies, the spirit lives on!