Luke 23:43, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Verily I say to thee, 𝗧𝗼-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲,❞ 𝗬𝗟𝗧.
Luke 16:19-31.22, “And it came to pass, that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺❜𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗺:the rich man also died, and was buried…”
This spiritual parable reflects the traditional idea that Abraham’s bosom is a figurative expression meaning heaven as the blissful and eternal abode of the saved. So say most evangelists in the churches today who graphically describe how the rich man died and went to hell; whereas the beggar died and went to heaven.
Now, where, I ask, in the Bible is there any warrant for saying that heaven is “Abraham’s bosom?” If the popular preachers are right and heaven is Abraham’s bosom, then may I be permitted to ask what happened to the righteously departed who died in the ages before Abraham?
What about Abel, Seth, Enoch and Noah? Where did they go to? Apparently heaven was not then open to receive visitors!
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“𝗜𝗻 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺❜𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗺❞ 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺.
The word bosom, used 41 times in the Bible, speaks of the custom in Christ’ days of the honoured guest who sits nearest the host so as to recline on his bosom.
The word bosom always means the same thing – the area of the chest or breast of the human being;i.e., “𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀.❞
In John 13:23 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 ❞𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿❞ 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀❜ 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗺. That is, he was reclining next to Jesus, in the most honoured position, showing the close, personal relationship that existed between Jesus and John, .”𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 ❞𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗺 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱.❞
In John 1:18 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, who has declared him. Here He possesses the closest intimacy with the Father.
𝗦𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺. Indicating that the honour the Jews had because of Abraham has shifted to the Gentiles who were without God in this world, as not being in the covenant of Israel (Eph. 2:11-13).
So the Jews died to the life of bliss they had in the promises that Abraham had through the covenant that the Gentiles (Dogs) never had but now receiving that state of Joy and Feasting through the New Testament in the Blood of Jesus.
To die in this sense means to be separated from the Life of Glory. Same way Adam died to the life of God in Eden .
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐬’ 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. The fig tree that was cursed was the House of Judah, never to produce the Old Testament rituals and priesthood and never to be able to have the laws marketed or pride themselves anymore to be the only favoured of the Lord.The Richman died!
Luke 13: 28, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.”
𝗦𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺’𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝗺. Very simple! (Gen. 12:1-3; 22:17-18) As he is the Father of all that believe. Acts 13:39, “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
Gal. 3:27-29, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
So the Jewish nation died because the law died (Rom. 7:1+). No power, no dominion.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹.
So in Matt. 21: 42, “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation (Gentiles) bringing forth the fruits thereof.”
”43 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 (𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨) 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙛.❞
The Rich died to the joy of that the kingdom offers and Lazarus the Gentiles came in being in the Bosom of Abraham.
To be continued.
Next, “Where did Jesus go to after death?”