Dear Brennan,
We concluded our last letter with a consideration of Mr. Rumble’s comments on the parable of The Rich Man and the Beggar Lazarus (“The Anti-Immortals”, p. 11). Unfortunately, space did not permit us to comment on the parable itself. This, we shall do here; but our purpose will be simply to show that the parable has nothing to do with so-called imortal souls, rather than a detailed exposition of its meaning.
This parable shows clearly how much your church’s interpretation must be read into God’s words, thus subjecting them to the reasoning of the flesh. We, on the other hand, reason on the basis of the divinely revealed facts, thus limiting our reasoning to those facts.
Let’s approach this parable with an open mind, examining God’s words for his own revelation of truth:
- Nothing is said of souls, immortal or otherwise.
- Nothing is said of immortality at all.
- There is no evidence that the characters in the parable were still dead while seeing and speaking: verse 30 does not prove it, since that could refer to a resurrected person. (It does refer to a resurrected person; but for the purposes of our open mind we leave it as an open question.)
- Nothing is said about going to heaven, unless you can prove that Abraham’s Bosom means heaven.
- Nowhere, anywhere in Scripture, are the righteous ever said to inherit heaven.
- Nowhere, anywhere in Scripture, is man ever said to have inherent immortality; but rather that it is the gift of God to the righteous.
So you see, Brennan, that you have to read an awful lot into this parable to make it prove the immortality of the soul.
But let God speak. Did God promise Abraham heaven? Nowhere in Scripture will you find such a promise. On the contrary, he promised him literal land: “Look north, south, east, west” (not upward, notice): “all the land that thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed, for an everlasting possession” (Gen. 13. 14-17) . Concerning this promise, read Gen. 12. 1-3; 15 (whole chapter) ; 1 7. 19; 18. 1 7-19; 22. 16-18; II Esdras 9. 7-10; Gen. 28. 1-4; 28. 13, 14; Psalm 104. 8-45* (Note here that the Covenant is an everlasting testament, as verse 10 calls it. Compare Luke 1. 67-75).
This promise is confirmed to the righteous in Galatians 3 (Read the whole chapter.) Here the promise to Abraham is called the gospel (verse 8). And note verse 29: “And if you belong to Christ, then you are indeed Abraham’s children; the promised inheritance is yours”.
What was the promised inheritance? What, indeed, but the land? And this promise has never been disanulled (verses 17-18). Do we then maintain that the righteous will inherit the land? God has said it: -The just shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for evermore” (Psalm 36. 29); “They that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land” (Psalm 36. 9); “The meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace” (Psalm 36. 11); “Such as bless him shall inherit the land” (Psalm 36. 22) ; “Expect the Lord and keep his way; and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the sinners shall perish thou shalt see” ( Psalm 36. 34); “Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land” (Matt. 5. 4); “And the judgment shall sit, that his power (that is, the papal dominion) may be taken away, and be broken in pieces, and perish even to the end. And that the kingdom, and power, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, may be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all kings shall serve him, and shall obey him” (Daniel 7. 26, 27) ; -And they sung a new canticle, saying: Thou are worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us to our God a kingdom of priests, and we shall reign on the earth” (Apoc. 5. 9, 10).
Earth, then, not heaven, is promised to the righteous. When they receive it in the glory of God, the promise to Abraham of the land for an everlasting possession will have been fulfilled. This will be the place of Abraham’s bosom; this will be the place of the inheritance of “them whom God hath called”.
When shall the righteous be carried by the angels into this kingdom of divine origin upon earth? At the return of Christ (Matt. 24. 30, 31). When shall they sit down with their father, Abraham, in his promised possession? At the return of Christ (Matt. 8. 11, 12 with the following quotation). When shall the Pharisaical class see Abraham in the kingdom of God and themselves cast out? At the return of Christ (Luke 13. 25-29). When shall the righteous and the wicked receive their respective rewards? At the return of Christ (Apoc. 22. 12). When shall the wicked be tormented by fire? At the return of Christ (Matt. 13. 41, 42).
Knowing your belief in the present torment of souls in hell fire, I would stress the last-mentioned quotation—especially as the rich man of the parable is represented as being tormented in flame. Here are the words of Matt. 13. 41, 42: “The Son of man shall send his angels” (Note that this is the end of the world—verse 39), “and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire”.
Here, the wicked are likened to tares. In Matt. 3. 12, they are likened to chaff. Now observe the words of Malachi 4: -For behold the day shall come kindled as a furnace: and all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall set them on fire, saith the Lord of hosts, it shall not leave them root, nor branch.”
There is no doubt, then, that this parable has nothing whatever to do with so-called immortal souls, whether located in heaven or hell. Nothing whatever! It has to do with events that will occur at the return of Christ; and therefore presupposes the resurrection of the two classes of people spoken of in this parable,
We have shown, without any shadow of doubt, that the righteous will be rewarded in the earth (Prov. 11. 31). We have shown that Abraham and his seed (including all men of faith, whether Jew or Gentile) will receive the earth for a possession and dwell in it forever.
Do not fear the facts: they will lead you to immortality at the return of Christ. Face this question honestly and in true reverence of your Maker: Can you, or any other Catholic of your acquaintance, answer the evidence that I so far brought forward from Scripture: or cite any passage of Scripture showing that the righteous will ever inherit, or inhabit, heaven?
If with all your heart you are desirous of doing the Creator’s will, you will be blessed with the revelation of his truth (John 8. 31, 32).
Sincerely,
Dean
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