Hello Kedge,
Let's check this claim out as to whether or not "the rich man and Lazarus" is a parable or an actual event, by comparing it to an actual known parable:
The parable of the wheat and weeds:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”
* The man who sowed good seed in his field = The Son of Man (Jesus)
* The field = the world
* Good seed = people of the kingdom
* The weeds = people of the evil one
* Enemy who sows the weeds = the devil
* The harvest = The end of the age
* The harvesters = The angels
=============================
The Rich Man and Lazarus:
"“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they
will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
* The rich man = The rich man who fared well every day
* Lazarus the poor beggar = Lazarus the poor beggar who desired to eat crumbs from the rich man's table
* By Abraham's side = Father Abraham's side (bosom)
* Hades = Hades, its location being under the earth, properly, the unseen place
* Torment = ὀδυνάω: torment, pain; mid. and pass: I am tormented, pained; I suffer acute pain, physical or mental.
* Fire = because I am in agony in this fire
* A great chasm between us and you = so that no one can cross over from either side
* Five brothers = To warn so that they don't come to this place of torment
* Moses and the Prophets = Moses and the OT Prophets
* Death = Physical death
* Angels = Angels
In the parable of the wheat and weeds, symbolism represents the literal. In the rich man and Lazarus, real names and persons are used, the rich man, Lazarus, Moses, the prophets, the rich man's five brothers and the literal place of Hades. If someone wanted to try to make a parable out of the rich man and Lazarus, it would have to be forced and by conjecture. In keeping with the characteristics of a parable, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, Lazarus, Hades, and the chasm, would all have to by symbolisms representing something literal. So you see, the event of the rich man and Lazarus reads nothing at all like the parable of the weeds and wheat or any other parable.
Abraham, Lazarus and the rich man were in Sheol/Hades, which is under the earth and which had two compartments separated by a great chasm so that neither side could pass over to either side.
We know that Hades is a literal place because at the end of the thousand years, the spirits/souls of the unrighteous dead receive resurrected bodies and stand before God at the great white throne judgment (Dan.12:2, John 5:28-29, Rev.20:11-15). Jesus also reveals where the literal location of Hades is ( Mt.11:23).
The only reason that anyone would claim that the rich man and Lazarus is a parable, is because if it is literal, then it destroys their adopted belief of there being no torment in flame and the belief of soul-sleep. Same reason people claim that the comma is in the wrong place when Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise."
Lazarus and the rich man was a literal event that took place, as revealed by the Lord.
"If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." (Phil.1:23)
"Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." (2 Cor.5:6-8)
According to the above scriptures, when a believer in Christ dies, their spirit/soul departs and goes immediately to be in the presence of the Lord. When the unrighteous die, like the rich man, they go into Hades only to be resurrected out and to stand before God at the great white throne to be judged (Rev.20:11-15)
The rich man proclaimed that he was in torment in flame and Abraham stated that Lazarus was comforted, a place of paradise.
The rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus back up to the earth to his father's to warn his five brothers
yea it is pretty cool how God created these signs in the heavens for telling time traveling and the like.
