The Sabbath-School by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 4, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 46.

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The Sabbath-School.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

LESSON FOR THE PACIFIC COAST—DEC. 20.

Where do you find the story of the rich man and Lazarus? Luke 16:19-31.
What description is given of the rich man? Verse 19.
What is said of Lazarus the beggar? Verses 20, 21.
What happened to them both? Verse 22.
Throughout the narrative, in what condition are they both represented as being? Verses 30, 31.
What further shows that they are not considered as being alive? Verse 23.
What is cited in the narrative as sufficient authority concerning the future? Verses 29, 31.
In the Old Testament, what do we learn as to the condition of the dead? Eccl. 9:5, 6.
What becomes of their thoughts? Ps. 146:3, 4.
How much interest are they able to manifest in the affairs of their friends who still live? Job 14:21.
Where is the rich man represented as being after his death and burial? Luke 16:22, 23. (See Revised Version.)
What does the word "hell" (hades) signify? 1 Cor. 15:55. (See marginal reading of the word "grave.")
What have we learned as to the dominion of death and the grave over mankind? Ps. 89:48.
To what place did Christ go when he died? Acts 2:29-32.
What kind of a place is the grave? Job 10:20-22.
What can you say concerning the activity of the wicked in the grave? Ps. 31:17.
Why should people not put off that which they find to do in their life-time? Eccl. 9:10.
In view of this state of things, what kind of a land is the grave called? Ps. 88:10-12.
In the narrative before us, where is the beggar represented as having been taken? Luke 16:22.
What does the inspired record say of Abraham at his death? Gen. 25:8.
Can this mean that he went to Heaven? Josh. 24:2.
What is meant by "being gathered to his people"? Gen. 15:15.
Was any different disposition made of Abraham than of the rich man in our lesson? Compare Gen. 15:15; 25:8, with Luke 16:22.
Then must not all of these persons, if all of them ever really existed, have gone to the same place?
What is the place to which all the dead go?

LESSON FOR DECEMBER 27.

Relate what is stated in the 16th of Luke concerning the rich man and the beggar.
What happened to them both?
To what place have we learned that they both went?
Do you know of any people who are exempt from going into the grave?
What does the psalmist say about all men going into the grave? Ps. 89:48.
Of what was "man" formed? Gen. 2:7.
What did he afterward become? Ib.
What was imparted to him to bring about this change? Ib.
Does the breath have life and consciousness in itself?
How does the wise man describe the death of man? Eccl. 12:7.
Since there is nothing to man but that which is formed of dust, and the breath, can there be any conscious entity when the dust returns to the earth?
Give a brief summary of the Scripture statements concerning the dead—their place and condition.
Since both Lazarus and the rich man are represented in Luke 16 as dead, could the conversation ascribed to them have been real?
What other instances can you cite of inanimate objects represented as talking? Gen. 4:10; Hab. 2:10; James 5:4.
What are such representations called? See Webster's definition of "apologue."
What important lesson is taught by this apologue?
With what precious statement of Christ is it in harmony? Luke 16:11-13.
What action of the Pharisees made its recital necessary? Luke 16:14.
Why is human judgment as to the comparative worth of men liable to be at fault? 1 Sam. 16:7.
When will every man be judged according to his real merit? 1 Cor. 4:5.
What will the righteous Judge give to those who love his appearing? 2 Tim. 4:8.
How will the despised, humble poor man stand then? James 2:5.
When will the angels actually take the righteous to the mansions of rest? Matt. 24:30, 31.
When will the wicked be tormented? Matt. 13:40-42.
When the separation is thus made, what fixes the gulf between the righteous and the wicked? Rev. 22:11.

THAT which forms the basis of these two lessons, is the story of the rich man and Lazarus, as found in Luke 16:19-31. It is given in the lesson under the general heading, "Immortality," although the scripture has really nothing to do with that subject. The condition of the dead, or the final reward of the righteous and the wicked, was not the subject under consideration, and Christ did not design by this passage to teach anything concerning either of these things. The only object, then, in considering it as bearing on the subject of immortality, is to show what it does not teach, rather than what it does, and to make it the means of refreshing our minds on certain plain declarations of Scripture already learned.

THE idea that has become popular in regard to this passage of scripture, is that a real occurrence is described—that the soul, or spirit, of Lazarus, at his death, was borne away to a place called Abraham's bosom, in the full enjoyment of unutterable bliss, and that the disembodied soul, or spirit, of the rich man, as conscious as when it inhabited the body, was cast down to hell, there to suffer the torments of the damned. So firmly fixed is this idea in the minds of the majority of people, that it will be necessary to show its inconsistency before stating what the text is really designed to teach.

LET us, then, for a moment suppose the passage to be a plain narration of fact. "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Verse 22. Now there is no law of language by which it can be made to appear that that which "was carried" is not the same thing that "died." The popular theory would have it that the body of Lazarus died, and that his soul, or spirit, was carried to Abraham's bosom. But the language forbids any such construction. "The beggar died and [the beggar] was carried." If only the body died, then only the body was carried; if it was the soul or spirit that was carried, then it was only the soul or spirit that died. Let us suppose, by way of illustration, that a man is describing a hurricane and its effects. Of a certain building, he says: "The house trembled to its foundation, and was blown down." Now if, when you inquire the amount of the loss, he should say, "Oh, the house was not blown down, it was the people who were in it," would you not think that he needed to learn how to use the English language? So we think concerning those who would argue from this passage that one part of Lazarus died and another part was carried to Abraham's bosom.

AGAIN, we meet with the same difficulty in the case of the rich man. "The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes." In this case the language plainly says that that which died was the same that was buried, and this again was the same that is next said to be in hell. If it was only the body that died and was buried, then it was only the body that was in torment. If it was the soul that was in torment, then it was the soul that died. It will be noticed that throughout the narrative, all parties are represented as possessed of all the organs and faculties of ordinary living beings. These things are sufficient to show that the popular idea is inconsistent with itself, and that we cannot look upon this scripture as containing the relation of an actual occurrence.

THIS conclusion is still further sustained by a consideration of the fact that both parties in this narrative are represented as dead. It is said of both that they died; Abraham says to the rich man, "Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedest thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." Here is a direct contrast between their present condition and their life-time. Now when we remember that "the dead know not anything;" that when man's "breath goeth forth and he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish;" that they perceive not when their friends are exalted or abased (Job 14:21), we conclude that this passage must partake of the nature of a fable.

WE find, moreover, that the word here translated "hell," is hades, and this, we are told, is the Greek word signifying the place of all the dead. If we turn to 1 Cor. 15:55, we find that "hell" (hades) is placed in the margin as the equivalent of "grave" in the verse. Now in Ps. 89:48 we learn that there are none who can deliver their souls from the power of the grave; and in harmony with this, we find that both righteous and wicked go there. Gen. 37:35; Job 14:13; Ps. 31:17. Still further, we find that this place where all go is a "land of forgetfulness" (Ps. 88:10-12); a "land of darkness, as darkness itself," "where the light is as darkness" (Job 10:22); and that in it "there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom" (Eccl. 9:10). Since all the dead go there, this narrative concerning those who are expressly declared to be dead, could not have been an actual occurrence.

THIS narrative may then properly be called a fable or an apologue. The latter, Webster defines as "a story or relation of fictitious events, intended to convey useful truths; a moral fable." It differs from a parable, in this respect: A parable relates things which do take place among mankind, and which therefore might occur in the case supposed; but an apologue relates the supposed actions and words of brutes and inanimate things. Of this figure of speech there are many instances in the Bible, as in Gen. 4:10, where Abel's blood is said to cry; in Hab. 2:11, where the stone and the beam are said to speak together; in James 5:4, where the hire of the laborers is said to cry; and an extended instance occurs in Judges 9:8-15, where the trees are represented as talking among themselves, and choosing a king. In all of these cases, some truth is designed to be conveyed in a striking manner.

IN order to understand what this fable is designed to teach, we must observe the connection. The chapter opens with the parable of the steward. He was commended because he prudently provided for the future. From this, the Saviour showed the necessity of using the wealth with which God may intrust us, in his service, so that he may commit to our trust true riches. Said he, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." "And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things; and they derided him." They regarded riches as a mark of God's especial favor, and poverty as indicating his displeasure. He therefore, by a fable, drawn from their own tradition, showed that if a man has all his good things in this life, he can expect nothing more. He may seem to be far above his poverty-stricken but pious neighbor, but when things are seen as they really are, as God sees them, it will appear that there is indeed a great gulf between them, but that the advantage is all in favor of the poor man. Death ends the probation of every man, and thus

fixes this gulf, so that there can be no changing of positions. E. J. W.