Resource Links
- Online Resources - Here are some websites where you can find helpful resources for getting through to Jehovah's Witnesses.
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
| Term | Christian view | WT explanation |
| Rich man | A selfish non-Christian | Class of Jewish religious leaders who had special privileges and opportunities before John the Baptist and Jesus |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Lazarus | A believer named Lazarus | Class of common people who hungered for spiritual nourishment but received next to nothing from those religious leaders |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Death | Physical death | Both classes dying to previous condition as a result of response to kingdom preaching by John the Baptist and Jesus. As a result of this reversal, (1) the Lazarus class now received abundant spiritual food from Jesus and (2) the rich man class lost favor with God when new covenant began at Pentecost |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Abraham | Abraham individually and as representing leaders of believers who have died | Jehovah |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Abraham’s bosom | Conscious paradise for believers who have died | Position of favor with Jehovah in this life |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Torment | Conscious torment of the unsaved after physical death | Torment in this life caused by the fiery judgment messages proclaimed by Jesus’ disciples |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Water to cool tongue | Rich man’s torment compared to deep thirst that’s never quenched | Request of rich man class to Jehovah to have Jesus’ disciples let up from preaching the fiery kingdom messages that are causing their torment |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Great chasm | There is no chance for unsaved to obtain salvation after physical death | God’s unchangeable, righteous judgment prevents the granting of the rich man’s request |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Five brothers | Five living brothers of the rich man who died | Allies of the rich man class who share the same spiritual father—Satan |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Rich man’s purpose in requesting Abraham to send Lazarus to five brothers to warn them | Send Lazarus back from the dead so five brothers will see that heaven and hell are real and warn them to repent because they will have no chance after death to repent and avoid the rich man’s torment | Rich man doesn’t want his brothers to repent. He is asking Jehovah to have Jesus’ disciples to water down their judgment messages so his allies won’t be tormented by them as he is. |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Sending someone back from the dead to warn them | Sending Lazarus from the grave back to warn the brothers | Unspecified special signs or miracles to convince the brothers of the truth of Jesus’ message |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Why Abraham refuses | The brothers wouldn’t repent even if someone returned from the dead. Their only hope is to heed Moses and the prophets | God will not provide special signs or miracles to convince the brothers. Their only hope is to heed Moses and the prophets. |
| ———— | —————————————– | ————————————————– |
| Why does the rich man tell Abraham that if someone from the dead goes to the brothers they will repent? | The rich man is in torment and wants his brothers to repent of their sins so they won’t share his fate. | No explanation. The rich man doesn’t want his allies to repent. He just wants Jehovah to water down the judgment message in this life so the brothers won’t be torment by them |
Luke 16:19-31 (RSV):
19 “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, `Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
27 And he said, `Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'”