DEATH— THEN COMFORT OR TORMENT! 

“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.’”  —Luke 16:19-31

             Let’s take a look at some of the facts of this story…

• There is rich man that had everything this world had to offer
• There is a poor, sickly beggar, Lazarus
• Lazarus was covered with sores
• Lazarus longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table
• Lazarus had dogs that would lick his sores
• Lazarus died and went to Paradise
• The rich man died and went to Hades
• The rich man was in torment
• The rich man asked for pity
• The rich man asked that Lazarus be sent with a dipped finger in water
• The rich man wanted his tongue cooled
• The rich man was in agony
• The rich man was told to remember how in his lifetime he received his good things
• The rich man was told that Lazarus had received in his lifetime bad things
• The rich man was told there was no crossing over between Paradise and Hades
• The rich man begged for Lazarus to go to his family
• The rich man had concern for his five brothers
• The rich man wanted Lazarus to warn them of Hades
• The rich man did not want his brothers to come to this place of torment
• The rich man was told his five brothers had Moses (the Word of God)
• The rich man was told his five brothers had the prophets (the messengers of God)
• The rich man was told his five brothers need to listen to them
• The rich man responded that if someone from the dead went to them then they would repent
• The rich man was told “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

And so there you have it!  If a person does not listen to the Word of God or the messengers of God, then even if someone was to return from the dead to tell them of the place of torment that awaits them after death, they still would not repent.  Truly, faith comes by reading the Word of God (John 20:31) or by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  If you have not called on Jesus according to the Word of God or the messengers of God, do so now.  Don’t delay!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZw0dfLmLk&t=1s  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEbQswNB6Wc&list=RDcEbQswNB6Wc&start_radio=1