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THE TRUTH ABOUT THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS - # 1

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THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS #  1  > The most common interpretation of Jesus parable of Lazarus and the rich man is that we all have immortal souls that go to either heaven or hell immediately at death. But does this parable really say that?  Let's begin by reviewing the definition and purpose of a parable. Merriam Webster's defines a parable as "a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson." Jesus often used parables in His teachings. His disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables. He answered, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given" ( MATTHEW  13:10__11 ). Jesus parables contain moral lessons that most listeners can understand to a limited degree. However, they're not designed to make the deeper meaning clear to everyone. Spiritual comprehension is given only to those whom God has granted His gift to divine insight ( MATTHEW  13:18__23 ).
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OTHER NAMES FOR THE KINGDOM - PART # 3

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OTHER NAMES FOR THE KINGDOM #  1  > Although most often called the "Kingdom of God," other terms are sometimes used in describing the Kingdom. Three of the writers of the Gospels__Mark, Luke and John__use the term "Kingdom of God" to refer to it by name. "Kingdom of heaven" is a term used exclusively by Matthew, with 32 references in his account of Jesus Christ. However, he uses the terms "Kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" interchangeably. In Matthew  19:23__24, he uses the terms in consecutive verses, clearly implying that they were synonymous. Often he calls it simply "the Kingdom." #  2  > Why did Matthew call it "the kingdom of heaven"? Not because heaven is where God is, as Jesus Christ made plain ( MATTHEW  5:34,  45,  48 ). Mathew makes it clear that the Kingdom was not, at that time, an earthly monarchy like the kingdoms around them. However, he understood that it would eventually come as a l...
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