The story of the rich man and Lazarus is without doubt one of the most misunderstood of all the stories in the Bible. Is it a parable, or an actual statement of facts concerning life beyond the grave? Now, where, I ask, in the Bible is there any warrant for saying that heaven is “Abraham’s bosom”? The expression “in Abraham’s bosom” signifies being in the favor and in the place of honor of Abraham. All the promises of God which embody the redemptive and eternal plan and purpose of God were made to two specially called and chosen people — Abraham and his “seed” (Gal. 3:16). Jesus came not as Adam’s “seed,” but as Abraham’s “seed.” So everything begins with Abraham; he is the starting point of everything in the redemptive and eternal purposes of God.
[Editor’s note (202): Upon review, paragraphs which seemed extremely large for online reading have been split where appropriate. Along with organizing the chapters into separate pages rather than a single-page HTML book.]