‘And it came about that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom.'

And one day the beggar died, the end that awaits us all, including the rich man. And from that moment on there was a great change, for Lazarus was now no longer the poor destitute at the gate, he was at the heavenly feast reclining next to Abraham. He was shown to be a true son of Abraham. The Jews thought of the heavenly hope as ‘Abraham's bosom' for this reason. It housed the seed of Abraham. Compare Luke 13:28.

‘He was carried away by the angels.' This was not an idea which occurs in Jewish literature until after the time of Jesus. In Jesus' eyes this was Lazarus' funeral procession. Those who tossed him into his pauper's grave did not realise that they were actually placing him in the arms of angels ready for his procession into the presence of God. Man might not have been watching over him, but God was.

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