Turning your Bibles quickly to Hebrews 13:9. We're going to come back to our text in just a moment in Luke 16. I'll read to you quickly from Ephesians 4:14. It says, "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." Then, look there in Hebrews 13:9. It tells us, "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein." Now, turn if you would back to Luke 16 and we'll start reading in verse 19. The Bible also talks about in Acts 17:21, it says, "(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)" That verse I read to you from verse 14, taught the same thing. It was an admonition not to be carried about with every wind of doctrine, so new doctrine all the time. Just interested in hearing something new.
Where we were just at, there's another commandment that says, "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines." That's the one I'm going to preach about tonight about is a strange doctrine. It's the strange doctrine of Abraham's bosom that's taught all over. I grew up in a Fundamental Baptist church that in a lot of ways is very similar to this but there's a lot of strange doctrines that are in churches and this is one of them. It's very weird. It's very, very weird. If people that aren't familiar with Abraham's bosom, basically what's taught by people that believe this is that the people that lived and died before Jesus Christ's crucifixion, before he died on the cross, the people that lived and died in the Old Testament, that there was a special place. These people didn't go to Heaven when they died. The saved, the saints, the believers didn't go to Heaven they say. They say that they went down not to Hell, but the center of the earth in a place adjacent or just right next to where Hell's located in the center of the earth.
Abraham's bosom is a strange doctrine. It's very weird. It definitely falls into that category and it's basically the Baptist purgatory is what it is. What's funny about it is this. The Baptists that believe this, they're always the dispensationals. They're always really dispensational. The reason why they've created Abraham's bosom is because they believe in warps in the Old Testament. You know why Catholics believe in Purgatory? Because they believe in a works base salvation. That's the whole reason that Abraham's bosom today is taught in so many fundamental Baptist teachings is because of the false teachings of dispensationalism. Look down if you will. We'll start reading in verse 19. I'm going to prove from this scripture here because if you ask somebody to turn me to this - thank you - where is Abraham's bosom mentioned in the Bible? The phrase is only found one time. Abraham's bosom is found one time here in Luke 16 and this is where they'll turn you. They have no other supporting scripture. This isn't even a supporting scripture. It's something they twisted.
We're going to pick up in verse 19 so I'm going to prove from here first that this is actually speaking of 2 people. One that goes to Heaven and one that goes to Hell. Then, we're going to go and look in the Old Testament and over and over again, the Bible teaches that believers and saints were going to Heaven in the Old Testament. From Genesis to Revelation, your soul either goes to one or 2 destinations. Heaven or Hell. Pick up in verse 19. The Bible reads, "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores." There's 2 men. One rich man who lived a very pampered life and then there's the beggar, his name is Lazarus.
Verse 22, "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." The first thing I want to point out here is in verse 22, we have the 2 men. They both died. Both of them died but notice it does not describe their deaths the same way. Look what it says in verse 22. "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." What direction does carried imply? Up. Now, look again. "... into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried." What direction does that imply? Downward, right. We have one man going upward, one man going downward. What are angels? Heavenly beings. Wouldn't it make sense that they were to carry? We know obviously throughout the Bible we have abundance of Scripture that Heaven is above and Hell is below.
Keep reading in verse 23, "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." Paint the picture in your mind. You have the 2 people, the 2 men. The rich man dies and is buried and then you have the beggar who dies and is carried. If we're right about that interpretation, in relation to the rich man, where is Lazarus? Up. Now, look at verse 23 again, "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." Wouldn't it make sense if Lazarus is above him and then when he looks up that he's seeing Lazarus above him? Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Keep reading there in verse 24, "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
Turn if you will, you can keep your hand here but turn if you will to Genesis 16:5. The reason obviously is heads up, that's a natural position when people are in pain, they'll throw their head back. That's the type of position people will put their head in. You guys are in Genesis 16:5. In verse 24 there where we were at in Luke 16:24, I'm going to read verse 24 one more time and it said, "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." What they'll try to turn you to is verse 22 and verse 23. Where they have a problem is when actually he starts referring and speaking personally to Abraham. That proves that Abraham himself as a person was present. Both people at the same time are visible to him. He can see both of them and he's facing up and it says, the one man was carried and the other man was buried.
The problem that they have that obviously disproves what they're trying to teach because they look at verse 22 in Luke and they tell us, "by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Now, every time the word bosom comes up I think 38 times, I looked it up. Thirty-eight times in the Bible and you can look it up. If you want to look it up ever time but this, every time, it is referring to the chest area. I looked up the definition actually in a modern dictionary. Merriam-Webster's dictionary and it's so simple that it just says, "A person's chest." That's how simple that it is for people that don't understand a bosom is. That's not a location. It's not geographically somewhere in the center of the earth. It's a body part. It's crazy you even have to define that. Even what I'm about ready to do right now in Genesis 16, you'd think that you don't see ... the Bible defines itself over and over again, right? I said earlier that the phrase Abraham's bosom is only found one time in the Bible and that's true but Abraham's bosom is mentioned one other time.
Where you're at right now in Genesis 16:5 and it says, "And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee." Do you think they would turn you to this passage and try to argue that this is a location in the center of the earth? Then I want somebody that believes in this doctrine to show me these 2 scriptures side by side and tell me the difference between them. Show me something different between these 2 right here. It's Abraham's bosom. What's the difference? A bosom is a chest area, over and over again. Then, John 13:23, the very famous verse of Jesus. You don't have to turn there. "Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved." The famous passage of John the disciple leaning on Jesus' chest. You can turn back to Luke 16 if you will and we will pick back up in verse 25.
The Bible reads, "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." Why is he comforted? Because Abraham is basically hugging Lazarus. He's in his bosom. That's what he's doing. He's giving him a hug. You want to know what the second definition, let me find it here. The second definition in Merriam-Webster's dictionary, I thought I put it down here but it's, "To embrace." It's to embrace one another. Another definition of bosom is actually to hug or to embrace and that's the reason why he's comforted, because the beggar is in Heaven. Obviously, it says the rich man is in Hell and there's no argument about where Hell is. We know that that's in the center of the earth. We will pick back up there. Look at verse 26, "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
Now, turn your Bibles if you would to Job 11:7. Job 11:7. They say see there is a great gulf. That great gulf can't be between Heaven and Hell. That's another argument that they use. Which ironically, the greatest gulf that there is from Hell is in Heaven so I mean it's crazy the kind of stuff that people will go to. It's to defend a doctrine and some of these people are saved people. It just shows how screwed up you can be on things when you just listen to whatever is preached from people and watching online and without searching the Scriptures daily for ourselves. I'll read to you Psalms 139:7, David says, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." Then you're in Job 11:7 and it says, "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea."
The whole purpose that David and Job both used heaven and hell as his references is because they're the farthest points from one another. The great gulf that's fixed between these 2 people, these 2 men in Luke 16 is the gap between heaven and the gap between hell. That's what that is. Turn back to Luke 16. That makes perfect sense because once you're in heaven, you're going to be in heaven forever. Once you go to hell, you're going to be in hell forever just like how Abraham said. He said, "... so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." Look at verse 27. Then he said, "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
Turn your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 12:1. What they'll refer to Abraham's bosom as, in the center of the earth where we know that hell is, they will refer paradise. They'll say that that was paradise only in the Old Testament though, that it was paradise in the Old Testament. Also, I want to point out real quick, I will go into it, verse 28 where we read. He said, "For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment." This place, the place that the rich man's at which is a different place obviously by the wording of that and the language that he uses than where the beggar is and where Abraham is. These are 2 different places. You know what I thought of when I was preparing a sermon too is the verse in Isaiah I think it's chapter 5 when it talks about hell hath enlarged her borders. You think about how crazy that is if hell is enlarging her borders and hell's getting larger and larger and then you have paradise right next to it. What point do they have to relocate paradise a little further?
Abraham's like, "We're going to have to scoot back a little guys." It's ridiculous. You see how even logically, think about this. It's ridiculous and if you are continually seeing people burning in hell, would you really consider that paradise? It's ridiculous. I mean, I don't see how people can't see through this. Look at 2 Corinthians 12:1. I'll read to you real fast before Revelation 2:7. I'm going to read real fast through these. You're in 2 Corinthians and I'm going to read to you from another mention of the word paradise. Revelation 2:7. We'll look at all of them. "7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." It tells us the tree of life is in the midst of the paradise of God. When you look in Revelation 22:2, the Bible says when it's speaking about heaven, it tells you that in the midst of the street in heaven is the Tree of Life.
That tells you, where's paradise? Paradise is in heaven. Paradise is in heaven obviously. Look at 2 Corinthians 12:1. It says, "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)" Now, watch this, he's going to reiterate. He's going to restate something. "How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." Notice he restated himself and he made 2 words interchangeable. Third, heaven just as we saw minute ago, that paradise is heaven because the Tree of Life is in paradise, Tree of Life is in heaven. He restated himself here. He said he was caught up to the third heaven and then he said he was caught up to paradise.
Again, a definition the second time in the Bible of where paradise is, is in heaven. Now, turn if you would to Luke 23:43. Luke 23:43. This is the third mention and the last mention of paradise and this is the one that they try to twist because they have to get ahold of a scripture. They don't have a scripture there but they have to find one that's going to continually support their doctrine. What happens is, they have so many holes in these doctrines that when you attack one and you show one of the problems, one of the faults or the chinks in the armor then they have to go to another verse. That's basically what they've done here. If you look at Luke 23:43, this is Jesus when he's dying on the cross and he's speaking to the thief on the cross. In verse 43, he says, "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Now, turn to Revelation 21. No, I'm sorry, that's not correct. Revelation 14. Turn to Revelation 14:10.
Revelation 14:10, they're arguing about this passage. Their argument is that we know when Jesus died that Jesus went to the center of the earth so that means that this man also, he got saved and he's going to go to paradise which is in the center of the earth. That's their argument. That's what they try to say. Number 1, we know that paradise is not in the center of the earth, that it's heaven. Number 2, they're real deceitful too because I've had that exact statement given to me before. "We know Jesus went to the center of the earth." See, they don't want to say hell. You see what they're trying to do? They don't want to say hell because what's the Bible say? He's seen this before. Spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left in hell. Jesus didn't just go to the center of the earth. Jesus didn't go to Abraham's bosom. Jesus went to hell is where Jesus went. They don't want to say oh, this guy went to hell. He went to paradise which is in the center of the earth. That's what they try to say.
Their argument, this is how their argument actually goes, "If Jesus went to the center of the earth and this man is saved now, he's going to go wherever Jesus is so that makes sense that he's going to be with him in paradise. Look at Revelation 14:10. It says, "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." It says, they will be tormented for eternity in the presence of the Lamb, right? You look in Revelation 21:3, this is speaking about Jesus, because we see God the father in Revelation 22. If you look at Revelation 21:3, it tells us, "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."
You see in Revelation 21:3, God is going to be eternally with us in heaven, right? Then you see in Revelation 14, God is going to be eternally in hell. You see that? Do you understand? The only reason why God is is because he's omnipresent. God's obviously not being punished in hell. God created hell. God's the one that created hell. He's eternal so he's everywhere. He's omnipresent and he'll always exist. That's how it's possible. Even Jesus Christ himself said in John 3:13, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is," present tense, while he's walking on this earth. This was the words he said, "which is in heaven." What's in heaven? Paradise. Makes sense how he could tell that man on the cross? "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise." Perfect sense. That's present tense he says that. Turn to Genesis 5:24. Now we're going to look at Old Testament mentions of different men that were going to heaven.
Old Testament mentions of heaven and then saints and believers in the Old Testament that at that time were going to heaven. If you turn to Genesis 5:24, the Bible reads, "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." You compare that to Hebrews 11:5, it tells us, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." All the way back to Genesis, just a few generations from Adam, we have people going to heaven. Just a few generations from Adam, we have men that are saved, that please God because of their faith that were going to heaven. Not of their works. They didn't have to go to Abraham's bosom because they didn't work their way yet, because they weren't good enough yet. Because of their faith, they went to heaven.
Turn in your Bibles to 2 Kings 2:11. I'll read to you from Ecclesiastes 3:21. It says, "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" It says the spirit of man goeth upward, that goeth upward. Then you're in 2 Kings 2:11. The Bible reads, "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." Where's Elijah going in the old testament? Into heaven. Into heaven. Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Were only Elijah and Enoch the only ones that were going to heaven in the Old Testament? That's what you would have to believe because the Bible clearly says that both of these men were going to heaven. Then if you remember, Moses and Elijah appeared at the Mount of Transfiguration. You would literally have to believe that God took Elijah out of heaven and then he went down and got Moses out of somewhere different.
Then he brought them up to the Mount of Transfiguration. Think about that. Then if you were to say, "Okay, I believe it was just Moses and Elijah and Enoch just because those are really good people." At Moses' death it says that he was gathered unto his people. You know what? If you look that statement up, that is not his body because Moses for one was buried on a mountain away from his people. That's talking about his soul. You know who else it said that about? Abraham, Jacob, Isaac. If Moses is in heaven, same statement is given to all these other people, where's everybody else at? Heaven. Just like the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 2:21, I have to read it again. "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" Turn your Bibles to Revelation 13:8. Like I said, the reason this is even believed by so many fundamental Baptists is because of dispensationalism. That's the whole problem and this is a perfect example of how being wrong on one doctrine that seems minor can make you believe all kinds of other crazy stuff.
It's a perfect example of it. Just being wrong on one doctrine. If you're able to buy that the Jews are still God's chosen people then you're able to buy the pre-tribulation rapture. That's how it works, I'm serious. I was joking with somebody. I can't remember who I was talking to. I think it might've been Rick. There's an order that we could give out the Faithful Word Baptist Church DVDs. If you give them Marching to Zion and they understand that one, then the other ones are easy because that's the core problem, really. They'll be able to accept the tribulation if they realize. Because the only reason why there's a pre-tribulation rapture invented? For the Jews. You know why there's a kingdom of God and a kingdom of Heaven? For the Jews so they can try to keep ahold of a piece of the pie for later. That's the whole reason why it is. People will ask you. They'll say, "How could man get to heaven before Jesus died for our sins?" That's their question all the time. That's the question that they'll come at you with.
I've had that question asked to me numerous times. You guys are in Revelation 13 and I will turn there. We have the verse in Titus 1:2 that tells us, "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." You know what the Bible says over and over again about Abraham? That God counted it onto him for righteousness. Was he given his righteousness later or was he given it at that moment? If Abraham had righteousness, why would Abraham have to be in a holding tank or reserved until later, until he's going to heaven? Does that make any sense? He has his righteousness right then at that moment. Then, you guys are in Revelation 3:8. Let me turn there. Let me get there. Revelation I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I heard everybody rustling their pages. Another point too I thought about, in the Old Testament, you have over and over again, the talk of people's names being written in the Book of Life. Moses is like, "Don't blot out their name." That means their name at that time, in the Old Testament, was written in the Book of Life, so they had life.
Revelation 13:8, this will be the last verse that we read. The Bible tell us, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Nothing was going to change the fact that Jesus Christ was going to die on a cross for us. God promised that even before the world began. God didn't have to wait to give you your salvation once you fulfilled that requirement, the one requirement. Whether it be in the Old Testament or whether it be today, Jesus Christ was going to die and his promise is just as good as it happening. His word is just as good that it's already happened. All he has to do is tell you and there's nothing that's going to change that. Once the words go out of his mouth, there's nothing that can alter that. In summary, the Bible teaches 2 destinations for the soul, period. Heaven and hell. Abraham's bosom is a strange doctrine.
I heard it preached my whole life growing up in Baptist churches and I thought it was weird my whole life. I'm serious. I thought it was very weird and there were so many things that I'm just trying to wrap my mind around. I'm like, "Science has found in the core of the earth that there's burning magma so what in the world? It just doesn't make sense. The Bible is right again. It's heaven and it's hell and man is the one that makes up these weird doctrines. We need to study our Bibles and know for ourselves what we believe and search the scriptures daily to see if those things are so. The things that are going out from the pulpit because this is a prevalent doctrine. This is not taught in a couple of churches. I would say this is taught in over 75% of fundamental Baptist churches today. People maybe that didn't grow up in church, that might be mind-boggling to you but that's a very close estimate. I lived in Kentucky so there's a lot of Baptist churches around my area.
When I talk to people, people are always complaining where they came from there was no churches. There was 40 churches that were fundamental Baptist King James only. Some of them were really wrong on stuff but there was 40 of them. I would even say in that area, probably 90%. I was being lenient with the 75%. You're going to run into people when you're trying to give the gospel to people and this can be a hangup to somebody too. Somebody that believes those works in the Old Testament, how is that not going to effect your salvation today? We need to be sound on this so when we encounter somebody that we can show them scriptures in the Bible and show them. Another reason to be sound on our beliefs and our doctrine is because we see these false doctrines can create more false doctrine. It could be a snowball effect so we need to be sound on everything that we believe. All right, we'll bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father God, we thank you for this night, dear Lord. Thank you for the opportunity to preach here, dear Lord. I pray for Pastor Anderson, that he'd feel better dear Lord God and you'd be with him. Help him to be back on Sunday, dear father. We thank you for your word, that it's true and that it's either heaven or hell, it's either right or it's wrong, dear Lord. There's not gray area and making it easy to understand. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen.
