Lazarus & The Rich ManYou may have gone through all the verses proving humans do not possess an immortal soul. You may have gone through all the scriptures that clearly show that after death humans don't resume conscious life until they are resurrected... either in the resurrection of the just at the return of Christ... or in the resurrection for the rest of the dead who do not come to life until the 1,000 rule of Christ on earth are ended. At the end of all that sound biblical teaching someone says "what about Lazarus and the rich man"? Doesn't the parable of Lazarus and the rich man clearly depict the blessings of heaven or the torments of hell as what lays ahead? Either the scriptures are contradictory, or you are wrong! Today I would like to take an in-depth look at the parable of Lazarus and the rich man and walk through the parable to demonstrate that it is perfectly in-sync with the biblical teaching that death is like a long period of unconscious sleep after which we will be resurrected John 5:28-29.Let's Read The ParableLuke 16:19-31.Who Is Jesus Talking To?Luke 16:1 Jesus is talking to the disciples. Luke 16:9 He teaches them through the parable of the "unjust steward" that we should use our worldly wealth in a way that will build up good favor and reward for our eternal future [dwellings = tabernacle or tent referring to spirit bodies see 2 Peter 1:13-14 for use of tent as metaphor for body].Luke 16:14-15 Jesus is teaching His followers, but He does it in a public setting where what He says can be heard by a larger group of onlookers… including some Pharisees… who laughed at what Jesus taught. They might have said something like "wealth is God's blessing upon the righteous”, or, “My riches are a proof that I am leading a good life and have God's favor". Jesus tells God sees matters differently. To expand upon that point He tells them what we now know as the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.What is the purpose of a parable? A parable is a colorful story used to teach about a spiritual concept. Parables use symbols and metaphors to depict types of people, or situations in an indirect or enigmatic way. They illuminate truth for some and obscure truth for others. Jesus’ parables were most often not meant to be understood unless they were explained by Him. He did not explain them to just anyone. Jesus only explained His parables to those who were sincere, willing to listen, wiling to act on what they learned, and those who actually asked. Matthew 13:34-36. Note:  in verses 9-13 Jesus explained the meaning of the parable of the unjust steward to disciples to whom it was directed. However, He did not offer an explanation of the parable of Lazarus and the rich man the the Pharisees to whom it was directed.Changing Your ParadigmWhat you see is greatly affected by what you expect to see. What you expect to see can be greatly influenced by what you are told to expect.· [slide 1] Here is a silhouette of a fancy wine goblet· [slide 2] Here is a silhouette of two people facing one anotherWhat you see first is affected by what I lead you to expect. So… let me tell you what to expect in the parable: · The rich man is like the Pharisees enjoying their wealth and the praise of others for their righteousness. Lazarus is like the followers of Christ who build character through what they  suffer and are despised. Both of them, rich and poor alike, die in the flesh.· The believer [Lazarus] is gathered together among those who are Christ's at His return and participate in the inheritance promised to the faithful, eternal life in the family of God· The rich man is resurrected to physical life after the 1,000 year rule of Christ. He is very distressed to learn he is now under the judgment of God and could end up in the lake of fire. · Scripture warns you of this in advance and shows you what to do in this life to affect your circumstances after death.That’s the biblical para