Some think the story of the rich man and Lazarus is just a parable. But this particular story stands out from other parables. For one, it uses specific names and mentions real people that have lived (Abraham and Moses). If it's a parable, it would be the only parable in the bible to use specific names. It would also be the only parable to mention the afterlife. Second, Jesus never says that it's a parable. Usually, but not always, it will say if it's a parable or not. But there's another reason that lends credence to the idea that it's not a parable. Recall what scriptures tell what us where Jesus went and what he did after he died on the cross:
He descended to the lowest parts of the earth (Eph 4:8-10)
He went to the heart of the earth (Mat 12:40)
He went to paradise (Luk 23:43)
He preached to the spirits in prison (1Pe 3:18-20)
Scriptures tell us Jesus went to hell (Hades), but it also says he went to paradise. So, which is it? It seems like a contradiction unless we take the story of the rich man and Lazarus literally. It also makes perfect sense.
The saved souls who died prior to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ couldn’t automatically ascend to heaven because their sins had not been atoned for. It would have been necessary for God to partition off a part of hell as a temporary paradise for the pre-Christian saints to reside. He placed a gulf between them and the lost souls, so it could not be crossed. Jesus, however, in his divinity, was able to cross the gulf, as he holds the keys of Hades and of Death (Rev 1:18). After he descended to hell, to paradise, aka Abraham’s bosom, he was able to cross the gulf to preach to the spirits in prison.
After Jesus was resurrected, what happened? The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who died were also raised from the dead (Mat 27:52). Who were they, and where did they come from? They were the saints that were in Abraham’s bosom. After Christ ascended to heaven and shed his blood on the mercy seat, the pre-Christian saints were able to finally ascend to heaven with Christ. Thus, the story of the rich man and Lazarus is more than a parable.
