Escorted by Angels / David Jeremiah

 

Escorted by Angels So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. Luke 16:22    Of all His stories, only in the account of the deaths of a rich man and a beggar (Luke 16:19-31) did Jesus assign a name to a character. Naming the beggar “Lazarus” suggests this story was true and conveys truth about God’s care for His deceased saints.

Recommended Reading: Luke 23: 43

Unique in this story is the role of angels at death. The poor beggar died “and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom”—a metaphor for Paradise, or the gathering place of the saints awaiting the inauguration of the Messianic kingdom (Luke 23:43). It’s easy to look at death as an ending of life, and it is the end of the mortal, physical body. But immediately upon the beggar’s death, angels from heaven came and carried him—that is, they escorted him—into the presence of God. The accompanying role of angels at death is just another proof of the continuation of life for those who die in faith. And evidence of God’s continuing care. Those nearing the end of life can expect to be joined by angels when they breathe their last. Yet another reason to have no fear of death. Those who have welcomed Christ may welcome death. Matthew Henry