Our Angel Escort!
"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 beggar (Luke 16:19-31) did Jesus assign a name
to a character. Naming the beggar “Lazarus” suggests the
story was true and conveys truth about God’s care for His
deceased saints.
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
