Is LAZARUS the same person we know as JOHN, "the disciple whom Yahushua loved"?  IS THE AUTHOR OF REVELATION STILL ALIVE  -  part 2
"Just as man is destined to die once , and after that to face judgment,  so (Mashiach) was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him."   Heb 9:27-28   

       Is he dead, Jim?

Death has always been one of mankind's greatest fears.  If we want solid teachings on this subject, all we can rely on is what Scripture reveals.  LIFE is what we are to choose, and that is received through the Covenant, mediated by Yahushua  --  not interceded through ANY other man or organization.

Apparently, our Creator Yahuah wants us to leave all future events, and our death, in His hands entirely.  Still, everyone wonders about their own death.  I'm going to treat this topic somewhat differently than you might expect, and guide you through select Scriptures that will expand on your concepts about DEATH, but also reveal a relationship that Yahushua had that is often overlooked.  Yahushua took direct control over the death of one of His most beloved disciples.  Yahushua spoke to Kepha (Simon Peter) about how he would die, then Kepha asked about another disciple's death, the disciple whom (Yahushua) loved :

"'I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.'   (Yahushua) said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would (esteem Elohim).  Then He said to him, 'Follow Me!' 

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom (Yahushua) loved was following them.  (This was the one who had leaned back against (Yahushua) at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?")   When Peter saw him, he asked, 'Lord, what about him?' 

(Yahushua) answered,  'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?  You must follow Me.'  Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die.  But (Yahushua) did not say that he would not die; He only said,  'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?' 

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down.  We know that his testimony is true." 
John 21:18-24  The rest of what you are about to read doesn't affect anything "doctrinal", but it is certainly interesting.

If this disciple is still alive (because Yahushua hasn't yet returned), we could ask him many things!  Perhaps Kepha was interested in knowing about the outcome of this disciple whom (Yahushua) loved because it was ELAZAR (Lazarus), whom Yahushua had raised from the dead.  One clue related to the above is given at Mt. 16:27,28, where Yahushua speaks of the time of His return, then mentions something very curious:

“For the Son of Adam is going to come in the esteem of His Father with His messengers, and then He shall reward each according to his works.  Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death at all until they see the Son of Adam coming in His reign.”

Could it be that Yahushua was alluding to the disciple whom (Yahushua) loved in this passage?  Perhaps so, given the discussion we've just seen taking place between Yahushua and Kepha, recorded by the disciple whom (Yahushua) loved.

"Therefore this word went out among the brothers that this taught one would not die." - 21:23. 

The disciple whom (Yahushua) loved went on to clarify that Yahushua didn't say he wouldn't die, but rather said "If I wish him to remain until I come, what is that to you?"  So, by implication he will die eventually - that is appointed for all men . . . but something special seems to be arranged for the disciple whom (Yahushua) loved !

Who is this disciple whom (Yahushua) loved?  Most authorities accept it to be the traditional "JOHN".  But in the "Gospel" of "JOHN" there is not a single indication that the writer is named JOHN, but rather he identifies himself as "the disciple whom (Yahushua) loved".  His name may well have been Yahuchanon/Yohanon; some of the talmidim had more than one name.  Shaul and Paul (Acts 13:9), John, also called Mark (Acts 12:25), Even "Kepha" was also called Simon, and Peter (Mk. 3:16).  
  
John 13:23, 21:7, & 21:20 all refer to the disciple whom (Yahushua) loved.  The "Lazarus" in the record of Luke is about the death of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus.  The "raising of Lazarus" is ONLY mentioned in the record of "John", and in fact may be the record of HIS OWN RESURRECTION FROM THE GRAVE.

Let's investigate further who it was that Yahushua loved so much that everyone knew about it.  He obviously had grown close to a particular family of two sisters and a brother that lived in Bethany, and had probably been close to them most of His life.  Their names were Miryam, Martha, and ELAZAR (Lazarus).  Let's read about them, and how THEY dealt with DEATH:

"Now a man named Lazarus (ELAZAR) was sick.  He was from Bethany, the village of Miryam and her sister Martha.  This Miryam, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the (Master) and wiped His feet with her hair.  So the sisters sent word to (Yahushua), "(Adonai), the one you love is sick."   John 11:1-3

The disciple whom (Yahushua) loved   =  ELAZAR?   (Who MAY HAVE also been known as "John"  -  we don't know).  But, we know that the Yahudim sought to KILL ELAZAR also, because many had come to believe in Yahushua because of his resurrection from the dead:

"Meanwhile a large crowd of (Yahudim) found out that (Yahushua) was there and came, not only because of Him but also to see (ELAZAR), whom He had raised from the dead.  So the chief priests made plans to kill (ELAZAR) as well, for on account of him many of the (Yahudim) were going over to (Yahushua) and putting their faith in Him. 

The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that (Yahushua) was on His way to Jerusalem.  They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, 

'Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the Name of (Yahuah)!  Blessed is the King of Israel!'"  John 12:9-13

The possibility exists that (ELAZAR), the disciple whom (Yahushua) loved, decided to use another name (Yahuchanon, "John"), because he was a hunted man, or he could have always had that name, and is the same fellow we've always thought he was.  So, if we "connect the dots", we may equally assume that this man was also ELAZAR.   The plot to KILL ELAZAR may have been on-going, yet unsuccessful.  Traditional records state that "JOHN" was boiled in oil 3 times, and finally EXILED to die of old age on Patmos.  But, perhaps "JOHN" cannot die of old-age!   On Patmos, he wrote the book of Revelation, and identified himself as Yochanon.  The two authors that speak of a "Lazarus" are Luke and "John".  Indications are that these are not the same "Lazarus", but two different men  -  one was resurrected by Yahushua, and the other was spoken of as being in the "bosom of Abraham".  The "bosom of Abraham" is apparently a very real place, since Yahushua referred to it.   It is most certainly not in "heaven", because Scripture tells us: