If this was a recorded event having actually occured in Bosomville such a central witness as the rich man was should also have a name.
I think it is only fair we demand to know what the rich man’s name was...and maybe even his 5 brothers...scripture is good at documenting protagonists and such...of actual events...
And add to that who was the reporter who witnessed this event in Bosomville and came back with the story?
Surely they could have remembered to include the rich man’s name too...
When I am deciding doctrine for myself, I start with concrete scriptures, and only look at "parables" and other iffy stories last. "Thou shalt not surely die" is in the Bible. But who spoke it? A snake, inspired by Satan. Likewise the Samuel story. It is most likely the medium speaking. And the story/parable of Lazarus? Where do the definite scriptures like the following fit into the Lazarus parable?
Ecc 9:5
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Psa 115:17
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
All the references to the dead being asleep, Daniel told to wait and he would arise, Job saying he would wait till his change came etc.
Then I ask how these fit into the Lazarus story. BTW most folks when they read DEFINITE scriptures like the dead going down into silence, switch their brain to "Bibleread" mode, meaning probably has some hidden meaning. They should be asking "What if this is literal?"
So lets see where asleep, waiting, silence etc. could fit into the Lazarus story. And I have found where it does.
There is a time after death when the dead sleep/rest. They are still with the Lord. Nothing is lost, and their next waking moment will be like when we wake up and 9 hours of sleep have passed.
The rich man has woken up on earth, in the end times when God destroys the wicked.
It is obvious that this is the first time he is speaking to Abraham since he is discussing what is on his heart for the first time, viz. his brothers. He obviously has not asked or discussed this question before with Ab. Unless the rick man is like way-to-go who keeps asking the same question over and over, and as many times as you answer him, he forgets your past answer. That is the only other possibility. The rich man is like way-to-go and is in a loop of endless asking and forgetting, asking and.... I feel like I am in hell
So the rich man wakes up on earth before it is finally cauterised by the lake of fire/burning lava, which he sees approaching. The rich man has mental stress like I experienced before speaking at that funeral which completely dried out my mouth, and a small bit of water loosened my tongue which was sticking to my mouth. I also appreciate the dryness of mouth my Saviour must have experienced on the cross, and where the Devil offers Him vinegar to test Him (since He said He would no more eat the fruit of the vine).
The rich man gets his answer. Abraham is not as patient as you Clefty, to keep repeating the answer to way-to-go. Abraham tells the rich man, and leaves. All that is left to happen is for the molten lava to roll over the rich man (as Peter said, the elements will melt together) before the New Heaven and earth, and New Jerusalem descends down from Heaven.
So call most of Luke 16 real and a snapshot at the end when all is about to be burnt up.
I can already hear way-to-go whining "But there seemed to be no gap between Luke 16:22 the rich man dying, and Luke 16:23 the rich man being in hell and lifting up his eyes. My answer to way-to-go is, that is how death works Sparky. Same way as sleep duh. Time passes and you are unaware of it. Way-to-go has slept, so I refuse to explain time passing in sleep to him. And he has read the many scriptures saying dead is like sleep, including when Jesus' friend Lazarus slept and Christ called Lazarus' death "sleep". How close must one place the dots together, before some folks get to join them correctly?