How Does the Bible Describe Hell?--Hell Series

             Among all the teachings of Christianity, perhaps none is more universally disliked than the teaching that those people who do not accept Jesus as their Savior will receive the penalty of everlasting suffering in Hell. This doctrine is disliked by people who don’t embrace it AND people who do! No one should enjoy the thought that this fate awaits those who do not accept Christ, because I don’t think God enjoys it either.

            Nevertheless, my emotional reaction to a doctrine should not be the criterion by which I decide whether or not a doctrine is true. That decision should only be made by assessing the teaching of the Bible. So today, we’re going to take a look at how the Bible describes Hell. Then, over the next two weeks, we’ll discuss some questions and objections that have been raised about the traditional interpretation of these passages.

            Now I should point out that just as with our series on Heaven, it seems that there is a temporary place where unbelieving people go today after they die that is not yet their final, eternal state. You may remember that I made a distinction between the Heaven where Jesus lives today and the New Heaven and New Earth. It seems that the Bible makes the same distinction about Hell, but the descriptions of the temporary Hell and the eternal Hell are so similar that for this series I’m going to discuss them together.

HOW DOES THE BIBLE DESCRIBE HELL?

            If you were to look up the word “hell” in the Bible, you might be surprised to learn that the person who had more to say about Hell than anyone else was the Lord Jesus himself! I’m sure this is why the doctrine of Hell has had such staying power in Christianity even though it is universally disliked. We cannot escape the fact that Jesus spoke frequently about Hell and used it as a dire warning to encourage people to confess their sins and embrace God. Much of what we’ll look at this morning, then, comes directly from Jesus.

1. It is described as a place of fire

            Specifically, the Bible gives us three images to describe Hell. First, Jesus described it by pointing to the area outside of Jerusalem where the city’s trash was burned up. In Matthew 5:21-22 for example, Jesus says [READ Matt. 5:21-22; p. 525]. The words “hell of fire” translate the word gehenna, which was a reference to the Valley of Hinnom just outside the city of Jerusalem.

            Way back in the days of King Ahaz, the king made that valley a place for the worship of idols. The king even offered some of his own children as burnt offerings to the idols! But when the godly King Josiah came to power, he put an end to idol worship in that place and decided to turn the Valley of Hinnom into a place of uncleanness and dishonor, so he turned it into the city dump for the city of Jerusalem. Fires were continually burning there, and the people used the area to dispose of everything from household trash to the bodies of dead animals and criminals.

            So the first picture we receive of Hell is that of a place of dishonor where fire is perpetually burning. The second picture is that of an oven. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable about a man who had an enemy, and one night, his enemy came and planted weeds in his wheat field. When harvest time came, the harvesters gathered up the weeds and burned them, and in Matthew 13:38, Jesus offers this explanation for his parable [READ Matt. 13:38-42; p. 531].

            The “fiery furnace” is a reference to something that we more commonly call a kiln or an oven, something that would be used to heat glass or pottery, or that would be used at home to bake bread. So once again, Jesus pictures Hell as a place of fire.

            The third picture is that of a lake of fire. That is how Hell is described in the book of Revelation. For example, Revelation 20:10 says that the Devil will be thrown into a “lake of fire,” and v. 15 talks about the final judgment of mankind and says, “if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

            Now, that’s an odd phrase because a lake obviously holds water, which does not burn. But the picture seems to be one of liquid fire—probably something like lava. To be in something like that means that you would be surrounded by it and engulfed in it.

These three pictures combine to give us a fearful image of Hell. With this image, its no surprise that…

2. It is described as a place of agony and torment

            We’ve probably all heard people say things like, “I’d just as soon go to Hell because all of my friends will be there and we’ll have a big party!” Well, the Bible gives us no reason to think that there will be any joy in Hell. Instead, it uses words like “agony,” “anguish,” and “torment” to describe what people there are experiencing.

            We can think first of all of the rich man in Jesus’ parable in Luke 16—why don’t you turn there with me? I’ll start reading from the beginning of the parable in 16:19 [READ Luke 16:19-24; p. 569]. If you know the rest of the parable, you’ll remember that the rich man did not want his brothers to join him in that place. He obviously had no thought that they could all throw a big party together. Instead, he knew that they would be in anguish, just as he was.

            Let’s also read a passage from Revelation 14. This passage talks about a person who is simply called “the beast.” If you remember the story from my sermon last week, this is the person whom I called Therion; he is a world leader who will come to power in the end times. Notice what this passage says about those who worship him [READ Rev. 14:9-11; p. 669].

            There is a very bleak and hopeless tone in this description. One factor that often helps us cope with suffering today is the assurance that it won’t last forever, but for these people it says, “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night.”

In this description we begin to see that Hell…

3. It is described as being everlasting (without end)

            This is probably the most controversial point today about the Bible’s description of Hell, but I think its one that is well-established by the Biblical evidence. I don’t say that with any degree of pleasure or satisfaction; I say it only because I think it is true.

            We’ve already seen that Rev. 14 describes some people who will endure punishment in Hell forever and ever. Let’s consider a few other verses. In Mark 9:43, Jesus says, “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.” That will be an important verse to remember in the coming weeks as we discuss that claim that has been made by some people that those who go to Hell are actually burned up by fire and quickly cease to exist. But if that’s true, it would seem that the fire of Hell would one day be quenched when it had nothing left to burn, but this verse says it is an “unquenchable” fire.

            In the book of Revelation again, Rev. 20:10 states that the final fate of the Devil will be to be “thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

            Finally, let’s consider a very significant verse in Matthew 25. In this chapter, Jesus is describing a judgment that will occur when He returns to set up His kingdom in this world. In this judgment, He separates the wicked from the righteous, and in Matthew 25:46, He says, “and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Notice that the same word—the word “eternal”—is used to describe the duration of punishment for the wicked and the duration of life for the righteous. So if eternal life is everlasting or unending for the righteous, then punishment for the wicked must also be everlasting or unending, because the same word is used in the same sentence to describe both. This observation will be important to remember in the coming weeks as we consider various claims that the punishment of Hell is not unending, but this verse describes two settled, final states in which people will find themselves—either a final state of punishment or a final state of life.

4. It is said to be ruled by God, not Satan

            It is very common for people to think that Satan is the ruler of Hell, and that people who go there are given to him to be tortured by him and his demons. A few years ago, I heard the testimony of a man who claimed that God allowed him to visit Hell in order to see it and warn people about it. I immediately began to doubt his story when he claimed that he saw people in Hell being tortured by demons, because the Bible does not give us that idea at all.

            Rather than being in charge of Hell, Satan and his demons will receive punishment in Hell. Let me again read Revelation 20:10, which states that the Devil will be “thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” This is Satan’s fate! He will not spend eternity inflicting punishment on others; rather, he will endure punishment as his judgment from God.

            Earlier, we also read from Matthew 25, and v. 41 of that chapter states that Hell was created with the Devil in mind. In that verse, the Lord Jesus says to the wicked whom He has judged, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Those angels are the same beings who are elsewhere called “demons.”

            This verse points out the greatest tragedy of all for men and women who end up in Hell—it was not created for us! We as humans did not—and do not—have to end up there. But through our sin, we have joined Satan’s rebellion against God, and thus we are in danger of receiving the same fate. As Revelation 20:15 warns us, if anyone’s name is not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

            So how do we come to have our name written in that book? Simply by accepting the pardon that God offers to us through the Lord Jesus Christ—the gift of eternal life. Through our sins, we have all broken God’s laws, and we deserved punishment from Him, but because God loves us, He sent His own Son to receive our punishment as our substitute, and He did just that in His death on the cross. Then, God raised Him from the grave to declare to all men that the punishment had been served—the price had been paid—and now we can receive a pardon from God if we will renounce our rebellion against Him and accept the Lord Jesus by faith as our Savior.

            Hell is not meant for you, my friends, and you can escape its danger today by accepting Christ as your Savior.

The Story of the World--An Allegory of God's Reign

[Note: This sermon was written to tell the story of the Bible--and consequently, the story of the world--in a true story format. My desire is that it would give you the "big picture" understanding of what the story of Scripture is all about.]

            This is the story of a king—a great king. In fact, he is The Great King-Over-All, the one who created all that you see and all that you don’t see. The Great King-Over-All ruled over his creation with his son, Prince Immanuel, and the Great Comforter, who shared one spirit with the King. The King also created for himself a royal court of messengers and ministers to live in his presence.

            Now the King was also a kind, gracious, and generous king, and he desired to create servants to whom he would entrust the care of part of his kingdom, so he created human beings. He placed them in a part of his kingdom called Eretz, which he had made especially for them, and said, “You shall serve under me as rulers over this part of my kingdom. Care for it, enjoy it, and make it produce all the beauty that I have placed within it.”

            So men and women lived in Eretz, and they saw that it was just as pleasant as The Great King-Over-All had said. But The Great King knew that if the men and women were to rule well, they would have to learn to trust him completely, so he gave them a test. “You may eat freely from any of the trees around you,” he said, “but you must not eat from The Sacred Tree, under penalty of death.”

            The test would serve The Great King’s servants well—for a while. But trouble was brewing in the royal court. A rebellion had been launched, led by The Prime Minister himself. In his pride and jealousy, the prime minister desired The Great King’s throne for himself, and he convinced a portion of the royal court to join him in his rebellion. His attempt was not successful, but the prime minister was not one to give up easily. He began to look for another opportunity to gain power, and he saw Eretz as a place where he could do it.

            So one day, the prime minister disguised himself and travelled to Eretz. With calculated cunning, he turned humanity’s attention toward The Sacred Tree and convinced them that The Great King did not, in fact, have their best interests in mind. Instead, he told them, The Great King was selfish and had deceived them, and if they would eat the fruit of the tree, they would come to know the truth as he had.

            But as the humans would later be told, the Prime Minister was the father of lies, and his deception became their doom. They ate from The Sacred Tree, and soon after they did, they heard their sentence from The Great King. “Death,” he said. “I cannot tolerate treason in my kingdom, so your lives in this beautiful place will no longer last forever, because you have rebelled against me.” So The Great King cast humanity out of the Garden of Fellowship, where he used to come and meet with them, and they were cursed to live out the rest of their days in Eretz not as lords and ladies, but as wanderers and vagabonds. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister took control of Eretz as a stronghold for his rebellion—not openly, but quietly, with continued deception.

            You must remember, though, that The Great King-Over-All was a kind, gracious, and generous king. As he looked on the pitiful condition of his servants, the humans, he was moved with compassion toward them, and he decided to act. They could not escape death, because it was already doing its work in their bodies, but they would not have to remain estranged from him forever. The Great King would see to it that they could be reconciled to him so that one day, they could rule over Eretz as he had always intended.

            So The Great King went to work to carry out his plan, but it was not the kind of plan you might expect. The kings we know among the humans might have put on a great display of power, but The Great King went to work in a far more subtle way. He went to work not through an army, but through a family.

            Among the humans, there was a man named Emmett. One day, The Great King-Over-All spoke to Emmett and said, “I am going to bless your family, Emmett, so much so that when the people of Eretz want to bless each other, they will say, ‘May your family be like the family of Emmett!’” I will give you many descendants, and I will give them a land to call their own. If anyone curses your family, I will curse them; and if anyone blesses your family, I will bless them.”

            Though Emmett could hardly comprehend what he had been told, in his heart he believed that The Great King would keep his promise, and that’s exactly what he did! He was faithful to keep his promise, though Emmett’s family was not always faithful to obey him. At times, The Great King led them through adversity to turn them back to obedience, and little by little, he told them more about his plan for Eretz.

            Many years after Emmett died, his family had settled into the land that The Great King-Over-All gave to them, and through his blessing they became a great nation with a mighty king named King Rowan the Brave. King Rowan had been just a boy when The Great King took note of him, because he had a heart like Emmett and a will to obey. One day, as King Rowan considered a monument that he could build to The Great King-Over-All, The Great King spoke to him and said, “Rowan, I have made you a mighty king, and I’ve given you peace on all sides of your kingdom. But one day, I will make one of your descendants even greater than you, and he will be king over all of Eretz.”

            The Great King repeated this promise many times to the family of Emmett and the sons of Rowan, but the truth behind it was far greater than they could imagine. This promised king would not be just an ordinary man—he would be The Great King’s own son, Prince Immanuel! The Prince would be born into the human race to reclaim the role that humanity had lost at The Sacred Tree and to put an end to The Prime Minister’s rebellion once and for all.

            Many years after King Rowan died, when The Great King-Over-All was ready to enact his plan, he took notice of a young girl named Doule, who had a heart like Emmett and a will to obey. One day, he sent a messenger to her from his royal court, who said, “Doule, you have found favor with The Great King-Over-All. Though you have no husband, he will cause you to have a son. Your son will be the promised king. He will reign on the throne of Rowan, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

            Doule was greatly surprised to hear this news, but nine months later, her son arrived, just as the messenger had said. Prince Immanuel had been born as a human. The Prince grew, and though he was the son of The Great King-Over-All, you would not have known it from his surroundings. His life had humble beginnings, and humility would mark his life all his days.

            When Prince Immanuel grew into a man, he began to announce that the time had come—The Great King would take back Eretz for himself. His kingdom would once again rule that land, but if the humans wanted a pardon from The Great King, they would have to renounce their own rebellion against him. Though Immanuel displayed The Great King’s goodwill and compassion by healing many who were sick, his message was not warmly welcomed by all.

            The Prime Minister had long been at work through his deceptions to solidify his rebellion in the hearts of mankind, and he had succeeded in particular with the leaders of Emmett’s family—the very ones who had received the promises from The Great King-Over-All! In their anger over The Prince’s accusation of rebellion, they accused him of being an agent of The Prime Minister, and they had him put to death.

            What had become of The Great King’s plan? Did The Prime Minister’s rebellion succeed after all? Though it may have seemed that way to some, in reality, The Great King’s plan was unfolding exactly as he had laid it out! In the law of his kingdom, humanity’s treason required that a sacrifice be made—one without blemish. But no animal could be sacrificed for all of their sins, and the humans could not sacrifice themselves because they were rebellious. But the Prince’s death was an acceptable substitute for the humans. Now, The Great King’s justice was fully satisfied, and he could offer a pardon to mankind on the basis of Immanuel’s sacrifice, so that men and women could be fully reunited with him.

            The Great King had used The Prime Minister’s own work against him, and to prove it once and for all, he raised Immanuel from the dead to spread the good news. Immanuel gathered his closest friends and said to them, “Take the news far and wide, to every corner of Eretz! The laws of The Great King are fully satisfied, and now he offers men and women a pardon once again. I am leaving for a time, but I will return to reign upon the throne of Rowan over all of Eretz. Those who accept the pardon from The Great King will be adopted into his family, and my new brothers and sisters will join me in my kingdom. But those who do not accept the pardon will pay for their treason themselves. Tell them!”

            And that’s just what Immanuel’s friends did! They began to spread the news far and wide, but as you can imagine, The Prime Minister was furious when he saw that his control over Eretz was hanging in the balance. So, he re-doubled his efforts at deception and began to lead men and women to oppose the new children of The Great King—those who had accepted his pardon. But he could not keep them from spreading The Prince’s message, for Immanuel had told them, “Stay faithful to me, and I will reward you when I return.”

            So The Prime Minister saw that the time had come to raise the stakes of his rebellion. He would have to lower his mask of deception somewhat to give the humans a clear choice between Prince Immanuel and another man whom The Prime Minister would empower. This bold step would bring The Prime Minister’s rebellion to its peak and force the humans to declare their loyalty.

            The Great King-Over-All knew that Eretz was about to become the stage for the final battle between himself and The Prime Minister. This knowledge grieved his heart, for he knew that he would have to bring severe opposition against The Prime Minister and the man who would do The Prime Minister’s bidding. The people of Eretz would endure The Great King’s opposition as well, so out of love for his adopted children, The Great King took them out of Eretz to his own palace before the showdown began.

            When The Prime Minister saw The Great King’s actions, he knew the time had come to advance his plan. So The Prime Minister empowered a man named Therion and made him a great ruler among the humans. Therion offered the people of Eretz a drastic choice—they could receive a mark of loyalty to him on their bodies, or they would be cast out of society and left to die. Many did receive Therion’s mark, but some declared that their hearts were for Immanuel. Many people from the family of Emmett decided to accept The Great King’s pardon through Immanuel, but they faced bitter retribution from Therion.

            When Therion saw their opposition to him, he gathered his armies together to wipe out the family of Emmett once and for all. So he made war against them, but as he circled his armies to make the decisive blow, the sky itself opened, and there, coming on the clouds of heaven, was Prince Immanuel! He was riding on a white horse, and the armies of The Great King were with him. His eyes were like a flaming fire, and his robe was dipped in blood.

            With Immanuel’s battle cry ringing in their ears, the armies of Therion were annihilated, and the family of Emmett received with joy their promised king, Prince Immanuel, the heir of King Rowan the Brave. Immanuel ordered The Prime Minister to be bound and imprisoned, so that he could deceive the people of Eretz no more. And The Prince became king over all Eretz, and he selected his brothers and sisters—the adopted children of The Great King—to be his governors.

            The Great King-Over-All took delight in the reign of The Prince and in the land of Eretz, but there was just one problem—the land still bore some of the marks and memories of The Prime Minister’s rebellion. So The Great King decided that he would remake the land of Eretz, to renew it and restore it to the glory that he had planned for it all along, so that death would be no more, neither would there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain.

            And that’s just what The Great King did! He remade Eretz for his servants, the humans, but now, they were no longer just his servants—they were his children! The Great King established his palace among them in the land of Eretz, much to their delight. And there, in the New Eretz, the dream you have heard of so many times before finally became a reality—they all lived happily ever after! 

Life in the Present Heaven--Heaven Series

            People sometimes say the strangest things at funerals. Most of the time we don’t know what to say, but we want to make conversation, so we blurt out just about anything. For example, if the deceased person was a baseball fan, we might say something like, “Well, I guess the Lord needed a new third baseman for the big game coming up against the angels.” Or if its raining at the graveside service, we might say, “It looks like ol’ Billy Bob is crying right along with us from Heaven.”

            By and large, these statements are pretty innocent, and we probably don’t even believe most of the stuff like this that we say, but if something gets repeated enough times, eventually people start to think its true—we hear a claim 10 or 15 times and we assume that someone else has checked it out and verified it, so we believe it.

            I think some of our beliefs about the present Heaven have been formed this way. After all, how many of us have actually sat down and compared our beliefs about Heaven to what the Bible says? As I mentioned several weeks ago, even in my seminary training, we didn’t spend much time talking about Heaven, so this series represents the first time that I have given focused attention to the subject of Heaven.

            I say this to prepare you for what we will discuss today, because your idea of Heaven may be significantly challenged as we look at a scene from the book of Revelation. Please turn with me to Revelation 6:9-11. In this passage, we are reading about the opening of a scroll that was brought before the Lord in Heaven. This scroll has seven seals on it, and as each seal is opened, various events happen either in Heaven or on Earth. When the fifth seal is opened, we read this [READ Rev. 6:9-11].

            We’re going to examine this passage today to see what these people in Heaven are experiencing. It could be the case that our loved ones are experiencing similar things, and thus that we will experience similar things in the present Heaven. There is a question that remains about whether this passage is typical of the experience for all people in Heaven. I’m going to cautiously assume that it is, so I’ll be speaking from that perspective this morning.

Let’s discuss some observations we can make about this passage…

1. THEY REMEMBER DETAILS FROM THEIR LIVES ON EARTH

            These people remember certain things that happened to them in this life. But notice that the detail they remember is an unpleasant one—they remember that they were murdered for their faith. This is a very challenging observation because we commonly assume that in Heaven, we will not remember anything unpleasant that happened to us in this life, but these verses could suggest otherwise.

            It is very important to remember, however, that these martyrs were comforted immediately after they asked their question. Notice also what chapter 7 has to say about some believers who will die during the time of the Tribulation [READ 7:15-17]. These verses clearly paint of picture of rest, peace, and comfort. So its certainly not necessary for us to think of Heaven as a place where unhappiness could linger, but we may need to adjust our assumption that we will not remember anything unpleasant.

            If that is true, I think its important to note that it will not be true forever. After John sees his first glimpse of the New Heaven and New Earth in Revelation 21:1, he is clearly told in v. 4 that there will be no more mourning, crying, or pain. Thus, there will absolutely be a time when we will never, ever experience grief ever again. But for those who are in Heaven today, even though there is incredible comfort, they probably still have a sense that all things have not yet been made right, and that even they have greater things to look forward to.

2. THEY KNOW DETAILS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON EARTH.

            Specifically, these martyrs know that their murderers have not yet faced vengeance from God. A question comes up at this point that we simply may not be able to answer, and it is this—how did they know this detail? Could they see for themselves what was happening on Earth, or did God give them some information about it? Or here’s a third option—perhaps they could simply observe God’s activity, and from that they could piece together information about the situation on Earth.

            I’m afraid I don’t have a definite answer for this question. I am inclined to think it’s a very real possibility that our loved ones in Heaven know details about what’s going on in our lives. I am very hesitant, however, to embrace the idea that our loved ones are always watching over us like something of a guardian angel. I cannot encourage you to embrace that idea, but what about the thought of asking God to pass along a message to our loved ones? I see no reason why that would be a bad thing. After all, it is simply a request, and God can answer it however He chooses.

3. THEY HAVE THE FREEDOM TO ASK GOD A QUESTION

            This kind of communication shows us that these people have access to God. They can speak to Him and are free to ask Him a question. This observation is a great reminder of the gracious God whom we serve. He desires a relationship with us and makes Himself accessible to us.

            Notice, however, that the martyrs did not receive the exact answer that they may have been looking for. This is also an important reminder that God is not accountable to us. He does not have to answer to us for His actions or His plans, so while we are free to ask Him questions—and may have an even greater freedom to do so in Heaven—we should always remember who’s in charge.

            We often assume that in Heaven, we will get a complete explanation for everything that God allowed in our lives—especially the painful experiences. Just keep in mind that God does not owe us an explanation of these things. I think because He is gracious, He will tell us many things—and we will apparently have the freedom to ask—but just remember that God is not accountable to us; we are accountable to Him.

The fact that these martyrs asked a question reveals another detail…

4. THEY DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT GOD’S ACTIVITIES

            To put this another way, there will be a process of learning in Heaven. It seems common for people to assume that once we enter Heaven, we will immediately have all the knowledge that we will ever have. Sometimes I’ve heard people respond to questions they can’t answer by saying, “Ask me again 3 seconds after I die; then I’ll be able to tell you,” but it doesn’t seem correct to think that knowledge will be downloaded into our mind after we die.

            These martyrs asked a question, which clearly tells us that they did not know everything. There was still information that they could learn, so it seems that we will have the need and the opportunity to learn in Heaven. To a nerd like me, that sounds fantastic! Imagine the thrill of interacting with God and learning new things from Him! Imagine meeting the other people who will be there and learning about their lives and swapping stories about what God did in your life. When I say “learning,” don’t think of a stuffy classroom and tests; think about catching up at a reunion.

5. THEY SEEM TO EXPERIENCE A PASSING OF TIME

            In their question, these martyrs say, “how long before you will judge and avenge our blood?” They clearly understand that time has passed since their deaths, and to them it feels like they’ve been waiting a long time for justice. Notice also that in God’s reply, He tells them to “rest a little longer,” which is also a word that expresses time.

            We discussed this idea a few weeks ago as well. I am quite convinced that we will experience a passing of time in Heaven, but remember that it will be time without end. We’ll never feel like we’re running out of time or that we’re pressed for time or that we don’t have enough time. We will live with one moment coming after another, but every new moment will not represent the loss of opportunities, just another opportunity from a never-ending supply of them.

6. THEY SEEM TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PHYSICAL BODY

            I’m not entirely sure about this observation, but it is a possible conclusion you could draw from the fact that these martyrs are given white robes—a piece of clothing. What’s the use of clothing if you don’t have a body? This gift leads me to think that they do have some kind of physical body. Now, surely it is true that these robes have a symbolic meaning, but just because something is symbolic does not mean it can’t be a real object. Take my wedding ring, for instance. It is symbolic of my wife’s love for me and the vow that she made on our wedding day, but its still a real, physical object.

            Now you may be thinking, “Wait a minute, Tim. In v. 9, John writes, ‘I saw the under the altar the souls of those who had been slain.’” It sounds as though John saw souls without bodies—and that may be exactly what he is saying. But depending on the context, this Greek word can refer to just the soul or the entire person. So John may be saying, “I saw the lives of those who had been slain.”

            This truly is a debatable question—whether or not we receive some kind of temporary body when we go to Heaven. As I mentioned last week, I’m inclined to think that the present Heaven is a physical place, so I’m also inclined to think that we will have a temporary physical body. It would only be temporary, however, because God is going to resurrect the body that lies in the grave. I don’t know if this is a vital question, but its certainly a legitimate question and an interesting one.

7. THEY SEEM TO HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF GOD’S CHARACTER.

            In particular, I think these people have a greater understanding of the fact that God is justified to punish those who oppose Him. I think we struggle a bit in this life with the idea of God punishing people because it seems to go against His love, but these people in Heaven have no problem with the idea. They seem almost shocked that God has not yet carried out vengeance.

            Notice how they address the Lord—“O Sovereign Lord, holy and true.” They’re saying, “God, we know you’re sovereign, so you have all the power you need to act. We know you’re holy, so you can’t tolerate sin. We know you’re true, so you will keep your promise to carry out justice. So how can it be that you haven’t done it yet? Notice also, in v. 11, that God knows that more of His children will die for their faith before He puts an end to it. He knows this, so how can he delay?

            I think this passage reminds us again about the extreme patience and mercy of our God. As 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness.” In other words, it may appear to us that God is dragging His feet, but the verse goes on to say that He “is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

God offers time to repent even to those who persecute His children. We may wish He didn’t, but be careful what you wish for! If God did not allow people time to repent, I would be lost, and so would you! If God were not patient, no one would be saved, but what a testimony to God’s mercy that He allows people time to repent.

My friends, if you have never repented of your sins—if you have never acknowledge them for what they are, rebellion against God—then do not throw away God’s mercy and patience. Acknowledge your sinfulness to God today and accept by faith the payment that Jesus has made for your sins through His death and resurrection, and you, too, will be saved.

The Present Heaven--Heaven Series

            Woody Allen once said, “I’m not afraid to die—I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” I think we can all agree with that thought. I’ve often teased my wife by telling her that when I die, I want to leave behind a crater where I was standing, but in all honesty, I think I agree with Woody Allen.

            Its understandable that we don’t like to think about the moment when we will die, but for children of God, the thought of what comes after death is not frightening, but fascinating. We live with the promise that we will go to Heaven to live with God after we die. In Philippians 1, the Apostle Paul said that this was a “far better” option than remaining in this life, even if remaining here meant continued service for God.

            So for us, death is merely an unpleasant moment in an otherwise glorious journey to a better place. But what do we know from Scripture about this “better place?” What do we know about the present Heaven—the Heaven where Jesus and our loved ones live today? So far in our study of Heaven, we’ve been focused on the New Heaven and New Earth that is described at the end of Revelation—the place that is said to be the final dwelling place of God and man. Today, we are going to turn our focus toward the Heaven where Jesus lives today, and we will see what the Bible has to teach us about it.

ARE THERE ANY “STOPPING POINTS” FOR US BETWEEN EARTH AND HEAVEN?

            Some groups within the broad label of Christianity teach that at death, our soul does not go immediately from Earth to Heaven. For example, you may be familiar with the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, which is said to be a place of suffering where people who are on their way to Heaven go when they die to finish paying for their “less serious” sins.

            To put it simply, the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory has no biblical basis whatsoever. It comes from Catholic tradition and from books that the Catholic Church added to the Bible in the 1500’s in order to combat allegations raised by Martin Luther and others. It is a direct contradiction of the biblical truth that our sins are paid for by Christ in full [READ Colossians 2:13-14; p. 638].

            We can also think of the thief on the cross who asked Jesus to remember him as they were both dying. If its true that most people have minor sins that they must finish paying for, then we could assume that the thief did as well. Yet Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” There’s no reason to think that Jesus was telling him his time in Purgatory would just be unusually short—he was assuring the man that he would go right away to be with the Lord.

            If you have repented of your sins by confessing to God that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, and if you have placed your faith in Christ’s death and resurrection to provide that forgiveness for you, there is no further payment for your sins that is necessary! Besides, we don’t even have a “currency” that God would accept. Trying to pay for your own sins would be like walking into Wal-Mart and trying to pay in Euros! Only Jesus can pay for our sins, and He has paid for them in full. Thus, there is no need for any place like Purgatory.

            Other groups have promoted an idea called “soul sleep,” which is the idea that the soul goes unconscious at death and does not “wake up” until God resurrects your body out of the grave. This teaching is a misunderstanding of the biblical comparison between death and sleep. Biblically, when you die, your body becomes inactive, but your soul does not. Your soul goes to be with the Lord and is fully conscious at all times.

            In 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Paul writes these words: “We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Paul mentions only two possibilities—either I am at home in the body, or I am at home with the Lord. That would mean that when I die, my soul goes immediately to be with the Lord—without losing consciousness and without going somewhere else along the way.

IS THE PRESENT HEAVEN A PHYSICAL PLACE?

            In other words, if you could somehow go there right now, would you be able to touch things, smell things, and maybe even taste things? I think the answer must be “yes,” Heaven is a physical place. I say this for a couple of reasons. First, when Jesus returned to Heaven after His resurrection, He went there in His physical body. We know His resurrected body had flesh and bones, and Jesus went to Heaven in that body, so Heaven must be a place that is suitable for a physical body.

            Also, in the Old Testament, we read about two men who were taken to Heaven in their physical body before they even died. You may remember the story about Elijah in 2 Kings 2, how a fiery chariot appeared and took him into Heaven. There was also a man named Enoch in the book of Genesis who was apparently taken to Heaven permanently, without dying. Their stories also show that Heaven must be a place that is suitable for a physical body.

            Second, it seems that at least some of the objects in our world are copies of objects that exist in Heaven. Let me ask—have you ever read in the Old Testament about the tent where God met with Moses and wondered why God gave him such detailed instructions about how to build it? He gave him precise measurements and told him exactly how to decorate it. It seems that the Lord did that because that sacred place—which was called “the Tabernacle”—may have been a copy of a place that exists in Heaven. In Hebrews 8:5, the author of Hebrews writes about the priests of the Old Testament, and he states, “They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, ‘See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.’”

            That verse may not require the conclusion that there is an exact, physical place like the Tabernacle in Heaven, but it could strongly suggest it. Either way, we can think again about the body of Jesus and conclude that Heaven must be the kind of place that can accommodate a physical body, so it would seem that it is a physical place.

This raises another question for us…

WHERE IS HEAVEN?

            Is it some place in our universe, like a far-away planet, or is it outside of our universe? There seem to be three basic options for an answer. The first option is that it is not in our universe. In other words, if we could explore every corner of outer space, we would never find Heaven, because it is not within our universe. The second option is that it is a specific place within our universe. In other words, if we could explore every corner of outer space, we would be able to find Heaven somewhere.

            The third option is that Heaven permeates our universe—that it is all around us, but we just can’t see it unless God allows us to. The Bible does teach that God is always with us, and apparently we are always accompanied by angels as well, so some have said that perhaps Heaven is all around us, too.

            I am more inclined to believe that Heaven is a specific place within our universe. The Bible always portrays Heaven as being “up” from the Earth, which gives us the impression that its “up there somewhere.” For example, Jesus ascended into Heaven after His resurrection; Elijah was taken “up” by the fiery chariot. Of course, “up” is undoubtedly just a general description as well. Since the Earth is round, going “up” from Antarctica would take you in a different direction than if you went “up” from Canada!

So, its tough to say exactly where Heaven is, but fortunately, we can say much more about what its like—which is the most important detail, anyway!

WHAT IS THE PRESENT HEAVEN LIKE?

            In a few passages, the New Testament uses the word “Paradise” as a title for Heaven. For example, when the thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember him as they were both dying, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise (Luke 23:43).” This word is an ancient Persian word that refers to an enclosed garden. Think of a nature sanctuary—a place of tremendous natural beauty that is safe and protected. That’s the picture that the word conveys.

            This word was also used in translations of the Old Testament to refer to the Garden of Eden, so it could be that thinking about the Garden of Eden will give us a very accurate picture of Heaven. Genesis 2 says Eden contained “every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food (Gen. 2:9).” There was also a river running through it, and animals were there, and best of all, it was a place that God and man enjoyed together.

            There is also a possibility that the New Jerusalem we recently read about in Revelation is actually the Heaven where Jesus lives today. Connect these dots with me—the present Heaven is referred to as Paradise, and in Rev. 2:7, Jesus says that the tree of life is in paradise. Then, when we get to Revelation 22 and read about the city called the New Jerusalem, we find that the tree of life is there. So if the tree of life is in Paradise, and the tree of life is in the New Jerusalem, it could be that Paradise and the New Jerusalem are the same place! (This is starting to feel like algebra class all over again—if a=b and b=c, then a=c).

            I think there’s a very good possibility that this is true. Remember, in Revelation 21, John said that he saw the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven to settle on the New Earth, and it was called, “the dwelling place of God (Rev. 21:3).” So if you want an accurate picture of the present Heaven, I think you could picture the Garden of Eden and the city called the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21-22. You might remember that Revelation 22 described a beautiful, park-like area in the middle of the New Jerusalem, so even there we have these two images combined.

            In the words of Paul, this certainly does sound like a “far better” place, and if you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you don’t need to fear that you don’t know the way to get there. In John 14, as Jesus was telling His disciples that He would soon be leaving this world, his disciple, Thomas, became concerned and said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” And Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:5-6).”

            Getting to Heaven is not about knowing a path; its about knowing a person—the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came to die in our place because have rebelled against God through our sin. He paid the penalty for our treason on the cross, but then He rose from the grave to give us the offer of forgiveness and eternal life with Him. You can accept that offer today by confessing your sinful rebellion against God and believing that His Son, our Lord Jesus, has paid for your sins so that you can be forgiven. Then, you can live in unity with God today and carry out His purpose for your life, and you can have the assurance that you will live with Him when you die.

            But remember, my friends, Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” There is no other way to find forgiveness; no other way to be reunited with God; no other way to gain entrance into Heaven. You must accept Christ as your Savior, and I urge you to do so today!