|
Except
where indicated otherwise, all Bible verses will be
quoted from the New Living Translation.
Some
people claim to believe the Bible but don’t think
heaven and hell are anything more than conditions here
on earth. But
before I begin this study, you might be one who is not
sure you can believe the Bible.
We must start there, for my proofs are from
that Book. If
this is you, I suggest you read my brochure called, The
Bible, the Book from God.
There
are actually three different places called heaven in
the Bible. The
first heaven is our sky and includes our solar
system. Gen. 1:1, “God created the heavens and the
earth.” Gen.
1:26, “…the
birds of the heavens.”
Psa. 19:1, “The heavens tell the glory of
God.” And
there are lots more like this.
The
second heaven is a spiritual realm, invisible,
where demon activity is.
Here are a few verses that prove this.
Eph.
2:2, “You
used to live just like the rest of the world, full of
sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the
air. He
is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who
refuse to obey God.” II Cor. 4:4, “…Satan, the god (small g) of this evil
world.” Eph.
6:12, “We
are not fighting against people made of flesh and
blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of
the unseen world, … against wicked spirits in the
heavenly realms.”
The
third heaven is where God lives, and Christians go
immediately when they die.
Matt.
6:9, “Our
Father who is in heaven.”
Phil. 1:23,
“I’m torn between two desires:
Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I want
to go and be with Christ.
That would be far better for me, but it is
better for you that I live.” II Cor. 5:8 KJV, “…
rather to be absent from the body and to be present
with the Lord.
Heb.
11 lists many great people of faith who have died. These are referred to in 12:1.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a
huge crowd of witnesses …”
(I imagine they are cheering us on!)
John 14: 2-3 (KJV)
“In my Father’s house are many mansions.
… I will come again … that where I am, there ye
may be also...”
Jesus
came from there and went back there.
John
6:38, “I have come down from heaven to do the will
of God who sent me, not to do what I want.”
John 16:28,
“Yes, I came from the Father into the world,
and I will leave the world and return to the
Father.” Acts 1:11.
The angels are talking to the men who watched
Jesus go up. They
said, “Jesus has been taken away from you into
heaven, and someday, just as you saw him go, he will
return!”
Now,
hell is more firmly denied.
How could a good God create such a place of
torment? Later, you will see that it wasn’t meant for us. God
doesn’t want anyone to go there, as seen in II Pet.
3:9. The
fact that it is up to us is covered better in my
brochure called The Sovereignty of God.
Jesus
used two words in His earthly ministry that have been
translated hell.
They are hades and gehenna.
Hades means the place of the dead, and
gehenna was a dump pit where they kept a fire burning
constantly.
Here
is a story Jesus told.
It’s found in Luke 16:19-31.
Let me summarize the first part.
A rich man lived in luxury, and a beggar lived
by his gate. They
both died and went to different places.
The beggar was carried by angels to Abraham’s side, and the rich man went to hades. Let’s pick it up now at verse 27.
“Then
the rich man said, ‘Please Father
Abraham, send him to my father’s home.
For I have five brothers, and I want him to
warn them about this place of torment so they won’t
have to come here when they die.’
“But
Abraham said, ‘Moses
and the prophets have warned them.
Your brothers can read their writings anytime
they want to.’
“The
rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham!
But if someone is sent to them from the dead,
then they will turn from their sins.’
“But
Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and
the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone
rises from the dead.’ ”
Notice
that the man had his vision, his emotions, his voice,
and he had his memory ~ and he was in torment.
Now, here are some other places where Jesus
spoke of hell. Matt.
5:22, 29, “… and if you curse someone, you are in
danger of the fires of hell.”
vs. 29, “… It is better for you to lose one
part of your body than for your whole body to be
thrown into hell.”
Matt.
10:28, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill
you. They
can only kill your body.
They cannot touch your soul.
Fear only God who can destroy both soul and
body in hell.”
Matt.
13:49-50, “That
is the way it will be at the end of the world (age).
The angels will come and separate the wicked
people from the godly, throwing the wicked into the
fire. There
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matt. 25:41, 46,
“And then the king will turn to those on the
left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into
the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
demons!” vs.
46, “And
they will go away into eternal punishment, but the
righteous will go into eternal life.”
These last two tell us that hell is forever,
and that it wasn’t made for people!
There
is an evidence for heaven and hell that is NOT in the
Bible.
It is the testimony of doctors who work in
emergency rooms.
They watch people die, and have seen that very
many die in one of two ways ~ either screaming in
terror, or blissfully happy and even saying they see a
loved one.
It’s made a believer out of one doctor who
has written a book about it.
Which
place will you go after you die?
It depends on which kingdom you belong to here.
And if you don’t make a choice, one will be
made for you ~ by Satan.
There are only two kingdoms.
Col. 1:13, “… God’s holy people, who live
in the light. For He has rescued us from the one who
rules the kingdom of darkness, and He has brought us
into the Kingdom of His dear Son.”
Also I John 5:19, Phil. 2:13-15, I
Pet. 2:9.
Becoming
God’s child:
John 1: 12, “But to all that believed and accepted Him, He gave the
right to become children of God.”
Pray
this:
“Jesus,
I believe you died for me and rose again. Forgive my
sins, and come into my life and be my Lord and Savior.
I turn my life over to you.
I thank You that I am saved!“
(Now you need “God wants to make your life
beautiful!”) |
