"And these will go
away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life".
Notice that the duration of the lost in Hell
is exactly the same as the duration of the saved in Heaven, "forever and
ever". It is hard for us as mortals to grasp how long eternity
will be, but after we have been there a billion years, eternity will have
just begun.
Hell We do not like to think
about eternal punishment. For a few moments let us consider what the Lord
says about eternal punishment and then we will turn our attention to a
more pleasant thought, heaven. Our Lord in describing how horrible that
hell will be for the many who will end up going there, says in
Matthew 13:42, "And
will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and
gnashing of teeth". This definitely will be a horrible and terrible
place beyond description. Jesus says in Mark
9:45-46 concerning those who are lost, that they will be
"cast into hell, into the fire that shall never shall
be quenched: where their worm does not die, and the fire is not
quenched". There will be no reprieve or appeal to a higher court,
because we are being judged by the highest. The Lord is trying to get our
attention and to give us fair warning. He is pleading with us not to go
there, but we make the choice. The choice is ours. We will bear the
responsibility and the consequences.
In
Luke 16:24 Jesus is describing a man who went to
hell and is pleading, "Then he cried and said,
Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip
of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this
flame". How much relief, and how long would a drop of water last on
the tongue of those who are being tormented forever? It would not last
even one second. We must wake up and heed our Lord's warning!
The many who end up in eternal punishment will not be there
alone. They will have company. Revelation
20:10, "The devil, who deceived them,
was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false
prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and
ever". Not very good company to be in. Notice that the torment goes
on "day and night forever and ever".
There are many people who scoff at the idea of eternal
punishment, but they are scoffing at what God says. The fire will
burn forever and those who are lost will be there in it for eternity
whether they want to believe it or not. In eternity their scoffing
will quickly change to weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. We must
take what our Lord says in the Bible seriously. Hell is real! There
is no way for the horrors of hell to be adequately described in human
language. This is very serious!
We read in
Revelation 14:11,
"And the smoke of their torment ascends forever
and ever, and they have no rest day or night." But reading
further we see in Revelation 20:15,
"And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was
cast into the lake of fire". It is imperative that our
name be found in the Book of Life. Is your name in that book? Do we know
for sure, or are we making an assumption? It will be too late on the Day
of Judgment to find out that it is not there.
Heaven Now let us turn our
attention to something more pleasant, heaven. Our Lord says in
John 14:2-3, "In My
Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there
you may be also". Heaven will be a very wonderful place. For the
few who go there it will be beyond their wildest dreams and they will be
totally surprised and amazed. There is no way that the glories of Heaven
can be adequately described to us mortal beings. The only way will be to
see it.
Heaven will be the very opposite of eternal punishment.
Revelation 21:4 says,
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no
more pain, for the former things have passed away". There will be
no weeping, and no wailing, and no gnashing of teeth as will be happening
in eternal torment. But there will be nothing but joy, and peace, and
happiness, beyond description. What a wonderful place Heaven will be. But
again, the choice is ours. We cannot escape the consequences if we make
the wrong choice. We will not accidentally end up in Heaven. Heaven is a
prepared place for prepared people. Our Lord says in
Matthew 6:33, "But
seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness." Going to
Heaven has got to be our number one goal in this
life.
Questions Lesson
3 Eternity (click on the button
of the answer of your choice)
1) (Matthew 25:46) Those who are lost will go
into
Purgatory.
Annihilation.
Everlasting
punishment.
2)
All people will be placed into one of two places in eternity.
3) (Matthew 13:42) Eternal punishment is described
as
A furnace of fire.
Not very hot.
There will be no eternal
punishment.
4)
Eternal punishment will be horrible and beyond description.
5) (Mark 9:45-46) The fire of hell
Will never be lit.
Will soon go out.
Will never be
quenched.
6)
If we end up in eternal punishment we will be able to appeal our
sentence.
7) (Revelation 20:10) Eternal punishment will
last
1000 years.
A short period of time.
Forever and
ever.
8)
Satan will also be punished in the lake of fire and brimstone.
9) (Revelation 20:15) If we are not found in the Book of
Life
We will cease to exist.
We will be cast into the lake of
fire.
We will have another
chance.
10)
Even after death we can have our name added to the Book of Life.
11) (John 14:2-3) Heaven is described
as
Many mansions.
The earth made over.
A bad
place.
12)
Christ will be in Heaven with the few who are saved.
13) (Revelation 21:4) In Heaven there will
be
Sorrow and crying.
No sorrow or crying.
Pain and
suffering.