Tag: hell

Did Jesus Descend to Hell?

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The notion that Jesus went to Hell when He died stems primarily from the Apostles’ Creed, which states of Jesus that He “was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead.” It is vital to note that the Apostles’ Creed is not Scripture. It is a summary statement of core doctrine that was written in the second century. It was not written by the Apostles. In the creed’s earliest forms, the “descent into hell” clause is not included.

We must keep at the forefront of our minds what the Word of God says concerning the efficacy of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. His shed blood is what has freed us from our sin and made us kings and priests to God (Revelation 1:5), not some supposed suffering of Jesus in the throes of Hell. “In him we have redemption through his blood” (Ephesians 1:7). We must read the Bible both for what it says and for what it does not say. We are never instructed that our forgiveness and restored relationship with the Father has come by some torment of Jesus in the fires of Hell. We are consistently instructed that by His blood and death on the cross, we have been saved and set on the road of righteousness and Heaven. One of the most concise statements regarding where our sins were carried to the fullest extent of punishment is in 1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” Notice, again, the penalty for my rebellion against God was absorbed by Jesus during His work “on the tree” – not in the grave or in Hell.

In Scripture, we are presented with a statement the Apostle Peter makes in quoting a Psalm of David. Peter instructs us in Acts 2:31 that David “foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.” Sure enough, Psalm 16:10 declares, “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” [This is a prophecy with ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, as affirmed by Peter in the aforementioned sermon recorded in the book of Acts.]

Note that Psalm 16:10 speaks of the Messiah not being abandoned to “Sheol” in the English Standard Version, to “Hell” in the King James Version, to the “grave” in the New Living Translation, and to the “realm of the dead” in the New International Version. Was Jesus rescued from Hell? Or was He rescued from the grave? The best rendering here is Sheol, which is also how the New American Standard Bible and the New King James Version translate the original Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Sheol was a simple – yet mysterious – reference to the place of the dead. The word “Sheol” does not differentiate between the place of death for the wicked or for the righteous; it simply means “death.”

In the New Testament, “Sheol” becomes “Hades,” when referencing the place of the unsaved dead. In other words, the Greek of the New Testament begins to differentiate the destination of the dead, according to whether the person is righteous or not. Hades is the destination of the unsaved, and “Paradise” or “Abraham’s bosom” refers to the destination of the saved at death. We read of these two separate destinations in Luke 16:19-31. In reading the words of Jesus in this text, we see the stark contrast when it comes to the death of the righteous vs. the unrighteous.

When Jesus is on the cross and speaks to the repentant thief, he promises, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43). We find the exact same Greek word in Revelation 2:7, when referencing the tree of life that we shall one day partake of again in the New Heavens and New Earth, “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (See also Revelation 22:2). The Apostle Paul also uses the same Greek word for “Paradise” when he refers to the third heaven, the place of God’s presence, “And I know that this man was caught up into paradise” (2 Corinthians 12:4). Therefore, we rightfully conclude that when the Bible proclaims that Jesus was not “abandoned to Sheol,” that this does not mean that Jesus spent any time in Hell. Our Lord died; He visited the grave on our behalf. He went to the place of death, but God did not leave Him there! His body never corrupted; He rose again!

It is to be noted also that Jesus unequivocally stated that He was placing His spirit into the hands of His Father at the point of His death. (Luke 23:46) While His body stayed on the cross and then was deposited in the tomb, Christ went directly into the presence of His Father. In corroboration of the fact of Jesus going to the Father and not to Hell to finish being punished for our sin, we read in John 19:30 that the Son of God proclaimed at last on the cross, “It is finished.” Those same words are found written on papyri receipts for taxes, and the words mean, “Paid in full.” Jesus completed payment for our wickedness on the cross, where He died. Colossians 2:14 instructs, “God made us alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Our debt was nailed to the cross. It was not shed in Hell; it was nailed to the cross!

May I add that the finality of Hell in its eternal state, is the lake of fire. Just as the finality of Heaven in its eternal state, is the New Heavens and New Earth. No person has yet entered the final Hell. That place, said Jesus, “is prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) The antichrist and the false prophet will be the first two people deposited into the eternal lake of fire. Satan will follow. Then, at the Great White Throne Judgment, all of Hades and Death will vomit forth its contents, and the unsaved from all ages will receive final sentencing and go to Hell, the eternal lake of fire. (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10, 14, 15)

So then, Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. This is clear, straight from the mouth of Christ Jesus. Make no mistake, humans go there. However, it was always God’s intention to provide the way of escape from the torment of eternal Hell. That way is Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross. What the infinite Son of God did on finite hours on the cross could absorb all the sin of the world. Those who reject the work of infinite Jesus, will have to exist forever in a state of suffering, and still never be able to pay off the debt of sin, for we are finite beings.

Jesus was able to stand in between us and Hell. Our deposit in Hell never has to happen. Sinless Jesus stood in our place, paying the price for our sin, in the realm in which we currently live, so that we would never enter the realm of Hell, but rather live righteously in the presence of the Father. Humans end up in Hell by actively rejecting Jesus Christ and His work of salvation by His shed blood. He really died, and that was truly enough. He did not have to go to Hell – the place He created for Satan and the demons. His earthly and infinite payment was enough to blockade Hell from our destiny. Even greater, His work was enough to make the way for full restoration with God and living in His glorious presence forever.

There exist few other, enigmatic Scriptures that people point to in asserting that Jesus went to Hell and suffered. Those verses are highly debated among the best of scholars and give no impetus to the flawed premise that our sinless Savior ever suffered in Hell. The overwhelming Scriptural evidence points to a Savior who accomplished it all on the cross on which He died willingly for you and me.

– Shelli Prindle

Mark of the Beast / Seal of the Saved

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 In studying Revelation and the mark of the beast, I am more appreciative of the truth of the seal that we believers have. Unlike the mark that worshippers of Antichrist will take (which in the Greek language, is a stamp, imprinted mark, brand, or carved image), the seal we have is the living third Person of the Trinity! We are sealed and secured by the Holy Spirit Himself living inside of us! The guarantee is that He will keep us through this life and through death in order to get us to Jesus and the heavenly reward we have in Him. The only “promise” that Satan makes through the mark of the beast is that one can buy and sell in that wicked economy. Food, however, will not prevent either the earthly or eternal wrath of God.

Thank you, Jesus, for securing our salvation and giving to us Your very Spirit as the promise!

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

“If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:9-10)

What a contrast. Wow.

– Shelli Prindle

How Can I Believe In A God that Tortures People In Hell?

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An unbeliever asks, “How can you believe that God tortures people forever in Hell?” Now, wait a second; let’s think this through. First of all, the most startling thing is that God punished His very own Son (and Self) on the Cross two thousand years ago. In fact, the word excruciating comes from the Latin word for cross. Keep in mind also that the pain God inflicted on His Son was not only physical, but spiritual in nature. Jesus endured the guilt of our sin. He was tormented in body and spirit for our wickedness, though He is God and completely perfect. (II Corinthians 5:21)

Secondly, God “tortured” Himself, if you will, in order that we might be freed from the penalty and punishment we justly deserve. He deserved none of it, for Jesus is the perfect Son of God (I Peter 3:18). In effect, God does not send any person to eternal and tormented separation from Him without first offering the torment of His own Son (and Self) as the primary sacrifice … and the way out of anguish for all believing humans.

Thirdly, we are finite creatures sinning against an infinitely holy God. It is one thing for me to sin against another human being (and God holds us accountable for that), but in every sin we are ultimately offending God (Psalm 51:4). Sinning against an infinitely holy God obviously demands an infinite punishment. And, my friend, only an infinite God could absorb the world’s sin in a moment of time. That’s exactly what Jesus did! His infinitude allowed Him to absorb the totality of sin in one event of history. We finite creatures, however, would have to carry our own guilt on ourselves forever in order to pay it off. (John 3:36) Hence, Hell is an everlasting punishment.

So, before we get disturbed by the concept of Hell, we need to get amazed by the concept of Calvary. There, God inflicted immeasurable spiritual, emotional, and physical pain on His own Self as Jesus suffered and died. Jesus is our Way of escape from the misery of Hell, which is brought on by our own rebellion and refusal to believe in the measureless love and perfectly just plan of God.

First and foremost, we must understand that God placed our well-deserved penalty on Jesus, the Perfect One, who deserved no chastisement. Our punishment rightly follows if we sinners refuse to accept this great plan of unimaginable love. (Isaiah 53:10)

What Demons Know

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There is an appointed time and place of God’s unbelievable judgment. Demons know this. Though they continue to wage war against God, they are fully aware of their own coming demise. Demons also know of the current power of Jesus Christ to command their comings and goings, for they acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. Demonic powers recognize the God-Man and His dominion. They react to His kingship now to the degree God ordains in this age, and they will finally be demolished to the absolute degree at God’s appointed time.

If only we human beings knew of God’s power and judgment! And, of course, I mean “knew” in the sense of acting upon the information. I fear the people of God live far too timidly in this dark world and experience far too little victory and hope. Jesus is Lord over the domain of darkness and self-destruction. Let’s recognize Him as such and take Him at His Word.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all explain the account of Jesus casting a legion of demons out of a man in the first century A.D. While Matthew tells us of two demon-possessed men, Mark and Luke focus on only one of the demoniacs at the scene. The demons had such horrid effects on this human life that no other people could come near the man. He was violent, self-destructive, out of his right mind, and living among the tombs of the dead due to the influence of Satan’s minions. Matthew tells us of both the demon-possessed men that they were “so fierce that no one could pass that way” (Matthew 8:28, ESV). Mark explains the horror: “He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones” (Mark 5:3-6, ESV). The physician, Luke, informs us that the demoniac wore no clothes while living among tombs instead of in a house. We have, therefore, a terrible and comprehensive description of Satan’s influence on this person. The demons wrought devastation in this life – and the effects were obvious to all.

And yet, despite all the damage the demons could do, they yielded to the awesome power of Jesus. Even though no human could get near these demons inhabiting a man, when Jesus came close, they met Him and cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29b, ESV) Notice three things about the demons’ knowledge:

    1) They recognize and name Jesus as the Son of God, and
    2) They realize there is a specific, future time of their punishment; and
    3) They admit that Jesus has the power to torment them.

Though Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), even His demons must acknowledge the Truth of God in Jesus Christ. Satan makes it his business to slander and lie by twisting the truth and withholding it from us, but Jesus stands as the Truth of God in Person. Lies cannot stand up to Jesus, who is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Though they rebel against His way, the demons realize their rebellion is, in fact, against the very real God of the universe.

The demons function in futility. They work hard to torment and enslave, knowing all the while the final doom they face. As Matthew recorded, they know the time is coming. Luke says, “And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss” (Luke 8:31, ESV). Satan and his disgusting servants are aware of the material of the book of Revelation, as well they should be; for hell itself was originally prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)

    Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while … And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10, ESV)

The demons’ awareness does not stop them. Jesus made clear that “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10, ESV). The devil will battle to the bitter end. Knowing his fate is sealed, it appears his goal is to take as many people with him as he can.

We notice that although the demonic forces torment willing humans, demons recognize that Jesus has the power to torment them eternally. For every bit of destruction Satan has brought upon mankind, he will be repaid. His cohorts know this. Justice will be served by the holy God who sees everything and rights all wrongs.

My prayer is that we would act on the knowledge we have. Demons know much, but they have no saving faith. In a discussion about faith and works, James tells us that true faith will result in action. He brings to our attention demons – who believe in the sense of knowing – but are not saved from damnation. He says to the church, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder!” Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? (James 2:19-20, ESV)

James here expresses a vital truth. At the very least, we need to know what demons know about God’s power and judgment. However, we must also ACT on our knowledge, for that is true belief. Angels and demons are who they are from now into eternity; humans alone are the objects of God’s wonderful salvation. In fact, when Peter tells us of this good news of salvation through Jesus, he adds that they are “things into which angels long to look” (I Peter 1:12b, ESV). In other words, angels do not know of the glorious experience of being loved despite sin — to the point of Jesus paying the price for their lives. Only a redeemed human can know the depth of that love. Angles and demons remain who they are – with their end already determined, glorious and damnable, respectively. People, on the other hand, must decide to act on the truth we have been given. We must believe to the point of a changed life.

If we as Christians acted out our belief in 1) Jesus as the Son of God, and 2) His power to bring about His specific, future time of punishment; the world would be different. I would worship Him more intensely and prayerfully witness to unsaved people with increased fervency.

Knowing the fear demons had of Jesus’ power, I should act more boldly in the spiritual realm. Putting on the full armor of God, I should stand firm. (Ephesians 6:13) Waging war against demonic strongholds on a regular basis, I should actively access divine power and begin destroying the work of the enemy in my life. (II Corinthians 10:3-4) After all, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8b, ESV). Obviously, even the demons know that!

Can You Be Sure?

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Belief in a vague idea of Heaven and Hell is one thing, but confidence in the place to which you are personally headed is another, as I experienced in a recent encounter.

God never meant for our destiny to be unclear in the least. He intends for us to have assurance of the outcome of our lives, and I believe that is one reason the devil tries frantically to steal from humans a true understanding of their eternal condition.

Have you ever heard someone say falteringly, “I hope I make it to Heaven” or “I’m trying to be good so I can go to Heaven”? Those who say such things demonstrate a hesitance to declare with boldness a truth about their future … and their present.

After getting a refill on my iced tea at a local restaurant, I paused at the table of an older gentleman with whom I have tried to have several conversations about Jesus. This dear man struggles with guilt about many things – including his service in Vietnam. In the past, I have assured him that we are all on equal ground as sinners and that I am no better off before God than he is. We all have selfish hearts and are corrupted at the core. The only difference is that I have trusted Jesus to be my righteousness for me, because He bore the penalty of God’s wrath against me at the Cross.

On one particular afternoon, this man was sharing a conversation he had just had with a cardiac nurse who was trying to discern whether or not he understood the seriousness of his condition. He told me that he proudly declared to her, “I am not afraid of dying; everyone has to die.” Then he said to the nurse, “The only thing we have to be afraid of is where we go after we die … and no one can know that ahead of time!”

Wow. This confused gentleman actually had the first part of his idea correct to some degree; for Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body [Satan and his followers] but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him [God] who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28, ESV) Obviously, there is validity to a healthy fear of our soul ending up in Hell.

It is the second part of this man’s thought that I had to immediately and gently confront, for it was way off base. His real fear was in the not knowing that he could know where he was headed.

I looked at him, addressed him by name, and said, “Yes you can know where you are going. I know. I know because I believe in Jesus and trust His sacrifice for my sin.” I could have added, “And I have trusted His life for my living”! However, my hurting friend soon changed the subject – still not ready to deal with the main issue of his soul.

The Bible is unequivocal in its assertion that we can know our destiny. The Apostle John proclaims I John 5:12-13 (ESV), “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Notice – amazingly – that our assurance of our place after death is directly related to our current status of life. Those who are certain of Heaven in the future have that confidence based on the reality of Jesus’ life in them presently. If a man, woman, or child has the Son of God as the source of their forgiveness and hope, then that person already has life. Eternal life is a continuum. It begins with true, life-changing belief in Jesus (not simply mental assent) that continues drawing us closer to Him and His will, and then it culminates in the reality of Heaven.

Do you have the Son of God? Really have Him? For you who want the promise of Heaven, He cannot simply be a mental concept or a part of your life. He must be your life. That life He gives you is eternal. He gives it now, and He sustains it past your death and into an infinite future. Amen!

Which Fire?

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Let’s focus on two instances in the Bible where God speaks to us about a “fiery furnace.” Though both situations are ominous, they are infinitely different. One leads to a closer relationship with Jesus, and one leads to eternal damnation. A night and day difference is clear. The question is: of which fire will you be a part?

At one point in his book, Erasing Hell, Francis Chan contemplates the day-to-day implications of the reality of Hell. After discussing the conflict he undergoes while considering the destinies of passers-by, Mr. Chan explains about Hell,

    This is not just about doctrine; it’s about destinies. And if you’re reading this book and wrestling with what the Bible says about hell, you cannot let this be a mere academic exercise. You must let Jesus’ very real teaching on hell sober you up. You must let Jesus’ words reconfigure the way you live, the way you talk, and the way you see the world and the people around you. (p. 72)

Obviously, Francis Chan believes (as I do) that our Bible teaches a non-negotiable reality of a just God – Hell. Jesus once told the “Parable of the Weeds” to crowds of listeners. Later, the Lord took his disciples aside and explained the parable. Jesus made clear that the sower of the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, and the good seed represents true Christians. The weeds, however, are the sons of the devil. When the close of this world occurs, angels will gather in the “harvest.” Jesus soberly proclaimed in Matthew 13:40-42 (ESV), “Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Certainly, God is communicating through His Word a truth many would rather ignore. Nonetheless, it is apparent throughout Scripture that evildoers (without the redemption that comes through Jesus Christ) will be going to a place of misery. In the New Testament, we find Hell described as a place of fire, darkness, weeping, and unimaginable regret. In Matthew 25:41 (ESV), Jesus describes hell as a place of “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” In this context, Jesus explains that unrighteous people will go to this place of punishment; though it was originally designed as the final abode of the most wicked one.

Okay, so very sadly we discover that there is a fiery furnace to be endured by those who reject God’s salvation through Jesus and continue on in their sinfulness. This fiery furnace is one where pain is felt to a degree currently unknown to us. Crystal clear is the fact that this fire is one of which we do not want to be a part. We are given no hope in Scripture of assistance or comfort there.

Travel back to the Old Testament book of Daniel. Three young men – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – refuse to give in to the wicked decree of King Nebuchadnezzar, demanding that all people bow down to a golden idol he had built. These men decided to remain faithful to the one, true God. Knowing the punishment for disobedience was to be thrown into a fiery furnace; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego obeyed God still. Furious at their refusal to do his bidding, Nebuchadnezzar had the furnace overheated so that the flame of the fire killed even the men who took Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the furnace! Even so, the righteous young men were bound and thrown in.

Contrast what happens next to the description of Hell we have discussed already. In astonishment, King Nebuchadnezzar quickly rose and observed what was happening in the fire. In Daniel 3:24-25 (ESV) we read, “[King Nebuchadnezzar] declared to his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ He answered and said, ‘But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.'” Later, in verse 27 we discover, “The fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.”

Unbelievable! THIS fire did no harm to the lovers of the true God. In fact, Jesus Himself appeared in the fire with them! This was a furnace of testing – meant to refine and draw men closer to God – not to destroy them. We note particularly that the fire had no effect on their physical bodies, so that not a hair was singed, nor did even a faint smell of smoke arise. In this furnace, God is with us. This fire is not OUR end or THE end; it is part of the process of learning to trust Him. We come out of this one unharmed . . . and more confident in our God!

Of which fire do you want to be a part? The one of punishment and separation from God? Or the one of testing and drawing nearer to God? One continues on in hopelessness and suffering untold. The other is one in which Jesus walks with us and protects us. We come out to a glorious end! I think this fire is the one of which the prophet Isaiah spoke in 43:2-3 (NIV), “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

If you choose the fire of testing and drawing nearer to God, you must choose Jesus. He is the only one who can cover your sin, because He took the payment for your wickedness at Calvary. Call on Him, and He will surely deliver you from Hell, and walk with you through the temporary, testing fires of this life.

Reference: Francis Chan, Erasing Hell (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2011)

Pondering Stephen Hawking’s Statements

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I am pondering the profoundly sad conclusions of Stephen Hawking, the brilliant physicist. Although God has given to him a valuable brain, Mr. Hawking has chosen to disregard his Creator and, therefore, His Creator’s unfathomable plan.

As reported by Liz Goodwin on May 16, 2011, at “The Lookout,” a Yahoo News Blog, Stephen Hawking said, “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” Given all of his scientific musing, I cannot understand why Hawking does not recognize that computers are always the result of design, and so the metaphorical “computer brain” must also be the consummation of design. Humans contrive computers and build them of earth’s content, and the devices stand devoid of soul or consciousness. God created people and the universe out of nothing, and He deposits in His grand creatures, humans, a living soul. A computer shows similarities to a brain (although it is far less superior than the human organ) precisely because the CPU is designed by people whose minds are made in the image of God. God created human minds, and His creatures make computers. Hence, we trace God’s hand in the technology. Computers being the obvious result of intricate human planning, why cannot Hawking see that human brains must also be the result of intricate divine planning?

Of course there is not an afterlife for broken down computers . . . because there is no “now” life for computers. Mankind alone received at creation the “breath of life” from God. However, the “human computer,” as Hawking may like to refer to it, has life now. People (and their minds) were made to live. God has prepared for them an afterlife. Evidenced throughout history is man’s innate desire to live. Always, people have generally had a great aversion to death. Carlos Eire (2010) quotes Pierre Chaunu,

    The death of any human being is an outrage; it is the outrage par excellence, and all attempts to diminish this outrage are contemptible, no more than opium for the masses . . . Death is the unacceptable. The annihilation of one memory cannot be compensated for by the existence of the universe and the continuance of life. The death of Mozart, despite the preservation of his work, is an utterly evil thing. (p. 1)

Even the atheist philosopher, Bertrand Russell, admitted to a need for “safety” regarding annihilation. As Eire (2010) also quotes Russell, “Brief and powerless is Man’s life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built” (p. 14). Eire then adds his own thought, “Safety in despair: if that is not a leap of faith, nothing else is” (p. 14).

We humans long for eternity because we were made by an eternal, transcendent God. The Bible declares, “[God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV). Having been made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26), we have a slight grasp on eternity – we sense it and we long for it. When we call on the God of the Bible for salvation, He grants to us eternal life. While we cannot yet know the experiential reality of that fact in its fullness, we begin to operate in a hope that “blows our mind.” One day, when we stand in the presence of our Creator, the perfect will come, and the partial will be done away (I Corinthians 13:10). We will begin to see clearly the amazing, true nature of eternity. For now, we trust the “imperishable seed” that has been planted in us through the Word of God (I Peter 1:23, NASB).

As far as heaven being a “fairy story for people afraid of the dark,” I am not so much scared into Heaven, as I crave what I know is the greater reality. Just because the idea of everlasting life in a perfect place seems too good to be true does not make it untrue. In this life we often say, “[This or that] is too good to be true” because this world is, in fact, a sinful mess. We find ourselves held within a realm of brokenness and incompletion because of sin. We must believe in and live for a home of righteousness that is infinitely greater than the present universe in its collective state of rebellion against God in order to realize what is actually “not too good to be true”! Ironically, genuine fear should come into the picture only when dealing in damning reality, not made-up tales. What should justly haunt humans is the very real existence of Hell, a place of complete separation from God and all that is right. Heaven is not a fairy tale, and Hell is to be feared.

When Stephen Hawking was asked what humans should do to lend meaning to their lives since we are all destined to power-down like computers, Hawking said, “We should seek the greatest value of our action.” This is the point that confuses me the most. If, as Hawking posits, nothing of our existence survives the death of the body, the value at its highest point evaporates. For, no matter what earthly good someone achieves – whether medical advances for the sick, accruement of great wealth for family, the provision of more entertainment for bored masses, the enhancement of personal rights, or any other earthly thing – all of this comes to naught quickly for both the one who acts and the one who receives. The paradigm of the atheistic person leaves no room for anything lasting in the case of any individual person. The “greatest value” of any action amounts to nothing in just moments, hours, days, or years.

On the other hand, the simplest of obedient acts for the sake of Jesus Christ and His kingdom leads to the proliferation of eternal things. When I deal in eternal investments – prayer, human conversations, study of the Bible, kindness to others, generosity reflecting God, teaching others of His Truth, etc. – I get a return on my action that is currently unimaginable to me. The greatest value is not any finite amount, but rather an infinite reality. Matthew 6:19-20, II Corinthians 4:16-18, and I Peter 1:4 are just a few of the places in God’s Word where the reality of eternal investment is made clear.

Stephen Hawking has great knowledge of math and science. Sadly, he has suppressed the truth. I say this standing on the authority of the Word of God. Romans 1:18 makes clear that those who reject God and His Gospel are those who actively “suppress” or “hold back” the Truth. Truth is in front of us, revealed generally, through all God has made (Romans 1:20); and it is available especially to all who cry out for it, as Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). He stands ready with His Word to answer those who will quit pushing back, with tired arms, the obvious Truth. I pray even Stephen Hawking responds to His Holy Creator and is made new by Jesus and fit for Heaven – the place that is not too good to be true (II Corinthians 5:17 and Revelation 21:1-5).

Reference: Carlos Eire, A Very Brief History of Eternity (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010)

Why Doesn’t God Do Something?

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I had the recent privilege of sitting with a young lady after I had preached the Word of God at a women’s event. The woman was crying, and she told me she was angry. After having endured the drug overdose death of a friend and having witnessed the neglect and disability of children, she wanted to know, “Why doesn’t God do something?” She added, “Why does God not hear the cries of people?”

We sat for some time as I listened and shared. Our productive time ended in sincere prayer and led me to think through more thoroughly the Bible’s clues to what God is doing; because, my friends, He is doing something, and He will do something. Our human inability to see and understand it all does not negate the reality of a supernatural God’s working.

First, God sees what happens. “The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; from His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understand all their works, ” declares Psalm 33:13-15 (NASB). God is fully aware of the good and bad deeds of all people. He is cognizant of every pain suffered, every injustice endured, every sin committed, every oversight, every evil scheme, and every disappointment. He takes it all into account. In fact, I was recently encouraged while reviewing Bible passages I have memorized. I came to Ephesians 3:17 (NASB) and was reminded it is God’s desire that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Christ dwells in my heart! He is right there in the mix with all the emotions I experience! Of course He knows exactly how I feel. Of course He is paying special attention to all the feelings of His people! He understands the works of all people, and He dwells particularly in the midst of His children’s hearts.

Second, God is waiting to bring final judgment. Although it does not appear that God is correcting wrongs and answering desperate pleas, He will act one day with finality and accuracy. For now, He is waiting because “[He] is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9, NASB). God’s judgment of the horror of sin and its effects is so terrible, so final, and so unimaginable that He wants to ensure all have had a chance to repent and turn to Him. Please do not be disturbed by the unimaginable nature of His judgment, for you know the indescribable horror resulting from sin throughout the centuries. The judgment is commensurate with the gravity of sin. Somehow, God’s waiting provides a way for all to have opportunity to repent before facing God’s wrath.

Third, the judgment lies on the other side. The essence of Biblical Christianity is faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NASB) proclaims, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Faith declares that God’s people will be rewarded – on the other side of death. Likewise, Revelation 20:13-14(NASB) states, “Death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Faith also declares that God’s enemies will be punished on the other side of death. While we reap natural consequences in part in this present world, precise and comprehensive judgment and reward takes place at another time.

Do you believe this? Can you affirm what Paul said in I Corinthians 13:12 (NASB), “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face”? Do you believe that the next world is the right world? (II Peter 3:11-13, Revelation 21:1-5) Do you believe that the God who made everything out of nothing actually has a New Heaven and a New Earth to follow an accurate and final judgment? Do you believe that the omniscient God of the universe can sort out the rights and wrongs of every human heart? Do you believe that He will serve justice because He is – by His very nature – just?

If you believe these things, then you will be most miserable unless you also believe that Jesus Christ stands waiting to absorb your guilt! As I counseled that sobbing young lady, allow me to tell you that you also can “throw your sin on Jesus, because He can handle it; you cannot!” II Corinthians 5:21 (NASB) says, “[God] made [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Only an infinitely powerful and completely holy God can handle our sin. We cannot pay for it. We cannot hold it inside. If we do not take it to God now, then He will judge us later. Sin demands payment. An infinite, holy God can absorb that sin in one, finite moment of time (just as He did on the Cross). On the other hand, a finite, sinful human being could never pay for his or her own sin. A person would have to go on forever, in complete separation from God without ever finding rest or resolution for the sin problem. Hell is as logical as Heaven, and both lie on the other side.

God has done something, He is doing something, and He will do something. Trust the work of Jesus on the Cross two thousand years ago as payment for your sin, assist God in the mission to see others repent while we await the final judgment, and – finally – hope in the realities of the other side!

Rescue from the Wrath to Come

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“Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” – I Thessalonians 1:10b (NASB)

There is a wrath to come. Oddly enough, I affirm that statement with both grief and gratefulness. God does not delight in the pouring forth of His wrath (II Peter 3:9, NASB). In fact, He delights in the demonstration of mercy (Micah 7:18, NIV). As one of His children, I also do not take joy in God’s wrath, but I imperfectly grasp its necessity.

I am aware of horrible things in this current world system: children starve to death, dictators wield unjust power, people suffer with myriad debilitating diseases, parents neglect and abuse little ones, angry people kill other humans, desperate people give up on themselves, natural disasters destroy homes and lives, people speak hateful words, humans die in loneliness, entire groups wage war on nations, and some orphans never find homes. In light of these observations, I thank God that one day He will set things right and refuse to allow sin to influence anymore. The Bible makes clear that the sinfulness of human beings has brought a curse to this world. All who choose to follow the sinful nature will have to be dealt with in order for God to bring to reality a right world. All who choose to follow Jesus and accept His righteousness in exchange for their sinfulness will abide eternally in that right world (John 3:36, NASB).

At the helm of sinful choices stands Satan. He leads those who want to follow him in rebellion against God and God’s ways. He leads the march against all that is right. Satan leads the march toward destruction, because God must pour out His holy wrath on sin and all its horror. Revelation 20:10 (NASB) declares, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” The greatest tormentor will be tormented so that horror will finally be confined. Atrocity and pain will be imprisoned with sinful rebellion in a place of God’s making. Justice will be served so that Heaven can flourish. There is wrath to come.

Following the ultimate demise of Satan, Revelation 20:14-15 (NASB) proclaims, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” And there we have it. All people who have chosen death instead of life by choosing sin instead of Jesus (Romans 6:23, NASB) will be confined to the same place of torment in which their leader will exist. The wrath of God Almighty will be poured forth on all the sinfulness that has perpetuated the horrible things of which I spoke earlier. God hates sin, and God hates what sin does. God also dignifies His human creatures. We are made in His image, with the freedom to choose. Sin, therefore, originates in the human heart (James 1:13-15, NIV). Unless Jesus is asked to stop it, sin continues to reign in the souls of those who choose it to be so. Therefore, the wrath of God must extend to those souls. In His mercy, God must one day eliminate sin and its indescribable damage.

Let us now focus on our hope found in the Scripture we are studying. I Thessalonians 1:10 (NASB, emphasis mine) describes our hope as “Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can rescue us from this wrath. He is our Way to the right world God is preparing (John 14:1-6, NIV). We have no chance of escaping God’s wrath but by divine rescue. Ours simply cannot be a mission of self-help. There is nothing we can do to change the bent of our heart from sinfulness to righteousness; for us, only one answer exists – rescue by Jesus Christ! He alone can make our whole being brand new – apt to love and serve Him (II Corinthians 5:17, NIV).

Two millennia ago, Jesus died on the cross of Calvary to suffer the wrath of God on behalf of humans He loves. The infinite, holy God bore the wrath of the infinite, holy God so that finite, failing humans who believe in Him may enjoy eternal life rather than suffer eternal wrath. God’s holiness demands justice. Jesus offered to meet the just requirement of payment for sin on our behalf by shedding His own blood. We must now run to Him and yield our hearts and lives to Him.

I have asked Him to save me from the wrath to come by re-making me so that I am fit for righteousness through Him. His sacrifice is my only hope. Please turn to Him this moment and ask Him to save you from the wrath to come. The divine rescue of Jesus – and the needed wrath of God – work together to give us the eternal hope that we will one day suffer no more!