Heaven and Hell

	As we saw in another study, death is a reality which awaits each and every one of us.  But what happens next?  What stands on the other side of death?  Our words for this study are "heaven" and "hell."
	Let's start by clarifying some of the words we will be using.  The Bible uses the word "heaven" in at least three ways.
	"And yet He did not leave Himself without witness," Acts 14:17 says of God, "in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."
	"Heaven" sometimes refers to the earth's atmosphere, the sky.
	"Now look toward the heavens," God tells Abraham in Genesis 15:5, "and count the stars, if you are able to count them.  So shall your descendants be."
	"Heaven" sometimes refers to the part of the universe beyond our atmosphere, the home of the stars and other heavenly bodies.
	"After these things I looked," John writes in Revelation 4:1-2, "and behold, a door {standing} open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like {the sound} of a trumpet speaking with me, said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.'  Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne."
	"Heaven" sometimes refers to the abode of God, the eternal home of His followers.  This is the word which is of interest for our present discussion.
	Due to translations which are not always accurate, the definition of "hell" is not quite so simple.
	The Hebrew word "sheol" from the Old Testament is rendered by some translations as "hell."  It more accurately refers to the grave, the realm of all the dead.
	Some versions of the New Testament use "hell" to translate the Greek word "hades."  This word is generally the equivalent of "sheol" and should be associated with the grave.
	The Greek word "tartarus" occurs in 2 Peter 2:4.  It refers to the place where rebellious angels are kept in anticipation of judgment.
	The Greek word that should correctly be translated as "hell" is "Gehenna."  It gets it's name from the Valley of Hinnon where sacrifices were once offered to the terrible pagan god Molech.  (The people of Jerusalem later disposed of their garbage in this area.)
	Before we look more closely at heaven and hell, we should explain that there are actually two pairs of realms after we leave this life.  One pair is temporary.  The other pair is permanent.  When we die, we go either to paradise or to torment. 
	"Truly I say to you," Jesus promises the thief in Luke 23:43, "today you shall be with Me in Paradise." 
	"Now it came about," Jesus explains in Luke 16:22-31, "that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.  And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and {that} none may cross over from there to us.'  And he said, 'Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'  But he said, 'No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'" 
	Notice that there is no assistance from the dead.  No one can return to earth to influence those who are still living.  Notice also that, although paradise and torment are temporary, there is no possibility of movement from one to the other.  It is only their duration which is temporary.  The positive or negative nature is determined during life on earth and cannot be altered after death.  What about other places which are sometimes mentioned?
	There is no such thing as limbo.  Even the leaders of religious groups which allow their followers to believe in limbo admit that it does not exist.  Babies who die before they reach an age of accountability go to paradise.
	There is no such thing as purgatory.  The origin of this fictitious place lies more in Dante than in religion.  There is no biblical basis for it.  We have seen, in fact, that Jesus clearly teaches the impossibility of moving from one place to another.

	When we die, we go to a temporary abode.  Those who obey God go to paradise.  All others go to torment.  After the judgment, though, these two locations give way to permanent dwellings.  These are the real heaven and hell.
	"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory," Jesus describes in Matthew 25:31-33, "and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.  And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left."
	There will be a permanent separation on the Day of Judgment.
	"Then the King will say to those on His right," the Lord continues in verse 34, "'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'"
	Some of the people will hear these wonderful words.  They will go to heaven to spend eternity with God.
	"Then He will also say to those on His left," Jesus adds in verse 41, "'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'"
	"And these will go away into eternal punishment," verse 46 concludes, "but the righteous into eternal life." 
	Eternity is not so bright for those who are sent to eternal punishment.
	"And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off," Jesus says in Mark 9:43, "it is better for you to enter life crippled, than having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire."
	Hell is compared to an unquenchable fire.
	"And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone," we read in Revelation 20:10, "where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
	Hell is described as a place of eternal torment.
	"And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire," John states in Revelation 20:14-15.  "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."
	Hell is pictured as a lake of fire.
	"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars," Revelation 21:8 promises, "their part {will be} in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." 
	Hell is referred to as the second death, but it is a grave error to equate it with annihilation.  Those who are in hell are very much aware of what is happening to them.  It is wishful thinking to believe that those who are sentenced to hell will cease to exist.  It is also contrary to biblical teaching.
	Americans are sometimes asked about heaven and hell.  It is interesting that there are more people who believe in heaven than there are who believe in hell.  There are more who believe in God than there are who believe in the devil.  Friends, this is neither logical nor scriptural.  If there is a heaven, then there is a hell.  If there is a God, then there is a devil.  How can we say this?  We can say it because the Bible claims their existence.  It is equally clear about how big heaven and hell will be.
	"Enter by the narrow gate," Jesus warns in Matthew 7:13, "for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it."
	"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven," He cautions in verses 21-23, "but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"
	"And someone said to Him, 'Lord, are there {just} a few who are being saved?" we read in Luke 13:23-24.  "And He said to them,  'Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.'" 
	Many like to believe that hell will be almost empty.  Jesus disagrees.
	The Bible is clear about the existence of heaven and hell.  The Bible is clear about how many people will spend eternity in each.  And it is clear about the pathway leading to each.
	"And {to give} relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well," Paul promises in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus."
	"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth," Hebrews 10:26-31 explains, "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.  Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on {the testimony of} two or three witnesses.  How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.'  It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
	  Hell is real and horrible.  And it is sin that binds us there.  Heaven is real and wonderful.  Although few may accept, Jesus wants us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  Let's obey the truth so that we will be among those few who will be set free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.lockman.org)