HEAVEN AND HELL

MEN HAVE ALWAYS had a sincere interest in the future. This interest has aroused questions such as the following: Does death end all? Where are the dead? What can we know about heaven and hell? First, we shall consider the question:

I WHAT HAPPENS TO A MAN AT THE TIME OF DEATH?

    At the outset, we need to remember that man is a tripartite being, that is, he is composed of three parts – body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The first part is material being, the other two are non-material. With a spirit, man is capable of God-consciousness; with a soul, he is capable of self-consciousness; with a body he is capable of world-consciousness. Only God’s Word can divide between the soul and the spirit (Hebrews 4:12).

    Now, at the time of death, the soul and spirit leave the body. The body is put into the grave. In the case of believers, the body is described as sleeping (Acts 7:59, 60; 8:2), while the unsaved person’s body is spoken of as dead. The soul and spirit never sleep. If the person who died was saved, the soul and the spirit go to a place of joy and happiness – heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21, 23). If the person was unsaved, the spirit and soul go to a place of sorrow and punishment – hades. In Luke 16:19-31, our Lord clearly teaches that those who have dies are conscious. Be sure to read this important passage.

II WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HELL?

    As we have already noted, the spirit and soul of an unbeliever wing their flight to hades at the time of death. Hades is a place of conscious punishment (Luke 16:23-25; the Revised Version correctly uses “hades” for “hell” in v.23). The soul in hades is spoken of as a person, having eyes, tongue, ears, fingers and memory. There is full knowledge of the conditions there.

    The Bible speaks about another place of torment in addition to hades. That other place is hell – the Lake of Fire. At the Judgment of the Great White Throne, which will be discussed in the next chapter, the souls in hades will be united with the bodies which are to be raised from the graves. Christ will then pronounce the final sentence of judgment upon the wicked dead, and they will be cast into the Lake of fire, the eternal abode of the lost (Revelation 20:11-15). Hades may thus be likened to the local jail where the prisoner temporarily awaits his sentence. The Lake of Fire may be likened to a prison to which are committed those under sentence for the duration of their earthly existence. In describing hell, our Lord speaks about the undying worm and the unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43-48). It is a place of conscious punishment.

    Is punishment for sin eternal? In the book of Revelation, the phrase “forever and ever” is used to describe the misery of the lost (Revelation 14:11).
   
    Can a God of love allow men to go to hell? (1) God does not want men to perish. He provided for man’s salvation through the work of His Son on Calvary’s Cross (Romans 5:6, 8). If men reject the Savior, they go to hell by their own choice. (2) God is a God of love, 1 John 4:8, but He is also holy, 1 Peter 1:16. He must punish sin. (3) Men do not hesitate to put sick people in hospitals, criminals in jail, or corpses in the cemetery. This does not indicate a lack of love on their part.

    What about the heathen who has never heard the Gospel? Like the rest of mankind, heathens are lost sinners, and only Christ can save them. They can tell that there is a God through the works of creation, Romans 1:20 and Psalm 19:1; and through their own consciences, Romans 2:15. If they live up to the light which they have, God will give them more light – see Cornelius, Acts 10 and 11.

III WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HEAVEN?

    The Scripture clearly teach that there is a place of bliss for all who know and love our Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven is a place. The word is used in the Bible in three different ways. First of all, the region of the clouds is called heaven (Genesis 1:8). Then the area where the stars are located is known as heaven (Genesis 1:17). Finally, the word is used to describe God’s dwelling place. Paul calls this the “third heaven” and “Paradise” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Heaven is always mentioned as being “up”. Satan said, in Isaiah 14:13-14, “I will ascend into heaven”.

    We know that our Lord is in heaven today. After He was raised from the dead, He ascended in a body of flesh and bones. He carried glorified humanity into heaven (Luke 24:38, 39, 51; 1 Peter 3:22; Hebrews 1:3).

    There is a great host of believers in heaven, for when the true Christian dies, he is “absent from the body – present with the Lord” 2 Corinthians 5:8. These believers are enjoying the presence of Christ “which is very far better” Philippians 1:23.

    What is heaven like? The writers of the Scripture could not find language that would describe it. In Revelation 21:10-27, John describes the foundations, wall, gates, and street of the heavenly city. Our hearts are attracted by its beauty. We know that there will be no sickness, sorrow, tears, pain or death in that fair place (Revelation 21:4). But best of all, the Lord Jesus Christ will be there, and He will be the supreme delight of every believer’s heart.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 11: Heaven and Hell
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois