Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000074
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00:01 Music...
00:18 Hello Friends, welcome to another 00:20 Wednesday night Bible Study here at "A Sharper Focus. " 00:24 We thank you for coming to join us, 00:25 we pray that you have your Bibles and your pens... 00:29 get your family and your friends together 00:31 so that we can enjoy this hour in the Word of God. 00:35 Now, you know that we are coming to you live 00:38 from the 3ABN Worship Center here in Southern Illinois 00:43 and if our crowd looks scant tonight, 00:45 it's because it is freezing... the ground is solid ice 00:49 and I've been considering getting rid of all of our cars 00:54 and giving out ice skates 00:56 and we'll be able to get around a lot more effectively 00:59 but I know you're joining us from home 01:01 and some of our people that usually come, 01:03 we know that they are iced-in also, 01:04 so, hello to Sister Zeta and Brother Richard, 01:08 I know that you're home joining us 01:09 and those in California... 01:10 if you're in Florida, 01:12 you have no idea what cold weather is all about 01:14 but tonight, we're going to talk about a very important topic... 01:17 we're continuing on the topic of hell. 01:20 What does the Bible say about hell? 01:22 is it burning now... 01:24 how intensely is it going to burn... 01:26 how long is it going to burn... 01:27 when does it begin or is it going on right now? 01:29 We're going to see what the Bible has to say 01:31 but before we even tell you what website to go to 01:34 to get the lesson, 01:36 we're going to begin with a word of prayer. 01:38 Let's bow our heads together. 01:39 "Our heavenly Father, 01:41 we thank you for your goodness and for your mercy. 01:43 Lord, guide our minds tonight as we open it to your Holy Spirit 01:49 we pray that we could receive the goodness 01:52 that you intend for us to be bathed by... 01:56 that you'll teach us that the Word of God will go forth 02:00 in Spirit and in truth, 02:02 in Jesus' name we pray, amen. " 02:06 And also, if you like the copy of the lesson, 02:08 Lesson number 24, go to this website: ASF.3abn. org 02:16 and click on Study Guides 02:18 and there you can download Lesson number 24, 02:21 which is on the topic: The Truth About Hell 02:23 and then, if you've missed any episodes... 02:26 a few tabs to the right you can click on videos 02:29 and see the broadcast from last week 02:32 and the week before that and so on and so forth 02:34 but also I want to make a point 02:37 about why we're discussing this topic... 02:39 you know, so much is said about the topic of hell 02:42 and we want to make it very clear that first and foremost, 02:46 God is a God of love 02:48 and there's much that needs to be said about a God of love 02:52 and this topic... some people say, "What does it matter?" 02:56 it matters because it distorts the character of God 02:58 and we'll talk about that more in just a moment 03:01 but let's begin by singing our theme song... 03:03 the song is: Victory in Jesus... 03:06 you could join us... those of you who are at home 03:08 and each week, you've sung along with us 03:10 we really appreciate... let's sing that song. 03:12 Music... 03:18 I heard an old, old story, 03:22 How the Savior came from glory, 03:26 How He gave His life on Calvary 03:29 To save a wretch like me; 03:33 I heard about His groaning, 03:37 Of His precious blood's atoning 03:40 Then I repented of my sins; 03:45 And won the victory. 03:48 O victory in Jesus, 03:52 My Savior, forever, 03:56 He sought me and bought me 03:59 With His redeeming blood; 04:03 He loved me ere I knew Him, 04:07 And all my love is due Him, 04:11 He plunged me to victory, 04:14 Beneath the cleansing flood. 04:18 I heard about a mansion 04:22 He has built for me in glory 04:26 And I heard about the streets of gold 04:30 Beyond the crystal sea; 04:33 About the angels singing, 04:37 And the old redemption story, 04:41 And some sweet day I'll sing up there 04:45 The song of victory. 04:47 Key Change... 04:49 O victory in Jesus, 04:52 My Savior, forever, 04:56 He sought me and bought me 05:00 With His redeeming blood; 05:04 He loved me ere I knew Him, 05:08 And all my love is due Him, 05:11 He plunged me to victory, 05:15 Beneath the cleansing flood 05:19 He plunged me to victory, 05:23 Beneath the cleansing flood. 05:28 Amen. 05:30 Audience: Amen. 05:31 The topic entitled "Hell. " 05:34 Now, I remember growing up 05:36 that I heard the stories of preachers 05:39 that would seek to lead people to Christ 05:41 by describing the torturous never-ending flames of hell. 05:46 It was called, "Fire-and-Brimstone Preaching. " 05:49 Jesus wants to draw us by his love. 05:53 Audience: Amen. 05:55 He says, "With loving kindness have I drawn thee. " 05:58 The Bible also says, 06:00 "It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance" 06:03 not the fires or the fear of the fires of hell. 06:07 They are there... they are not been intended by God 06:10 to be reserved for man at all 06:14 so before we go to our questions tonight and by-the-way 06:16 we're going to begin with Question 8... 06:18 I know we ended on 8 but I want to begin with 8 06:20 so we can make the transition, 06:22 however, I want you to turn in your Bibles 06:24 to Revelation chapter 12 verse 9. 06:26 What I want to show you is a transition. 06:29 Now this transition is vitally important 06:33 because we know that before Lucifer sinned, 06:36 he abode or existed or lived in heaven. 06:40 He was the covering cherub. 06:42 He walked back and forth in the fiery stones of God 06:47 and was not consumed. 06:48 Now I want to make that point, 06:50 he walked back and forth in the fiery stones of God 06:54 and was not consumed. 06:55 So, if he's going to be consumed in the fires of hell, 06:59 when he lost his estate, 07:01 he also lost the ability to exist 07:05 in the fiery presence of God. 07:07 Notice what Revelation 12 and verse 9 says, 07:10 I told you to turn there and I'm not even there, 07:13 hold on, I'm getting there, Revelation 12 verse 9, 07:16 let's look at some transitions here, Revelation 12 verse 9, 07:18 notice what the Bible says, 07:19 "So the great dragon was cast out, 07:23 that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, 07:26 who deceives... " how much of the world? 07:29 "the whole world; 07:30 he was cast to the earth, 07:33 and his angels were cast out with him. " 07:36 Now, notice where they were cast to, 07:40 they were cast to the earth... 07:41 to the what? Earth... 07:43 they were cast to the earth 07:45 but they are not in a place where we can see them... 07:48 they are in in what's called "The spirit world. " 07:50 We can't see good angels... we cannot see evil angels... 07:54 they are reserved... 07:56 there's a day coming that is a day of reward 07:59 and a day of punishment. 08:01 John 5 verse 28 and 29 talks about that. 08:04 It says in verse 28, "and shall come forth 08:06 they that have done good, to the resurrection of life... 08:09 they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation. " 08:12 There's a day that's coming 08:14 that's going to condemn all those who are unrighteous 08:17 and reward all of those who are righteous in Christ. 08:20 That's the day coming... 08:21 when a person dies, their... their destiny is set 08:25 but they don't inhabit heaven right away 08:28 nor the... nor do they get sent to hell right way. 08:31 Another text, go to Matthew 25 and verse 41, 08:35 Matthew 25 and verse 41, 08:37 I'll show you a couple of texts here to lay the foundation 08:40 Matthew 25 and verse 41, 08:42 now the reason why this text is important is 08:44 a number of reasons 08:45 but the reason I'm showing it to you is 08:47 that the Lord makes it clear... it's a sad commentary 08:54 when you read Matthew 25 verse 41 08:57 and then you go to Revelation chapter 20 and you find out 08:59 that the lost is going to be as the sand of the sea 09:03 it doesn't really make sense 09:04 but look at Matthew 25 verse 41 09:06 and I'm going to pose something that is very important, 09:08 notice what the Bible says 09:10 and it says, verse 41, "Then He also... 09:15 then He will also say to those on the left hand, 09:19 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire 09:25 prepared for... " who? 09:26 "the devil and his angels... " 09:30 now, I want you to get something... 09:32 hell is not prepared for people, amen. 09:36 God did not prepare the fires of hell 09:37 for the people that He created. 09:39 It is prepared for the angels 09:41 that followed Satan and his rebellion... 09:43 the angels that sinned and were cast out of heaven with him. 09:46 From that moment... 09:47 the moment that they lost their former estate, 09:50 God determined that they must be destroyed. 09:53 So this great "controversy" that we call... 09:56 from the fall of man to the restoration of man 09:59 Satan and his angels have been roaming the earth 10:02 and the fact of the matter is... we know they're on earth. 10:05 Look at all the heartache, pain, death, suffering... 10:08 and the list goes on and on and on and on 10:10 but they were cast to the earth 10:13 and they were delivered in chains of darkness. 10:16 Now let's look at another text, 10:17 go to 2nd Peter... yeah... okay... I'm going to get to that 10:23 we have that one covered tonight, 10:25 2nd Peter... all right... 10:27 2nd Peter... I put my pen... here it is... 10:31 I put my pen here, okay, here, 2nd Peter chapter 2 10:35 look at verse 4 and... and then we're going to look together 10:43 at verse 17... 10:49 okay, 2nd Peter chapter 2 verse 4 10:53 and the Bible says, 10:54 "For God did not spare the angels who... " what? 10:59 "sinned, but cast them down to... " 11:02 what? "Hell. " 11:04 Now, I want you to see something 11:05 because the... let's keep going... 11:07 "and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be... " 11:13 what's the next word, "reserved for judgment... " 11:17 which means, not even the angels that sinned 11:21 are being punished yet. 11:23 They are reserved for judgment. 11:25 Let's go to the next passage, 11:27 "and did not spare the ancient world" verse 5, 11:31 "but saved Noah, one of eight people, 11:34 a preacher of righteousness... " what did He do? 11:37 "bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly... " 11:43 now go to verse... 11:47 ah... 11:51 let's leave it there for now, 11:54 but you notice what's happening here, here the Bible says... 11:57 the angels that sinned were cast down to hell. 11:59 Now, this is the only place in the entire Bible 12:01 where the word "Hell... " 12:02 in the Greek it's the word, "Tartarus" 12:04 or "Tarta... rus" however you'd like to say that, 12:06 enunciate that... 12:08 it simply means they are existing in a world... 12:10 a spirit world where we cannot see them. 12:13 Can't see good angels... cannot see evil angels... 12:16 but they are reserved... 12:18 if you remember the story of Jesus 12:20 when He cast the demons out of the pig 12:22 they said to Jesus, "Have you come to torment us 12:28 before our time?" 12:31 So, let's get rid of the idea that the angels are the ones 12:35 that are doing the tormenting... 12:37 the angels that sinned 12:38 will themselves be tormented in the fires of hell, amen. 12:42 So, God is not sending wicked people to hell 12:45 and there are not angels down there 12:47 rolling people on a Rotisserie... 12:49 burning them and causing them to be tormented... 12:51 that... that... that... that is so... 12:53 that is just so movie... 12:54 that is just so non-Scriptural, that is so Dark Ages... 12:58 that is the way that people were scared to death. 13:00 That's not the Scriptures... 13:01 so, let's go to Question number 8 tonight, 13:03 we're going to begin with Question number 8 tonight 13:06 so we can transition because Question 8, last week, 13:09 laid the foundation... that was kind of a cliffhanger. 13:12 Question number 8, here it is on the screen, 13:15 "How does the Bible describe the intensity of their torment?" 13:21 That is... the torment of the wicked, 13:23 How does the Bible describe that? 13:25 Look at Revelation chapter 14 13:27 and we're going to look at verse 11. 13:32 I'm going to turn to Revelation 13:33 because I want you to see verse 10 13:35 which was also included but we'll first read verse 11 13:39 and then we'll go back to verse 10. 13:42 Here's the answer, Revelation 14 verse 11, 13:44 here it is, and the Bible says, 13:46 "And the smoke of their torment ascends for... " how long? 13:50 "forever and ever; 13:53 and they have no rest day or night, 13:56 who worship the beast and his image, 13:59 and whoever receives the mark of... " what? 14:03 "of his name... " 14:06 Now, I want to go back to verse 10 14:07 because that's the passage we read last week 14:10 just to give you the full picture, look at verse 10, 14:13 so, if you're going to answer verse 8, 14:15 "How does the Bible describe the intensity of their torment?" 14:19 They have no rest... no rest... 14:23 that's the intensity... 14:25 when something is so intense that you can't get any rest... 14:27 I've heard people say, "You know what? 14:28 It was so loud last night, I got no rest. " 14:31 Or, "I haven't had rest in weeks. " 14:34 Well, anyone who gets plunged in the fires of hell 14:37 will not have any rest 14:39 but now, let me go ahead and compare that... 14:42 let me go ahead and compare that to... to the righteous 14:45 look at verse 13 of Revelation chapter 14... 14:51 it says in verse 13, 14:53 "Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, 14:55 'Write: blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ' 14:59 "Yes," says the Spirit, 'that they may... '" what? 15:04 "rest from their labors and their works follow them. " 15:08 The comparison between the wicked and the righteous... 15:10 the righteous have rest... the wicked won't have any rest, 15:13 even those who die in the Lord, 15:15 "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord... " 15:17 those who die in the Lord rest until the resurrection morning 15:21 but when the day of destruction comes, 15:23 the wicked will have no rest. 15:24 Look at verse 10 of Revelation 14, 15:27 speaking of the lost... 15:29 "He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, 15:33 which is poured out... " how? 15:35 "full strength into the cup of His indignation. 15:40 And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 15:45 in the presence of the holy angels 15:48 and in the presence of the Lamb. " 15:51 So, this torment is going to be awful, 15:53 I mean, nobody really wants to consider... 15:56 well, let me... let me rephrase that... 15:58 I praise the Lord that when we talk about this topic 16:00 we're not talking about anybody 16:03 who has given his or her life to the Lord, amen. 16:05 If you've given your life to the Lord, 16:07 and you're walking with Christ, don't even worry about this, 16:10 this is not for you... 16:11 all of those who trust the Lord, 16:14 will have eternal life, isn't that right? 16:16 "So that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish 16:19 but have everlasting life. " 16:21 So, the answer to Number 8, we put that 16:23 they have no rest day or night. 16:24 We will address that issue about "forever and ever" 16:27 because some people think, "Man alive! 16:29 forever and ever and ever and ever and ever... 16:33 they are not going to rest forever? 16:35 We'll find out what that actually means. 16:37 Let's go to Question number 9, 16:39 Question number 9... 16:41 and I want to turn to Revelation chapter 21 16:43 all right, Revelation chapter 21, 16:46 okay... 16:47 "How does the Bible describe those 16:53 that will be tormented in the fire?" 16:56 How does the Bible describe those 17:00 that will be tormented in the fire? 17:03 Revelation chapter 21, okay, 17:06 "How does it describe that?" 17:08 Revelation chapter 21, and verse 8, okay, 17:12 and it says in Revelation 21 and verse 8 17:15 pause... 17:18 "But the cowardly, unbelieving... " 17:22 yeah, we put a... 17:25 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, 17:31 sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, 17:36 and all liars shall have their part in the lake 17:41 which burns with fire and brimstone, 17:43 which is the... " what death? 17:45 "second death. " 17:47 This is a very powerful, important point to get... 17:50 what's the difference between the first death 17:52 and the second death? 17:54 Now, I alluded to that just a few moments ago 17:57 but I want you... I want you to see what the difference is 17:59 between the first death and the second death. 18:02 Go with me to John chapter 5... John chapter 5, 18:04 by the way, everyone... 18:06 as a matter of fact, just to make it very clear, 18:08 I'll... I'll quote the text, you can write it down 18:10 1st Corinthians 15 verse 22, the Bible says, 18:13 "As in Adam, all die, 18:16 even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 18:19 So, if you're a son of Adam... 18:20 if you were born with the nature of Adam, 18:22 we're all going to die, 18:23 how many people have died that were born? 18:25 Everyone... 18:27 we all die... that's the first death 18:30 but now we're in John chapter 5, 18:32 John chapter 5... I remember giving a Bible Study to someone 18:36 and they were all confused 18:38 because I was using the whole Bible, 18:40 they said, "Wait a minute, in our church we don't do that. " 18:43 That's the problem... 18:44 you got to go... here a little, there a little, 18:49 there a little... line upon line... 18:51 line upon line... precept upon precept... 18:54 the whole Bible paints the entire picture, 18:57 and that's the same way, 18:58 the Bible is like a well-designed picture 19:02 but many pieces to the puzzle. 19:03 Can you imagine looking at one piece of a puzzle 19:05 and concluding what the whole picture is... 19:07 that's the problem... 19:09 some people don't look at the entire picture. 19:10 Notice what the first death is all about. 19:13 John chapter 5 verse 28 and verse 29. 19:15 Let's start with verse 28, John chapter 5 verse 28. 19:19 The Bible says, "Do not marvel at this; 19:22 for the hour is coming in which... " 19:26 what's the next word? 19:27 "All who are in the graves... " 19:31 that's what happens at the first death... 19:33 "all who are in the graves will hear His voice. " 19:37 Where do people go when they die? say it... 19:39 "In the grave... " 19:41 and look at verse 25, 19:42 oh, verse 29, sorry... 19:44 "and come forth... 19:46 all who are in the graves will hear His voice 19:49 and come forth... " 19:50 look at the two categories, those who have done good, 19:55 to the resurrection of life, 19:57 and those that have done evil... 20:00 those who have done evil, to the resurrection of... " 20:02 what? "condemnation" 20:04 or damnation as the King James Version says, 20:06 notice, everybody suffers the first death. 20:08 That's what the grave is all about. 20:10 It's amazing that preachers overlook the grave. 20:15 It's like... we go... we perform ceremonies... 20:20 we... we perform funerals... 20:21 let me take a breath, I'm a New Yorker, 20:23 we perform funerals all the time... 20:24 we take people to the grave, we lay them on the ground 20:27 and we say, "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. " 20:32 The Lord told Adam when he sinned, 20:35 He says, "All the days of your life will you work... 20:40 will you sweat 20:41 until you return to the earth from which you came 20:45 for dust you are, unto dust you shall return. 20:48 Read Genesis chapter 3, 20:50 He says, that's where we're going, 20:51 you're going back to where you came from. 20:53 Adam didn't come from heaven, Jesus came from heaven. 20:57 We are all going to heaven, John 14 verses 1 to 3, 21:00 "I will come again and receive you to myself 21:03 that where I am... presently there... 21:06 you may be also... " 21:07 and then He said to the disciples over and over, 21:09 where I'm going, you cannot come. 21:11 The day is coming when Jesus is going to take us to heaven, amen 21:15 but we don't go to heaven nor do we go to hell at death, 21:18 and everyone is waiting for the resurrection day. 21:21 Resurrection of life... resurrection of condemnation... 21:24 that's when the reward 21:27 and the punishments are going to be given out. 21:29 Go to Revelation chapter 22, God is pouring into my head, 21:33 "Okay, Lord, I'm... I'm in tune with you. " 21:36 Look at Revelation chapter 22 and I want you to see something. 21:39 Revelation chapter 22 verse... verse 11 and 12, 21:44 the last declaration to be made, two categories... 21:49 here it is, Revelation chapter 22 verse 11, 21:51 "He who is unjust, let him be unjust... " what? 21:54 "still... 21:56 he who is filthy, let him be" what? "filthy still; 21:59 he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; 22:02 he who is holy, let him be holy... " what? 22:04 "still... " and get this... 22:06 this is the Second Coming, verse 12, 22:08 "And behold, I am coming quickly, 22:11 and My reward is with Me, 22:15 to give to every one according to his work. " 22:21 When I graduated from High School, 22:23 everybody got their grades at the end of the year. 22:26 Nobody got their grades in January 22:29 who was... who was graduating in June. 22:33 You don't get your reward before the time of reward. 22:38 When the Lord comes back, 22:40 the rewards will be given out. 22:43 Eternal life to the righteous, 22:45 the death of the second death to the wicked 22:48 and that's when the fires of hell are kindled. 22:51 So, question number 9 clearly talks... 22:54 that's why it talks about it as the second death 22:56 because the first death everyone has 22:59 but not everyone will be affected by the second death. 23:02 Oh, I'm just... I want to slow down... 23:03 let's go to Question number 10, let's go to Question number 10 23:06 and let's go... I don't want to run ahead of myself 23:09 but Question number 10 23:11 and I'm going to show this verse in just a moment here, 23:14 let me see if it's in my notes, 23:15 it's not in my notes 23:17 so I'm going to go ahead and show it to you, 23:18 all right, let's read Question 10 first 23:20 and then we'll get there, here we go, 23:22 "Besides the wicked, who else will be tormented 23:25 in the Lake of Fire?" 23:27 Besides the wicked, who else will be tormented 23:30 in the Lake of Fire?" 23:31 We find our answer in Revelation chapter 20 and verse 10. 23:35 Revelation chapter 20 and verse 10. 23:39 All right... this is amazing... 23:44 this is a wonderful thing that we know... 23:46 you see, the Bible says in Matthew 25:41 23:48 that hell is prepared for the devil and his angels 23:50 but not just for them, look who else is going to be there. 23:53 Revelation 20 and verse 10, get this, 23:57 "And the devil, who deceived them, 24:01 was cast into the... " what? 24:04 "lake of fire and brimstone 24:07 where the beast and the false prophet are. 24:11 And they will be tormented day and night... " for how long? 24:15 "forever and ever. " 24:19 That's what the Bible says, they will be tormented... 24:21 so who else is going to be there? 24:22 Let's put the answers in now, who else is going to be there? 24:26 In that text, it says... the devil is going to be there. 24:30 We found out earlier... his angels are going to be there 24:33 but in this text, 24:35 the beast and the false prophet are also going to be there. 24:38 So, write that down... 24:40 "Beside the wicked, who else will be tormented 24:42 in the lake of fire?" 24:44 The devil... the beast... and the false prophet. 24:47 We call that "The False Trinity" 24:50 The False Trinity... 24:53 the devil... the beast... and the false prophet... 24:56 the false trinity... now, I want you to read verse 9 24:59 because if you leave verse 10 by itself, 25:02 you can say, "Wow! they are going to burn with no end. " 25:07 Look at verse 9, just to get the context of that, 25:10 look at verse 9, "And they went up 25:13 on the breadth of the earth 25:15 and surrounded the camp of the saints 25:19 and the beloved city. 25:22 And fire came down from God out of heaven and... " what? 25:27 "devoured them. " 25:30 I don't know if you know what "devoured" is 25:32 but in California, they've been having fires 25:34 that have been devouring everything in its path. 25:36 A few years ago, in Australia, they were having fires 25:40 that were devouring everything it its path... 25:42 it didn't... didn't... in its path... 25:43 it didn't matter what the homes were worth... 25:45 it didn't matter how long they were there... 25:48 the fire didn't care about the... 25:50 how expensive the cars were and your photo albums... 25:52 whatever was affected by the fire... 25:54 the fire burned forever and ever 25:58 as long as there was something to burn 26:01 that's one of the elemental keys here. 26:04 As long as there's something to burn, 26:06 the fire is going to continue until its job is completed 26:11 but how do we know that? 26:13 Let's use the Bible. 26:15 So, the answer to Number... 26:16 Number 10, did you put that down already? 26:18 Let's go to Number 11 now, 26:20 let's go to Number 11, 26:21 and by the way, while you're turning to Number 11, 26:25 I want to... and since you're in Revelation chapter 20 right now, 26:28 let me see if I have that included in here, 26:30 okay, I don't, so let me go ahead and give you that, 26:32 right now as extra Credit. 26:33 Look at Revelation chapter 20, Revelation chapter 20 and... 26:38 and verse 13 down to verse 15, 26:42 well, verse 12 down to verse 15 26:45 because I told you that when the Lord comes back 26:47 that's going to be the last judgment. 26:49 The righteous and the wicked... 26:52 and notice what the conclusion is going to be, 26:55 Revelation chapter 20 verse 12 down to verse 15, 26:57 "And I saw the dead, small and great, 27:02 standing before God, and books were opened. 27:07 And another book was opened, which is the Book of... " what? 27:11 "Life. 27:13 And the dead were judged according to their... " what? 27:17 "works, 27:18 by the things which were written in the books. " 27:21 Get this point now, this is really powerful, 27:24 do you pay someone that is an hourly wager 27:27 before they finish their hourly jobs? 27:30 No, when they're done, 27:32 you summarize according to their works, 27:34 you pay them and that's what the Bible says. 27:36 Each person is going to be rewarded... 27:38 they're going to be judged according to their works 27:41 which means... and this is a powerful concept, 27:45 let's go ahead and put this in the context, 27:49 and I'm not... I'm not going to talk about anybody's Senator 27:52 let's say a 19-year-old kid just gets a gun... 27:55 goes to one of these schools 27:57 and that's been happening so much in the news 27:58 gets... he loses his mind... 28:00 goes in and he starts blowing people away 28:02 and he dies in a gun battle with the police... 28:05 dies... lost in his sins... 28:07 then we compare that young man against Hitler 28:12 who... who killed millions of people. 28:16 Now, both of them are standing before the judgment bar of God 28:21 do they both get the same reward, yes or no? 28:24 "According to their works... " 28:28 so, according to that, as in any judicial court, 28:32 if God is a just God which He is, 28:35 each one will be punished according to their deed. 28:39 So, the torment for Hitler is going to be far greater 28:43 than the torment for this young boy 28:45 or this 19-year-old young man 28:47 who went down in a blaze of gun battle 28:49 with one of the local police departments. 28:51 You got to keep that in context because God is not unjust 28:55 and one of the things about the topic of hell... 28:56 it has painted God as this unjust God 28:59 that no matter what you've done, 29:01 you're just going to burn and burn and burn and burn 29:06 as one song writer... years ago when I was in the Disco Scene, 29:09 there was a song called, "Burn Baby Burn" 29:11 it was called "Disco Inferno. " 29:13 Well, the Disco is going to burn up too, amen to that. 29:15 But God is not an unjust God, 29:18 the fires of hell are intended to be metered out 29:22 according to one's works. 29:24 Not because God is angry... 29:26 God does not lose His love 29:29 because of those who chose not to accept Him. 29:33 Okay, now let's go to the next question, 29:35 let's see how... how clear this is... 29:37 Question number 11, 29:38 "Will the torment of the devil continue eternally with no end?" 29:44 we're going to Ezekiel chapter 28, 29:47 Ezekiel chapter 28, 29:49 we're going to look at verse 18 together, 29:51 Ezekiel 28 and we're going to look at verse 18 together. 29:56 Okay, but I'm just going to... 29:59 I'm reserving a text right here 30:01 that I'm going to come back and share with you. 30:03 All right, okay... here it is... I'm just... 30:05 putting that text here, now I'm on my way to Ezekiel, 30:08 you guys slow down... 30:09 you're faster than a speeding bullet... 30:10 I'm almost there, here we are... 30:12 okay, here we are... okay... 30:14 Ezekiel 28... it's so good to have a Bible, 30:18 here it is... 30:19 it's going to be on the screen, here's the answer, 30:21 Ezekiel 28 verse 18, here it is, 30:24 speaking of Lucifer... 30:29 Satan... 30:30 but the Bible talks about him... context of Lucifer then fallen 30:34 but notice what it says... 30:35 and I want to just give you the context 30:37 we're going to look at verse 18, let's look at verse 18 first, 30:40 Ezekiel 28:18 30:41 then we'll go back and see who this is referring to. 30:44 Here it is, the Bible says, 30:46 "You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your... " 30:51 what? "iniquities, 30:53 by the iniquity of your trading... " 30:55 trading righteousness for evil... 30:58 "therefore, I brought fire from your midst; 31:02 it devoured you, and turned you to... " what? 31:07 "ashes upon the earth 31:10 in the sight of all who saw you. " 31:13 That is the ultimate end of Satan... 31:16 this one that used to be in the presence of God... 31:18 just as proof of that, look at verse 13... 31:21 look at verse 12... 31:22 the Lord gives this parable through the King of Tyre, 31:26 "Son of man, 31:30 take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, 31:33 and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord: 31:36 "You were the seal of perfection... "' 31:38 who was that? 31:40 Lucifer... 31:41 "Full of wisdom... " and what else? 31:44 "perfect in beauty, 31:46 You were in Eden, the garden of God... " 31:49 Ezekiel 28 verse 13, 31:51 "Every precious stone was your covering... " 31:55 and then the Bible goes on to describe the stones... 31:57 "The sardius, the topaz, the diamond, the beryl, 31:59 the onyx, the jasper, the sapphire, the turquoise, 32:02 the emerald with gold... " 32:03 and he says, "The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes 32:06 were prepared for you on the day you were created... " 32:10 and then, clearly it brings into view 32:12 who this is referring to, 32:14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers; 32:17 I established you; 32:20 you were on the holy mountain of God; 32:23 you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 32:27 You were perfect in your ways 32:30 from the day you were created till... " what? 32:33 Till iniquity was found in you. " 32:36 Who is He talking about? 32:38 Look at verse 16, 32:39 "By the abundance of your trading 32:41 you became filled with violence within, 32:44 and you sinned; 32:45 therefore I cast you as a profane thing 32:49 out of the mountain of God; 32:51 and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, 32:54 from the midst of the fiery stones. " 32:57 He's talking about Satan... 32:59 that was the fall of Satan... 33:00 when Lucifer sinned, he lost his former estate 33:04 and was cast down 33:06 and he is one day going to be turned into ashes 33:08 in the sight of all, 33:10 as a matter of fact, let's look at the very next verse, 33:12 after verse 18, look at verse 19, 33:14 let's look at verse 19, after the ashes are turned, 33:17 look at verse 19, 33:19 and it says, "All who knew you among the peoples 33:22 are astonished at you... " 33:25 and this is powerful, "You have become a horror... " 33:30 and say this with me, "And shall be no more forever. " 33:35 Now, this is powerful, 33:37 you got your thinking caps on, here it is, 33:38 Do you think that the devil is going to be around forever, 33:44 yes or no? 33:46 Audience: No. 33:47 That's what the crucifixion was all about, 33:49 Jesus made it clear in the book of Hebrews, 33:51 "He came to destroy the one who had power over death... " 33:55 that is the devil... 33:56 He came to defeat him and praise God He did. 33:58 Satan knows... as it says in Revelation chapter 12, 34:02 "he knows that he has but a... " what? 34:04 "short time... " 34:06 go with me to Revelation chapter 12, 34:08 Lord have mercy, I asked for the Holy Spirit 34:10 and You have sent Him, praise God... 34:13 praise the Lord, it's... it's... the devil knows, 34:18 he doesn't know he has a long time... 34:22 he knows he has a short time, look at Revelation chapter 12, 34:26 here it is... okay... 34:30 look at Revelation chapter 12 verse 12... 34:35 "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! 34:41 Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! 34:47 For the devil has come down to you, having... " what? 34:51 great wrath, because he knows that he has.. " 34:54 a what? "short time... " 34:56 a short time before he receives his reward, amen. 35:01 He got to pay for what he's done. 35:03 It always amazes me when people blame God 35:07 when a baby dies unfortunately before birth... 35:11 dies on the operating room on delivery... 35:13 people come up with these... with these statements that... 35:16 that stain the beautiful character of God... 35:19 "God took him... " they say. 35:21 When a mother on her way home from work 35:24 loses her life in an unfortunate car accident... 35:27 the parents or those who survive say, 35:30 "Little boy, little girl, God needed another 'angel' 35:33 so God took your mother. " 35:35 God does not take... God is not an assassin... 35:38 Amen, somebody... 35:39 God does not kill people, God is not in need... 35:42 "Oh, you know what? I need a... I need a... 35:45 I need a mother today... 35:47 shhik... poo... got her... 35:48 I don't care about the pain that's left behind... 35:51 I needed her... " 35:52 that's not God... 35:53 and that has been perpetrated so often 35:55 that God is this assassin 35:57 that chooses who He's going to kill on whatever day, 36:00 oh no, no, the devil is a murderer. 36:04 The devil is a liar... 36:06 he's "SIN" from the very beginning... 36:09 he's a liar and the father of it. 36:11 Don't ever call God a killer, 36:13 "Every good and perfect gift comes from God... " 36:15 where... in which there's no shadow of turning, 36:18 God is not loving today and hateful tomorrow... 36:20 God is not an assassin that puts people on the list 36:23 because He needs other folk in heaven, 36:24 oh no, that's not God 36:26 so let's blame the one who causes death... 36:29 his name is the devil or Satan 36:31 or that serpent of old, amen. 36:34 So, Question number 12, Question number 12... 36:38 is that where we are? 36:39 Yes, Question number 12. 36:41 So, here's my point in transition, 36:42 Satan himself is going to be destroyed... 36:44 he's going to turn to ashes... but let's keep going... 36:46 let's let the Bible keep speaking. 36:48 "In what terms does the Bible describe the fate of Satan 36:54 and the wicked?" 36:56 Did we just read that? 36:57 I think we just did... 36:59 I think I went ahead of myself... 37:00 but that's okay, 37:02 we can answer it since you've been exposed 37:04 to the answer already, yes we did, 37:05 we went ahead and read it but we can look at it again. 37:07 Now the context of it is the question, 37:09 "In what terms does the Bible describe 37:11 the fate of Satan and the wicked?" 37:15 Revelation chapter 20 verse 14 and 15, 37:18 I'll go ahead and read it again... 37:20 "Then death... " here it is... 37:23 "Then death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. 37:29 This is the... " what? "second death. 37:32 And whoever was not found in the book of life 37:37 was cast into the lake of fire. " 37:40 Second death... 37:42 get that point... 37:44 first death... everybody dies that... 37:47 second death... the righteous don't die that, 37:50 I'm going peek real quickly, 37:52 okay, let me show you what the Bible says about the righteous. 37:54 Look at Revelation chapter 21, chapter 20 and verse 6, 37:59 chapter 20 and verse 6. 38:01 This is beautiful... this is something... adding... 38:04 showing you... we talked about the resurrection, I think, 38:06 yeah, we did... didn't we? Talked about the resurrection... 38:08 talked about death and the resurrection, 38:10 but listen to the context of it, 38:11 remember, those who are not found in the book of life, 38:14 will be cast into the Lake of Fire... 38:16 not only that... death is going to be destroyed 38:19 and hell is going to be destroyed. 38:21 There'll be no more hell... there'll be no more death. 38:23 The Bible says it, "There shall be no more death, 38:26 no more sorrow, no more crying 38:27 neither shall there be any more pain... " 38:29 so, think about that... 38:31 if there's going to be no more pain and no more death... 38:33 that death and pain are going to be destroyed... 38:36 how are people going to be in pain forever and ever 38:39 and ever and ever? 38:40 Hold on to that thought, 38:42 I'll tell you why it is impossible for them... 38:45 for the wicked to burn forever 38:47 but now let's go to Revelation chapter 20 and verse 6, 38:52 this is added in here, here we are, 38:54 Revelation chapter 20 and verse 6, 38:56 the Bible says, "Blessed and holy 39:00 is he who has part in the... " what resurrection? 39:03 First resurrection... 39:04 in line with John chapter 5 verses 28 and 29, 39:09 over such... the what? "Second death has no power 39:14 but they shall be priests of God and of Christ 39:19 and shall reign with Him... " how long? 39:21 "a thousand years. " 39:23 When they ascend to heaven... 39:26 Remember, sin has not yet been eradicated yet, 39:29 the resurrection has occurred... the ascension has occurred, 39:34 so, for 1,000 years, 39:36 Satan is going to be bound to this earth... 39:39 no one to torment... just he and his evil angels... 39:42 I'll show you that... he'll be bound to this earth 39:46 for a 1,000 years. 39:48 Why will he be bound to the earth, 39:50 why will there be no one for him to tempt? 39:53 Very carefully, look at the two categories, 39:55 if you were dead in Christ, you have been resurrected 39:59 and you were sent to meet the Lord 40:01 and you're in heaven with Him. 40:02 If you were wicked, you're still in the grave 40:05 waiting for the Second Resurrection. 40:09 That's what the Bible says, 40:10 "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection 40:13 if you have a first, you will have a what? 40:15 Second. 40:16 When the Second comes, 40:18 then those who are wicked come forth from the grave 40:21 and then they receive their just punishment 40:25 with Satan... the false prophet... 40:27 the beast and the angels that sinned 40:30 and were cast out of heaven with the devil. 40:32 Make it very clear... there's nobody in hell now 40:35 and if you accept Christ, the second death has no power 40:39 but here's the question, 40:40 "Does the first death have power over all of us?" 40:43 Yes or no? 40:45 Yes... all have sinned and the wages of sin is, what? 40:49 Death... 40:51 everybody dies the first time, 40:53 but if you're in Christ, 40:54 you will not die the second time. 40:55 Praise God for that. 40:57 Now, let's go on. 40:58 So, the answer to Number 12, 41:00 "In what term does the Bible describe 41:02 the fate of Satan and the wicked?" 41:04 The second death... the second death. 41:09 That's what it is, 41:10 the second death... 41:11 and when you think about this, 41:13 Adam died... Eve died... been in the grave for millennia 41:18 but they'll come forth 41:20 and they won't experience the second death 41:23 if they're in Christ, amen. 41:25 Now, let's go to the next question, 41:27 we're going to dive even deeper here, 41:28 here it is, Number 13, 41:30 we may not get them all tonight, but I'll try my best, 41:35 Number 13, the Bible says, Satan will become ashes, 41:40 what about the wicked? 41:42 What about the wicked? 41:43 Now, this is huge, 41:45 right now somebody's head is about to explode... 41:47 slow down... take deep breaths because this is deep, 41:50 you may not have heard this before, 41:52 but this is from God's Word, amen. 41:53 If you want truth, you're at the right channel, 41:55 Satan himself is going to become ashes. 41:58 If Satan is going to become ashes, 42:01 what about the wicked? 42:03 Would it make sense 42:05 that the mob boss 42:09 gets less punishment than the people that work for him? 42:13 Not at all. 42:15 Would it make sense that the kingpin of a drug ring 42:19 get less punishment than those that work for him? 42:23 No. 42:25 If Satan himself will be turned to ashes... 42:27 let's go to Malachi chapter 4 42:29 to see what's going to happen with the wicked. 42:31 Malachi chapter 4, verse 1 and verse 3. 42:36 That's the last book in the Old Testament... 42:38 last book... right before Matthew, 42:41 boy, I tell you, praise God for the validity... 42:46 I don't know... I... I... 42:47 I used to teach on Wednesday night, 42:49 I don't know when I got to preaching, 42:50 but this is a great topic... 42:52 I'm still teaching but it's powerful topic, 42:55 here it is, Malachi 4... last book in the Old Testament 42:59 and look at this... so clear... 43:02 Jesus... the Word of God... here it is, 43:05 "For behold, the day is... " what? 43:09 coming, burning like an oven, 43:13 and all the proud, 43:16 yes, all who do wickedly will be... " what? 43:20 Stubble... 43:21 those of us who have fires in our fireplace 43:23 know what that means. 43:25 Here in New York city... "What on earth is stubble?" 43:27 we'll make it clear... let's keep going... 43:28 verse 3... 43:31 "and the day which is coming... " 43:32 continue verse 1, sorry, 43:35 "And the day which is coming" shall what? 43:38 "burn them up... " 43:41 Says the LORD of hosts, that shall leave them neither" 43:46 what? "root nor branch. " 43:50 Now, come back to me for a brief moment, 43:52 we're going to the next text, come back to me 43:53 for a brief moment... I don't want to run to verse 3 yet, 43:55 notice what the Bible says, 43:57 "The day is coming... the oven day is coming... 44:01 it doesn't come at death 44:02 because it's going to affect all the wicked. 44:05 See, the wicked don't burn at different stages, 44:08 it affects them all... 44:10 it says, "The day that's coming that burns like an oven... " 44:13 yes... all the proud... all the wicked... 44:16 so, if they were wicked from... I don't want to condemn Cain 44:19 but I'm just going to say, 44:20 "If Cain who killed Abel is one of the first wicked, 44:23 he's not been burning for 1,000s of years" 44:27 from the first sinner that turned his back on God, 44:30 to the last sinner that turns his back on God, 44:33 they'll all be judged at the same time. 44:37 All the proud... all the wicked will be stubble. 44:42 "And they will leave them neither root nor branch... " 44:45 the text says, "the day that is coming shall burn them up. " 44:49 Now, if you're in the city, get a frying pan 44:53 and just illustrate that... 44:57 don't go crazy and set your house on fire 45:00 but now, look at verse 3, 45:02 "root nor branch. " 45:04 Out here when we dig up tree stubs, 45:06 some people have a lot of property, 45:08 we have over a 100 trees on our property, 45:09 we had some bad storms 45:11 and we had to root the trees out 45:12 and I'm cutting with the lawn mower, 45:14 I called one of the guys over at work out here and I said, 45:17 "You know, every time I try to cut the grass, 45:19 I run into this root... 45:21 could you come and root it out? 45:23 I was surprised to see how deep that root was. 45:25 It was way down in the earth, 45:27 when they pulled it out, 45:28 there was a big old hole in front of our house, 45:30 and so, about a year left and I said, 45:32 "Every time I try to cut over that spot, 45:35 I go down in the hole. " 45:36 Audience: Laughter... 45:37 And I said, "You guys got to help me out" 45:39 so, eventually they came by and filled it in 45:41 and packed it down... filled it and packed it down 45:43 because the roots were way down deep 45:45 but the Bible is in essence saying this, 45:47 not only is the tree on top of the earth going to be burned 45:51 but roots and branches... all will be consumed... 45:56 now, get this, Jesus says, 45:58 "I am the vine, you are the branches. " 46:00 So, if we're connected to Christ, He's the vine... 46:03 the sap that flows from the vine flows to us... 46:07 we who are connected to Christ are His branches... 46:11 but those connected to Satan... is... 46:13 Satan is the root and they are the branch... 46:16 Jesus has branches... Satan has branches... 46:20 so, here it is... if the root... Satan is going to become ashes, 46:23 if the roots of a tree burn, will the branches survive? 46:28 Tell me, yes or no? 46:30 Audience: No. 46:31 Because if you get down to the root... that's a serious fire, 46:33 the branches will go before the root. 46:36 Here's my point, Satan will burn longer 46:39 because no one has propagated sin... longer than the devil. 46:45 So, long after all the wicked 46:49 who have lived throughout the ages 46:51 are burned up... 46:52 Satan would be the last one to go out in a blaze of glory... 46:56 but now let's read verse 3, 46:58 because it said this of Satan... that Satan's going to be ashes, 47:01 now Malachi 4 verse 3, 47:03 let's bring the last Scripture up, 47:04 the Bible says, "You shall trample the wicked" 47:08 here it is, "You shall trample the wicked, 47:12 for... " together, 47:13 "they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet 47:19 on the day that I do this," says the LORD of hosts. 47:24 Can somebody say, "Amen. " 47:26 Audience: Amen. 47:27 They're not burning forever, 47:28 if the devil's not going to burn forever 47:30 and he's the root... how are the branches going to survive? 47:33 If you live in the mountains of California 47:35 and you've ever experienced a forest fire, 47:36 you know that, chances are, the roots survived 47:40 because given time, some good rain... 47:43 as the years go by... 47:45 then, all of a sudden, that root just begins to find new life 47:50 and in time, a tree will show up 47:53 but not... not in the judgment that's coming to Satan 47:57 not in the judgment that's coming to the wicked... 48:00 the branches are going first 48:02 and the roots are going to be done up, amen, 48:04 "root nor branch... " 48:05 so, here's the answer, 48:07 the Bible says that Satan will become ashes, 48:09 what about the wicked? 48:11 They also will be ashes. 48:14 So, what's the meaning for "eternal" 48:17 what does this mean "forever and ever?" 48:20 How do you balance the two? 48:22 What I want to understand... 48:24 what I want you to understand clearly, 48:26 now, we're going to go to the next question, 48:28 but let me lay the foundation, I didn't think... 48:30 I didn't think I had enough questions 48:32 but praise the Lord, I did. 48:33 Let me lay the foundation, here's the... here's the... 48:37 here's the issue... 48:39 John is in vision in Revelation 48:42 and John is seeing the world on fire... 48:46 now, John is not going to stay in vision 48:49 until the fire goes out, 48:51 but as far as God has shown John the extent of the fire 48:56 and the Bible says that the earth... 48:59 as the earth was destroyed by water... 49:02 the whole earth was covered by water... was it not? 49:05 This very same earth that was destroyed by water, 49:08 is now reserved for fire 49:10 so the entire earth was shown to John in vision 49:13 covered in fire... 49:15 and when John saw that, if you stood outside... 49:19 if you were in a helicopter 49:20 or if you were on a plane at 30,000 feet 49:22 and you had the chance to fly over the whole earth, 49:24 you will say, "It's burning forever... 49:28 and forever... and for... " 49:30 He's not talking about duration of time... 49:33 but duration of extent... 49:35 it's as far as your eyes can see... 49:38 how far can you see? Forever... 49:40 forever 49:42 forever... no matter what direction I see, 49:44 there's a fire that's burning... forever and ever 49:48 and people have said that before, 49:49 let's... let's make that clear... 49:51 rather than just making that my own perception, 49:53 let's see what the Bible says. 49:55 Now, Question number 14, Question number 14... 49:58 John is seeing a fire that covers the entire globe 50:02 and as far as his eyes can extend in that vision, 50:05 it goes on forever and ever and ever and ever. 50:08 What a conflagration! 50:13 That's beyond the fire, that's a conflagration. 50:16 That's totally out of the control of humanity. 50:20 "How does the Bible... " Number 14... 50:23 "How does the Bible show that the results 50:26 and not the process is eternal?" 50:29 How does the Bible show that the results 50:32 and not the process is eternal? 50:36 Really important... 50:37 really important... 50:39 you know what? I just want to tell you this 50:41 there are certain States in the Midwest 50:43 and if you're downwind of a fire it's a really bad thing. 50:48 You know what "Downwind" means? 50:50 I've seen pictures of aerial photography 50:53 when helicopters have come to a fire... 50:56 I heard about this train that blew up... 50:58 it was filled... it was a massive explosion 51:00 but the wind was blowing from west to east... 51:02 everybody east to that fire was told to go indoors 51:06 because it was a toxic cloud... 51:08 everybody east... it looked like nighttime. 51:12 Everybody west... it looked like complete daytime 51:16 and how far did that flame go? 51:18 From where it burned, all the way across 51:22 to the east coast. 51:23 Just like when Mount St. Helens blew up. 51:25 When Mount St. Helens exploded in the west, 51:28 how far did the ash go? 51:29 Ash went across the ocean... 51:32 it just kept going as far as the wind could carry it. 51:36 When the earth in its bowels release the fires 51:41 that are in all the cauldrons... 51:43 they call that the "Ring of Fire" 51:45 on the Pacific Coast. 51:47 All these volcanos that are active 51:49 and some of them that have been dormant... 51:50 the "Ring of Fire... " 51:52 this great chain of... of... of volcanic lava and magma... 51:56 all along the... the... the faults... earthquake faults. 52:01 When the earth gives way, 52:03 Lord have mercy to those who live in the... 52:05 in the Yellowstone area... 52:07 the largest magma lake in the world is under Yellowstone 52:13 and they said they have no idea how deep it is. 52:17 When God allows the bowels of the earth 52:19 to release its fumes to destroy sin, 52:22 just like when the earth was covered by water, 52:24 it shall be covered by fire 52:26 but how do we know it's not going to be forever? 52:28 Look at Jude... there's only one book... 52:30 there's only one chapter in Jude... only one chapter 52:33 so go to verse 7 in the book of Jude... 52:35 if you don't know where that is... right before Revelation, 52:38 right before Revelation... okay... 52:40 Jude verse 7... I put chapter 1 verse 7, 52:45 there's only one chapter, 52:47 but you got to do that just for... 52:48 here we are... 52:50 here's the answer... 52:51 "How do we know that the Bible talks about the results 52:54 and not the process?" 52:55 The results are eternal... not the process, 52:57 here's the answer, Jude 1 verse 7, 52:58 "As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them 53:04 in a similar manner... 53:06 having given themselves over to sexual immorality 53:10 and gone after... " what? 53:12 "strange flesh, are set forth as an example, 53:18 suffering the vengeance of... " what? 53:21 "eternal fire. " 53:25 Now, I have to ask the question, 53:27 "Is Sodom and Gomorrah burning today?" 53:31 Yes or no? 53:33 No... 53:34 absolutely not... 53:36 did they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire? 53:37 Now, we'll get the context... what does that mean? 53:41 Let's go to 2nd Peter, let's look at that... 53:43 so, how does the Bible show that 53:45 the results and not the process are eternal? 53:48 Because Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed... 53:50 we'll see that in just a moment, 53:52 Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed, 53:54 we'll cover that in Question Number 15. 53:55 It was destroyed... 53:57 it was obliterated from the plains... 53:59 that's why God told Lot and his family to get out. 54:02 "Get out, I'm going to destroy the city... " 54:04 and there is no Sodom and Gomorrah where it used to exist. 54:07 I hate to say, it's everywhere else now... 54:10 Lord, have mercy... 54:15 2nd Peter chapter 2 and verse 6... 54:18 2nd Peter chapter 2 and verse 6. 54:21 The Bible makes it clear, Peter talks about it again, 54:25 and it says, "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah 54:31 into... what? "ashes... " 54:33 notice, the last text said, "eternal fire... " 54:35 but now it says, 54:37 "and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, 54:39 condemning them to... " what? 54:41 "destruction... " 54:43 "making them an example to those who afterward 54:48 would live ungodly. " 54:50 I... I really... I have... 54:51 I have nothing but empathy for those who don't know Jesus yet, 54:54 but I tell you how sad it's going to be 54:57 for those who follow in the pathway 54:59 and lifestyle of Sodom and Gomorrah. 55:01 God said, "You saw what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah?" 55:03 And as Billy Graham and his wife said, 55:05 "Either God will have to punish America 55:07 or He'll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. " 55:10 Well, God is not going to apologize 55:12 for something that was sinful, 55:13 but He turned those cities into ashes. 55:17 As the devil will be ashes, and the wicked will be ashes, 55:23 Sodom and Gomorrah are an example 55:26 that God rained fire from heaven and turned them into ashes. 55:30 So, when the Bible talks about the results, 55:34 Sodom suffered eternal fire, 55:36 Sodom is not burning now... but the... but the... 55:39 but the results are eternal 55:41 for there is no more Sodom, amen. 55:43 Now, let's go to the very next question... 55:45 let's go to the very next question, 55:47 "How does the Bible show that the results 55:48 and not the process are eternal?" 55:50 Sodom... eternal fire... means it will result in ashes. 55:56 1st Jude 1:7... eternal fire... 55:58 2nd Peter 2:6, put there... result is ashes... 56:02 all right. 56:03 Now Number 15, 56:05 Number 15, here we go... 56:07 "How does the Bible show 56:09 that eternal fire does not mean eternal burning?" 56:12 How does the Bible show 56:14 that eternal fire does not mean eternal burning?" 56:17 Very important... very important. 56:20 Look at this, Luke 17 verse 29, 56:23 Luke 17 and verse 29... 56:27 all right... 56:28 here it is... 56:30 how does it show that? 56:31 Dr. Luke records what happened... 56:35 Dr. Luke records what happened in Sodom. 56:39 "But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom 56:42 it rained... " what? 56:44 "fire and brimstone... " 56:46 the same thing that's going to be in the Lake of Fire 56:48 at the end, fire and brimstone... 56:50 "from heaven... " and did what? 56:52 "destroyed them all. " 56:55 Notice... the results were eternal... 56:59 if you were inside them, you went up in flames... 57:01 you were turned to ashes 57:03 and both the cities... the sister cities of the plain 57:06 were destroyed... 57:08 fire came down from God and destroyed them all. 57:11 Now, we're going to rest right here... 15... 57:14 and we're going to go to the next five next week, 57:16 but I want to tell you this, 57:17 what we have to keep in mind is, "God is a God of love. " 57:20 All these texts that you have been reading here 57:23 are to put the character of God right where it should be, 57:27 God is not an unfair God... 57:29 God is not burning people in hell now 57:31 and there are not righteous people in heaven now, 57:34 nobody has gone to heaven and joined the joys of heaven 57:38 except for the ones mentioned in Scripture... 57:40 but my Momma and my other mom and my other friends 57:43 and my cousins and all those that have died, 57:45 they're resting in the grave, 57:46 but the day is coming that 57:48 there'll be a reward for the righteous 57:49 and a punishment for the wicked. 57:51 Never forget that the fires of hell are the final expression 57:55 that God is love 57:57 and He will not allow sin to continue forever. 57:59 Keep studying... it will come into a sharper focus one day. 58:02 God bless you. |
Revised 2019-07-31