What do the mysterious images of
Daniel and Revelation mean? When
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will the antichrist appear and
make his final move. How can I
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be ready for the final events
of earth's history? You'll be
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amazed and encouraged by what
the Bible reveals. Join us as
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Pastor Brian McMahon
leads out in Prophecy Unsealed.
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Welcome back to another segment
of our Prophecy Unsealed seminar
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Our subject this evening
we've entitled What is Hell Fire
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Really All About? Now I'd
like to make just a little
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preliminary statement about
our method of study here at the
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Prophecy Unsealed seminar. I'm
sure you've noticed by now that
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we use a lot of scripture.
Sometimes 30 or 40 or more
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verses and there's a reason we
do this friends. I don't believe
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you can get all the truth on
any one subject out of just one
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verse of scripture. However,
often whole arguments or beliefs
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are built around just one or two
texts and that is not the way
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that we should study the Bible.
The Bible says in effect that
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the way we should study is
to gather as many verses on the
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subject together as we possibly
can. Look at them as a whole and
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then if it may seem that there
is a contradiction we'll see
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very clearly that that
contradiction is only in our own
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mind, it isn't in the scriptures
For example, in our earlier
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study we had the study of death
we found that there are hundreds
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of texts on that subject that
say the dead are asleep, the
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dead know not anything, they do
not praise the Lord. It is just
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over and over again. When
you have that many texts on a
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particular subject it is just
absolutely clear what the Bible
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is actually saying. And that
method must be followed in a
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subject like we have for this
evening. Many times people have
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taken a verse as they do on this
subject and they build a whole
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doctrine around it. And so we
have to ask the question as we
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begin tonight what kind of God
do we serve. The Bible says God
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is love and I believe that don't
you friend? Amen. So we should
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be able to see a God of love
even in the subject of hell fire
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The devil has caused people to
take a few texts, misunderstand
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them and take them out of their
context and they have caused God
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to be seen as a God who delights
in torture. So let's again go
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to this subject by first looking
at a couple of covers of some
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magazines that have come out.
Here is one from the US News and
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World Report. It's called The
Rekindling of Hell shows that
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people have an interest in it
which is why the magazine covers
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are following it. And then there
was an article from the USA
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Today Newspaper and it said
basically: Hell. What is it all
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about. They said 48 percent of
them say it's a real place where
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people suffer eternal fiery
torment and 46 percent people
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in the poll said hell is simply
an anguished state of existence
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rather than an actual place,
52 percent of adults say they're
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certain there is a hell and then
again from US News and World
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Report, if you thought that
those were strange here they
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have a picture of what is
supposedly Satan, the devil,
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and it's called Hell, a new
vision of the underworld or the
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netherworld and here they have
Satan as a host in kind of an
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aloha shirt like he's welcoming
people into a place of paradise
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He's got those reclining in
the background in lounge chairs
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getting served cocktails. He's
got people in the upper right
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They're playing some kind of
beach volleyball as if it really
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was a vacation resort. What a
twisted was of representing hell
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fire. Then from Time Magazine:
What If There Is No Hell? Again,
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they don't know. Ministers
are confused and therefore their
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congregations are confused but
as always we're going to go to
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the Bible tonight and ask the
question: What does the Bible
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really have to say? We're going
to look a various things tonight
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But the word Hell or Hell Fire
is used 54 times in the Bible.
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Where does it come from?
Well there's a word in the Old
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Testament Hebrew Sheol
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and a New Testament equivalent
in the Greek is Hades and they
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both together mean the
grave. They're used 41 times.
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There is another
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word in the New Testament
Gehenna which means a place of
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burning or where a lost person
will burn and that's used 12
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times. So together that's 53.
Where's the 54th time? In this
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verse right here where it says:
For God spared not the angels
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that sinned but cast them down
to hell and delivered them into
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chains of darkness, to be
reserved unto judgment. So this
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word hell here simply
means a place of outer darkness.
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So that's the 54th time. But for
the sake of our study tonight
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we're going to be concentrating
primarily on this first word
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gehenna which means a place of
burning. Where did it actually
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come from? That word gehenna is
taken from a phrase the valley
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of Hinnom. In ancient Jerusalem
there was a deep valley
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basically used as a garbage dump
and they would throw refuse in
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there and carcasses in there
and the fires were continually
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stoked and what the fires
did not burn the worms would eat
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So it basically was a place
of total destruction. And the
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ancients looked upon that place
as basically an example of what
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would happen to the wicked at
the wicked at that end of time.
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So we should first understand
if we look at this topic that
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there is a place called hell,
a place that I don't go and I
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don't want to go and I know you
don't want to go. How earnest we
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should be to make sure we find
the right way, amen? So make no
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mistake about it, friends. There
is a Bible picture of hell fire
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that we want to make sure we
understand. Some questions about
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hell though are these? When
exactly does hell fire occur?
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That is confusing to many. Is
it a hot spot that's going on in
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the center of earth right now?
How long does hell fire last.
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We'll get to that tonight. How
can a loving God destroy those
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whom he loves? So let's look
at the first question here. When
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does hell fire occur? Many
have believed that Jesus taught
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that there's a disembodied soul
that flies off from the body at
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death either to a place of
reward if they have been found
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righteous or a place of
punishment if they have been
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found evil. Now you can't blame
Jesus for a teaching like that.
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If you want an example of
what Jesus said we'll go here to
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Matthew 5 and verse 30. And here
Jesus says: And if thy right
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hand offend thee, cut it off,
and cast if from thee: for it is
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profitable for thee that one of
thy members should perish, which
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means one of they body parts
should perish, and not that thy
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body should be cast into hell.
So Jesus taught that it's not
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some kind of invisible thing
called the soul that goes off
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but the actual person itself.
Let's go to another example of
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that in Revelation 20 and
verse 15. And here it says: And
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whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast
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into the lake of fire. So again
it's the whole person that was
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cast into the lake of fire not
some kind of vapor entity that's
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called the soul. Now again let's
go to the Bible and let's see
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what does the Bible say about
the timing of hell fire. Matthew
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13 verse 36. Jesus is telling
a parable here and it says: Then
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Jesus sent the multitude away,
and went into the house: and his
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disciples came unto him, saying,
Declare unto us the parable of
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of the field. He
answered and said unto them, He
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that soweth the good seed is
the Son of man; the field is the
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world; the good seeds are the
children of the kingdom; but the
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tares are the children of the
wicked one; the enemy that sowed
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them is the devil; the harvest
is the end of the world; let's
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pause there friends. The harvest
is when? The end of the world.
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Sure. And the reapers are the
angels. As therefore the tares
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are gathered and burned in the
fire; so shall it be in the end
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of this world.
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now think about it, friends.
How unjust would it be for an
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earthly judge to sentence
someone to punishment before
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their trial had occurred, right?
Now an earthly judge wouldn't
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want to do that. And neither
would God because God is a lot
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more fair than any earthly
judge is, so God doesn't send
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his people to some kind of
punishment before the judgment
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has finished taking place. The
Bible teaches clearly that the
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punishment becomes after the
time of the judgment. Then in
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verse 41 it says: The Son of man
shall send forth his angels, and
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they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend
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and them which do iniquity;
and shall cast for them into a
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furnace of fire, that is again
another term for the lake of
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fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth. And then
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again in verse 49, it says "So
shall it be when? At the end of
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the world. So once again over
and over Jesus taught that the
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punishment that comes to the
wicked is at the end of time.
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Here is Matthew 16 and verse 27
is one of my favorite verses. It
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says: For the Son of man shall
come in the glory of his Father
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with his angels; and then he
shall reward every man according
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to his works. Now this is again
what I call one of those when/
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then texts. When something
occurs then something else
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occurs. So it says: When the Son
of man shall come in the glory
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of his Father with his angels.
Has that happened yet friends?
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No. So the latter part cannot
have happened yet for it talks
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about people being rewarded
according their works. So
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because Jesus hasn't come in all
his glory the rewards have not
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yet been handed out as they will
be. We know as we've studied
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already, the wicked living
are cut down by the glory of the
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Lord when he comes. And then
we're told that they sleep the
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sleep of death for a 1000 years.
We've already covered that in
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one of our studies. And
then after that, they have a
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resurrection. So this much we
know for sure Hell fire must at
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least be 1000 years away.
Because it happens at the end
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of the 1000 years or what we
call the millennium. Let's look
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at 2 Peter 2 verse 9. It says:
The Lord knoweth how to deliver
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the godly out of temptations,
that's good news, isn't it? In
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fact we're going to have
a message in this series of
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messages that talks about
how to be delivered out of
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temptation but that's for a
future date. And to reserve the
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unjust, reserve means he's
holding back, unto the day of
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judgment to be punished: So it
says God knows how to reserve or
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to hold back the wicked unto
a certain time and that certain
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time is called the day of
judgment. So we know from that
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that nobody is being sentenced
at this time. 2 Thessalonians 2
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and verse 8. Let's go through a
little bit of summary here that
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we covered of night three and
night four. Let's go through it
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quickly. It says when the
Lord comes: Whom the Lord shall
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consume with the spirit of his
mouth, and shall destroy with
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the brightness of his coming.
So Jesus' coming is so glorious
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that the wicked are consumed by
it if they haven't already died
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previous to that. And then
Revelation 20 verse 5 says: The
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rest of the dead lived not
again until the 1000 years were
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what folks? Finished. So the
dead remain dead for the 1000
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year period of time. Paul says
in Acts 24:15 that there will be
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a resurrection of the just and
of the unjust. Sure. So we'll
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put that graph back up on the
screen and here we find the 1000
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years. It is framed by two great
events called resurrection. We
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find the righteous come up
in the first resurrection. The
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wicked or the lost come up
in the second resurrection. The
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second coming is the event that
triggers the first resurrection
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and the Holy City descending out
of heaven comes at the end of
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the 1000 years and that triggers
the second resurrection. So the
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question now comes to us, if the
wicked who have died are not in
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hell fire yet then where exactly
are they? Well the Bible gives
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it to us this way folks. It
says: Marvel not at this: These
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are the words of Jesus. For the
hour is coming in which all that
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are in the, where are they? All
that are in the grave will hear
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his voice and shall come forth;
coming forth means they will be
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resurrected. They that have done
good, unto the resurrection of
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life; and they that have done
evil unto the resurrection of
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damnation. So the word damnation
here in the Greek is a word that
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means judgment, right? They're
going to come forth in the
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resurrection of judgment.
The wicked are in the graves and
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there they remain until this
one called the resurrection of
00:11:55.48\00:11:58.28
damnation. So Jesus speaks about
two respective resurrections.
00:11:58.31\00:12:01.42
Revelation 20 tells us there's a
1000 years in between them. Now
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let's go back to the Old
Testament here. Remember the
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Old and the New perfectly
complement each other. Job says
00:12:08.56\00:12:13.40
Have ye not asked them that go
by the way? and do you not know
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their tokens, that the wicked is
reserved, he uses the same word
00:12:15.50\00:12:19.23
that Peter used, that
they are reserved to the day of
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destruction. And you see the
word destruction folks? You're
00:12:22.54\00:12:24.14
going to see that word quite
a bit tonight. It's the day that
00:12:24.17\00:12:28.28
the wicked are punished called
the day of destruction. They
00:12:28.31\00:12:30.15
shall be brought forth, another
word for brought forth is
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they'll be resurrected, to the
day of wrath. So the wicked are
00:12:33.95\00:12:37.49
reserved to a time of
destruction and they'll be
00:12:37.52\00:12:40.66
brought forth to that day called
the day of wrath. Job 21 verse
00:12:40.69\00:12:44.13
32. What's going to happen
in the meantime? It says: Yet he
00:12:44.16\00:12:47.50
shall be brought to the grave
and remain in the tomb. So we've
00:12:47.53\00:12:53.30
seen this in various other
verses. The wicked are brought
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to the grave. There they remain
until their resurrection occurs.
00:12:54.90\00:12:58.87
so the whole teaching of
scripture, folks, is in harmony
00:12:58.91\00:13:01.94
with this subject. The unsaved
remain in their graves until...
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they're sleeping the sleep
of death...until the second
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resurrection. Then they're
brought forth to be punished.
00:13:10.59\00:13:12.59
Peter says it this way. 2 Peter
3 verse 7: But the heavens and
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the earth, which are now, by
the same word are kept in store,
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reserved as the fire against the
day of judgment and perdition,
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perdition means destruction, of
ungodly men. So Peter says the
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heavens and the earth are going
to be used to destroy ungodly
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people. Let's go take a look and
see how exactly that plays out
00:13:32.14\00:13:35.01
here. Revelation 20 verse 9: And
they went up on the breadth of
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the earth and compassed, which
means surrounded, the camp of
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the saints about, and the
beloved city: and fire came down
00:13:40.75\00:13:44.09
from God out of heaven and did
what, folks? Devoured them. Now
00:13:44.12\00:13:48.86
remember that term devoured
because I'll probably come back
00:13:48.89\00:13:53.19
to that. Hell fire is more than
just a place. Hell fire is an
00:13:53.23\00:13:56.97
event. Think of it that way.
It's an event that occurs in a
00:13:57.00\00:14:01.50
series of events after,
of course, Jesus comes. We're
00:14:01.54\00:14:04.54
going to go through all these
things together. And it's called
00:14:04.57\00:14:07.54
the second death. Now again why
do we know that the resurrection
00:14:07.58\00:14:10.01
of the wicked is at the end of
the 1000 years. It's called the
00:14:10.05\00:14:14.78
second death and there can be
no second death, think about it
00:14:14.82\00:14:17.75
with me, until there first is a
second life. So do we find that
00:14:17.79\00:14:22.59
every last person is resurrected
at the end of the 1000 years.
00:14:22.62\00:14:25.33
They come before the throne of
God, Revelation 20:11-14, they
00:14:25.36\00:14:29.80
understand why they are justly
excluded from heaven. When their
00:14:29.83\00:14:33.70
punishment is given they are in
the lake of fire and there it is
00:14:33.74\00:14:39.27
consuming flame envelops
the great army of Satan destroys
00:14:39.31\00:14:42.18
them from the face of the earth.
Just as the ark of Noah was
00:14:42.21\00:14:48.38
safely guarded by God as the
world was destroyed by water the
00:14:48.42\00:14:53.19
first time, so the righteous are
in the Holy City and they are
00:14:53.22\00:14:56.19
safely guarded by God while the
world is destroyed a second time
00:14:56.22\00:14:58.33
not by water, but of course
by fire. So the New Jerusalem is
00:14:58.36\00:15:03.50
going to ride the fires of
hell there and they will be
00:15:03.53\00:15:06.57
absolutely safe. So this is
the Bible picture of hell fire
00:15:06.60\00:15:08.94
friends. It's not located
in some subterranean place of
00:15:08.97\00:15:12.24
darkness that you often read
about and hear preached about.
00:15:12.27\00:15:14.58
The fire that destroys the
wicked has a dual purpose. It
00:15:14.61\00:15:19.68
not only consumes sin but
it sterilizes the world. I like
00:15:19.71\00:15:24.19
that word. It sterilizes it
in preparation for what God is
00:15:24.22\00:15:27.02
going to do next. And God is
going to do a wonderful thing.
00:15:27.06\00:15:28.89
He's going to make it all brand
new again. So we know hell fire
00:15:28.92\00:15:32.63
is going to burn at the end of
the world and that prepares us
00:15:32.66\00:15:36.10
to ask the question: How many
people are suffering in hell
00:15:36.13\00:15:39.33
fire tonight? How many? None,
that's right. You know I was in
00:15:39.37\00:15:44.41
Fortworth, Texas one time, and I
was driving along. I remember I
00:15:44.44\00:15:48.21
had the radio on and I was
listening because there was a
00:15:48.24\00:15:52.58
southern preacher there and he
was preaching on this topic of
00:15:52.61\00:15:54.62
hell fire. I said okay I'm going
to listen and see what he has to
00:15:54.65\00:15:58.22
say. So I was listening and this
is what his sermon went like.
00:15:58.25\00:16:01.56
He said some geologists from
Texas went out to drill for oil.
00:16:01.59\00:16:04.99
And he said they drilled so far
into the earth that they drilled
00:16:05.03\00:16:08.43
right down into hell fire. And
he said when they pulled up the
00:16:08.46\00:16:11.83
drill it created this chasm
and it said the screams of the
00:16:11.87\00:16:15.20
damned filtered up through this
hole and they drifted out onto
00:16:15.24\00:16:17.61
the surface of the earth and
it said they heard the wales and
00:16:17.64\00:16:20.44
the cries and the screams and
it drove those geologists crazy.
00:16:20.48\00:16:23.08
I thought to myself Hmm I wonder
what version of the National
00:16:23.11\00:16:28.52
Inquirer magazine he got that
story from right. No Bible right
00:16:28.55\00:16:32.55
No texts of scripture. Just a
story. Now folks we can't listen
00:16:32.59\00:16:38.66
to stories like that because
those are the kinds of stories
00:16:38.69\00:16:41.20
that lead people totally away
from the truths of subjects.
00:16:41.23\00:16:45.17
Revelation 20 verse 6: Blessed
and holy is he that has part in
00:16:45.20\00:16:48.60
the first resurrection. You
can see why blessed and holy
00:16:48.64\00:16:52.87
because that's the one for the
saved right there. But God is a
00:16:52.91\00:16:55.81
God of order. He's a God of love
He's a God of mercy but he's
00:16:55.84\00:16:59.78
also a God of order. And here we
find that first the wicked are
00:16:59.81\00:17:03.89
brought out of their graves.
Then they face their judgment.
00:17:03.92\00:17:07.16
And then they're punished in
the lake of fire. So there's a
00:17:07.19\00:17:10.83
logical order to it. Revelation
21 verse 8: The the fearful, and
00:17:10.86\00:17:14.46
unbelieving, and the abominable,
and murders, and whoremongers,
00:17:14.50\00:17:17.53
and sorcerers and idolaters,
and all liars shall have their
00:17:17.57\00:17:20.50
part in the lake which burns
with fire and brimstone: which
00:17:20.54\00:17:23.24
is the what again friend?
The second death. So the Bible
00:17:23.27\00:17:28.51
stresses that it is the second
death which is the one which the
00:17:28.54\00:17:32.98
wicked are going to experience.
The righteous never experience
00:17:33.01\00:17:36.42
the second death friends. They
can experience the first death
00:17:36.45\00:17:39.09
which is called a sleep because
there's an awakening from that
00:17:39.12\00:17:42.09
sleep. But the second death
is only for the wicked. Now that
00:17:42.12\00:17:46.80
leads us to this question: Where
will hell fire occur? Well we
00:17:46.83\00:17:49.73
basically already answered it.
We know how large the lake of
00:17:49.76\00:17:53.13
fire's going to be. The lake of
fire is going to be just as wide
00:17:53.17\00:17:55.50
and just as deep as this world
is. It's going to be this world
00:17:55.54\00:17:59.51
sterilized before it is made
brand new again. Now let's go
00:17:59.54\00:18:04.85
see what it says about making
that world brand new. Revelation
00:18:04.88\00:18:08.38
21 verse 1. It says: And I saw
a new heaven and a new earth:
00:18:08.42\00:18:11.45
for the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away:
00:18:11.49\00:18:14.32
Where did the first heaven and
the first earth pass away friend
00:18:14.36\00:18:17.19
It passed away in the lake of
fire, right? And so now God is
00:18:17.23\00:18:20.90
going to make it brand new. So
let's now look at this question:
00:18:20.93\00:18:24.17
How long will hell fire
burn? Really this is the major
00:18:24.20\00:18:26.87
question for tonight because
this is the one the majority of
00:18:26.90\00:18:31.17
people get hung up on. There's
another way of asking this
00:18:31.21\00:18:33.31
question by the way. And that
would be how complete is the
00:18:33.34\00:18:36.24
destruction of the wicked?
There's so much confusion on
00:18:36.28\00:18:38.85
this point because the devil has
taken a few words of scripture
00:18:38.88\00:18:42.08
taken them out of their context
and caused people to believe
00:18:42.12\00:18:45.79
something totally different than
what the Bible actually says.
00:18:45.82\00:18:48.92
Thought we do not know the exact
length of time the wicked are
00:18:48.96\00:18:55.16
going to suffer in the lake
of fire. This one we do know
00:18:55.20\00:18:57.60
friends. It will not be for the
ceaseless ages of eternity. Now
00:18:57.63\00:19:02.37
why do we know that? We're going
to go to the Bible and get a lot
00:19:02.40\00:19:05.07
of verses but here are a couple
reasons why right off the bat.
00:19:05.11\00:19:06.91
Number one We've just read that
the world is going to become a
00:19:06.94\00:19:11.38
lake of fire and then God's
going to make it brand new again
00:19:11.41\00:19:14.28
Now how is God going to make
it brand new again if the fires
00:19:14.32\00:19:18.82
never go out? Right? I mean
there's no way God can make this
00:19:18.85\00:19:21.29
world brand new and recreate it
if the fires of hell never cease
00:19:21.32\00:19:24.43
if it's going to be as the Bible
says right here on the surface
00:19:24.46\00:19:26.96
of the earth. That's reason
number one. Reason number two is
00:19:27.00\00:19:29.66
we studied in a previous night
that mankind is not naturally
00:19:29.70\00:19:35.24
immortal. Immortality is
something that is given man at
00:19:35.27\00:19:37.94
the time of the second coming as
a reward for being faithful to
00:19:37.97\00:19:40.28
Jesus, right? And so how could
the wicked suffer for eternity
00:19:40.31\00:19:44.71
in hell fire if they've never
been given immortality? I mean
00:19:44.75\00:19:49.15
the only way that you could burn
forever is if you live forever,
00:19:49.18\00:19:51.89
right? And nowhere does the
Bible ever say that the wicked
00:19:51.92\00:19:55.39
will live forever. Let's go
if we would be Genesis 3:22: And
00:19:55.42\00:19:59.63
the Lord God said, Behold, the
man is become as one of us, to
00:19:59.66\00:20:03.50
know good and evil: and now lest
he put forth his hand, and take
00:20:03.53\00:20:07.34
also of the tree of life, and
eat, and live, what? Forever.
00:20:07.37\00:20:12.47
So God says because man has
sinned we can't let him have
00:20:12.51\00:20:15.64
access to the tree of life
because if he continued to eat
00:20:15.68\00:20:19.11
of it, he would keep living,
right? And so God barred the way
00:20:19.15\00:20:22.38
to the tree of life and he sent
Adam and Eve from the Garden of
00:20:22.42\00:20:25.59
Eden. Here's one from 1 John 3
and verse 15, it says: Whosoever
00:20:25.62\00:20:30.53
hateth his brother is a murder:
and you know that no murder hath
00:20:30.56\00:20:35.00
eternal life abiding in him.
How could a murderer live for
00:20:35.03\00:20:38.60
eternity if he didn't have
eternal life? Again it's an
00:20:38.63\00:20:41.60
impossibility. The idea folks
that mankind is immortal and
00:20:41.64\00:20:50.18
that hell fire goes for eternity
both are pagan doctrines, both
00:20:50.21\00:20:55.05
were never intended to become
part of Christian doctrine.
00:20:55.08\00:20:58.45
Because it's the idea...they
both have kind of a...they build
00:20:58.49\00:21:02.86
on one another. It's the idea
that mankind is immortal and
00:21:02.89\00:21:05.76
that you can never kill the soul
that causes people to believe
00:21:05.79\00:21:10.03
that hell fire must be fore
eternity because they reason it
00:21:10.07\00:21:13.27
out this way: They say if the
soul can never die, if it can
00:21:13.30\00:21:16.87
never end and if it goes to hell
fire then hell fire must be for
00:21:16.91\00:21:21.34
eternity because the soul is
immortal and cannot die, right?
00:21:21.38\00:21:24.25
So it's basically a case of one
false doctrine being built upon
00:21:24.28\00:21:28.02
the back of another
false doctrine. Both were never
00:21:28.05\00:21:31.19
intended to be part of Christian
teaching. So let's go take a
00:21:31.22\00:21:34.86
look now if you would at Romans
6; this is one of the most
00:21:34.89\00:21:38.69
common verses that people know
and they memorize. It says: For
00:21:38.73\00:21:43.43
the wages of sin is, what does
it say? Death, right? But here's
00:21:43.47\00:21:48.84
how many people read it.
They say but the wages of sin is
00:21:48.87\00:21:50.24
everlasting life in the fires of
hell. It doesn't say that does
00:21:50.27\00:21:53.68
it? It says the wages of sin is
death, the opposite of life. But
00:21:53.71\00:21:56.48
then it goes on but the gift
of God is eternal life through
00:21:56.51\00:21:59.08
Jesus Christ our Lord. Notice
both ways don't lead to life.
00:21:59.11\00:22:02.15
One way leads to life and the
other way leads to death. There
00:22:02.18\00:22:06.72
is no place in the Bible,
friend that the wicked are given
00:22:06.76\00:22:10.09
eternal life. There's only two
sides in the great controversy.
00:22:10.13\00:22:14.56
It's eternal life with Jesus and
it's eternal death with Satan,
00:22:14.60\00:22:17.73
amen? God is not going to bestow
his priceless gift of eternal
00:22:17.77\00:22:21.84
life, not even upon the wicked
that they might suffer for
00:22:21.87\00:22:24.77
eternity. No way. It doesn't say
that in scripture. What are the
00:22:24.81\00:22:28.08
two choices that we see in the
Bible? And there are only two.
00:22:28.11\00:22:32.41
Here it is: Matthew 7 verse 13,
Jesus says: Enter ye in at the
00:22:32.45\00:22:35.58
strait gate: For wide is the
gate, and broad is the way, that
00:22:35.62\00:22:39.35
leadeth to destruction, and many
there be which go in thereat: So
00:22:39.39\00:22:42.46
that's the one way. Because
strait is the gate, and narrow
00:22:42.49\00:22:45.43
is the way, which leadeth unto,
what folks? Life, right? And
00:22:45.46\00:22:50.00
few there be that find it. So
notice again. Jesus only shows
00:22:50.03\00:22:52.43
two ways and there's only one
way that leads to life. There
00:22:52.47\00:22:55.90
isn't another way that leads
to eternal life in hell fire. So
00:22:55.94\00:22:59.37
one way leads to life, the other
way leads to destruction or
00:22:59.41\00:23:02.11
death. You've got to overlook
the obvious really to see
00:23:02.14\00:23:05.15
anything else. How can the
wicked live for eternity if they
00:23:05.18\00:23:09.58
have no connection with Jesus?
Okay, let's keep going here.
00:23:09.62\00:23:13.96
John 3:16. You know this is a
great verse to read on this one
00:23:13.99\00:23:16.96
tonight because this is one
of the most beloved verses of
00:23:16.99\00:23:20.66
scripture isn't it? John 3:16.
But this one, even though it is
00:23:20.70\00:23:24.23
so well-known and so well
memorized it teaches what we're
00:23:24.27\00:23:28.54
instructing tonight and yet
people miss it. It says: For God
00:23:28.57\00:23:32.21
so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that
00:23:32.24\00:23:35.68
whosoever believeth in him
should not what friend? Perish.
00:23:35.71\00:23:38.08
And the word there literally
means destroy. But have
00:23:38.11\00:23:41.88
everlasting life. Here we see
again friends that there is only
00:23:41.92\00:23:48.79
two ways. Now it is sometimes
argued by people that the wicked
00:23:48.82\00:23:53.86
receive eternal life, a very,
very low quality of life but
00:23:53.90\00:23:57.40
they still have eternal life.
But again where in the Bible
00:23:57.43\00:23:59.53
does it say that? They're trying
to assume something upon the
00:23:59.57\00:24:02.17
text that it simply doesn't say.
Psalm 37 verse 20 and verse 10.
00:24:02.20\00:24:06.81
How are the wicked going to
perish? They're going to perish
00:24:06.84\00:24:09.51
according to John 3:16. How is
it going to take place? It says:
00:24:09.54\00:24:12.91
For yet a little while, and the
wicked shall not be:...But the
00:24:12.95\00:24:17.82
wicked shall perish...into smoke
shall they consume away. And the
00:24:17.85\00:24:20.92
little word be there folks, it
means to exist. You'll look for
00:24:20.96\00:24:24.93
them but they will not exist.
Wow! Into smoke, okay? And
00:24:24.96\00:24:31.50
remember Revelation 20
verse 9 it said there that fire
00:24:31.53\00:24:33.44
came down from
God out of heaven,
00:24:33.47\00:24:35.24
and what did it do
to the wicked? Devoured
00:24:35.27\00:24:37.61
them, right? So what does devour
mean? I went to a zoo one time
00:24:37.64\00:24:43.61
up in Canada...I mean I got kind
of burnt out on zoos because we
00:24:43.65\00:24:48.55
were always trying to take our
children to fun places and clean
00:24:48.58\00:24:52.55
Christian things. And so we
went to a lot of zoos. Wildlife
00:24:52.59\00:24:55.42
retreats those kind of things.
So I really wasn't you know
00:24:55.46\00:24:58.36
going to the zoo, but they said
hey if you'll come to this zoo
00:24:58.39\00:24:59.93
we'll give you back stage pass
to the lions. Okay, I'm in on
00:24:59.96\00:25:03.47
that one. So we went there
and we saw all the normal things
00:25:03.50\00:25:06.23
and they said come with us. We
went on the back stage and went
00:25:06.27\00:25:08.20
around to where you know the
regular public doesn't go and we
00:25:08.24\00:25:11.94
went right inside where the
lions are in their cages and you
00:25:11.97\00:25:14.64
could go close to the bars.
I mean the lions could come up
00:25:14.68\00:25:18.05
just about three feet from you
maybe even less than that and
00:25:18.11\00:25:22.08
they would roar and boy that
roar, 450-pound lion, that roar
00:25:22.12\00:25:26.05
would just go right through
you. Really was amazing. But
00:25:26.09\00:25:29.42
nevertheless the zoo keeper
comes in with these buckets of
00:25:29.46\00:25:32.03
raw meet, right? Throws it in
the lion's cage and believe me
00:25:32.06\00:25:34.73
those lions jump on it and they
devour it, all right? Now I tell
00:25:34.76\00:25:40.04
you they devour it what do you
think when the lions devoured
00:25:40.07\00:25:42.50
that meat, right? It
doesn't mean they gnaw on it and
00:25:42.54\00:25:44.81
gnaw on it and
00:25:44.84\00:25:46.17
chew and chew and chew and
it never goes away, right? When
00:25:46.21\00:25:48.91
they devour it, it is gone, amen
right? When it says fire came
00:25:48.94\00:25:52.58
down from God out of heaven and
devoured them, it means they are
00:25:52.61\00:25:56.08
gone. Psalms said they shall not
be. Here's a verse that is very
00:25:56.12\00:26:01.06
interesting in its scope.
Isaiah 1:28. It says: And the
00:26:01.09\00:26:04.13
destruction...there's that word
again, it comes over and over to
00:26:04.19\00:26:07.16
us...the destruction of the
transgressors and of the sinners
00:26:07.20\00:26:10.13
shall be together, and they
that forsake the Lord shall be
00:26:10.17\00:26:13.30
consumed. So not only are the
righteous caught up to meet the
00:26:13.34\00:26:17.27
Lord in the air and they go
together to be with Jesus on the
00:26:17.31\00:26:20.74
great day of the second coming.
It says the wicked receive their
00:26:20.78\00:26:23.61
reward together at the time
of their destruction. So not
00:26:23.65\00:26:28.68
individually at the time that
they might die and go down to
00:26:28.72\00:26:31.45
hell fire that kind of
thing. Again if we just let the
00:26:31.49\00:26:33.09
scriptures read for themselves.
The word of God tells us the
00:26:33.12\00:26:35.92
unrighteous will be blotted from
existence, they're going to be
00:26:35.96\00:26:39.56
consumed and now this next
passage is wow. If it wasn't
00:26:39.59\00:26:43.26
clear enough already, Malachi,
which is the last book of the
00:26:43.30\00:26:46.70
Old Testament, chapter 4
and verse 1, this passage really
00:26:46.74\00:26:51.54
makes it clear folks. It says:
For, behold, the day cometh,
00:26:51.57\00:26:53.58
notice that is future tense,
that shall burn as an oven; and
00:26:53.61\00:26:56.08
all the proud, ye, and all
that do wickedly, shall be, what
00:26:56.11\00:27:00.92
folks? Stubble, right. And
it says: and the day that cometh
00:27:00.95\00:27:05.29
shall burn them up, saith
the Lord of hosts, that it shall
00:27:05.32\00:27:07.39
leave them neither root nor
branch. So when they're finally
00:27:07.42\00:27:10.86
burned up how much is left? It
says there's no root. Satan is
00:27:10.89\00:27:15.03
the root of all evil. There's no
branches. His followers are the
00:27:15.06\00:27:16.87
branches. It says there's going
to be nothing left. Have you
00:27:16.90\00:27:20.87
ever seen a fire go through a
field of stubble? I mean when it
00:27:20.90\00:27:23.34
does it there's nothing left
but ashes, right? Nothing. And
00:27:23.37\00:27:26.14
that's what it says here in
verse 3. And ye shall tread down
00:27:26.17\00:27:29.08
the wicked; for they shall
be what now? Ashes, right: Under
00:27:29.11\00:27:33.85
the soles of your feet. So it's
giving you the picture that when
00:27:33.88\00:27:38.95
God recreates the world and the
righteous go out to inhabit it
00:27:38.99\00:27:43.19
you're like you're walking on
the ashes of the wicked because
00:27:43.22\00:27:45.79
they were consumed in the lake
of fire on the surface of the
00:27:45.83\00:27:48.66
earth before God made it brand
new again. They said you walk
00:27:48.70\00:27:51.13
out and you have your eternal
home and it's like you're
00:27:51.17\00:27:55.00
walking over the ashes of the
wicked. So what are we learning
00:27:55.04\00:27:57.47
here about the destruction of
the wicked? We learned they'll
00:27:57.51\00:27:59.24
be burned in the future, not
now It says they'll be consumed,
00:27:59.27\00:28:02.14
burned up and turned to ashes.
There's only one chapter in
00:28:02.18\00:28:05.25
Obadiah so verse 16 of Obadiah:
For as ye have drunk upon my
00:28:05.28\00:28:08.78
holy mountain, so shall all the
heathen drink continually, yea
00:28:08.82\00:28:12.15
they shall drink, and they shall
swallow down, now notice folks:
00:28:12.19\00:28:16.22
And they shall be as though they
had not been. Wow. That's about
00:28:16.26\00:28:21.83
as clear as you can get it,
right? They will be as though
00:28:21.86\00:28:24.20
they had not been. They will
cease to exist which is exactly
00:28:24.23\00:28:26.77
what the other verses have been
telling us. Now there may be a
00:28:26.80\00:28:32.31
question that comes to your
mind This would be a legitimate
00:28:32.34\00:28:33.84
question. We've gone through a
lot of verses here and we could
00:28:33.88\00:28:36.34
go through more but still people
will say but aren't there some
00:28:36.38\00:28:39.55
verses in the scripture that
seem to indicate that they do
00:28:39.58\00:28:44.45
suffer for eternity. And yes
upon a, I don't want to say just
00:28:44.49\00:28:51.33
superficial, just took a
few verses out of their context,
00:28:51.36\00:28:53.36
ignored the rest of the Bible,
there are a few that might lead
00:28:53.40\00:28:56.60
us to think that. So let's take
a look at those and see what
00:28:56.63\00:28:59.23
they really do say. Matthew
25 verse 46. Remember we're
00:28:59.27\00:29:03.51
comparing text with text,
verse with verse, scripture with
00:29:03.54\00:29:07.18
scripture to see what is the
clear truth. It says: And these
00:29:07.21\00:29:11.01
shall go away into everlasting
punishment: but the righteous
00:29:11.05\00:29:14.95
into life eternal. So they're
saying now pastor doesn't that
00:29:14.98\00:29:17.32
mean the wicked burn forever.
00:29:17.35\00:29:18.69
No it doesn't. Notice what it
says and notice what it does not
00:29:18.72\00:29:22.06
say. It says everlasting
punishment. It does not say
00:29:22.09\00:29:26.59
everlasting punishing. They're
not the same thing. We believe
00:29:26.63\00:29:31.83
that the wicked will experience
an everlasting punishment. So
00:29:31.87\00:29:36.50
all we have to ask ourself is
what is the punishment that is
00:29:36.54\00:29:38.51
everlasting, right? Let's
go find out. Here it is. Again
00:29:38.54\00:29:43.38
2 Thessalonians 1 verse 9, it
says of the wicked: Who shall be
00:29:43.41\00:29:46.85
punished with, here's their
punishment, friends, everlasting
00:29:46.88\00:29:50.45
what's that next word?
Destruction from the presence of
00:29:50.49\00:29:53.66
the Lord, and from the glory of
his power. Revelation calls it
00:29:53.69\00:29:58.46
the lake of fire, Paul calls
it death, right? In many places
00:29:58.49\00:30:03.93
it's just a type of destruction
they experience. So the second
00:30:03.97\00:30:08.90
death is destruction because
they're not coming back from it.
00:30:08.94\00:30:12.34
They're going to be eternally
destroyed. Let me say it another
00:30:12.37\00:30:15.51
way. The wicked will die twice.
If they haven't already died
00:30:15.54\00:30:18.91
previous to Jesus' coming
they'll die at the time of the
00:30:18.95\00:30:21.02
second coming by his glory.
But then they sleep the sleep of
00:30:21.05\00:30:23.69
death for a 1000 years and
then after their judgment is
00:30:23.72\00:30:26.29
fulfilled their punishment is
assessed. Then they're going to
00:30:26.32\00:30:30.53
have another death in the lake
of fire. Folks it pays to serve
00:30:30.56\00:30:33.76
the Lord, amen? Absolutely.
So here we can see how plain the
00:30:33.80\00:30:37.97
truth is by allowing the Bible
to be our own commentary When we
00:30:38.00\00:30:41.84
think of hell fire sometimes
we think of an eastern concept
00:30:41.87\00:30:45.87
with a western mind. Let me
explain something to you here.
00:30:45.91\00:30:49.11
In order to understand any
language it really helps to
00:30:49.14\00:30:55.32
understand the metaphors of
the language. And I always think
00:30:55.35\00:30:58.45
well pity the person that has to
understand English as a second
00:30:58.49\00:31:01.59
language. Because English has
got hundreds if not thousands of
00:31:01.62\00:31:05.19
metaphores, idioms, figures of
speech, right, that we use all
00:31:05.23\00:31:09.33
the time and when you grow
up with them, you know them, you
00:31:09.36\00:31:11.83
know what they mean but someone
who's learning it as a second
00:31:11.87\00:31:14.84
language that would be very,
very difficult. For example I
00:31:14.87\00:31:17.84
grew up on the west coast of
British Columbia and it rains a
00:31:17.87\00:31:21.54
lot there and let me tell you
when it's really, really raining
00:31:21.58\00:31:24.25
hard we say it's raining cats
and dogs. Right? Anybody know
00:31:24.28\00:31:27.88
that expression, raining cats
and dogs? Sure. So let's just
00:31:27.92\00:31:33.66
say that you were sending
an email over to your friend in
00:31:33.69\00:31:35.42
Japan and you're talking about
the weather here and you say
00:31:35.46\00:31:39.16
man it's coming down so hard
it's raining cats and dogs. He's
00:31:39.19\00:31:43.67
saying what? That's dangerous
weather right? Dangerous weather
00:31:43.70\00:31:48.40
So I'm sending him a text, an
email, right, and I say oh I met
00:31:48.44\00:31:52.37
this pastor here, he's such
a find man. He is really on the
00:31:52.41\00:31:55.81
ball. What's he going to think
when he sees that translated
00:31:55.84\00:31:58.35
into Chinese. He's going to see
Pastor Charles on a basketball
00:31:58.38\00:32:02.18
balancing, you know. And it's
going to say oh no that's not
00:32:02.22\00:32:04.49
what he means. And the guy will
say oh no, no, no, no. I know
00:32:04.52\00:32:07.12
English. He says he's really on
the ball. That means he's really
00:32:07.16\00:32:12.13
on it, right. We understand
those things. We get it, right?
00:32:12.16\00:32:16.97
I mean, can you imagine when
talking to somebody that doesn't
00:32:17.00\00:32:19.83
really knowo English and say
quit beating around the bush.
00:32:19.87\00:32:21.87
What are they going to think,
right? Or you might say to them
00:32:21.90\00:32:26.17
On the other hand. On the other
hand? What are you talking about
00:32:26.21\00:32:31.15
right? We know those expressions
don't we? If you said to
00:32:31.18\00:32:34.18
somebody, the ball is in your
court. The ball is in my court?
00:32:34.22\00:32:38.25
Or if you say to somebody, oh
here's one, those of you who are
00:32:38.29\00:32:45.53
older here. Remember this one?
Elvis has left the building.
00:32:45.56\00:32:53.60
(Chuckles) In the days of Elvis
Presley, he was so popular that
00:32:53.64\00:32:56.17
people would hang around after
his concert and they'd mull
00:32:56.20\00:32:58.97
around hoping to get a glimpse
of him or get an autograph. And
00:32:59.01\00:33:01.51
the announcer comes on and says
Elvis has left the building.
00:33:01.54\00:33:02.88
But what he was saying was, You
can all go home now. Well that
00:33:02.91\00:33:06.78
saying carried on down and when
there's a sporting event or that
00:33:06.82\00:33:09.62
kind of a think and it's really
a lopsided score, one team is
00:33:09.65\00:33:13.82
absolutely slaughtering
the other and basically for all
00:33:13.86\00:33:15.72
intents and purposes the game is
over the announcer would come on
00:33:15.76\00:33:17.96
and say folks Elvis has left
the building. What he's actually
00:33:17.99\00:33:21.16
saying is okay you might as
well go home because the game is
00:33:21.20\00:33:23.30
basically decided, right? But if
you say to somebody today, Elvis
00:33:23.33\00:33:26.53
has left the building, they're
like what...I thought Elvis
00:33:26.57\00:33:28.60
passed away a long time ago.
00:33:28.64\00:33:30.14
We understand those
metaphores, those idioms, those
00:33:30.17\00:33:35.84
figures of speech because we
know the English language. Well
00:33:35.88\00:33:40.45
the Hebrews who wrote down
scripture they had them too.
00:33:40.48\00:33:43.35
And so again let's go take a
look. What does the Bible mean
00:33:43.39\00:33:46.92
when it uses the expression
everlasting destruction or
00:33:46.96\00:33:50.63
eternal. That's a figure of
speech that they had. So let's
00:33:50.66\00:33:54.00
go take a look at some other
ones here. They used the term
00:33:54.03\00:33:57.47
eternal judgment, Hebrews 6:2,
eternal salvation Hebrews 5:9
00:33:57.50\00:34:00.97
eternal redemption, Hebrews 9:12
In each and every case they used
00:34:01.00\00:34:06.47
that phrase it's not the actual
act that's carrying on for
00:34:06.51\00:34:10.78
eternity. It's the consequences
or it's the effect of it that is
00:34:10.81\00:34:15.48
going on for eternity. There's
not a Christian church anywhere
00:34:15.52\00:34:17.99
that believes that Jesus is
going to judge and judge and
00:34:18.02\00:34:19.35
judge and judge for all eternity
No. We believe as all Christians
00:34:19.39\00:34:24.99
believe that Jesus has a
judgment and the consequences
00:34:25.03\00:34:28.03
are, the effect of the judgment
is going to last for eternity.
00:34:28.06\00:34:31.23
Same for the salvation, same
with redemption. So the results
00:34:31.27\00:34:34.94
of it will be everlasting. Now
what about eternal fire? That's
00:34:34.97\00:34:38.47
an expression. Let's go take
a look at it. Here in Jude 1,
00:34:38.51\00:34:41.44
there's only one chapter in
Jude, verse 7, it says: Even as
00:34:41.48\00:34:44.28
Sodom and Gomorrha, this goes
on are set forth for an example.
00:34:44.31\00:34:46.88
Those are wicked cities
that lived back in the days of
00:34:46.92\00:34:49.18
Abraham or they just existed
rather in days of Abraham. It
00:34:49.22\00:34:52.92
says: Suffered the vengeance
of what kind of fire friends
00:34:52.95\00:34:56.02
Eternal fire. Now again is Sodom
and Gomorrha on fire tonight.
00:34:56.06\00:34:58.96
No, but it says eternal fire.
If eternal fire meant it never
00:34:58.99\00:35:02.56
finishes, if that's the meaning
someone wants to impose upon it
00:35:02.60\00:35:05.83
in that phrase, that means it
would have to still be burning.
00:35:05.87\00:35:08.34
Now just you think well
maybe the news cameras haven't
00:35:08.37\00:35:11.94
gotten over there yet. Right?
They're a little slow, right?
00:35:11.97\00:35:15.18
well just to be sure let's go to
2 Peter 2 verse 6. It says: And
00:35:15.21\00:35:20.42
turning the cities of Sodom and
Gomorrha into, what folks? Ashes
00:35:20.45\00:35:24.62
condemned them with an overthrow
and making them an example,
00:35:24.65\00:35:27.66
which again is example in
the King James, unto those that
00:35:27.69\00:35:31.76
after should live ungodly. So
it's saying that God took those
00:35:31.79\00:35:36.43
wicked cities, Sodom and
Gomorrha turned them into ashes
00:35:36.46\00:35:40.07
and that example of turning them
into ashes is what God is going
00:35:40.10\00:35:44.11
to do to the wicked at the end
of time. Have you ever been to
00:35:44.14\00:35:48.81
Israel? Anybody here been to
Israel? Well yeah there's some
00:35:48.84\00:35:51.61
here. I have been there and boy
it's really interesting place.
00:35:51.65\00:35:54.82
go down by the Dead Sea
is. The Dead Sea is where they
00:35:54.85\00:35:58.35
supposedly where those wicked
cities of Sodom and Gomorrha
00:35:58.39\00:36:00.86
were. So you can see for
yourself they're not still
00:36:00.89\00:36:02.56
burning there but you can go
out in the Dead Sea and it's got
00:36:02.59\00:36:05.79
such a chemical makeup that you
can actually float without a lot
00:36:05.83\00:36:10.23
of effort on the Dead Sea and
read a newspaper, lay back and
00:36:10.27\00:36:13.23
read a newspaper. You don't sink
right? Afterward, you've got to
00:36:13.27\00:36:15.17
take a shower because your body
has got this film all over it.
00:36:15.20\00:36:17.14
But it's worth doing once kind
of thing. The Dead Sea which is
00:36:17.17\00:36:23.81
the lowest land level in the
world, 1291 feet below sea level
00:36:23.85\00:36:25.68
It is that area where they say
those wicked cities once were.
00:36:25.71\00:36:29.78
You can see they're not still
on fire tonight. But here's the
00:36:29.82\00:36:33.09
point folks. In the exact
same way that the Bible uses the
00:36:33.12\00:36:37.96
phrase eternal judgment and
in the exact same way the Bible
00:36:37.99\00:36:41.26
uses the phrase eternal
salvation and in the exact same
00:36:41.30\00:36:44.97
way that the Bible uses the
phrase eternal redemption so it
00:36:45.00\00:36:48.57
uses the phrase eternal fire. It
is consistent with how the Bible
00:36:48.60\00:36:52.14
is using it's metaphors or its
figures of speech. So what are
00:36:52.17\00:36:56.18
we seeing here? An eternal fire
is one whose effects or results
00:36:56.21\00:36:59.98
are eternal. Everlasting
punishment is a punishment whose
00:37:00.02\00:37:03.85
effects or results are eternal.
What have we learned so far?
00:37:03.89\00:37:06.45
The fate of the wicked. The
Bible says the wicked will die
00:37:06.49\00:37:08.49
It says they will perish, Luke
13 verse 3. They'll be burned up
00:37:08.52\00:37:12.83
says Malachi chapter 4. They'll
be utterly consumed, so says
00:37:12.86\00:37:16.00
Psalm 37. It says the wicked
will be turned to ashes, Malachi
00:37:16.03\00:37:20.74
4:3 and Obadiah says they'll be
as though they had not been. Wow
00:37:20.77\00:37:25.27
So the second death
is this. The first death
00:37:25.31\00:37:29.61
is the death that we die
00:37:29.64\00:37:30.98
as the natural result of living
in a sinful world. And both the
00:37:31.01\00:37:34.95
righteous and the wicked could
experience that death. But the
00:37:34.98\00:37:38.12
second death is the death
which is an eternal death as the
00:37:38.15\00:37:41.49
result of personal rebellion
against God. There is another
00:37:41.52\00:37:43.99
expression that the Bible uses
and people get confused about.
00:37:44.03\00:37:47.33
So let's look at it right now.
This expression of unquenchable
00:37:47.36\00:37:51.43
fire. Jeremiah 17 verse 27,
it says: But if you will not
00:37:51.47\00:37:54.37
hearken unto me to hallow the
Sabbath day, that would be to
00:37:54.40\00:37:58.47
keep the Sabbath day holy,
and not to bear a burden, even
00:37:58.51\00:38:00.61
entering in at the gates of
Jerusalem on the Sabbath day;
00:38:00.64\00:38:03.08
the will I kindle a fire in
the gates thereof, and it shall
00:38:03.11\00:38:06.35
devour the palaces of Jerusalem,
and it shall not be quenched.
00:38:06.38\00:38:10.05
So there you have it friends, a
fire that shall not be quenched.
00:38:10.09\00:38:12.95
And there is more than one place
in the scriptures where it tells
00:38:12.99\00:38:15.09
us that this scripture
was literally fulfilled. King
00:38:15.12\00:38:19.29
Nebuchadnezzar with the
Babylonians, he came with his
00:38:19.33\00:38:22.30
army and they burned Jerusalem
those parts that would burn. But
00:38:22.33\00:38:25.67
here again, is the question. Is
Jerusalem still on fire tonight?
00:38:25.70\00:38:28.97
Absolutely not. So what does it
mean when it says unquenchable?
00:38:29.00\00:38:32.41
An unquenchable fire is one that
if God starts it, it is beyond
00:38:32.44\00:38:36.61
the ability of human beings
to put it out until the purposes
00:38:36.64\00:38:40.02
that God has deemed it for have
been fulfilled. You know and
00:38:40.05\00:38:44.85
again the idioms of the Hebrews
are not that different than us
00:38:44.89\00:38:48.02
today. We use that term
unquenchable in a similar way.
00:38:48.06\00:38:50.83
If a fire is out in the country
side and by the time the firemen
00:38:50.86\00:38:54.23
get there the building is
totally engulfed right, they can
00:38:54.26\00:38:58.00
put their hoses on it but it
doesn't really do much because
00:38:58.03\00:38:59.97
it's so much fire there. They
might say it was unquenchable.
00:39:00.00\00:39:02.60
But they don't mean that the
fire is never going to go out.
00:39:02.64\00:39:05.34
They just mean for a time it was
beyond their ability to put it
00:39:05.37\00:39:09.34
out. It might be a chemical fire
Again, they know that eventually
00:39:09.38\00:39:13.31
it will burn itself out when
everything that can be burned is
00:39:13.35\00:39:16.72
burned and of course it will
cease. So an unquenchable fire
00:39:16.75\00:39:20.96
in it's context means beyond the
power of anyone to put it out
00:39:20.99\00:39:24.96
but it goes out when everything
is burned up. When God starts a
00:39:24.99\00:39:31.20
fire it can't be put out until
God deems that it's purpose has
00:39:31.23\00:39:36.04
been fulfilled. What about this
expression? Here's a big one,
00:39:36.07\00:39:39.74
right? Forever and ever. Well
doesn't the Bible say that the
00:39:39.77\00:39:43.04
wicked are going to suffer
forever and ever? Now this is
00:39:43.08\00:39:46.31
a phrase that I have to admit
has caused some perplexity about
00:39:46.35\00:39:48.28
the punishment of the
wicked. Revelation does use that
00:39:48.32\00:39:51.25
expression. Revelation 20 and
verse 10 says: the wicked will
00:39:51.29\00:39:54.49
tormented forever and ever.
Here's one in Revelation 14
00:39:54.52\00:39:57.36
verse 10, it says: He
shall be tormented with fire and
00:39:57.39\00:39:59.66
brimstone. And then it goes on
and says: And the smoke of their
00:39:59.69\00:40:03.50
torment ascendeth up forever
and ever: and they have no rest
00:40:03.53\00:40:06.10
day nor night... So what is
this all about. Okay. Here's the
00:40:06.13\00:40:10.61
answer to it. Forever and ever
is a Biblical expression which
00:40:10.64\00:40:15.74
literally means till the end of
the age. It doesn't necessarily
00:40:15.78\00:40:18.51
mean an infinite, unending
length of time. It depends on
00:40:18.55\00:40:23.59
what you use it with, what it's
describing. It's similar to our
00:40:23.62\00:40:28.76
English word tall,
right? Sometimes the adjective
00:40:28.79\00:40:31.93
describes the noun and sometimes
the noun describes the adjective
00:40:31.96\00:40:34.33
For example you can have a tall
dog. You can have a tall human
00:40:34.36\00:40:38.60
being. I've been called tall.
You can have a tall building
00:40:38.63\00:40:41.67
and you could have a tall
mountain. But what is tall.
00:40:41.70\00:40:44.84
Tall is relative to what it's
describing, right? In that case
00:40:44.87\00:40:50.25
tall is an adjective that is
determined by the noun that you
00:40:50.28\00:40:51.65
put it with. So in the same way
forever has its connotation or
00:40:51.68\00:40:56.42
meaning depending on what
you place it with. For example:
00:40:56.45\00:41:01.06
1 Samuel 1 verse 22, it says: I
will not go up, this is Samuel's
00:41:01.09\00:41:03.53
mother speaking, I will not
go up until the child be weaned,
00:41:03.56\00:41:06.63
and then I will bring him, that
he may appear before the Lord,
00:41:06.66\00:41:09.86
and there abide, what? For ever,
right? But then in verse 28 it
00:41:09.90\00:41:13.47
goes on: Therefore I have lent
him unto the Lord, as long as he
00:41:13.50\00:41:15.84
liveth he shall be lent to the
Lord. So here forever for Samuel
00:41:15.87\00:41:19.81
meant as long as he lives.
In the same way under certain
00:41:19.84\00:41:24.95
circumstances a servant was
to serve his master forever. But
00:41:24.98\00:41:27.92
again that would only mean as
long as he would live. Psalm 48
00:41:27.95\00:41:32.05
verse 14, we took up synonymous
parallelism on an earlier night.
00:41:32.09\00:41:34.69
Here you see it again. It says:
For the God is our God for ever
00:41:34.72\00:41:38.09
and ever, now he's going to say
it again using different words
00:41:38.13\00:41:42.23
he will be our guide even unto
death. So forever and ever meant
00:41:42.26\00:41:46.74
as long as the person lived. In
fact forever could mean actually
00:41:46.77\00:41:49.67
short. Fifty-six times by
the way, 56 times the Bible uses
00:41:49.70\00:41:53.98
the word forever for things
we know have come to an end. So
00:41:54.01\00:41:58.71
again using the Bible itself we
can see that it doesn't have to
00:41:58.75\00:42:00.92
mean for eternity. But it
can mean a short period of time.
00:42:00.95\00:42:04.55
You know the story of Jonah.
He was running away from God,
00:42:04.59\00:42:06.55
didn't want to fulfill God's
purposes, and so eventually
00:42:06.59\00:42:09.62
he got on board a ship, the ship
got into some big trouble and as
00:42:09.66\00:42:13.80
decided to see who was the cause
of it all Jonah admitted that he
00:42:13.83\00:42:17.33
was and they cast him over,
right? Jonah actually requested
00:42:17.37\00:42:21.07
it. So they cast him over
into the water and Jonah, as he
00:42:21.10\00:42:24.67
described this experience
in chapter 2 and verse 6 of the
00:42:24.71\00:42:27.41
book of Jonah he said: I
went down to the bottoms of the
00:42:27.44\00:42:29.94
mountains; now he's using
metaphorical terms here and he
00:42:29.98\00:42:33.75
says, the earth with her bars
was about me for ever. Now of
00:42:33.78\00:42:36.95
course he was swallowed by
a big fish, right? And he's
00:42:36.99\00:42:40.72
describing it and he says the
bars, meaning the ribs of this
00:42:40.76\00:42:42.86
fish inside were just
surrounding him, right? So what
00:42:42.89\00:42:47.20
was going on here. He's in
this great big fish that God had
00:42:47.23\00:42:51.00
prepared to swallow him up.
He says he was in there forever.
00:42:51.03\00:42:55.27
Now think if we were in
that position it would seem like
00:42:55.30\00:42:57.87
forever, but how long was
it really, right? It says in
00:42:57.91\00:43:00.91
chapter 1 verse 17 and Jonah was
in the belly of the fish three
00:43:00.94\00:43:05.35
days and three nights, right?
We when it comes to Bible study
00:43:05.38\00:43:08.15
don't let someone else
impose their belief or their
00:43:08.18\00:43:12.99
interpretation upon the text for
you. We do the study and let the
00:43:13.02\00:43:16.96
Bible explain itself, which we
said on opening night we would
00:43:16.99\00:43:19.56
do. So what are we learning
here? Forever in the Bible is a
00:43:19.59\00:43:23.37
time period, the length of which
is determined by the object to
00:43:23.40\00:43:26.67
which it is applied. Okay. So
that's very plain. To the Hebrew
00:43:26.70\00:43:31.81
mind it depended upon the
context. And you know again
00:43:31.84\00:43:35.44
we use things that way too don't
we? Have you ever been driving
00:43:35.48\00:43:38.41
up and you come to a stop light
and you say that stop light took
00:43:38.45\00:43:41.48
forever to change. Right
so say that sometimes. You say
00:43:41.52\00:43:45.05
it has been forever since I ate
a good meal. I hope you don't
00:43:45.09\00:43:48.36
leave here saying boy that
preacher went on forever tonight
00:43:48.39\00:43:50.49
I hope you don't say that.
But in the case of man, we live
00:43:50.53\00:43:57.83
forever in the sense that
we will live as long as God has
00:43:57.87\00:44:00.64
determined it, right? And
after that the wicked will live
00:44:00.67\00:44:04.47
forever how long their sentence
is and then eventually the fire
00:44:04.51\00:44:08.04
will go out. So for the
righteous, now here's the good
00:44:08.08\00:44:10.75
part, it will be for eternity
because in the context they'll
00:44:10.78\00:44:14.85
be given immortality and
therefore they cannot die and
00:44:14.88\00:44:17.95
we will be forever with our Lord
Amen? So absolutely. Here's a
00:44:17.99\00:44:24.39
question that we do want
to cover. It said why would a
00:44:24.43\00:44:28.50
loving God burn sinners in hell
for millions and millions and
00:44:28.53\00:44:32.47
millions of years? Now that is
the common teaching today right?
00:44:32.50\00:44:34.84
When someone said well hell
fire is for eternity I think to
00:44:34.87\00:44:38.54
myself have they really thought
that through? Eternity is a long
00:44:38.57\00:44:43.45
time. Would you agree? I mean
we're talking eternity, you're
00:44:43.48\00:44:46.48
talking trillions times trillion
trillions and trillions of years
00:44:46.51\00:44:51.35
and in context that's just the
first second of eternity. Is God
00:44:51.39\00:44:56.32
going to take someone that lived
30, 40, 50 years of life, maybe
00:44:56.36\00:44:59.56
a lot less and because
again they were not in a saved
00:44:59.59\00:45:03.00
condition. Is he going to put
them in a tortuous flame with no
00:45:03.03\00:45:05.43
hope for trillions of years? Is
that a God of justice, friends?
00:45:05.47\00:45:10.31
That would be a tyrant and our
God is not a tyrant, amen? Satan
00:45:10.34\00:45:15.68
has caused people to look
upon God that way because he's
00:45:15.71\00:45:20.22
imposing his own character upon
God. And of course, we know that
00:45:20.25\00:45:23.85
is not true. I was a young man
at one time and I believed in a
00:45:23.89\00:45:27.39
vengeful God that was going
to burn people all eternity. But
00:45:27.42\00:45:28.86
then I didn't know the Bible
either. So the theology is the
00:45:28.89\00:45:34.23
theology of eternal torment that
turned young Robert Ingersoll
00:45:34.26\00:45:39.10
who became known as the world's
greatest atheist and into the
00:45:39.13\00:45:42.77
man that he was. Robert
Ingersoll's Father was a
00:45:42.80\00:45:47.04
minister. And Robert Ingersoll
heard his father talking about
00:45:47.08\00:45:50.11
God is going to burn babies
in hell fire for eternity and to
00:45:50.15\00:45:53.62
his young reasoning mind it's a
snap, if that's the way God is I
00:45:53.65\00:45:57.55
will never serve him. Right? And
he turned out to be this atheist
00:45:57.59\00:46:01.66
and it never had to be friends.
In his own writings, he said:
00:46:01.69\00:46:05.43
For the first time I understood
the digma of eternal pain... For
00:46:05.46\00:46:08.43
the first time my imagination
grasped the height and depth of
00:46:08.46\00:46:10.90
the Christian horror. Again this
is the Christian horror as he
00:46:10.93\00:46:14.77
was taught it. Then I said: It's
a lie and I hate your religion.
00:46:14.80\00:46:18.04
If it is true, I hate your God.
He could not rationalize a God
00:46:18.07\00:46:23.68
of love with eternal hell fire.
And how could you, friends?
00:46:23.71\00:46:27.58
Again it was a tragedy that
he was taught that because he
00:46:27.62\00:46:31.55
probably could have been a great
worker for the Lord if he'd been
00:46:31.59\00:46:34.22
taught correctly. Now Charles
Darwin, now we know all the
00:46:34.26\00:46:39.23
problems that he caused, right?
But look what he had to say on
00:46:39.26\00:46:42.00
the subject of eternal hell.
From his own autobiography, he
00:46:42.03\00:46:45.73
said: I can hardly see
how anyone ought to wish
00:46:45.77\00:46:47.84
Christianity to be true. for
if so the plain language of the
00:46:47.87\00:46:52.31
text that men who do not believe
and this would include my Father
00:46:52.34\00:46:56.21
Brother, and almost all my best
friends will be everlastingly
00:46:56.24\00:47:00.32
punished. And this is a damnable
doctrine. So again he was taught
00:47:00.35\00:47:06.25
incorrectly in the Bible. He was
taught that hell fire was for
00:47:06.29\00:47:10.43
eternity and he thought well
I know that my father, brother,
00:47:10.46\00:47:13.56
friends not believing, they
aren't Christians, not believing
00:47:13.60\00:47:16.36
and therefore they there for
eternity and he said that's a
00:47:16.40\00:47:19.97
damnable doctrine. Amazing.
I asked the question at the
00:47:20.00\00:47:23.34
beginning here tonight-What
kind of God do we serve? We
00:47:23.37\00:47:25.37
do serve a God of love, don't we
amen? There's not a verse in the
00:47:25.41\00:47:30.21
Bible friends, not a single
verse in the Bible that says
00:47:30.25\00:47:33.08
that the soul is immortal
or that people will burn for
00:47:33.11\00:47:36.38
eternity. You might hear that
from preachers' lips, right? You
00:47:36.42\00:47:39.42
might see that in a sermon
somewhere but there's not a
00:47:39.45\00:47:41.76
single text in the Bible that
teaches that. Now I know there's
00:47:41.79\00:47:44.79
another extreme. The
other extreme is that there are
00:47:44.83\00:47:49.06
some people that say Oh God is
too good to punish at all. Now
00:47:49.10\00:47:52.27
I wonder what Bible they're
reading, right? Because the
00:47:53.40\00:47:55.20
Bible doesn't say that either.
It says: as it is written,
00:47:55.24\00:47:57.21
Vengeance is mine; I will repay,
saith the Lord. So now there
00:47:57.24\00:48:01.58
will be a punishment of
the wicked. There's no question
00:48:01.61\00:48:03.75
about it. God is just as well
as loving. So let's recap here.
00:48:03.78\00:48:09.18
The first death is a sleep,
why, because there will be an
00:48:09.22\00:48:11.99
awakening from it. There's going
to be a resurrection from it.
00:48:12.02\00:48:14.39
The second death which is
experienced only by the wicked
00:48:14.42\00:48:17.13
is never called a sleep because
there's eternal annihilation. I
00:48:17.16\00:48:21.96
do believe in hell fire,
absolutely, the Bible teaches it
00:48:22.00\00:48:24.33
but I believe the Bible does not
support eternal hell fire. Luke
00:48:24.37\00:48:29.84
12 verse 47, Jesus said:
And that servant, which knew his
00:48:29.87\00:48:32.47
lord's will, and prepared not
himself, neither did according
00:48:32.51\00:48:35.04
to his will, shall be beaten
with many stripes. Stripes or
00:48:35.08\00:48:40.28
flogging was a punishment that
was common in Jesus' day. He was
00:48:40.32\00:48:43.32
using this as an example.
You see that person who was more
00:48:43.35\00:48:46.99
accountable will have a lot of
punishment is what he's saying
00:48:47.02\00:48:49.69
here, but he that knew not,
and did commit things worthy of
00:48:49.72\00:48:51.89
stripes, which means worthy of
punishment shall be beaten with
00:48:51.93\00:48:55.16
few stripes. Now why some with
many and some with few? Because
00:48:55.20\00:48:59.70
God is a just God. God is
not going to punish everyone the
00:48:59.73\00:49:03.77
same. He says they'll be
rewarded according to their
00:49:03.81\00:49:09.11
works, right? Sure. Now I want
to be kind but I want to tell
00:49:09.14\00:49:16.08
you that many people,
maybe pastors or preachers or
00:49:16.12\00:49:19.35
otherwise, are doing a
first-class job of blackening
00:49:19.39\00:49:22.79
God's character when it comes
to this subject. Now on the one
00:49:22.82\00:49:26.73
side, they'll say God is love,
right? God is merciful, God is
00:49:26.76\00:49:31.93
fair. And then they'll
turn right around and say if you
00:49:31.97\00:49:33.40
don't serve him you're going to
burn for eternity. Where's the
00:49:33.44\00:49:35.80
justice in that? Where's
the love in that? It's so
00:49:35.84\00:49:40.01
incongruous, right This question
could be asked: Why destroy
00:49:40.04\00:49:46.25
sinners at all? What's the
purpose of putting them out of
existence? Well keep
00:49:46.28\00:49:50.12
in mind friends, it's the very
best thing a loving God could do
00:49:50.15\00:49:55.22
I want you to think. Would the
wicked really be happy in heaven
00:49:55.26\00:50:00.06
Would they really be happy
there? Before I was a Christian,
00:50:00.10\00:50:04.43
before I was converted I
remember that I would drive
00:50:04.47\00:50:10.47
around in my car and I just
loved rock and roll music. And
00:50:10.51\00:50:13.98
so I would turn on the radio and
turn the radio dial, remember
00:50:14.01\00:50:17.81
when you had to turn the dial,
remember that? Remember those
00:50:17.85\00:50:19.78
days? Okay so when I was turning
the radio dial, then I would
00:50:19.81\00:50:22.85
come to some kind of Christian
station, I'd go Uff. I would
00:50:22.88\00:50:30.13
come to some kind of classical
music. I don't want that, right?
00:50:30.16\00:50:33.83
Then I'd come to some station
where the guitars are wailing
00:50:33.86\00:50:37.63
and voices are screaming and
drums are pounding. I'd go like
00:50:37.67\00:50:41.24
ah yeah, yeah. And that was me,
right? God got ahold of my heart
00:50:41.27\00:50:46.37
friend and when God got ahold
of my heart, he converted me. He
00:50:46.41\00:50:52.81
converted my mind, he converted
my desire, he converted my music
00:50:52.85\00:50:57.05
and now you know if I desire
to listen to music and I'll you
00:50:57.09\00:51:02.62
know turn on the radio and one
of those pounding rock songs,
00:51:02.66\00:51:06.49
when I Oo! makes dialing
motion, I don't do that anymore.
00:51:06.53\00:51:13.77
Actually I do this (steering
wheel controls) on my wheel but
00:51:13.80\00:51:16.71
it doesn't matter, it doesn't
matter. The fact is I don't want
00:51:16.74\00:51:20.51
to listen to it, right? And then
I'll get a nice Christian song
00:51:20.54\00:51:25.01
that is of the Spirit and it
soothes my soul and I go aah.
00:51:25.05\00:51:28.92
Isn't God good friends? Isn't
God wonderful in the way he
00:51:28.95\00:51:33.25
recreates our minds. That which
we used to love now we hate,
00:51:33.29\00:51:36.73
that which we used to hate now
we love. The point being if you
00:51:36.76\00:51:39.89
take a person that is
unconverted, that has never
00:51:39.93\00:51:44.03
experienced the love of God, and
doesn't desire to love God and
00:51:44.07\00:51:48.40
the thing of God, the things
of heaven, the things that
00:51:48.44\00:51:51.54
Christians love to talk about
and if you were to transport
00:51:51.57\00:51:55.94
that person immediately into
heaven in the presence of holy
00:51:55.98\00:51:59.48
angels that have never sinned,
right? Would that person be
00:51:59.51\00:52:03.59
happy? Well I can tell you the
result of it. When Jesus comes
00:52:03.62\00:52:06.29
it says in Revelation 6 that the
wicked will cry for the rocks
00:52:06.32\00:52:08.22
and the mountains to fall on
them rather than look into the
00:52:08.26\00:52:11.99
face of Jesus. That tells you
all you need to know right there
00:52:12.03\00:52:14.20
all right. They would not be
happy. Can you imagine someone
00:52:14.23\00:52:16.46
going to heaven...I mean in
heaven there aren't going to be
00:52:16.50\00:52:18.67
any banks for the greedy to rob.
There aren't going to be any
00:52:18.70\00:52:21.54
places of sinful pleasure for
those that are like-minded of
00:52:21.57\00:52:25.81
that, okay? Would a greedy
person be safe with streets of
00:52:25.84\00:52:31.71
gold. I mean they'd be looking
for some sharp object to jab it
00:52:31.75\00:52:34.88
into those streets and stuff
some into their pockets, right?
00:52:34.92\00:52:36.99
I mean you'll take it back
to the mansion and hide it away
00:52:37.02\00:52:39.79
somewhere. Again this is where
their mind is. They would not be
00:52:39.82\00:52:44.33
happy there at all. If you could
picture a selfish unconverted
00:52:44.36\00:52:48.13
person up in heaven I can tell
you they would not be happy at
00:52:48.16\00:52:52.03
all. God is love and the very
best thing he could do friend
00:52:52.07\00:52:57.74
for that person is to allow them
to be as though they had not
00:52:57.77\00:53:02.54
been. He can't extend sin
forever. He's got to put an end
00:53:02.58\00:53:08.32
to it because if sin is not
ended it perpetuates itself.
00:53:08.35\00:53:10.79
It spreads like a disease will
spread. Sin is like a disease
00:53:10.82\00:53:14.79
friend. So he can't keep doing
that. But he knows the wicked
00:53:14.82\00:53:18.86
would not be happy in heaven.
So what is the very best thing a
00:53:18.89\00:53:24.80
loving and merciful God will do?
They will have their punishment
00:53:24.83\00:53:28.60
but when it is finished he will
allow them to be as though they
00:53:28.64\00:53:31.94
had not been. Now in Ezekiel
chapter 33 verse 11 it says:
00:53:31.97\00:53:35.24
As I live, saith the Lord God, I
have no pleasure in the death of
00:53:35.28\00:53:37.41
the wicked...Now God has no
pleasure in the death of the
00:53:37.45\00:53:39.95
wicked, how much less pleasure
does he have in punishing them
00:53:39.98\00:53:42.55
for all eternity, right? But he
says: let the wicked turn from
00:53:42.58\00:53:46.22
his way and live. Now if there
ever was a being that I suppose
00:53:46.25\00:53:52.19
was so wicked that he could
maybe burn for eternity that
00:53:52.23\00:53:55.66
would be the devil himself, but
even the devil himself will not
00:53:55.70\00:54:00.07
be perpetuated for all eternity.
God has a plan for him. Let's
00:54:00.10\00:54:03.07
look at it. Let us see here in
Ezekiel 28 verse 15, speaking of
00:54:03.10\00:54:08.61
Satan in his beginning, it says:
Thou wast perfect in thy ways
00:54:08.64\00:54:14.15
from the day that thou wast
created, till iniquity was found
00:54:14.18\00:54:17.29
in thee. God did not create a
devil. God created a beautiful
00:54:17.32\00:54:20.66
perfect angel called Lucifer.
But he says sin or iniquity was
00:54:20.69\00:54:24.86
found in him, he brought it into
himself...By the multitude of
00:54:24.89\00:54:29.26
thy merchandise they have filled
the midst of thee with violence,
00:54:29.30\00:54:32.10
and thou hast sinned: Therefore
I will cast thee as profane out
00:54:32.13\00:54:35.54
of the mountain of God: and
I will destroy thee, O covering
00:54:35.57\00:54:38.17
cherub, from the midst of the
stones of fire. Thine heart was
00:54:38.21\00:54:41.08
lifted up because of thy beauty
thou hast corrupted thy wisdom
00:54:41.11\00:54:43.75
by reason of thy brightness: I
will cast thee to the ground, I
00:54:43.78\00:54:47.58
will lay thee before kings, that
they may behold thee. In other
00:54:47.62\00:54:50.79
words, he's going to expose him
for who he is before it's all
00:54:50.82\00:54:53.82
over...Thou has defiled thy
sanctuaries by the multitude of
00:54:53.86\00:54:56.29
thine iniquities by the iniquity
of thy traffic; and he continues
00:54:56.32\00:54:59.49
to traffic it around the earth.
Therefore will I bring forth a
00:54:59.53\00:55:03.90
fire from the midst of thee, it
shall, do what friends? Devour
00:55:03.93\00:55:08.54
thee. And I will bring thee to
what folks? Ashes upon the earth
00:55:08.57\00:55:14.31
in the sight of all them that
behold thee. Now look at this.
00:55:14.34\00:55:16.31
All they that know thee among
the people shall be astonished
00:55:16.34\00:55:19.25
at thee: thou shall be a terror,
and never shalt thou be any
00:55:19.28\00:55:24.85
more. Hallelujah, Amen!
The devil will be put out of
00:55:24.89\00:55:28.82
existence. Now I'm sure when you
think about this, God is a just
00:55:28.86\00:55:34.60
God when he weighs the devil's
punishment he's going to weigh
00:55:34.63\00:55:36.87
all the things hat he has caused
to be committed right? All the
00:55:36.90\00:55:41.50
trials and temptations he's
caused. He's going to put it all
00:55:41.54\00:55:43.77
together. Now I don't know how
long it is but that's a lonnnng
00:55:43.81\00:55:46.64
sentence. Right? But God has
measured it out and when it's
00:55:46.68\00:55:53.58
fulfilled Satan will be brought
to ashes. And never will there
00:55:53.62\00:55:57.52
be sin and sinners anymore. In
other words, the universe will
00:55:57.55\00:56:01.12
be clean friend. So let's just
again review here. When Jesus
00:56:01.16\00:56:04.99
comes the second coming, the
saints are caught up to him in
00:56:05.03\00:56:08.16
the air. The first resurrection
will take place among the
00:56:08.20\00:56:10.13
righteous dead. The wicked
living will be slain. That's the
first death for them.
00:56:10.17\00:56:13.30
During the 1000 years the saints
live and reign with Jesus in
00:56:13.34\00:56:17.37
heaven, Revelation 20, and verse
4. Satan is bound here on this
00:56:17.41\00:56:21.44
dark, desolated planet which
is called the pit, Revelation 20
00:56:21.48\00:56:25.85
verse 3. And then after the
1000 years there is this period
00:56:25.88\00:56:30.82
called the short season that is
spoken of in Revelation 20 verse
00:56:30.85\00:56:34.56
3. That is begun by the
New Jerusalem coming down from
00:56:34.59\00:56:36.96
heaven. That'll bring a second
resurrection of the wicked. The
00:56:36.99\00:56:40.10
wicked then gather around
Jerusalem, Revelation 20 verse 8
00:56:40.13\00:56:43.57
They attempt to take the city.
The great white throne judgment
00:56:43.60\00:56:46.90
takes place Revelation 20 verses
9-11. And then it says fire
00:56:46.94\00:56:52.24
comes down from God out of
heaven, that's the latter part
00:56:52.27\00:56:54.44
of verse 9. That's the second
death for the wicked and then
00:56:54.48\00:56:57.58
out of the ashes of the lake of
fire God is going to make a new
00:56:57.61\00:57:00.88
heavens and a new earth. God
has a plan for this world. All
00:57:00.92\00:57:08.02
Christians believe that Jesus
took our punishment upon himself
00:57:08.06\00:57:11.99
By his stripes, that means
with his punishment we were made
00:57:12.03\00:57:17.03
whole. The universe will be
clean once more. There'll be no
00:57:17.07\00:57:21.00
devil, there will be no
heartache, there will be no pain
00:57:21.04\00:57:23.81
So if the punishment that was to
come to us was to be forever or
00:57:23.84\00:57:30.48
eternity in hell fire then Jesus
would have had to take that upon
00:57:30.51\00:57:34.02
himself. But Jesus isn't in hell
fire tonight. Jesus went to the
00:57:34.05\00:57:39.85
cross and he suffered a
separation there that wrung his
00:57:39.89\00:57:43.59
soul so deeply that he cried out
My God, My God, why hast thou
00:57:43.63\00:57:47.03
forsaken me? Jesus passed
through that experience of
00:57:47.06\00:57:51.40
separation and having gone
through that and suffered for
00:57:51.43\00:57:54.40
us, he gave his life for
our sins. He rose from the grave
00:57:54.44\00:57:58.34
he ascended to heaven. Jesus
is not in hellfire tonight. He
00:57:58.37\00:58:03.51
is our great high priest
in heaven, amen? He is there.
00:58:03.55\00:58:05.68
We'll talk more about that and
that's why folks as we finish
00:58:05.71\00:58:08.18
tonight let me just say this.
The Lord places us between two
00:58:08.22\00:58:12.52
destinies. There is eternal life
and there is eternal death. Give
00:58:12.55\00:58:18.06
your whole heart to God tonight
friends and let God in return
00:58:18.09\00:58:22.80
give you the greatest gift he
ever could, eternal life. Amen.
00:58:22.83\00:58:27.84