PARADISE
& HELL
First Word
·
According to Scripture; At death, there is a “Fork in the Road” for the Spirit
of a man which will take him temporarily to an intermediate state of
existence before he returns to the one who made him and his final “Eternal
State”. – The decisions he made in his previous life about the “Son of God”
determines which of the two destinies he will take. (You could call it his “Good
Karma” or his “Bad Karma”; sort
of, maybe, kinda)
·
For the Believer or the godly, they will
take the fork in the road to a place called Paradise where they have awareness of their
surroundings, comfort and have communion with God.
·
For the Un-Believer or the un-godly, they
will take the fork in the road to a place called in the Old Testament Sheol (the grave) and in the New Testament it’s called Hades. - They will have awareness of their
surroundings, their torment and separation from the Believers.
There is NO EXIT. – NYOBS 21.30 - HEAVEN -- NYOBS 06.22 - DEATH - HELL
·
Paradise was also known as “Abraham’s Bosom” which held the
godly saints of ALL TIMES and is a place better to be than on earth, but is not
as good as it’s going to get. – NYOBS 15.36 –
ABRAHAM’S BOSOM –
Luke 16:22 – Hell - Abraham’s Bosom – Paradise
22 Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
22 Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
Luke 16:23-24 – See - Hear – Pain – Emotions -
Feelings
23 In Hell (Hades) he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' (NASB)
23 In Hell (Hades) he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' (NASB)
A little background
- Abraham’s
Bosom
is very controversial; that’s why I comment on it and accept the
criticism.
·
In Jewish theology, the “Blessed Souls”
await in a compartment of Hell that is called Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom.
- In
Biblical times, people would recline as they ate. – The one reclining
near the head guy was referred to as reclining “In His Bosom”; a
place of honor.
- Wikipedia: Limbo was the abode of people,
who before Jesus' Resurrection, had died in the friendship of God, but had
to wait for Christ to open heaven's gates. - Limbo was said to be located on the edge of Hell; not exactly in
and not exactly out. ( NOTE: Limbo is not in the Bible)
·
Before the time of
Christ’s ministry,
Hell was divided into two compartments separated by a large gulf. –
Those who worshipped Jehovah God and had died in His friendship were in a
compartment of Hell known as “Abrahams Bosom” or “Paradise”. This was where the “righteous good” went
after death. – There they “tarried” till
the resurrection.
- During
this time of “tarring”, the people were awake
having emotions, feelings, and dialog. Note: Not one of them had ever
heard of Jesus Christ; the Son of God.
Luke 16:26 – Hell had two compartments separated by a gulf
26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'(NASB)
26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'(NASB)
TARTARUS
- HADES – HELL – SHEOL – GEHENNA
- Tartarus (in the
Greek) – an infernal abyss below
Hades (Wikipedia) – A place for punishment
for the wicked after death. - (I’m not sure I buy into
this location, but it certainly seems possible.) - A place where the
fallen angels are bound in darkness and away from the face of God.
- Hades (Greek), Sheol (Hebrew for Hades), Hell (Hebrew), and Gehenna (Greek) all symbolize the same thing –
Gehenna was a valley outside of Jerusalem where garbage and dead
bodies were thrown with gnawing worms eating the rotting putrid flesh. - It
burned and smoked day and night. - It
is symbolic of Hades. - In the Old Testament, Hell was referred to as going
down to “The Pit” or “The Grave”.
- Hell – The lower parts of
the earth holding the wicked dead till the end of the millennium when it
and its contents will be thrown into the
- In Hell, you are in the gloom of darkness,
away from the face of God, with a bunch of demons, Satan and his fallen
angels, and the entire unbelieving bunch of wicked folks, plus you have
the ordinary run of the mill burning fire and sulfur to walk around on. There’s not much love in Hell. - You are not instantly annihilated, but
are tormented in the unquenchable
fires that go on endlessly, and it gets worse. Hell is thrown into the burning Lake of
Fire and Sulfur.
- Satan is not in charge as depicted in many
writings; he is just one of the powerless boys.
- Hell
is a sphere
in the center of the earth, therefore it has no bottom. No
scripture, just saying
Matt 3:12 – Hell – Unquenchable Fire
12 His winnowing fork is
in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into
the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." NIV
Matt 18:7-8 – Hell – Eternal Fire
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to
sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed
or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal
fire. NIV
Mark 9:43 – Hell – A Fire that never goes out
43 If your hand causes
you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with
two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. NIV
2 Thess 1:9 - Hell - Shut out from the presence of the Lord
9 They will be punished with everlasting
destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the
majesty of his power
NIV
Matt 8:12 – Hell – Shut out from the light of God
12 But the subjects of the
kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, NIV
2 Peter 2:4 - Angles in Hell out from the light of God -
Darkness
4 For if God spared not
the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered
them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; KJV
Jude 6- Angeles are in Hell in everlasting chains of Darkness
6 And the angels which
kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto
the judgment of the great day KJV
Rev 20:10 – Lake of Fire prepared for Satan and his followers
10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,
where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be
tormented day and night for ever and ever. NIV
Matt 25:41 – Lake of Fire is eternal
41 "Then he will say
to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal
fire prepared for the devil and his angels. NIV
Revelation 9:2 – Hell is a Bottomless Pit –
Probably a sphere
2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
(ESV)
Luke 16:23 – Un-Believers in Hades have Awareness
and Torment
23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. (NIV2011)
23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. (NIV2011)
Luke 16:26 -
Hell – There is NO EXIT
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ (NIV2011)
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ (NIV2011)
All were lost
·
Jesus said that He was the way and the truth and the
life and that NO ONE comes to the Father except through
Him.
·
Wait a minute, all this sounds like
that all the followers of YAHWEH Jehovah God before the time of Jesus Christ WOULD
NOT inherit the kingdom of God. - That can’t be right.
John 14:6 – Jesus is the
ONLY WAY to Jehovah God
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (NIV2011)
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (NIV2011)
The Death of Jesus
- Before
Christ died,
“the repentant thief” asked to be “remembered” and Jesus told him that TODAY
he would be with Him in Paradise – This
collaborates that Paradise was where Jesus would be that day. (Some students of the Word disagree with the
comma placement in the word “today” – I do not disagree because it fits perfectly
with the rest of scripture.)
- Time is somewhat of an
abstract for the dead, and exists only for the living; and is only a pin
point of existence somewhere between eternity past and eternity
future.
- At
Christ’s death on the Cross, He went to Abraham’s Bosom also
known as Paradise and preached the “Good News Message” for
three days to those that had died over the past 4,000 years, and they
ACCEPTED Him.
Luke 23:42-43 – Today you
will be with Me in Paradise
42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, TODAY you will be with me in Paradise.” (ESV)
42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, TODAY you will be with me in Paradise.” (ESV)
Eph 4:9 – Christ descended
into Hell before He ascended to God
9 Now that he ascended, what is it but that he
also DESCENDED FIRST into the LOWER PARTS of the earth? KJV
Matt 12:40 – Three days in
Hell
40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in
the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth. NIV
1 Peter 3:18 -20 – He preached in Hell – In
Abrahams Bosom
18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the
righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death
in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
19 through whom also he went and preached
to the spirits in prison
13 Not like Moses, who would
put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome
of what was being brought to an end.
14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.
15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read (The Old Covenant) a veil lies over their hearts.
16 But when one turns to the Lord (The New Covenant), the veil is removed.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (ESV)
14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.
15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read (The Old Covenant) a veil lies over their hearts.
16 But when one turns to the Lord (The New Covenant), the veil is removed.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (ESV)
John 8:32 – The truth set the captives free
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free. NIV
Jesus is Resurrected
- Jesus
appeared to Mary BEFORE He ascended to Heaven collaborating that
Paradise was still on earth and had not been taken to heaven.
- When
Jesus ascended, He took “
·
Side Note:
With Paradise removed, Hell has now been
enlarged to receive all the new folks for the last 2000 years who have rejected the Truth of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.
·
Today when we go to “rest with
the fathers”, we are immediately active with Christ. - SELAH
John 20:11-17 – I have not
yet ascended to the Father
11 Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept
15 "Woman," he said, "why are you
crying? Who are you looking for?"
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned
toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (Which means Teacher).
17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for
I have not yet returned to the Father.” NIV
Eph 4:8 – He took all
those in Abrahams Bosom to heaven
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up
on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Holy Spirit day of Pentecost) KJV
2 Cor 5:8 – Today at
death, we are immediately with Christ
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to
be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. NKJV
After Christ’s
Assentation
- On
the day of Pentecost, Christ gave the gift of the Holy
Spirit, plus a whole bunch more.
- He
gave gifts to men; Word of Wisdom – Word of Knowledge – Special Faith –
Gift of different Healings – Working of Miracles – Discerning of kinds of Spirits
– Speaking in Tongues – Interpretation of Tongues. – NYOBS 08.12 – GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT – NYOBS 20.36
– THE HOLY SPIRIT TOOLS
Acts 2:1-4 – Gave gifts
day of Pentecost
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all
together in one place.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. NIV
1 Cor 12:7-10 – Gave gifts
to men
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to
each one for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom
through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same
Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to
another gifts of healings (plural) by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to
another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another
different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
NKJV
Last Thoughts
- We
that love the Lord do not go to the lower parts of the earth when we die,
but go immediately to Heaven to be with Jesus. – NYOBS 06.14
– DEATH
- At Christ’s return we will join Him in a great cloud of witnesses including the believers that are waiting in Paradise. Praise God… - NYOBS 25.21 – SECOND COMING -– NYOBS 45.02 RETURN; PRE-MID-POST -- NYOBS 01.23 – IS THE WORD RAPTURE IN THE BIBLE?
2 Cor 5:8 – Absent from the body – Present with God
8 We are confident, yes,
well pleased rather to be absent
from the body is to be present with the Lord. NKJV
John 11:26
– The Believer will never die
26 and whoever lives and
believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? NIV
1 Thessalonians 4:17 - Caught up with the Cloud of
Believers
17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the CLOUDS (of witnesses), to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the CLOUDS (of witnesses), to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
(ASV)
Hebrews 12:1 - Great a cloud of witnesses - Believers
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a CLOUD of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (NKJV)
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a CLOUD of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (NKJV)
In
the multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:14
I
am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical
information, and scripture verses.
Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I
otherwise ever could have.
Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White
Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row
Book of Bible Lists – Meredith’s
English Standard Version
Bible – ESV
Expositor’s Bible
Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein
Illustrated Bible
Dictionary – Nelson’s
Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse
King James Version Bible –
KJV
Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest
New International
Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas -
Tenney
New International Version
Bible - NIV
Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee
Wikipedia -
Zondervan Pictorial
Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney
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