HEAVEN AND HELL

REAL PLACES FOR REAL PEOPLE

Text: Luke 16:19-24, "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."

INTRODUCTION: Jesus makes it clear that heaven and hell are real places for real people. This is no parable. It is the story of two specific men. One though a beggar, was prepared for heaven and the other, though rich, was not. The beggar died and his spirit went to heaven (Abraham’s bosom as the Jews called it). But the rich man died and went to hell (or hades).

Notice several things about hell. The rich man said it was a place of torment, suffering and flames. Jesus said more about hell than He did about heaven. He warned us over and over not to go to hell. In this passage, we see that hell is a place of:

1. No Mercy. v. 25 – Abraham told the rich man that he would be continually tormented. The only way to receive the mercy of God is to repent and acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior before you die. While you still have life and breath, you need to repent of your sins and believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and trust His death as the only sufficient payment for your sins. Don’t put off making that decision. Some people think they can wait until the last minute only to die unexpectedly. Then, it is too late.

2. No Escape. Abraham told the rich man, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they that would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us (v.26). Once a person is in hell, he or she is there forever. There is no escape. You can’t talk your way out, cry your way out or buy your way out. Hell is forever.

3. No Hope. The rich man begged Abraham to send someone from heaven to warn his brothers not to come to hell. But Abraham refused his request. He told him, they have Moses and the prophets (the Bible), let them hear them (v.29). The rich man insisted that if someone came back from the dead, they would believe. But Abraham said, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (v.31). Of course, Jesus Himself rose from the dead and many still did not believe.

We don’t hear much preaching about hell these days. It is not a very popular topic. Some preachers avoid it altogether. But Jesus spoke very clearly and specifically about hell. He warns us about the horrible realities of hell and urges us to escape the judgment of hell by believing in Him. Hell is real. Hell is hot. Hell is forever. But hell can be avoided because Jesus took the punishment of hell for us when He died on the cross. Because of Him we can have a home in heaven forever.

HEAVEN IS A REAL PLACE - Revelation 21:1-5, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (21:2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (21:3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. (21:4) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (21:5) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."

The Bible paints a wonderful and beautiful picture of heaven in Revelation 21-22. In these chapters we are introduced to the glory and splendor of heaven. All the judgments are now concluded. God will wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there will be no more sorrow nor death.

John begins his final vision with the familiar words, and I saw (21:1), reminding us again that the entire Revelation is a vision of future events. As such, the revelator records what he saw in the vocabulary, language, and descriptive terms of his own time. What he actually means by "streets of gold" or "gates of pearl" may be beyond our wildest imagination or expectation. But that he sees a real place is obvious. He describes it as a city (verse 2). He speaks of its inhabitants (verse 24), its gates (verse 12), its size (verse 16), its foundations (verse 14), and its walls (verse 18). He describes the eternal state as a place of great activity, worship, and service to God. He also speaks of it as our eternal home, where we shall dwell forever.

While the number seven does not appear in these chapters, it is evident that the focus is on seven "new" things in the eternal state:

We are immediately swept up into the grandeur of this brand-new world. It is beyond anything of mere human imagination. In these two chapters we have the most detailed account in all the Bible of what heaven will be like. Here we find the redeemed of all time living in perfect peace and harmony in a final fixed moral state in which there is no sin, no rebellion, no pain, no sorrow, no death.

The New Jerusalem is referred to as a bride adorned for her husband (21:2). Later, the chapter (verses 9-10) makes it clear that this is the bride of the Lamb, who was first introduced in 19:7-10. She returned from heaven with Christ in 19:11-16 and ruled with Him during the millennial kingdom (20:4). Now she assumes a new and permanent position as the "holy city."

In anticipation of her arrival, a "great voice" speaks from heaven announcing that the tabernacle of God is with men (21:3). This is a most dramatic announcement. It indicates that God is now accessible to His people. He is no longer on the distant throne of heaven. Nor is He hidden beyond the veil in the holy of holies. Rather:

The summary statement declares, For the former things are passed away (verse 4). Then God Himself, the One on the throne, said, Behold, I make all things new (verse 5). This one statement summarizes what the entire postscript is all about: "new things." This is not a repair job. Nor is it a major overhaul. It is a brand-new creation. And the New Jerusalem is the apex of that creation.

In addition to telling us what will be in heaven, John also lists seven things that will not be in the eternal state:

The picture painted in this chapter is that of the New Jerusalem suspended between heaven and earth. It is the final and permanent bond between the two. Notice also that the new earth, not just heaven, is a part of the final state. It would appear that the redeemed saints of God travel from heaven to earth b means of the levels of the eternal city.

The promise of God to the believers is that those who overcome (or persevere) will inherit all things (21:7). This is the only reference to the believer’s spiritual and eternal inheritance in the Revelation. But the concept is used frequently in the New Testament, especially by Jesus and Paul. "All things" refers to all that is really essential and worthwhile for eternity. It is not a promise for earthly wealth and prosperity but for heavenly and eternal blessings. Paul had the same thing in mind when he wrote, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God...He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:28, 32).

By contrast, the ungodly, unrepentant, and unbelieving multitudes, introduced by the adversative "but," will not see the New Jerusalem. They will be cast into the lake of fire, which burns with fire and brimstone and is the second death (21:8). There is no hope of a second chance mentioned. The rejected are listed in eight categories:

This is not to say that those who have ever committed these sins cannot be saved, but that those who continue to do so give evidence of an unrepentant and unconverted heart.

What is clear is that John is describing a real place where the saved, and only the saved, will dwell with God forever. The unsaved are excluded from this city totally and completely. Satan and those he has deceived are all in the lake of fire, from which there is no escape.

The bottom line is emphasized again in the last verse of the chapter (21:27). Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life can live in the holy city.