Lord’s Day, Vol. 4 No. 03

Posted on Posted in Weekly Newsletter, Weekly 2016, January 2016 Tagged with , ,

The Doctrine of Hell

(A) The Nature of Hell

  • Hell is a place of unquenchable fire. (Matt. 3:12, 42; Mk. 9:43)
  • Hell is a place of memory and remorse. (Lu. 16:19-31)
  • Hell is a place of thirst. (Lu. 16:19-31)
  • Hell is a place of misery and pain. (Rev. 14:10-11)
  • Hell is a place of frustration of anger. (Matt. 13:42; 24:51)
  • Hell is a place of separation. (Lu. 16:26; Rev. 2:11; Rev. 20:6, 15)
  • Hell is a place of undiluted divine wrath. (Rev. 14:10)
  • Hell is a place prepared for Satan and his hosts. (Matt. 25:41)
  • Hell is a place created for all eternity. (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; Jude 1:7) 

(B) The Occupants of Hell

  • Satan (Rom. 16:20; Rev. 20:10)
  • Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:8)
  • False Prophet (Rev. 19:20)
  • Fallen Angels (2 Pet. 2:4)
  • All unsaved people (Rev. 21:8)

 

The Doctrine of Heaven 

In the Bible, we read of three heavens. The “First Heaven” comprises the sky that we see, the home of the clouds (Jer. 4:25; Dan. 4:12; Matt. 6:26; 8:20).

The “Second Heaven” comprises the home of the sun, moon and stars (Gen. 22:17; Ps. 19:1). The “Third Heaven” is the home of God (2 Cor. 12:2; 1 King 8:27, 30; John 14:2-3; Heb. 11:10, 16, 12:22; Rev. 21:2).

(A) The Characteristic of Heaven (The New Jerusalem)

  • The shape of the city – a cube (Rev. 21:16).
  • The size of the city – 1400 miles long, high and wide (Rev. 21:16b). Our earth has approximately 120 million square miles of water surface and 60 million square miles of land surface. If one multiple 1400 by 1400 by 1400, the cubic miles of the city, it is a staggering figure of 2 billion and 700 million cubic miles, which is some 15 times the combined surface of the entire earth, including both land and water area. It has been estimated that 40 billion people lived on our planet since the creation of Adam. Of this number, over 5 billion are living today. Density studies of city population assure us that every single one of these 40 billion could easily be accommodated upon just the first “foundational floor” of this marvelous 1400- layered metropolis.
(B) The Inhabitants of the City
(1) Holy and elect Angels (Heb. 12:22; Rev. 5:11)
(2) 24 Elders (Rev. 4:4)
(3) Church (Heb. 12:22-23; Rev. 19:1, 7-8, 21:1, 9-11)
(4) Saved Israel
(5) God the Father (Rev. 4:2-3; Daniel 7:9)
(6) God the Son (Rev. 5:6)
(7) God the Holy Spirit (Rev. 14:13, 22:17)
(C) The Foundation of the City 
The City rests on 12 layers of foundation stones with each layer being inlaid with a different precious gem (Rev. 21:14).
(D) The Walls of the City 
The walls of the New Jerusalem are some 216 feet high and made of jasper (Rev. 21:17-18). The walls are not for protection but for design and beauty. A 216 feet wall all around a 1400-mile high city is like an inch curb around the Empire State Building.
(E) Gates of the City
There are 12 gates to this city, three gates on each side. On each gate is the name of one of the tribes of children of Israel. Each gate is of a beautiful white pearl (Rev. 21:12-13, 21a).
(F) Main Street of this City
The central boulevard of the New Jerusalem is of pure transparent gold (Rev. 21:21b).
(G) The Throne within the City
Rev. 4:2,3,6a “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald…And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal...”
(H) River of Life in this City
Rev. 22:1 “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
(I) Tree of Life in this City
Rev. 22:2 “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
(J) Resurrected Bodies in this Heavenly City
All resurrected bodies will reside in the heavenly city.
(K) Activities of the Redeemed in this City
(1) Heaven will be a place of praise, singing and worship (Isa. 44:23; Heb. 2:12; Rev. 14:3, 15:3).
(2) Heaven will be a place of fellowship.
(3) Heaven will be a place of service (Rev. 7:15, 22:3).
(4) Heaven will be a place of learning the plan of God, the power of God and the person of God (1 Cor. 13:9, 10).
(5) Heaven will be a place without tears, sorrows, crying, pain (Rev.21:4).
[Summarized and adapted from Willmington’s Guide to the Bible, page 681-690]
May this short write-up on the doctrine of hell and heaven help us in our sharing of the gospel to compel men to turn to Christ in repentance for salvation, and thereby escape the ravages of hell and experience the eternal blessing of heaven! Amen.
Yours lovingly, Pastor Lek Aik Wee