Eternity Is For EVERYONE!
We all Go Somewhere when we die! Where You Headed?Eternity Is For EVERYONE!
I personally believe that the one truth each and every person that walks the face of this earth must come to realize is that at the time of their departure from this world, physical death, we all are going to go somewhere.
The most frightening or joyous aspect of where we end up is, in fact, going to be of a permanent nature. In other words, where we go from here we will stay forever, we will never leave, and we will stay there for eternity. And let me tell you this my friends eternity is for a long time, as a matter of fact it is a place where time no longer exists and not one thing comes to an end. Love, joy, peace, happiness, painlessness, contentment and absolute perfection never stop if you wind up in the right place, Heaven.
On the other hand, these facts also hold true for pain, torment, misery, agony, loneliness, lack of any type of comfort and depending on where you end up, burning with the fervent heat of fire and brimstone continually and never easing up in the slightest. Please take absolute note that Hell (or Eternal Death) is also FOR EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER… IT NEVER STOPS NOT EVEN FOR A SECOND!
Read (Luke 16:19-31) The rich man and Lazarus, the beggar
19 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. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
In those preceding verses (parable) there are many, many messages being spoken at once as only could be accomplished by the Master, Jesus Christ Himself but the ones I would like you to pay especial attention to is the following facts being stated:
A – Once you get to Heaven or Hell you’re there for good, for ever, for eternity… End of story.
B – You can not get from Heaven to Hell nor can you get from Hell to Heaven… Under any circumstances, good motives or bad.
C – It is decided before you get there where you are going.
D – What you do here and the choices you make determines which destination God the Father sends you to.
A - A Little About Everlasting Life (Heaven):
This expression occurs in the Old Testament only in Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and *everlasting contempt (*or Everlasting Death).
It occurs frequently in the New Testament:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 18:8-9 8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Luke 10:28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. (Compare to Luke 18:18) And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
It comprises the whole future of the redeemed (Luke 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.), and is opposed to "eternal punishment" (Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. and Mat 25:45-46 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
It is the final reward and glory into which the children of God enter (their Sabbath of rest):
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1 Tim 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Compare Heb 4:9 with Heb 12:22-23 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect
The newness of life which the believer derives from Christ (Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.) is the very essence of salvation, and hence the life of glory or the eternal life must also be theirs. See references:
Rom 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him
2Ti 2:11-12 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Eph 2:5, 6 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
It is the "gift of God in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.)
The life the faithful have here on earth (References E-1) is inseparably connected with the eternal life beyond, the endless life of the future, the happy future of the saints in heaven (References E-2)
References E-1:
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 6:53-58 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
References E-2:
Mat 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal
B – A Little About Everlasting Death (Hell):
The miserable fate of the wicked in hell (Bible References to):
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal
Mark 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
2Thes 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Mat 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
The Scripture as clearly teaches the unending duration of the penal sufferings of the lost as the "everlasting life," the "eternal life" of the righteous. The same Greek words in the New Testament (aion, aionios, aidios) are used to express (1) the eternal existence of God (1Ti 1:17; Rom 1:20; Rom 16:26); (2) of Christ (Rev 1:18); (3) of the Holy Ghost (Heb 9:14); and (4) the eternal duration of the sufferings of the lost (Mat 25:46; Jude 1:6).
(Extra stuff read as time allows)
Their condition after casting off the mortal body is spoken of in these expressive words: "Fire that shall not be quenched" (Mark 9:45, 46), "fire unquenchable" (Luke 3:17), "the worm that never dies," the "bottomless pit" (Rev 9:1), "the smoke of their torment ascending up for ever and ever" (Rev 14:10, 11). (Important verses look these up in text in your bible)
The idea that the "second death" is in the case of the wicked their absolute destruction, their annihilation, has not the slightest support from Scripture. Quite contrary! The “second death is absolute, final and most certainly eternal and always represents their future as one of conscious suffering enduring for ever.
Rev 20:12-15 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The supposition that God will ultimately secure the repentance and restoration of all sinners is equally unscriptural. There is not the slightest trace in all the Scriptures of any such restoration. Sufferings of themselves have no tendency to purify the soul from sin or impart spiritual life. The atoning death of Christ and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit are the only means of divine appointment for bringing men to repentance. Now in the case of them that perish these means have been rejected, and "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Heb 10:26-27 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.).