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Series Code: AFDB
Program Code: AFDB000186S
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00:02 - [Announcer] This presentation is brought to you by
00:04 the friends of the Amazing Facts Ministry. 00:07 (enchanted music) 00:09 - So what's the hottest place on Earth? 00:12 Guinness World Records list the official winner 00:14 as the Death Valley, California. 00:16 On July 10th, 1913, 00:19 the mercury there skyrocketed to 134 degrees Fahrenheit. 00:25 Some parts of Death Valley 00:26 have an average daily high of 115 degrees, 00:29 but the ground temperature can get even more intense. 00:33 In 1972, at a place called Furnace Creek, 00:36 it registered a blistering 201 degrees, 00:39 the hottest surface temperature ever recorded on the planet. 00:43 Actually, there's a good chance 00:45 there are other places in the deserts around the world 00:47 that get even hotter, 00:49 but most humans don't inhabit the hottest places on Earth 00:52 so there are no weather stations 00:53 or sensors to record the extreme temperatures. 00:56 The Bible tells us that the ultimate global warming 00:59 is still in the future. 01:01 It's the time when God will cleanse the world with fire. 01:04 The scripture says in that day, 01:06 the very elements will melt with fervent heat 01:09 and the Earth and the things that are in it 01:11 will be burned up. 01:13 Sound scary? Well, it doesn't need to be. 01:16 To find out more, 01:18 join me now as we explore the good news about Hell. 01:26 Before we get into the lesson, 01:27 we always like to begin with a storacle from the Bible. 01:31 These are Bible stories that help illustrate Bible truths. 01:35 And you find this story in the Book of Genesis. 01:38 Now the lesson is called, "The Final Firestorm." 01:43 You remember Lot and his Uncle Abraham 01:47 settled in the Promise Land. 01:49 God blessed their flocks and herds so much that 01:51 they just could not dwell together anymore. 01:53 And Abraham said, "We don't wanna argue. We are brethren." 01:56 And so what happened is Abraham said, 01:59 "Lot, you go to the right hand, I'll go to the left. 02:01 "You decide where you wanna go." 02:03 And it says that he lifted his eyes towards Sodom 02:06 and he directed his attention towards the valley 02:09 because there's a lot of pasture back then. 02:11 Even though the Bible's pretty clear that the men of Sodom, 02:15 and this is Genesis 13:13, were wicked exceedingly. 02:22 Now, I don't know if you're aware, 02:23 but God had actually spared Sodom once before 02:25 and they'd been rescued by Abraham. 02:27 He delivered the cities when they'd been attacked by 02:29 the Assyrian armies in the North. 02:32 God gave them another chance, but they did not repent 02:34 and they went deeper and deeper into sin and wickedness. 02:38 And eventually, God sent two angels to Lot, 02:44 said, "Get your family out of this place 02:47 "because God is gonna destroy it for its wickedness." 02:49 Lot tried to persuade his grown daughters that were married 02:53 to come with him 02:54 and they thought that he was mocking. 02:55 They wouldn't take him seriously. 02:58 Finally, the angel said, "Time's almost up," 03:00 and the angels took Lot and his two daughters 03:03 and his wife by the hand, one angel had two in each hand, 03:07 and physically pulled them out of the city and said, 03:10 "Escape for your life. Do not look behind you." 03:14 Very explicit command. 03:16 "Nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains." 03:20 And as they were going back towards the mountain, 03:23 the Bible tells us: 03:24 Then the Lord rained brimstone, that's like sulfur, 03:29 and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah 03:32 from the Lord out of the Heavens. 03:35 Later you read where Abraham said, 03:38 or it says that Abraham looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah. 03:41 There were actually four or five cities down there, 03:43 Zoar and the other were, they're very small. 03:46 But the principle cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, 03:48 and beheld the smoke of the land 03:51 which went up like the smoke of a furnace. 03:54 He saw the judgment. 03:55 Abraham was praying that Lot and his family 03:57 had made it out alive. 04:00 Now you might be a little bit apprehensive. 04:02 "Oh, Pastor Doug, you're gonna be talking about Hell?" 04:06 I think you're gonna be encouraged 04:08 when you find out what the Bible teaches about this 04:09 regarding the justice and the love of God. 04:12 I think I shared with you 04:13 the night that we talked about Heaven, 04:14 that there are about 04:15 twice as many people that believe in Heaven 04:17 as those who believe in Hell. 04:19 And that's understandable 04:20 because there are two incredible extremes 04:24 that are out there in the world, 04:25 and even in the church, regarding Hell. 04:28 One teaching says that 04:31 if you're bad and you die, 04:34 you go immediately to a place of everlasting torment 04:38 where you will be plunged into a Lake of Fire and brimstone 04:43 and you will have every nerve ending in your body 04:46 sensing this incredible agony and pain. 04:51 And you'll be writhing in this molten fire and brimstone, 04:54 compounded by the anguish that you could have been saved 04:56 but you are not. 04:58 And that terrible experience will not go on for a moment 05:01 or two or a minute or two, but forever and ever. 05:07 Now just the thought of that, 05:08 I think can make someone blow a gasket. 05:10 Think about that. 05:11 Who would wanna burn for a minute? 05:14 Can you imagine burning for a billion years? 05:16 And then after a billion years go by, 05:18 you swim to the surface of the molten lava and you say, 05:20 "Lord, how long?" 05:21 And He laughs and says, "How long? 05:23 "You haven't even started eternally." 05:26 That's one view. 05:28 The other view is that Hell is just 05:32 the bad memories of what happened here on Earth 05:35 that are gonna bother you 05:37 or that some of the wicked might be vaporized at the end, 05:42 and then they're gone. 05:44 Between these two extremes, you'll find the Bible truth. 05:47 There is a true teaching on Hell and the Lake of Fire. 05:51 You find that in Revelation 20. 05:53 You'll also find it in Revelation 22, 05:57 and all through the teachings of Jesus as well. 05:59 But we're gonna find out what the Bible says. 06:01 Fair enough? 06:02 - [Congregation Member] Amen. 06:03 - To go to the first question in our lesson. 06:05 What two cities are given as an example 06:08 for the destruction of the wicked? 06:10 In our opening story, we looked at those two cities. 06:13 You read in 2 Peter 2:6: 06:16 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes. 06:21 Into what? 06:22 - [Congregation] Ashes. 06:23 - Turn them into ashes, condemned them to destruction. 06:26 Ashes, destruction. 06:27 Making them an example to those who afterward live ungodly. 06:31 So if we wanna see an example of 06:32 what's gonna happen to the wicked, it says, 06:34 "Look at what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. 06:37 "They were destroyed. They were turned to ashes." 06:40 Now here's my question, are they still burning today? 06:42 - [Congregation] No. 06:43 - Well, the Bible tells us 06:44 they were burnt with eternal fire. 06:47 The results of the fire were eternal. 06:50 They're not still burning now. 06:51 They were burnt up, they were destroyed, 06:53 they were turned to ashes, never rebuilt. 06:57 So question number two. 06:59 When will the wicked be destroyed in hellfire? 07:02 Let's find out what the Bible says on that. 07:06 2 Peter 2:9: 07:08 The Lord knows how to reserve the unjust 07:11 under punishment for the day of judgment. 07:14 If you call a restaurant and say, 07:15 "I'd like to reserve a table," 07:17 that means they're holding it for you till you get there. 07:20 And this is the same way it is with the wicked, 07:23 that people are reserved for the day of judgment. 07:26 They're not there yet. 07:27 The judgment has not happened yet. 07:30 When is that? 07:31 John 12:48: 07:32 Jesus said, "The word that I have spoken will judge him." 07:35 When? 07:36 - [Congregation] The last day. 07:37 - The last day. 07:38 In fact, I'm gonna grab my Bible real quick. 07:40 If you've got your Bible or your digital Bible, 07:42 go to John 6. 07:44 I wanna just show you something. 07:45 It's amazing to me people don't catch this. 07:47 John 6. These are all the words of Jesus. 07:50 Start with, oh, verse 39. 07:53 This is the will of my Father who sent me 07:55 that all He's given me, I should lose nothing, 07:57 but raise it up the last day. 08:01 Verse 40. 08:02 I will raise him up the last day. 08:06 You go to verse 44. 08:08 No one can come to me 08:09 unless the Father who sent me draws him 08:11 and I will raise him up the last day. 08:14 Go to verse 54. 08:15 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life 08:18 and I'll raise him up the last day. 08:20 And I could go on. 08:21 All through the New Testament, 08:23 it is so clear that people do not receive their rewards 08:26 until the end, the day of the Lord. 08:29 It's called the judgment day, the last day. 08:32 It is future when there's this recompense that is given 08:35 to the righteous and the wicked. 08:38 You can read in Matthew 13:40. 08:42 So it will be at the end of this age, 08:45 the Son of Man will send out His angels 08:47 and they will gather together 08:48 those who practice lawlessness. 08:50 That's the evil, correct? 08:52 - [Congregation Member] Yes. - At the end of the age. 08:53 They'll send his angels to gather together the wicked, 08:57 cast them into a furnace of fire. 08:59 Okay. That can't be misunderstood. 09:02 Do the wicked experience fire? 09:03 - [Congregation Member] Yes. 09:05 - And we'll find out what happens. 09:06 But when is that? Is anyone burning in Hell now? 09:09 - [Congregation] No. 09:10 - No. The Bible says it's future. 09:13 So considering that, question number three. 09:16 If the wicked who have died are not in Hell yet, 09:19 where are they? 09:20 Well, let's let the Bible describe it. 09:23 John 5:28, Jesus is speaking here. 09:26 "The hour is coming." 09:28 He's speaking future tense. 09:29 "The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves 09:33 "will hear His voice." 09:34 These are the resurrections all, good and evil. 09:36 Future, they're gonna hear His voice. 09:39 "They that have done good, the resurrection of life, 09:42 "and those who have done evil, 09:44 "the resurrection of condemnation." 09:47 And so we got the dead in Christ rise first 09:50 and then the only ones left are the dead out of Christ, 09:53 which is the lost or the wicked. 09:54 They're in a second resurrection. 09:56 Bible's very clear. 09:57 There's two distinct separate resurrections. 09:59 And again, look in Job 21:30 and 32. 10:03 The wicked are reserved for the day of doom. 10:06 He will be brought to the grave. 10:08 Where is he brought? 10:09 - [Congregation] To the grave. 10:10 - To the grave. 10:11 And a vigil kept over the tomb. 10:13 He's reserved, he's gonna be brought to the grave, 10:15 until he comes forth in the second resurrection. 10:19 Question number four. 10:20 What is the reward or punishment for sin? 10:24 According to the Bible, 10:26 it tells us the wages of sin is? 10:29 - [Congregation] Death. - Death. 10:30 And the gift of God is eternal life 10:34 in Jesus Christ our Lord. 10:35 Now, I just need to tell you, friends, 10:37 this to me is one of the favorite sermons for me 10:43 because growing up 10:44 I didn't have a lot of religious training, 10:46 but my parents did send me 10:47 to a couple of different Christian schools. 10:49 And in those schools they said, 10:51 "If you're good," you know the principal teaching? 10:52 "You're good, you die, you go to Heaven. 10:54 "You're bad, you die, you go to the other place." 10:56 Well, I was curious. 10:57 I said, "Tell me about that other place." 10:59 "Well, you'll be thrown into fire 11:02 "and you're going to burn forever and ever." 11:07 And when I heard that, I don't remember how old I was, 11:10 I was pretty young, 11:13 I just couldn't comprehend. 11:16 I said, "You're telling me God is love in one class, 11:19 "another class you're saying that if I'm bad I go to Hell." 11:22 And I said, "Let me see if I understand this. 11:24 "Everybody sins?" 11:26 "Yeah, all have sinned except Jesus." 11:27 "So we're born with sort of a predisposition to sin? 11:31 "We didn't choose to be born. 11:32 "God created us. 11:33 "And if we can't get it right, 11:35 "He's then gonna burn these disobedient children 11:38 "forever and ever and ever and ever 11:41 "for the sins of one brief lifetime." 11:43 Said, "That doesn't sound fair." 11:45 I thought God was a sadist. 11:47 I turned away from God. 11:49 When I found out the Bible truth on this, 11:51 it liberated me to love God. 11:54 - [Congregation Member] Amen! 11:56 - I realized that God was a just and a loving God. 11:58 And that's why this subject was just so dear to my heart 12:00 because I know there's others out there like that. 12:02 Now if the penalty for sin, 12:04 what did we just read the penalty for sin is? 12:06 The wages for sin are? 12:07 - [Congregation] Death. 12:08 - Death. Good enough. 12:11 But what if 12:12 the penalty for sin is everlasting burning in fire, 12:15 how could Jesus pay the penalty for our sin? 12:18 He didn't pay the penalty for our sin. 12:20 He died on the cross. 12:22 He suffered, He died, He rose. 12:25 See what I'm saying? 12:26 The penalty's death. 12:29 What are the only two choices for all of mankind? 12:33 The Bible tells us whoever believes in Him should not perish 12:37 but have everlasting life. 12:39 So if you do not believe, what does it say? 12:42 - [Congregation Member] Perish. 12:43 - Perish. By the way, you got a picture of Moses 12:45 holding up the bronze serpent there 12:46 because when Jesus said these words, 12:47 He was talking to Nicodemus and He said, 12:49 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 12:51 "that whoever believed would not perish 12:54 "but have everlasting life. 12:56 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, 12:59 "that whoever believes might not perish 13:01 "but have everlasting life." 13:02 He's very clear. Perish. 13:04 Some of you've got things in your refrigerator 13:06 because they're called perishables. 13:09 And if they're not, 13:10 some of you have things in your refrigerator 13:11 that have perished a long time ago and they're still there. 13:14 (congregation laughs) 13:15 But the reason is you try to prevent them from perishing 13:18 and otherwise, they decompose, they rot, 13:20 they turn back into the elements of the Earth, 13:22 cease to exist. 13:23 That's what it means by perish. 13:25 What will happen to the wicked that are in hellfire? 13:30 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more. 13:34 The wicked shall perish into smoke. 13:37 They will vanish away. 13:39 The day is coming that will burn as an oven 13:41 and all that do wickedly will be stubble. 13:44 The day that comes will burn them up. 13:45 When something's burned up, what's left? 13:47 - [Congregation Member] Nothing. 13:48 - It's gone. 13:50 You shall trample the wicked 13:52 for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet. 13:55 This week Karen and I were up in the hills 13:57 and we were doing some cleaning 13:58 and we bought a refrigerator 14:00 and we had this big refrigerator box and we said, 14:02 "What are we gonna do with this big old cumbersome box?" 14:04 And we said, "It rained up here, let's start a fire." 14:07 It was amazing how quickly 14:08 that refrigerator box had disappeared and blew away 14:10 when you burn it. 14:12 Perish. Good luck finding it now. 14:14 It's gone with the wind, as they say. 14:18 Where will hellfire be located? 14:22 In Granite Bay. 14:23 (congregation laughs) 14:25 And in Washington, DC. 14:27 Probably a little hotter there. 14:30 And in San Francisco. 14:33 Hellfire is on Earth. 14:35 (enchanted music) 14:36 Don't go anywhere, friends. 14:38 In just a moment we're gonna return to today's presentation. 14:41 Is Hell a real place? 14:43 And if so, where is it located? 14:45 Are lost sinners burning there now 14:47 and being tortured through eternity? 14:50 Is the Devil really in charge of Hell? 14:53 The Bible clearly addresses all of these questions 14:56 and the answers might just surprise you. 14:58 We have a special free resource we'd like to give you 15:01 concerning this topic. 15:03 It's called "The Bible Truth About Hell." 15:06 This eyeopening full color magazine 15:09 will clear up your most perplexing questions about Hell. 15:12 And best of all, 15:13 it'll show you how you can have more hope 15:15 and peace in the future. 15:17 To get your free copy, 15:19 call the phone number on your screen 15:21 and ask for offer number 887. 15:23 Or visit the web address on the screen 15:25 and after you read this incredible resource, 15:28 make sure and share it with a friend. 15:31 Well, let's get back to today's presentation 15:33 and learn some more amazing facts about the Word of God. 15:37 I remember, I hope you don't buy them, 15:41 but sometimes you know at the checkout stand 15:42 they got those tabloid magazines. 15:46 And I was in line and I saw the headline, 15:50 I was real tempted to buy it 15:51 to use for a sermon illustration. 15:52 And it said, "Oil drillers in Siberia drill too deep 15:58 "and they reach Hell. 16:00 (congregation laughs) 16:00 "Demons escape." 16:02 (congregation laughs) 16:03 'Cause a lot of people have this idea that 16:05 the Devil is in charge of this dark cavern down there. 16:09 They got the god Vulcan, they saw a volcano. 16:11 That's where you get the word 16:12 'cause this fire would come up out of the Earth 16:14 and they thought the Devil, 16:15 they kinda got him mixed up with Greek mythology and said, 16:17 "Yeah, he's like the god Vulcan. 16:19 "He's in charge of how people get burned in Hell." 16:22 Is that what the Bible teaches? 16:23 - [Congregation] No. 16:24 - Revelation 20:9. Where is Hell gonna burn? 16:26 They went up on the breadth of the Earth, 16:29 surface of the Earth, 16:30 and surrounded the camp of the saints 16:32 and fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them. 16:36 That fire rains down on the Earth. 16:39 Everywhere surrounding the New Jerusalem, 16:42 it's gonna be fire raining up until it rains down 16:44 and forms a lake. 16:46 You can also read in 2 Peter 3:10: 16:50 The elements will melt with fervent heat. 16:53 Both the Earth and the works that are in it 16:56 will be burned up. 16:57 The whole surface of the planet 16:58 is gonna be purified by fire. 17:00 So the fire is on the surface of the Earth in the last days. 17:04 It's not a chamber off in the cosmos somewhere 17:07 and it's not down yonder in a deep hole. 17:10 It's on the surface of the Earth. 17:12 Will the fires of Hell ever go out? 17:16 You can read here in Isaiah 47:14 says: 17:20 It shall not be a coal to be warmed by 17:25 nor a fire to sit before. 17:28 It's consumed. There'll be nothing left. 17:31 The fire burns up. 17:32 I've had people say, "Yeah Pastor Doug, you're right. 17:34 "The bodies burn up. 17:36 "The bodies are consumed, the bodies turn to ashes, 17:38 "but their soul burns forever." 17:41 Maybe some of you've heard that. 17:42 Yeah, it's not a physical torment, 17:44 it's their souls that are being tormented. 17:47 But listen to what Jesus said, Matthew 10:28. 17:51 "Do not fear those who kill the body 17:54 "but they cannot kill the soul. 17:56 "But rather fear Him 18:00 "who is able to destroy 18:02 "soul and body in Hell." 18:05 What happens to that individual? 18:07 Jesus said, "Soul, body destroyed." 18:11 Perish. Ashes. 18:14 This idea of eternal torment is just a horrific teaching. 18:19 The reason I think it also bothers me, 18:21 it distorts the character of God. 18:24 The Bible says God is love. 18:27 I was up in my cave, 18:29 lived for about a year and a half like a hermit in a cave. 18:32 I used to cook my own food. 18:34 And one night while I was cooking my dinner, 18:37 my cat came in carrying a mouse. 18:41 I had a cat named Stranger 'cause he just showed up one day. 18:43 I didn't know where he came from. 18:45 He lived with me for about a year 18:47 and then he disappeared one day. 18:49 But he used to like to catch these kangaroo rats. 18:53 But you know how cats are a little sadistic? 18:55 (congregation laughs) 18:56 They like to play with their food. 18:58 And so he would catch this mouse 19:01 and then he'd be making these growling noises 19:03 and then his eyes are real big and he'd let go of it. 19:06 It would try to hop away and he'd pounce again 19:09 and then he'd let go and it would try to escape. 19:11 He'd pounce again. You ever seen this before, you know? 19:15 And I'm watching this, I'm thinking, 19:16 I felt sorry for the poor little- 19:18 Kangaroo rats are kinda cute. 19:19 They're not like your common rats or a mouse. 19:21 They kinda hop around like a little kangaroo, 19:22 got a long tail with a furry thing on the end of it 19:25 and cute little eyes. 19:29 (congregation laughs) 19:31 Long whiskers and... 19:33 And the poor thing. 19:35 I'm almost rooting for the mouse. 19:37 (congregation laugh) 19:39 And so Stranger's playing this game 19:41 and the thing in its daze and confusion and desperation, 19:45 it went to hop away 19:46 and it hopped twice and landed in my fire. 19:50 (congregation gasps and groans) 19:52 Listen to you. 19:54 I see some of you right now, looking at your face 19:55 and you're going, "Oh!" 19:57 The anguish for the mouse 20:00 for 10 seconds. 20:04 You wouldn't do that to a rat! 20:07 And yet people think God is gonna do that 20:09 to His disobedient children through eternity. 20:13 For whom will hellfire be kindled? 20:17 Is God saying, "I'm gonna start a fire 20:18 "and I'm gonna burn all the bad people?" 20:21 Depart from me, you cursed, 20:23 into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. 20:27 Who is it principally prepared for? 20:29 - [Congregation Member] The Devil. 20:30 - The Devil and his angels. 20:31 The Lord doesn't want anybody to be lost, 20:34 but He has no choice for the Devil. 20:36 Ultimately, it's gonna be those that follow the Devil 20:40 are gonna join him in his fate. 20:42 And you can read that parable where 20:44 God separates the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25. 20:48 Does the Bible phrase, "Unquenchable fire" indicate- 20:52 Now we're looking at some of the anomalies 20:54 that people get mixed up on. 20:56 Does the Bible phrase, "Unquenchable fire" 20:57 indicate that the fire never goes out? 20:59 Let's read this verse here. 21:01 Matthew 3:12, it says: 21:04 He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, 21:07 gather His wheat into the barn and He will burn up. 21:11 Notice what burn up means. 21:13 When something's burned up what's left? 21:14 - [Congregation Member] Nothing. 21:16 - He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 21:20 I'll give you another verse here. 21:21 Look in Jeremiah 17:27. 21:24 But if you will not heed me to hallow the Sabbath day, 21:27 such as not carrying a burden 21:29 when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, 21:32 then I will kindle a fire in its gates 21:35 and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem 21:38 and it shall not be quenched. 21:42 Now what does it mean when it says that 21:43 the fire is unquenchable and it shall not be quenched? 21:47 Quench is a verb. It means to extinguish. 21:50 Let me see if I can illustrate this. 21:52 And I know you might get it on the screen. 21:55 It's gonna be far away for some of you here. 21:57 It's a regular pack of matches. 21:58 I was surprised I found this. 21:59 Best Western, probably 30 years old. 22:02 (congregation laughs) 22:04 And I got a match here. 22:06 And I can do this very carefully here. 22:11 All right, no Fire Marshall present, I hope. 22:15 (match scratches) 22:17 All right, this is a match. 22:18 Now I am gonna do my best not to quench this match, 22:24 but this match is gonna be burned with unquenchable fire. 22:27 So here it is. It's burning. 22:28 I feel it. It's very real. 22:34 Woo! (congregation laughs) 22:39 Ouch. 22:40 (congregation laughs) 22:41 I'm not gonna quench it. 22:43 You can't make me quench it. 22:46 I refuse to quench it. 22:48 What happened? 22:50 - [Congregation] It quenched. 22:51 - Did I quench it? 22:52 - [Congregation] No. 22:54 - Quench is a verb. 22:55 Are there any firemen in Hell quenching? 22:58 (congregation laughs) 22:59 No. 23:00 The fire of Hell is gonna do its work 23:02 with an unquenchable fire. 23:03 No one can extinguish it. 23:05 Typically when something catches on fire in our communities, 23:07 we send fire people and they try to quench it. 23:10 Will there be anyone to do that in Heaven? 23:12 Or Hell is what I'm talking about. 23:14 Let's get those subjects straight. (laughs) 23:16 (congregation laughs) 23:19 When Revelation 20:10 says that 23:21 the wicked will be tormented forever and ever, 23:23 doesn't that indicate endless time? 23:26 Let the Bible interpret itself. 23:28 Does that sound fair? 23:29 - [Congregation Member] Yes. 23:31 - [Doug] Let's look at another verse. 23:32 Jonah 2:6: 23:34 The Earth with her bars closed behind me forever. 23:38 How long? 23:39 - [Congregation] Forever. - Forever. 23:41 How long was Jonah in the big fish or the whale? 23:43 - [Congregation Member] Three days. 23:45 - And Jonah was in the belly of the fish 23:46 three days and three nights. 23:48 And I thought before, "That probably felt like forever." 23:52 Not only was maybe Jonah on the menu, 23:54 but he could have had appetizers that were 23:56 stinging jelly fish and squid and sea urchins 24:00 or something in there. 24:01 And he's in there with all these things flashing 24:02 and the stomach acid of a fish. 24:04 That'd be awful. 24:05 Three days and three nights. 24:07 No watch to see how much time had passed. 24:08 Probably felt like forever. 24:10 And the sufferings of the wicked. 24:12 Think about it. 24:14 For the wicked who know that they've lost eternal life, 24:15 their final thought becomes an eternal thought 24:20 that they missed out on eternity. 24:23 Read in Revelation 14:11: 24:25 The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever. 24:28 These are the verses that people often use. 24:30 When it says the smoke ascends up forever and ever, 24:33 have you ever used the expression, 24:34 "Well, I haven't seen them in forever?" 24:36 Is it literally forever or is it a figure of speech? 24:39 It's called hyperbole. 24:41 And so the Lord is saying that here. 24:42 You have to look at the context. 24:44 So what does the expression forever and ever mean? 24:47 Let the Bible explain it. 24:49 Look for instance in Exodus 21:6. 24:51 If a servant loved his master, 24:53 even after six years where he would be allowed to go free, 24:58 he went through a ritual 24:59 and the Bible says he will stay with his master 25:02 and serve him forever. 25:04 Well, forever there meant until he died. 25:06 Didn't mean that in Heaven 25:08 he's gonna still be serving his master. 25:11 Forever had an end, with his death. 25:13 Samuel, 1 Samuel 1:22. 25:16 When his mother brought him to the temple 25:18 to serve in the temple, it said there he will abide forever. 25:22 Well, is he still there today? 25:23 - [Congregation Member] No. 25:25 - [Doug] No. It meant as long as he lived. 25:27 You still with me? 25:28 - [Congregation] Yes. 25:29 - And you look also again in 1 Samuel 1:28, 25:31 it tells us how long it was. 25:33 He'll serve forever. 25:35 And then it says as long as he lives. 25:37 The people who are cast into the Lake of Fire 25:39 are punished varying amounts based on what they deserve. 25:42 But they will ultimately be burned up, the Bible says. 25:45 Bible says burned up. 25:46 No more root, no more branches, ashes. 25:49 You will go forth from the New Jerusalem, 25:51 you will tread upon the wicked 25:52 for they are ashes under the souls of your feet. 25:55 Also in Malachi. 25:57 Forever and ever is a biblical expression 25:59 which means until the end of the age. 26:01 It's not necessarily an infinite, unending length of time. 26:05 Praise God for that. 26:06 - [Congregation Member] Amen. 26:07 - [Doug] After sin and sinners are destroyed, 26:09 what will Jesus do for His people? 26:12 This is a beautiful message, friends. 26:14 Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, 26:17 look for a new heavens and a new Earth 26:20 in which dwells righteousness. 26:23 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes 26:27 and there'll be no more death. 26:29 How much death? 26:30 - [Congregation] No more. 26:31 - No sorrow nor crying. 26:34 There shall be no more pain. 26:38 How could God say there, "All things are made new, 26:41 "former things are passed away, all things are made new," 26:44 if there's immortalized old sinners? 26:47 How can He say, "There'll be no more pain," 26:49 if you've got this chasm somewhere 26:51 where you've got ostensibly billions of people? 26:55 'Cause we all know more people are lost than saved. 26:57 Do you know that? 26:58 Wide is the gate that goes to destruction, 27:01 narrow is the way that leads to life, 27:03 and few there be that find it. 27:05 And the idea that God would take most of the human race 27:07 and put them in a torture chamber for ceaseless ages, 27:10 screaming in agony and God says, "No more pain." 27:14 No. There will be a new universe that is pure. 27:17 There will be no more pain. 27:19 (relaxing orchestral music) 27:22 - [Announcer] Don't forget to request 27:24 today's life-changing free resource. 27:26 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 27:28 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 27:31 or mobile device. 27:32 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 27:35 simply text the keyword on your screen to 40544 27:39 or visit the web address shown on your screen 27:42 and be sure to select a digital download option 27:44 on the request page. 27:46 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word 27:49 with "Amazing Facts" wherever and whenever you want, 27:52 and most important, to share it with others. 28:01 And thank you for your continued support 28:03 as we take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. 28:06 We hope you'll join us next week 28:08 as we delve deep into the Word of God 28:10 to explore more amazing facts. 28:22 This presentation was brought to you by 28:24 the friends of the Amazing Facts Ministry. |
Revised 2023-02-01