Sermon Tone Analysis

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Emphasize 21:8.

There are many mysteries in the book of Revelation.

Many of these mysteries are interpreted in many different ways by people who believe all the Bible all the way through.

They love Jesus and they love the Word of God.

Yet, they interpret these symbols and images very differently.

But there are a few things that are very sure and do not require a lot of interpretation.

I want to mention three things in the book of Revelation that are sure and certain.

1.

The Judgment of the Lost before the Great White Throne.

2.

The Judgment of the Saved at the Judgment Seat of Christ

 

3.

Heaven – our eternal home.

And today, I want us to see what happens to the lost when they stay lost.

There is an epitaph on a tombstone that reads:

 

"Remember, man, as you pass by;

      As you are now, so once was I.

As I am now, so shall you be;

      Prepare ye, then, to follow me."

But someone wrote a response:

"To follow you I'm not content

      Unless I know which way you went."

So, let's look at the judgment of the lost.

Notice what Rev. 20:12 says:

      " 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."

This verse reveals several things about the judgment of the lost.

And I would like to make a couple of observations at this point.

And the first thing I want you to notice is that this judgment does not determine whether or not they are lost.

That has already been determined.

This verse calls them the dead – even though they are alive (they are standing before God after all).

And it is speaking of the fact that they are dead spiritually.

 

1 Tim.

5:6 says,

      "But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth."

You see, whether or not a person is lost or saved is determined in this life, not the next.

*I.

**The Degree of Punishment.*

The judgment of the lost is not to determine whether they will experience the place of punishment of the lost, but he degree of punishment based upon their works.

You see, there are degrees of punishment in hell.

In Matthew 10, Mark 6, and Luke 10, Jesus said that for those who mistreat the Apostles, it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them.

That at least indicates degrees of punishment.

Jesus said it would be better for a man to have a millstone tied around his neck and be case into the depths of the sea than to cause one of His little ones to stumble into sin.[1]

So this punishment is according to works.

Also notice,

 

*II.

**The Place of Punishment.*

* *

And it is here that I want to spend a few minutes.

Many people believe that hell is just figurative in the Bible; that it's not real.

But I submit to you this day that I am convinced hat hell is a real place that is described by both figurative and literal language.

And the first passage I would like you to see is Matt.

10:28:

      "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:  but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Now, friend, what does that mean?

That means that God has the power to cast both soul and body into hell.

Now, is hell figurative or real?

Well let's find out.

Since the Bible teaches that God can cast both soul and body into hell, then let's take the pinch test.

[Take pinch test]

 

Now, was that a literal pinch or a figurative pinch?

It was literal, right?

How do you know it was literal?

Because the only body you have is a literal body.

You see, you only have two options – a literal body or a spirit something or other that isn't real.

So you only have a literal body.

And God has the power to cast both body and soul into hell.

And since you only have a literal body, you can't cast a literal body into a metaphorical anywhere.

And people can say what they wish, but I am convinced that hell bespeaks a real place and a literal place.

And I'll tell you something else – I also believe that there is real fire there.

Now, some would say,

      "Yes, hell is real, but it's described in figurative language."

And that's true to some extent.

But I believe that a real body in torment requires real and literal suffering, both of body and soul.

And Revelation speaks of the lake of fire.

You might say,

      "Well, Bro.

David, Revelation is filled with figurative language, cant that be figurative as well?"

Yes, it cold, but there is a specific place in Scripture that speaks of the suffering of the lost in literal language *and still uses fire.*

Turn, if you will, to Matthew 13:24-30 and let's read that.

This passage is the parable of the tares.

*READ Matt.

13:24-30.*

* *

And it is clear that the language of this parable, as is true of all parable, is figurative.

And notice that the last figure given is that the tares are burned in the fire.

Now the beauty of this parable is that we don't have to guess about its interpretation, because Jesus interprets it for us.

*READ Matt.

13:36-43.*

Notice what happens here as Jesus explains the parable.

He first gives the figurative language and then tell us the literal meaning.

*Figure Used                                   Literal Meaning*

* *

Sower                                                  Son of Man

 

Field                                                    World

 

Good seed                                           Children of God

 

Tares                                                    Children of the evil one

 

Enemy                                                 Devil

 

Harvest                                                End of the world

 

Reapers                                               Angels

 

Tares go into the fire                           *Lost go into the fire*

 

Notice that when Jesus goes to the literal meaning, he retains fire.

I believe that the fire is real.

Now, there's much more to hell than just fire, but that's part of it.

James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights…"

 

Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, before his execution, said "If I go to hell, I will have a lot of friends there."

No, he doesn't.

Friends are one of God's good gifts.

There is no companionship and comfort in hell.