18 God’s Strange Act

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Question 1: When you talk about Rome and the last kingdom you say “us.” Are you or this church associated with Roman catholicism?

I say “us” only in the broadest sense of the term. Anyone who claims to be a Christians would, in some sense, consider themselves an “us” to others who claim to be Christians. I think that’s the generous thing to do. We can’t judge their hearts, after all.

When Jesus was walking this earth, he did his ministry in Israel. one time he told His disciples that His ministry was to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In a very real sense, Israel were God’s people, and yet they were also the extremely corrupt, theologically broken system of religion that put Jesus on the cross and said violently, “His blood be upon us and our children!”

When Paul described the “man of sin” and the “mystery of lawlessness”—the group that Revelation calls the antichrist—he said that it would come up from “among us.” And that’s historically what happened. The church of the apostles grew and spread throughout the world. As the years rolled on the worldwide church — and that’s the idea behind the name “catholic”, it means universal or worldwide — became corrupted by paganism, by pride and greed, and by man-made doctrines. They abandoned the Bible and the teachings of Jesus and His apostles.

I believe that through Christ I am a member of the same body of believers that Peter and Paul and James and John belonged to. And if this corrupted church grew out of their family, then it grew out of my family too. And that reality is a warning to you and me. If we let the teachings of paganism, or the spirit of pride and greed take over our hearts, then we too will experience the falling away that the church in the middle ages experienced. Our only safety is in humbly submitting to Jesus and diligently studying the Revelation of God through His Word.

There’s something exciting though. Jesus told the Israelites that:

John 10:16 NKJV

16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

And then there’s the end-time call from Revelation 18:4 where Jesus says turns to Babylon and says, “come out of her my people.”

There are genuine followers of Jesus in many different churches, included the Catholic church. And there are also many who are what Jesus calls wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15)—people who claim to be Jesus’ followers, but who, in their hearts, have rejected Him.

So, no, I do not have any connection with the Catholic church, except that I do have a strong affinity for anyone who wants to know the truth and follow Jesus. I would call them my spiritual family, whatever stripe of religious background they might have at the moment, because one day soon all His sheep will follow Him, wherever He may take them.

Giveaway

Upcoming Subjects

Tonight’s subject: “God’s Strange Act.” Tonight, we’re going to look at what happens to people who actually reject the kingdom of God - and I think that once again, God has a way of making the absolute best of a bad situation.

Then on Sunday night, “A Desolate Planet.” The Bible predicts a moment when planet Earth is broken down and virtually uninhabited. Is it possible that all those post-apocalyptic movies have it right? Tomorrow night, you’re going to find out.

Then on Tuesday night: “How to Postpone Your Funeral.” And I promise you: this isn’t a gimmick. The Bible has powerful information that can actually extend your life by up to ten years. We know that’s true, because there are people out there who are living this way, and the numbers are in: they’re living better - and they’re living longer.

Then on Wednesday night, we’re going back to Revelation 12, because we never really finished the story in that chapter. You might remember: war broke out in heaven - the devil and his angels were removed - the woman, or the church, waited for Christ to be born - then Jesus went back to heaven, and the dragon turned his wrath against the church.

But you might also notice there’s a time stamp on the prophecy: 1,260 days. The woman has to hide in the wilderness - but then what? That’s on Wednesday night.

On Friday night, “The Mark of the Beast.” I know this is a subject that a lot of you have been waiting for, because this might be one of the most talked-about subjects in Bible prophecy. This is going to be another night where all your hard work is really going to pay off, because we’re going to take what we’ve learned, and use that information to unpack the rest of Revelation 13. There’s a second beast . . . and you really don’t want to miss this.

Then on Saturday morning, we’re going to look at a peculiar phrase that shows up several times in the Bible. Revelation 12 describes God’s last-day people as the ones “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” And on Saturday morning, we’re going to unpack that just a little bit - and in the process, we’ll look at another curious prophecy from the book of Joel - it says that in the last days, there will be dreams and visions.

I don’t think you’re going to want to miss that!

But for tonight: “God’s Strange Act.”

Prayer

Last night, we started to search through the Bible, looking for information on the subject of death, and we discovered that Jesus compares death to what?

He compares it to sleep! That’s the closest analogy to what actually happens, and there are more than 70 passages in the Bible to confirm it.

The Bible picture proves to be very simple: we sleep until the resurrection - until the Second Coming of Christ, when the righteous are called from the grave and caught up in the air to be with Jesus. That’s what happens to the righteous.

But what about the wicked? What about the people who reject the gift of the cross and reject the kingdom of God? You’ll notice they didn’t show up in last night’s study. What actually happens to THOSE people?

Well, over the years, I’ve heard a lot of different theories - and I’ve seen a lot of books on the subject - and sometimes, you have to wonder where in the world people are getting their information.

Let me show you what I mean. Let me show you a book that was written roughly 200 years ago for little children on the subject of hell:

It was written by Mr. J. Furniss (no pun intended!)

Look into this little prison. In the middle of it there is a boy, a young man. He is silent; despair is on him. He stands straight up. His eyes are burning

like two burning coals. Two long flames come out of his ears. His breathing is difficult. Sometimes he opens his mouth and a breath of blazing fire

rolls out of it. But listen! There is a sound just like that of a kettle boiling! Is it really a kettle boiling? No; then what is it?

…The blood is boiling in the scalded veins of that boy. The brain is boiling and bubbling in his head. The marrow is boiling in his bones!

I hope that all of you have already had your dinner!

Let me ask you a question: is this what God does with unrepentant sinners? Is this an accurate description? It IS what some Christians have been preaching for years . . . and it IS what Robert Ingersoll’s dad told him.

Who is Robert Ingersoll?

He was a notorious atheist - kind of like the Richard Dawkins of his day. He spent his entire life mocking Christianity, but what some people don’t know is that his dad was a preacher. And his father used to sit him down and tell him stories like the one we just read.

“Listen, Robert: if you’re not a good boy, God’s going to torture you forever in the fires of hell. You’re going to twist in pain, and scream out loud, and suffer without any relief.”

And the more little Robert Ingersoll thought about that, the more he didn’t like it. “If THAT’S what God is like,” he said, “then I HATE God. I want nothing to do with Him.”

And he spent the rest of his life fighting the God of the Bible. In today’s world, people like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris are doing the same thing. And you know something? At some point, all of these critics come right back to the subject of hell.

How can a good God do such a horrible thing?

And that’s a pretty good question. How can you reconcile those two ideas: a God of love - a God who gives His life to save us - and a God who punishes people in the fires of hell? Is there some way that you and I can make sense of it?

What does the Bible actually say? Is hell going to be the way that books and movies describe it?

Does it really work the way you see it in cartoons and comic books? Does the devil really have two horns and wear a red jumpsuit? Does he really carry a pitchfork?

Does he spend his days shoveling coal on the fires of hell, making sure they never go out? And if he does, does that mean that he actually works for God?

The world has been told so many stories that it’s starting to become difficult to separate fact from fiction.

One day, a little girl told her mother a bald-faced lie. And her mom was shocked that her sweet little angel would actually LIE to her - so she sat her down and scared her into being more honest.

“If you ever do that again,” she said, “a big tall man with flaming red eyes - and two horns - is going to come and take you away, and he’ll make you work for 100 years in a coal mine under the ground just for telling one little lie. So, now - tell me - you’ll never lie to your mother again, will you?”

“No, ma’am!” she said. “I wouldn’t dare, because YOU tell them so much better than I do!”

Tonight, what’s the truth? What does the Bible actually say?

Let me show you a number of things we know FOR SURE. These are biblical facts:

Number one: the Bible does say that hell is absolutely real. Here’s what it says, in Revelation chapter 20:

Rev 20:15

And anyone not found written in t he Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Now there’s the tragic truth. There are some people who won’t be in heaven . . . because they don’t want to be there! And if you don’t want to be there, God’s not going to force you. He’s not going to write your name in the Book of Life just to spite you.

Why?

A while back, I heard the story of a man who loved gambling, and one day, he heard of a boat that would take you out to an island full of casinos - so he booked a ticket, and away he went. But halfway across the water, he noticed something very strange: the boat was full of little kids, and they were all singing Bible songs.

So he went to the captain and asked, “Why are all these little kids going to the casino? That doesn’t make sense!”

“Oh, you must have made a mistake! This isn’t the boat that goes to the casino. This boat’s headed for the big Vacation Bible School on a different island.”

The man panicked. “You’ve got to turn this boat around! I don’t want to go to Vacation Bible School! Take me back - right away!”

“I can’t,” the captain said. “I’m not going to disappoint all these kids just because YOU got on the wrong boat!”

So the man was stuck. A whole day of little kids and Bible stories. No alcohol, no blackjack, no roulette table. And he was absolutely miserable. Why? Because he loved gambling, and he hated the Bible.

So why would God force people into the kingdom? If you hate God, then you’re going to hate living with God. You’ll be miserable. Where in the world are you going to buy liquor? Or pornography? How are you going to have an affair?

So if you don’t WANT heaven - God’s not going to force you in. But the only alternative is the Lake of Fire. Now here’s what’s really interesting:

The Bible teaches that hellfire was never intended for human beings. Not one human being was ever supposed to be in the Lake of Fire. How do I know? That’s what Jesus said:

Revelation 20:15

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

God never meant the fires of hell for us. It was “prepared for the devil and his angels.” The problem is, the human race seems determined to follow the dragon - and if you follow the dragon, you eventually end up where the dragon is going.

But that wasn’t why hellfire was invented. Not according to the Bible.

Point number three:

The Bible teaches that hellfire hasn’t started yet.

“But I thought it was already ‘down there’ somewhere - somewhere beneath our feet!”

Maybe you heard the story - some years ago - in the National Enquirer. A Russian oil rig drilled too far into the ground, and they suddenly broke into hell, and they could hear the screams of people burning!

That’s the National Enquirer - and it’s absolutely NOT the Bible. According to Scripture, hellfire isn’t burning yet. Listen very carefully to the words of Jesus. This is the parable He told about the end of the world - and we’re going to read the whole thing:

Matt 13:24-30

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept,

his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way, But when the grain had sprouted and produced a corp, then the tares also appeared.

So the servants of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?”

He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants said to him, “Do you want us then to go and gather them up?”

But he said, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest

I will say to the reapers, “first gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

So that’s the whole story . . . but what does it mean? Well, in this case, Jesus makes it easy. The disciples wanted to know what it means, so Jesus explains it, beginning in verse 37:

Matthew 13:37-42

He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. the field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom,

but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

This is a story about the Second Coming of Christ. The book of Revelation actually calls His return a “harvest” - and when Jesus comes, all the angels come with Him. Why? To gather up the believers.

But then they do something else:

Matt 13:37-42

Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

The son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.

and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Listen to the words of Jesus: He says the furnace burns AFTER the Second Coming - after the harvest takes place. You and I are caught up to meet Jesus in the air, but then the wicked are gathered and burned in the fire.

Unfortunately, this is very real. But here’s what I want you to think about: if the fire burns AFTER the end of the world, then that means that nobody you know is suffering in hellfire tonight. Nobody is burning right now - nobody.

So here’s what we know so far:

Hellfire is a biblical reality.

It was not originally intended for the human race.

It hasn’t started burning yet.

And it burns “at the end of this age,” after the Second Coming.

These are the things that we know for sure. But still, there are some more questions I’d like to ask. Like: WHERE does it burn?

Maybe you’ve heard that it burns beneath our feet in the center of the earth. Or maybe you’ve heard that hell will be located in some remote corner of the universe, away from all the rest of us.

But what does the Bible actually teach? This is what it says in Revelation chapter 20:

Revelation 20:7-9

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to

deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle

Whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded

the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

The Bible is really pretty clear about this: hellfire burns on the face of the earth. So let’s add that to the list of things we know:

Hellfire burns on the earth.

Let me ask you another question: why does God use fire?

Fire is a permanent solution. If you bury something, somebody will eventually dig it up. If you toss something into the ocean, eventually it washes up on shore. But if you burn it, it’s gone forever.

God is using a permanent solution; He’s going to eliminate pain and suffering and abuse and evil forever. Everything that is tainted by sin is going to be eliminated. Let me show you what the BIBLE says God is planning to accomplish:

Revelation 21:4

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes: there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

God is going to put a permanent end to misery. He’s going to stop sin in its tracks. No more pain, no more suffering, no more tears.

Why? Because God can’t stand it. It breaks His heart to watch His children suffer. He’s waiting long enough to give you an opportunity to be part of His kingdom, but then He brings it all to an end.

And that, of course, raises another good question: how long will hellfire burn?

A lot of us were told - as kids - that hell will burn forever, and ever, and ever, without end. But if that’s true, would suffering really be eliminated? Or would there be people in God’s universe still shedding tears?

This is really important. Listen VERY CAREFULLY to the words of the Bible:

Revelation 20:9

…and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

What does the word “devoured” mean?

You know something? I love banana cream pie. It’s just one of those things you just can’t get sick of. I could eat it every day for the rest of my life! In fact, I love banana cream pie so much, you bring me some tomorrow night, and I’ll SHOW you what the word “devour” means!!!

Here’s what the Bible says: the fire devours the wicked . . . and then it goes out. It’s as simple as that.

“But that’s not what I’ve heard!!!” I know. But listen to the Bible:

This comes from the book of Malachi.

Malachi 4:1

For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.

What is stubble? It’s short, stubby, dry grass. According to the Bible, the wicked burn like dried grass. Not like steel. Not like asbestos.

and the day which is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, that will leave them neither root nor branch.

Now you tell me: does that sound like hellfire goes on forever and ever and ever? No. Listen to the rest of this passage:

Malachi 4:3

You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this.” says the Lord of hosts.

God says the wicked become ASHES. The fire burns, the wicked are destroyed, and the fire burns out. If you read through the whole Bible, you’ll find it again, and again, and again.

This one comes from the book of Psalms.

Psalm 21:9, 10

You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger, the Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their

offspring You shall destroy from the earth, and their descendants from among the sons of men.

The wicked are destroyed from the earth. When this world is over, and it’s time for the kingdom of Christ, God gets rid of everything wicked.

He’s not going to torture people; He’s actually bringing a permanent end to pain.

Here’s another text, from Psalm 37:

But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs, they shall consume, into smoke they shall vanish away.

Here’s another one, from Psalm 145:

Psalm 145:20

The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

Let’s just stop for a moment and think this through very carefully.

Many of you are parents. Let’s say that your child refuses to clean his or her room. You walk in, and it’s a mess. There are toys all over the floor, and you actually step on a Lego block, which might actually be the worst pain known to human beings.

So you tell your child, “Clean up your room!” And you go away, and you come back in an hour, and now the room is messier than ever.

“I told you to clean up your room! This is your last chance! I’m coming back in 30 minutes, and if your room isn’t clean - then you’re going to get it!”

And when you come back, the room is STILL a mess. So you spank your child. There are eleven toys on the floor, so you spank your child one hour for every toy - an eleven-hour spanking!”

So tell me: is that something a good parent would do?

So why do we think that our heavenly Father does that?

The truth is, someone has been trying to deceive us. There are fallen angels who do not want you to know the truth about God. The devil lied to the other angels in heaven, and now he’s lying to us.

Listen to me carefully: God is not a monster. The Bible says the fire burns out. It comes to an end.

This might be one of the most talked-about subjects in the Bible, and you will find the same story again and again and again:

This is from the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 47:14

Behold, they shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame,

it shall not be a coal to be warmed by, nor a fire to sit before!

Do you hear what it’s saying? This is not a casual campfire. This fire is so hot that it completely devours everything. The wicked are like stubble . . . and then the fire goes out.

This is completely thorough. In fact, it’s SO thorough . . .

. . . that even the DEVIL is destroyed.

You know, it really bothers some people that all the wicked HUMANS are punished, but the devil never seems to get his just reward. Some people say that he gets to go on living, even though he’s the biggest perpetrator of sin and suffering in the universe.

But that’s not what the Bible teaches. The Bible says that God destroys the devil:

This is God speaking to Lucifer, describing his ultimate fate:

Ezekiel 28:18, 19

Therefore I brought fire from your midst, it devoured you and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you.

All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you, you have become a horror, and shall be no more forever.

Everything goes - including the devil.

Satan doesn’t work for God. He doesn’t get to live forever, torturing people in the fires of hell. The Bible teaches that God is going to deal with Satan for his role in destroying our lives.

God is going to destroy him - because God is a God of love, and He’s going to bring sin and suffering to a permanent end.

It’s absolutely tragic that - for so many years - we’ve been painting such an awful picture of God. Sometimes, we even make it sound like hell will be entertainment for the people who live in heaven.

The famous preacher Jonathan Edwards was a really good preacher, and a very godly man. It’s just too bad that he’s best-known for a sermon he preached called “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

He was just reflecting the theology of his day, but here’s what he said.

The view of the wicked being tormented in hell will be a font of happiness for the saints throughout eternity. It will make paradise even

more precious to them when they see their loved ones suffering in that way. The saints won’t have any compassion for the wicked in hellfire,

as they suffer inexplicable pain. It will give them happiness to see them burn there.

Let me ask you - according to the Bible - is that really true? Can you picture the angels of heaven gathering everybody together in a big theater on a Saturday night, and they pull back the curtains, and they entertain us with people burning in hell?

There’s no way. It’s time to correct our preaching. Here’s another example, this time from Samuel Hopkins:

This display of Divine character and glory will be in favor of the redeemed, and most entertaining, and give the highest pleasure to those who love God...

Should the eternal torment and fires be extinguished, ti would in great measure put an end to the happiness and glory of the blessed.”

There’s just no way that’s true! The fact is, the Bible says that God Himself doesn’t delight in the death of the wicked:

Ezekiel 33:11

“As I live,” says the Lord God, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live...”

God doesn’t enjoy it - so why would anybody say that WE’RE going to enjoy it. If you read the Bible carefully, you start to discover that this is the hardest thing God will ever have to do.

The Bible calls it God’s strange - or unusual - act:

Isaiah 28:21

For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act.

This isn’t something that God wants to do. You and I made a mess, but God doesn’t leave it for someone else to clean up. He went to the cross to buy our salvation, and in the end, He personally handles the final clean-up.

Now, I know that some of you have questions. What about all those passages that say “forever and ever?” Let’s take a look at those.

There are four words that are usually translated “hell” in the Bible.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word Sheol is sometimes translated “hell,” but it simply means “the grave.” It’s not a place of eternal torment, because the Bible says Jacob went to Sheol, and when Job was suffering, he actually wished he COULD go there.

In the New Testament, the Greek word Gehenna was sometimes translated “hell”, but Gehenna was a reference to the garbage dump outside the city of Jerusalem. It was the place where they burned trash and sometimes the bodies of executed criminals. Nobody was ever tortured there; it was simply an ancient incinerator.

Then we have the word Hades, which was roughly the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Sheol, and it also meant “the grave.” It does happen to be mythological Greek god of the underworld, but I guarantee the Bible isn’t promoting greek mythology when it uses the word.

And in Second Peter 2:4, we have the word Tartarus, which only appears once in the Bible, and it refers to a place where fallen angels wait for judgment.

Those are the words translated as “hell.” Now let’s take that information back to the Bible:

Mark 9:43, 44

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off, it is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell,

into the fire that shall never be quenched—where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

That word “hell,” comes from “Gehenna” — the garbage dump outside Jerusalem.

There you have it: the fires of hell will never be quenched. That means the fires will never, ever go out!

But is that what it said? The word is Gehenna, the garbage dump. That’s the place they burned the trash. And that was a big fire that nobody could put out with just a few buckets of water. It was unquenchable.

But eventually, when the trash was gone, that fire burned out.

In the Bible, “unquenchable fire” is simply a fire that is too big and too hot for human beings to extinguish. You can bring all the firetrucks you want, but you won’t put it out until it’s finished its job.

Here, let me show you:

In the book of Jeremiah, God told Israel that Nebuchadnezzar was coming to destroy the city.

Jeremiah 17:27

…I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

Now let me ask you: Jerusalem was burned with unquenchable fire - but is the city of Jerusalem still burning tonight? No! The Bible says it was burned with unquenchable fire, because there was nothing the people of Jerusalem could do to stop it.

The city burned, and then the fire went out.

Now let’s take a look at another passage some people find confusing:

This is one we’ve already seen.

Matthew 25:41

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

“The fire is everlasting - so that means it never goes out!”

Not exactly. Let’s take this one statement and put it in the context of the whole Bible.

Listen very carefully to what God says happened to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Jude 1:7

As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these… are set forth as an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Let me ask you: are Sodom and Gomorrah still on fire tonight? Impossible: they’re actually somewhere under the Dead Sea. So why does the Bible say the fire was eternal? It’s because the results are permanent. There’s actually one more reason it says they’re eternal, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

The cities are gone forever - nobody’s going to bring them back. The fires of hell are eternal, because it’s a permanent solution.

One last tricky passage:

Revelation 20:10

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

“Aha! There it is: there will be torture that goes on and on forever and ever, throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity!!!”

Well, not quite. When you come across the concept of “forever” in the Bible, it’s more of a relative term. How long “forever” lasts depends on what you’re talking about. It’s a way of saying that something will last as long as it lasts. It’s like when my wife drug me to the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles to attend a Russian Opera. It went on FOREVER! It was interminable. It took eons for them to finally finish. You see where I’m going with this, right?

So when you say that God goes on forever, it literally means forever and ever. But you and I are mortal, and in that case “forever” means “as long as it lasts.”

Here, let me show you:

Let’s look at the story of Samuel. The Bible says that Hannah wanted a little boy, and God answered her prayer. So Hannah promised that Samuel would go and live in the Temple. Listen to what it says:

1 Samuel 1:22

But Hannah did not go up for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned, then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.”

Hannah said that Samuel would be in the Temple “forever.” But is Samuel STILL living in the Temple? No. The Bible says he died, and in fact, the Temple itself is gone. And a few verses later, Hannah explains exactly what she means:

Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord, as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.

Forever simply means “until it ends,” or as long as something lasts. It’s a way of saying that something is going to run its whole course; nobody will interfere until it’s finished.

I’ll show you another example:

This is Jonah, describing his experience inside the fish that swallowed him:

Jonah 2:6

I went down to the moorings of the mountains, the earth with its bars closed behind me forever...

Oh, come on, Jonah, you were just in that fish’s belly for 3 days. Anybody could have made that work. But you have to be all dramatic and say it was forever!

In this case, God determined that Jonah would be swallowed for three days, and “forever” means until the experience has run its full course. Of course, at the time Jonah was praying the prayer, he probably thought he would be digested in that fish’s belly, so to him, he was probably thinking about a longer-term arrangement than just the 3 days it ended up being.

This is perhaps the best-known, best-loved verse in the whole Bible. Look at what it says:

John 3:16 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Either you have eternal life, or you perish. There is no mention of people getting tortured without end.

I mentioned that there’s another reason why the Bible says the fires of hell are eternal. And it’s probably a foreign idea for most of us, but it makes perfect sense.

Isaiah 33:14-16

The sinners in Zion are afraid: Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly. He who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed,

And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.

Notice the implication: God is the devouring fire of hell.

And Paul backs it up in the New Testament:

Hebrews 12:24

For our God is a consuming fire.

Now, either God is a maniacal pyromaniac, or there’s something else going on here. The picture we get of God is not that of a cruel dictator, or an insane psychopath. No, God is loving, and yet infinitely powerful. This is the God who created light itself—have you ever tried to get close to the sun before? It’s a source of warmth and light and life and joy, but if the earth were to stay put and you and I had to face the sun without shelter or reprieve for days and weeks and months—we would be destroyed by its brightness.

This is exactly what is going on in hell fire.

When Moses came down from the mountain experience with God the Bible says that his face was reflecting just a little bit of God’s glory, and the people had him put a covering over his face because he was so bright.

In Eden the angels had swords of fire.

On Mount Sinai God appeared, covered with a cloud, but lighting kept flashing out — tiny glimpses of God’s glory.

In Daniel and Revelation Jesus is described as having eyes of fire. And anywhere the throne of God shows up in the Bible — Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Revelation — the prophets describe fire and lightning and inexpressible light.

And then there is this verse from Revelation 14:

Revelation 14:10

He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

And suddenly the picture becomes clear.

God has a big problem on His hands: how do you save the human race, without violating our freedom to choose? How do you destroy sin forever, without losing people unnecessarily. And how do you express your love for those who refuse you?

It’s as if, at the very end, when all decisions are made, and all judgments are finished. God stretches out his big arms to embrace the world. He’s reaching out to embrace those who have boldly rejected Him, and even set out to destroy Him. And in this final embrace, having rejected the covering that Jesus offered to them, the wicked are consumed with a blazing fire of power and love that emanates from God himself.

He did this same thing for all the believers at Jesus 2nd coming, and you know what they said, “Behold this is our God, we have waited for Him, and He will save us!” They reached back to embrace Him, and in an instant—in the twinkling of an eye—they are transformed and given glorified bodies that can dwell in God’s presence. They were covered with God’s glory and so HIs embrace makes it possible for them to live forever.

And notice the promise that God makes to the universe:

Revelation 21:4

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

This is all about the throne of God. The devil has been trying to convince the human race that God is unfit to rule the universe, and he paints a horrific picture of God, trying to convince us to hate Him. He wants us to think of him as a controlling, narcissistic, maniac. And to hear some Christians talk, you might believe that He is.

But God has given the devil enough time and space to prove that HE is the controlling, narcissistic, maniacal murderer — and a liar. Tonight, there is no question that the cross of Christ has proven it: God is love, and the devil is death.

And right now, the Bible says that God is long-suffering, not willing that ANY should perish. But at some moment, God will reach the limits of His patience, and because He hates suffering, He’s going to pull the plug.

A doctor once described what happens in the emergency room.

“It’s awful when parents bring their child in, and you’re trying to resuscitate a tiny little body,” he said. “They’ll keep pushing you: try harder! Do it again! Don’t lose my little boy!

“But then there comes a moment when it’s too late. The child is lost. And because you’re a doctor, you keep pressing on their chest, well past the moment when it’s over. And then the parents see it: there’s nothing more you can do - and at that moment, they want you to stop. What’s the point of pushing down on a dead child? It just seems cruel.”

And that’s where you and I are. God loves you. He’s doing everything He can to save you, short of violating your freedom to choose. Right now, He’s pushing on your chest, wanting you to survive. But there comes a point where your decisions are permanent, and it’s too late.

And when our whole world hits that point, it’s over. God brings the suffering to a permanent end in one last, loving embrace.

So here’s the big question: do you trust Him? Do you see that He’s a God of love? Can you see the cross tonight? It’s absolute proof that God is trying to win you back. He’s trying to save you forever.

Let me ask you - I know that some of you have been going through some tough times, and it’s tempting to blame the God of heaven - but tonight, will you trust Him?

If you’re going to choose to trust God, if you’re going to trust Him to sort out the pain in your life, if you believe that He really IS love, then why not stand with me as we pray?

Prayer

Father, tonight, we choose to trust You. We choose to believe what You say in Your Word: You are love, You are long-suffering, and the deepest desire of Your heart is that not one of us will be lost. We can see it clearly: even in the worst crisis, You always do the most loving thing.

Help us to believe. Teach us to trust You, even in the moments when life seems unbearable, and we’re tempted to think that You’ve abandoned us. And most of all, tonight, we accept the gift of Christ at Calvary - we believe that You forgive - and we long to see Jesus come. For we pray it in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Thanks for coming, folks. Remember: we’ll be looking at the Desolate Planet tomorrow night!