by Keith Kiper
It seems live in a day and time when everything around us is relative. Things that were once considered to be settled black and white issues have blended into areas of gray. Even certain mainline church denominations endorse lifestyles that are contrary to what the Bible teaches about sin and sinful living. Much of today’s generation could be considered Biblically illiterate, especially when it comes to the matter of a literal heaven and a literal hell. We hear a lot about heaven in our popular culture. After all dogs do go there, don’t they?
Most people would tell us they want to go there, even if not right now. It seems we don’t hear much about hell anymore. Sometimes we will hear someone tell another person they should go there. Most would believe that someone like Adolf Hitler should be there. My biggest concern today is that I am afraid that we as the church have neglected what the Bible says about the matter. Scripture doesn’t leave any doubts about who will someday be there.
The subjects of Heaven and Hell are often referred to as “last things.” This is how they are listed in the General Baptist’s Articles of Faith. Our Wesleyan Discipline lists these under Basic Principles. Both come to the same conclusions which are” Heaven with its eternal glory and the blessedness of Christ’s presence is the final abode of those who choose the salvation which God provides through Christ Jesus. Hell with its everlasting misery and separation from God is the final abode of those who neglect this great salvation.” Let us look today at what the Bible says about heaven and hell. Many theologians will often use these various methods to examine something to consider whether or not it is true. These would include reason, history, experience, and of course Scripture. This is often referred to as The Wesleyan Quadrilateral. I would like to use some of these as we take a look at heaven and hell.
We have different church denominations and political parties today. This is because people have certain beliefs and ideas which they consider important. Many times they believe there is no other way but their way. Sometimes this is true when placed under the light of the Bible. Sometimes we can be wrong, even when we are so sure we are right. Listen to what happened recently in Sarasota Florida.
“An elderly Florida lady did her shopping, and upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving her vehicle. She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun. She screamed at the top of her lungs, I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!” The four men didn’t wait for a second threat. They got out and ran like mad. The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into her car. She got into her car and was so shaken she couldn’t get her keys to work. Suddenly she realized why her keys wouldn’t work. It was the same reason she had wondered why there was a football, a Frisbee and two twelve packs of beer on the front seat. A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down. She loaded her bags into her car and drove to the police station to report her mistake. The police sergeant couldn’t stop laughing when he heard her story. He then pointed to the end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car jacking by a short elderly woman, with glasses and white curly hair. She was also carrying a large handgun. No charges were filed.” Moral of the story? If you are going to have a senior moment…make it worthwhile!
Hebrews 11:16 tells us, “But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a heavenly city for them.”
On a way home from a conference, Don Piper’s car was crushed by a semi that crossed into his lane. Medical personnel said he died instantly. While his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, Piper experienced the glories of heaven, and was awed by its beauty and music. Ninety minutes after the wreck, while a minister prayed for him, Piper miraculously returned to earth with only a memory of his time in heaven. With is leg hanging only by skin, the doctors could not explain how any blood remained in his body. He later wrote the book, “90 Minutes in Heaven.” Listen to some of what he relates about this experience: “When I died, I didn’t flow through a long, dark, tunnel. I had no sense of fading away or coming back. I never felt my body being transported into the light. I heard no voices calling to me. At the same time I remembered the accident, a light enveloped me, with a brilliance beyond comprehension or description. In my next moment of awareness, I was standing in heaven. Joy pulsated through me as I looked around and became aware of a large crowd of people. They stood in front of a brilliant ornate gate. I immediately recognized people who had died during my lifetime. Time had no meaning. As I gazed into all the faces I realized that they had contributed to my becoming a Christian or encouraged me in my growth. I instantly knew what they had each done to impact my life without knowing how I absorbed the information. I wasn’t conscious of anything I’d left behind. I felt no regrets about leaving family and possessions. God had removed all that was negative or would cause worry. I felt loved--more loved than ever before in my life. No one had to say they loved me--I just knew they did. I then realized what the Bible meant by perfect love.” You see, Heaven is a real place. God made it for those who love Him and accept His Son Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly tells us there is no other way to Heaven and eternal life there but through His Son. () Philipians 3:20 tells us, “For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we are looking for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” As Christians, we can have the hope that the grave is not the end when we leave this world.
The Barna Research Group conducted a poll recently. They asked Americans how the view life after death. Lets us look at what they found: 8 out of 10 Americans (81%), believe in an afterlife of some sort. Another 9% said life after death may exist, but they were not certain. Just one out of ten adults (10%) contend there is no form of life after one dies. 79%, the largest group agreed with the statement, “every person has a soul that will live forever, either in God’s presence or absence.” Here is where it gets interesting. Most Americans do not expect to experience hell first hand. Only ½ of 1 % expect to go to hell upon their death. 64% expect to go to heaven, regardless of their lifestyle. 5% believe they will simple cease to exist. This doesn’t sound like the narrow road the Bible speaks of, does it? There are several reasons for this shift in society. Most of the changes have occurred in the last 30 years. First, prayer was removed from the Public school classroom. Then the Bible and the Ten commandments. Children were no longer taught absolutes. When absolutes like right and wrong were no longer taught, the Bible was considered by many to be just another good book. Liberal Bible Colleges and Seminaries have become guilty as well. The Book of Genesis is no longer taken literally. Homosexual marriage has become accepted in certain denominations. The Bible warned us these times would come. 1 Titus 4:1-2 in The Message Translation has this to say: “The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they’ve lost their capacity for truth.” As wonderful as place as heaven will be, hell will be more horrific than we could ever imagine. Jesus spent much more time talking about hell than he did heaven. Many pastors no longer feel they have the freedom to preach about hell anymore. God’s stance and what the Bible tells us hasn’t changed just because of liberal theologians. The Bible tells us God will reward the righteous with eternal life in heaven, and He will banish the unrighteous to everlasting punishment in hell. You don’t have to read very far into the New Testament to see what Jesus says about this.
The Bible tells us this in Joel 2:28 ,“And it shall be afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions.” NKJV
Bill Wiese is one of those modern day people who had a vision. You may have read his book “23 Minutes in Hell.” Through a vision Bill saw the searing flames of hell, felt total isolation. He experienced the putrid and rotting stench, the deafening screams of agony, the terrorizing demons. Finally, after what seem like eternity, the strong hand of God lifted him out of the pit. God told him to please tell the world, ”I am coming very, very, soon.” In closing today, I will share a portion of that vision God gave Bill Wiese. “ I was horrified as I heard the screams of an untold multitude of people crying out in torment. It was absolutely deafening. The terror filled screams seemed to go right through me. Through the panic and deafening noise, I struggled with my thoughts. I’m in hell! This is a real place. I’m thought I was a good person. The fear was so intense, I couldn’t bear it, but I could not die.” “The flames were intense, but the darkness swallowed up the light. I could barely breath. One of the worst sensations was an insatiable thirst and dryness. I felt like I had been running through the desert for days.” “I wanted to talk and interact with someone. This was not even possible. There are no friends or buddies in hell. I didn’t even possess the thought of calling on God. I was there as someone who did not know God” ‘As painful and horrific as my experience was, God blocked much of what I could have felt. He allowed this vision to happen that I might tell others.”
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