The Blessing - Life Forevermore
The blessing— Life forevermore 7/13/08 a.m.
Ps 133:1-3
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.
The blessing— Life forevermore is;
Good
Pleasant
A family
Living together
Perfect harmony
Gods’ highest honor
Gods’ anointing
Gods’ continual refreshing
Gods’ highest eternal blessing
True life forever
Having never experienced the perfect life God has always intended for us, it is hard, if not impossible for us to imagine this blessing of True Eternal Life.
Being more familiar with life tainted by sin and its effects, it’s easier for us to imagine the life we will escape by God’s salvation rather than the life we will receive.
The life we will escape is a life of Eternal damnation, a life of Eternal condemnation, a life without any presence of God, His love, mercy, and goodness.
This life is referred to as hell.
Hell is all the bad we know of life multiplied a million times over and with no way of escape and with no end.
hell \ˈhel\ n
[ME, fr. OE; akin to OE helan to conceal, OHG helan, L celare, Gk kalyptein] bef. 12c
1 a (1) : a nether world in which the dead continue to exist : hades
(2) : the nether realm of the devil and the demons in which the damned suffer everlasting punishment — often used in curses 〈go to hell〉 or as a generalized term of abuse 〈the hell with it〉
b Christian Science : error 2b, sin
2 a : a place or state of misery, torment, or wickedness
〈war is hell —W. T. Sherman〉
b : a place or state of turmoil or destruction 〈all hell broke loose〉
HELL is a translation of:
Translation of the Hebrew word sheol,
Signifying the unseen state
Sheol is described as down, deep, dark, with bars.
Translation of the Greek word hades in N.T. of King James Version,
The unseen world
It has the same scope of signification as sheol of the Old Testament.
It is a prison, with gates and bars and locks, and it is downward
Translation of the Greek word gehenna,
Signifying the place of torment
Designates the place of the lost
The fearful nature of their condition
Translation of the Greek verb tartaro¢, signifying the infernal region,[1]
Hell — derived from the Saxon helan, to cover; hence the covered or the invisible place. In Scripture there are three words so rendered:
(1.) Sheol, occurring in the Old Testament sixty-five times. This word sheol is derived from a root-word meaning “to ask,” “demand;” hence insatiableness (Prov. 30:15, 16). It is rendered “grave” thirty-one times (Gen. 37:35; 42:38; 44:29, 31; 1 Sam. 2:6, etc.). The Revisers have retained this rendering in the historical books with the original word in the margin, while in the poetical books they have reversed this rule.
In thirty-one cases in the Authorized Version this word is rendered “hell,” the place of disembodied spirits. The inhabitants of sheol are “the congregation of the dead” (Prov. 21:16). It is (a) the abode of the wicked (Num. 16:33; Job 24:19; Ps. 9:17; 31:17, etc.); (b) of the good (Ps. 16:10; 30:3; 49:15; 86:13, etc.).
Sheol is described as deep (Job 11:8), dark (10:21, 22), with bars (17:16). The dead “go down” to it (Num. 16:30, 33; Ezek. 31:15, 16, 17).
(2.) The Greek word hades of the New Testament has the same scope of signification as sheol of the Old Testament. It is a prison (1 Pet. 3:19), with gates and bars and locks (Matt. 16:18; Rev. 1:18), and it is downward (Matt. 11:23; Luke 10:15).
The righteous and the wicked are separated. The blessed dead are in that part of hades called paradise (Luke 23:43). They are also said to be in Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22).
(3.) Gehenna, in most of its occurrences in the Greek New Testament, designates the place of the lost (Matt. 23:33). The fearful nature of their condition there is described in various figurative expressions (Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 25:30; Luke 16:24, etc.). [2]
Hell is prepared for:
Originally for the Devil and his angels
Matt. 25:41 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:
Fallen angels
2 Pet. 2:4 4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
Beast and the false prophet
Rev. 19:20 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Worshipers of the beast
Rev. 14:11 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Wicked
Rev. 21:8 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Disobedient
Rom. 2:8, 9 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
Rejecters of the Gospel
Matt. 10:15 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
Hell—the place of eternal torment Described as:
Everlasting fire
Matt. 25:41 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:
A place of unquenchable fire
Mark 9:43 43 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— 44 where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’
Lake of fire
Rev. 19:20 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. sulfur
The second death
Rev. 21:8 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Outer darkness
Matt. 8:12 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness
Hell—The place of future punishment
Punishment of Body & Soul
Matt. 10:28 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Everlasting punishment: for all eternity.
Matt. 25:46 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Hell—will be a place of:
It will be a place of separation from the saved.
Rev.20:15 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
It will be a place of separation from the presence of God
2Th 1:9. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
It will be a place of undiluted divine wrath.
Rev. 14:10 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
It will be a place of Everlasting destruction
2 Thess. 1:9 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction : ruin from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, :
It will be a place of Everlasting torment
Lu 16:23. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
It will be a place of Everlasting misery and pain.
Rev. 14:10, 11 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
It will be a place of thirst.
Luke 16:24 24 “Then 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.’
It will be a place of Everlasting frustration and anger.
Matt. 13:42; 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
It will be a place of memory and remorse.
Luke 16:19-31 19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 “Then 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 in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
Have you received the blessing of the Lord — Life forevermore.
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[1]Swanson, J., & Nave, O. (1994). New Nave's. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.
[2]Easton, M. (1996, c1897). Easton's Bible dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.