Heaven And Hell
Many people do not believe in such a place as Hell. They believe that if God is a loving God, that He would never create such a place, nor would He send anyone there. However, the Bible teaches differently. Listen to the warning that Jesus, Himself, gives us. Matthew 10:28 (NKJV): “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.”
And what did Jesus say about those who will not do God’s will? Matthew 25:41 (NKJV): “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.’” This verse also tells us that Hell was not created for human beings, but for the devil (Satan) and his angels.
As we will see, God does not want His human creation to go to Hell. However, remember, God created us as free creatures, with the ability to choose our own destiny. And our own destiny includes where we will spend eternity. If we choose to follow God and desire in our heart to do God’s will, our destiny will be paradise (heaven). This is why Jesus came, so we could easily make this decision.
However, if we choose to not follow God and desire to live within His will, when we die, our desire will not miraculously change. Thus, the only place to live outside of God’s will and God’s presence is Hell.
Who Is In Charge of Hell?
If Hell is a place where God is not, who will be the reigning authority in Hell. We must remember two things, First Hell was created for Lucifer (Satan) and all the fallen angels who followed him in his rebellion. Secondly, since Satan was the recognized authority of all of these fallen angels (otherwise why did they follow him in his rebellion?) who do you think will be the authority in Hell? Who will be the ruler in Hell? God is not there. The logical one left is Satan, himself.
Satan was originally called Lucifer and was a very powerful angel in God’s presence. In his position of authority over other angels, he began to think that he could actually be a better ruler than God Himself. Some think that this happened after God created the physical earth, while others think that he rebelled before the earth was created. It really doesn’t make any difference when he rebelled. The point is that he rebelled against God and was cast out of God’s presence.
Lucifer’s pride made him think that he could actually be a better ruler than God (Jehovah). So he rebelled against God and tried to take over all that God had created. The amazing thing is that he had such authority over other angels that a third of them followed him in his rebellion.
God could not allow this to happen. If Lucifer was allowed to continue his existence in heaven (paradise), he would ruin paradise for everyone else. So God created Hell to house Lucifer and all the rebellions angels who followed him.
Is Satan And His Demons In Hell Now?
According to what is written in the Bible, they are not yet totally confined in Hell. Satan did appear before God in the book of Job. Also, Satan and his demons are free to roam the earth.
Also, in 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) it says: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Experience also tells us that Satan and his demons are now roaming the earth.
Satan and his demons will eventually be totally confined to their final abode and that is Hell. The book of Revelation explains this to us.
What Is Hell Like?
Remember, God did not create Hell for the purpose of sending human beings there. God created Hell, a place where He is not present, for the purpose of housing the rebellious angels that did not want to live under His authority any more.
So what do you think Hell is like? First of all, we know that it is a place where God is not. Remember God created everything that is good, all light, all beauty, all love, harmony, etc. This all flows from God. What kind of a place will Hell be if God is not there to radiate all these things? Think about it.
Hell is also full of creatures that are angry with God for sending them there. They would like to get revenge on God. How can they do this? They are no longer allowed in God’s presence. They are now restricted to a place where God has removed any of His influence.
So remember, Hell is that place that now inhabited with creatures that have been thrown out of heaven. They have nothing that God created to make their habitation a pleasant one. It is a miserable place to exist. Since we know how creatures that have been rejected react, how do you think that Satan and his fallen demons are going to react? They want revenge against God. But this is impossible since they no longer have access to heaven.
What Will Satan and His Demons Be Doing?
The answer, again, is very simple. They will be miserable. But more than this, Lucifer (Satan) and his fallen angels know that God created the human race. He created the human race so He could have someone to share His great love. Yes, God loves us, as humans. Yet, multitudes of these humans also reject God and His plan for them.
Since they (humans) have rejected God and his plan for them, there is only one place left for their existence after they leave the earth. They have demonstrated that they do not want to live with God. So, where can they go? The only place left is where God is not, Hell!
While we are here on the earth, we can have power over Satan and his demons through Jesus. All we must do is to call on Jesus and He will defeat any demonic attack against us. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the demons see, not a human, but God, himself, because God is living in us. In Hell, you no longer have that option. Remember God is not in Hell. Thus, Satan has complete freedom to do whatever he wants to these lost souls that have rejected God’s plan for their lives.
How can Satan get his revenge against God? He gets it by torturing those who God created to be with Him, but rejected His plan for them. What kind of existence will this be? Think about it. If you reject God and His plan for you while you are on this earth, you will end up in the hands of a creature that hates you because God loves you. Is that what you want?
God Does Not Want You In Hell
Remember, God did not send you to Hell. He does not want you there. You chose to go there by rejecting God and His plan for you while you were here on this physical earth. The truth is that God is heartbroken every time a human being dies a physical death while he continues to reject Him and His plan for them.
No, God does not send anyone to Hell. If you end up there, it is because you have chosen to live apart from God and His plan for you while you are living here on this earth. God has done everything He possibly can do to get you to freely choose Him and His plan for you. Remember, God created you in His image, as a creature that is free to choose your own destiny.
God put you on this earth, where His presence can be seen everywhere you look. He has created a universe that could not possibly have burst into existence on its own. It is Satan that has put this crazy idea in people’s heads that it could have. God created this universe so that if you are truly honest with yourself, you can never believe it just popped into existence on its own.
Stop and think. How could such harmony come out of chaos? How could such amazing beauty come out of nothing? How could such a wonderful creation come out of anything except love? Look around you. Where there is love, there is creation and harmony. Where there is no love there is destruction and disharmony.
Just look at the nations on this earth. Where there is love and harmony, new and wonderful things are always being created. Where there is hate and distrust, there is nothing but destruction and poverty. Where do you really want to live? Do you want to live where there is hate and distrust, or where there is love and harmony?
What Is Heaven Like?
If that is Hell, what heaven is like? Has God not given us very many hints as to what to expect? Yes, the Bible does talk about streets of gold. It also mentions a place where there is no sorrow, no heartache, no sickness, etc. It also mentions that there will be no need of a sun because all the light we need comes directly from God, Himself.
So, what is heaven like? All we can truly know that it is a place that God has prepared for those who love Him, for those that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And since God is a loving God and wants to share that love with us, it must be the most wonderful place of love and peace that we can possibly imagine.
The important point to remember is that Heaven is a place of eternal love and caring for each other. It is a place where you will not care about yourself. Why? Because while you are caring for and loving others, others are also caring for and loving you. It is an existence that is more wonderful than you can possible imagine. It is just the opposite of what Hell is.
You Choose Your Own Destiny
God created you and placed you on this physical earth so that you could freely make a choice of where you want to spend eternity.
Yes, Satan freely roams this earth. Why? It is because we, as humans, have given him this freedom. God created this universe and the place we call earth. Then He placed His prize creation on it (the human race). However, we freely rebelled against God and instead chose to do what we wanted to do instead of following God’s will for us. This is the truth behind the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We turned Satan loose on this earth by wanting to do our own thing instead of allowing God to direct our every path.
So, Satan is alive and well on this earth and we have to put up with him. Or do we? Through Jesus, we have all the authority over Satan that we need. The problem is that many of us have just have not learned to exercise that authority. If we want to defeat Satan and his influence in our lives, all we must do is to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and allow Him to direct our path.
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