Introduction

Before we open the Bible, we need to clear away something that over a billion people believe about eternity — and that most Protestants cannot explain. It is called purgatory. And it did not come from Scripture.

A. 1517 — The Year Everything Broke Open

• October 31, 1517 — Martin Luther nails 95 theses to the Castle Church in Wittenberg

• His target: indulgences — certificates sold granting release from time in purgatory

“As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” — Johann Tetzel, c. 1517

• The Protestant Reformation was, in large part, a war over purgatory

B. What the Catholic Church Teaches

Definition: A state of purification for those dying in God’s grace but not yet fully purified — not eternal, everyone there is going to heaven

• The living can shorten a soul’s time there through prayer, masses, and indulgences

• It took 1,200 years and multiple councils to build this doctrine

Council of Florence, 1439: First full official definition. Required belief in purgatory.

Council of Trent, 1563: Defined as binding doctrine in response to the Reformation. Denial = anathema.

No doctrine requiring 1,200 years of debate to establish was in the original text.

C. The Texts Catholics Use — and Why They Don’t Hold

2 Maccabees 12:44 “44 For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead.”

44 For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead.

The primary Catholic proof text.
The problem:
2 Maccabees is not in the Bible.
Jesus never quoted it.
The NT never quotes it.
A doctrine cannot stand on a book the original readers did not accept as Scripture.

Matthew 12:32 “32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Catholics argue this hints at forgiveness after death.
But here Jesus is closing a door, not opening one.
He is contrasting this present age with the coming kingdom — not this life with purgatory.

1 Corinthians 3:13–15 “13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Catholics read this as purifying fire after death.
Paul is describing the Judgment Seat of Christ — where a believer’s works are tested, not the person.
The person is already saved before the fire arrives.

D. Why Scripture Rejects Purgatory

Hebrews 9:27 “27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Two steps only: death, then judgment.
Nothing between them. Purgatory requires a third step this verse does not allow.

Romans 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Not some condemnation remaining. None.
If no condemnation remains in Christ, there is nothing left to purge.

John 19:30 “30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Tetelestai — stamped on paid receipts in the ancient world: paid in full.
If the debt is cleared at the cross, purgatory asks payment on an account God already closed.

Luke 23:43 “43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

No sacraments. No waiting.
The thief died within hours and went directly to paradise the same day.
This single verse dismantles the purgatorial system.

Two more the text simply will not allow:

2 Corinthians 5:8 “8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Hebrews 10:17 “17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

We do not need a council of men when we have the whole counsel of God in our hands.

Transition:Trent took 18 years. Florence required decades. The Bible took none of that. The rest of tonight is devoted to reading it.

Heaven

When was the last time someone described heaven to you and quoted a verse? Most of what people believe about heaven came from movies and greeting cards. Tonight we read the source.

A. The Three Heavens

First Heaven: The atmosphere — where birds fly and weather forms (Gen 1:8)

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Second Heaven: Outer space — stars, planets, galaxies (Gen 1:14–17)

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

Third Heaven: God’s dwelling place — where believers go at death
2 Corinthians 12:2 “2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.”

2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

Paul uses the phrase without explanation because his readers already understood it. The third heaven is not a higher altitude — it is a different order of existence.

B. When Was Heaven Created?

• God’s own dwelling is eternal — it is not a created thing. It exists wherever God is, and God has no beginning.

• The angelic realm and the spiritual heavens were created on Day 1 inside Genesis 1:1.

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:1 “1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The heaven here includes the entire created realm — spiritual and physical. When God created the heavens, that act included the angelic host and their dwelling. Everything outside God Himself had a beginning on Day 1.

Colossians 1:16 “16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Invisible things — including every rank of angels — were created by Christ. They are not eternal. They had a beginning. Genesis 1:1 is that beginning.

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Nehemiah 9:6 “6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.”

6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Job 38:7 “7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

God’s dwelling is eternal. Everything else — including the angels and the spiritual heavens — was created on Day 1. The New Heaven of Revelation 21 is a different creation still to come.

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

C. Where Believers Go at Death — Immediate and Conscious

2 Corinthians 5:6–8 “6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Two states only.

In the body.
Present with the Lord.

The move is instant.
No soul sleep.
No waiting period.
The moment a believer leaves the body, they are with Christ.

Philippians 1:23 “23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”

23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Not eventually better. Far better, immediately.
This is not the language of someone anticipating a difficult process.
Death, for the believer, is gain.

Luke 23:43 “43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The thief had hours to live. Jesus said today.
Paradise — the immediate presence of Christ — received the same day breath stopped.

D. The Eternal State — New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:1–4 “1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

God does not discard creation — He renews it.
Purges the curse.
Moves in permanently.
New means renewed in quality.
Every tear. Every loss. Every broken thing. Gone forever.

Revelation 22:1–5 “1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

Four words that carry the entire hope of the redeemed: they shall see his face.
Then: they shall reign.
Eternity is not passive rest. It is purposeful life in the presence of God.

1 Corinthians 15:42–44 “Sown in weakness, raised in power. The resurrection body is not less physical — it is more.”

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1 John 3:2 ““We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.””

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1 Corinthians 13:12 ““Then shall I know even as also I am known.” — full and unhindered knowledge”

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Transition: Heaven is the destination. But to understand what God is doing there, we need to go back to where this all started.

The Place: Eden to the New Jerusalem

Something is happening in the first three chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation that most people miss. The same elements. The same relationship. These are not coincidences. They are the point.

Genesis 2:9–10 “9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.”

9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

The tree of life and the river appear first in Eden.
They disappear at the fall. They reappear in Revelation 22.

1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. 6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. 8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. 10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

God’s design for humanity was never abandoned — it was interrupted.
At the fall, God guarded the tree of life with cherubim and a flaming sword — but He did not destroy it.
The door was closed, not eliminated. (Genesis 3:22–24)

22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Revelation 21:3 “3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

God walking with man in the garden returns as God dwelling permanently with all the redeemed.
What was lost was a walk. What the redeemed receive is an eternal home.

Every consequence of Genesis 3 is reversed.

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The garden was the prototype. The city is the fulfillment.
The flaming sword is gone. The gates are open. The tree is accessible. The curse is lifted.
The garden was beautiful but vulnerable — it could still be lost. The city is permanent and unassailable. What God intended from the beginning, He has now made indestructible.

Transition: We have seen the destination God is preparing. Now we look at the other destination — the one most preachers avoid.

Hell

Hell may be the most avoided subject in modern preaching. It was not avoided by Jesus. He described it with more detail than almost any other topic He addressed. The most loving thing a preacher can do is warn people clearly.

A. When Was Hell Prepared?

Matthew 25:41 “41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

The word prepared tells us hell was made deliberately. It had a beginning.
It was not made for human beings — it was made for the devil and his angels.
People end up there by choosing to align with what it was designed for.
God declared creation “very good” at the close of Day 6 (Genesis 1:31). Satan had not yet fallen. Hell did not yet exist.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Satan fell after Day 6 but before Genesis 3.

In that window, God prepared hell for him and the angels who followed.

2 Peter 2:4 “4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;”

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Fallen angels are already confined and awaiting judgment.
Hell is a present reality.
The Lake of Fire — the final form of hell — is still to come after the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:10).

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Hell was not eternal. God created it after Day 6 when Satan fell. It was made for the devil — not for man. And its final form has not yet arrived.

B. The Words the Bible Uses

Sheol: Hebrew for the realm of the dead. Used for both righteous and unrighteous in the OT.
Hades: Greek equivalent of Sheol. The realm of the dead with distinct compartments.
Gehenna: The final place of eternal punishment. Used 12 times — 11 by Jesus. Named for the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem.
Lake of Fire: The final, eternal hell. The second death. Still future — Revelation 20.

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 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. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

C. What Jesus Said — And He Said It Repeatedly

Jesus spoke about hell more than any prophet or apostle. He was not frightening people — He was warning them.

Matthew 25:46 “46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The same word governs both punishment and life.
You cannot argue that hell is temporary without arguing that heaven is temporary.
The duration of both stands or falls together.

Mark 9:43–48 “43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Jesus repeats this phrase three times in six verses.
When a teacher says something three times in a row, it is not accidental.
The worm never dies. The fire is never quenched. Hell does not wind down.

D. The Rich Man and Lazarus — Six Things Hell Confirms

Luke 16:26 “26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.”

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Six things this passage establishes:

identity is preserved
consciousness is unbroken
torment is real and intense
memory of this life continues
awareness of what was lost remains
the gulf is permanently fixed. The door does not reopen.

Hell is not a metaphor. Jesus described it in detail because He was serious about the people headed there. The most loving thing a preacher can do is warn them clearly.

[Hell was not made for you. Christ died so you would not go there. The question is not whether you understand it — it is whether you have responded to what He did.]

[Transition: Before we look at God’s eternal plan, one more question most people never think to ask.]

Section 5 — Abraham’s Bosom

Here is a question most people never think to ask: where did believers go when they died before the cross? The debt had not been paid. The door had not been opened. So where did they go?

Luke 16:22–23 “22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

The realm of the dead had two compartments. Abraham’s bosom — rest and comfort for the righteous. Torments — conscious suffering for the unrighteous. Separated by a gulf no one could cross.

Hebrews 10:4 “4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Old Testament sacrifices covered sin but could not remove it. Each sacrifice was a promise that a greater payment was coming. The righteous dead waited in Abraham’s bosom for that payment to arrive.

Every Old Testament sacrifice was a promissory note. It was God saying: trust Me, the funds are coming. The righteous dead were living on the strength of that promise — like someone pre-approved for a loan that hasn’t closed yet. The cross is when it closed. And when Christ rose, He went and gathered everyone who had been waiting.

Ephesians 4:8–9 “8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?”

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

At the resurrection, Christ led the righteous dead from Abraham’s bosom into the full presence of God.
The payment had been made. The waiting was over. Abraham’s bosom was emptied when Christ rose.

2 Corinthians 5:8 “8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

For the believer after the cross, there is no waiting room.
Absent from the body means present with Christ — immediate and direct.
The only compartment of Hades still occupied is torment, awaiting the Great White Throne.
Application: The righteous dead waited for a payment that was coming. For you, it has already arrived. Are you living in the freedom of a debt that has been paid?

Transition: Now pull all the way back. These are not random doctrines. They are scenes in one story — settled before time began.

The Purpose: God’s Eternal Plan

Eden becoming the New Jerusalem. The same God who walked in the garden has been pursuing His people through every age of history. And that pursuit was decided before the world began.

A. The Plan Was Settled Before Creation

Ephesians 1:4 “4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Before creation existed, God had already purposed a redeemed people and prepared their eternal home.
The fall did not derail the plan.
The plan had already accounted for the fall.

Revelation 13:8 “8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Before history began, God had already determined that if man sinned, the Son would be the sacrifice.
This is not about who would be saved — it is about the certainty and sufficiency of the provision.
The cross was not God’s emergency response. It was His eternal purpose, so that every person who hears the gospel can respond by faith.

B. The Most Important Question in All of Scripture

Not: how does man get to heaven?
But: how do er get back to God? Every covenant, every tabernacle, every prophet is God answering that question.

Genesis 3:8 “8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

The Bible opens with God walking with man — direct, unhindered, face to face.
When sin entered, that walk ended. Everything that follows in Scripture is God working to restore it and ultimately make it permanent.

The journey from the garden to the city:

• Tabernacle — “Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)

8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

• Temple — God’s glory fills Solomon’s temple. He dwells among Israel. (1 Kings 8:10–11)

10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

• Incarnation — “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

• New Jerusalem — “The tabernacle of God is with men.” (Revelation 21:3) — permanent, forever

Hebrews 11:10 “10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Revelation 21:2–3 “2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

The city descends. God does not take His people to a distant realm — He brings His dwelling to a renewed creation. What began with a walk in a garden ends with an eternal home that cannot be lost.

The Bible begins with God and man together in a garden. It ends with God and man together in a city. The whole story is one long answer to the question sin created: how does God get back to His people? The answer is Jesus Christ. The destination is the New Jerusalem.

We do not need a council’s opinion about God’s plan. He wrote it down. It runs from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 without interruption.

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day. 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. 20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Transition: Everything we have covered tonight converges in one place. One decision.

Conclusion & Call

Everything covered tonight traces back to one event. One cross. One empty tomb. That is where every doctrine in this room finds its answer.

Summary

Purgatory is unnecessary — the cross paid it all
Heaven is accessible — Christ opened the way
Hell was made for the devil — not for you
Abraham’s bosom is empty — the payment arrived
The eternal city is certain — God has been building toward it since before creation

John 19:30 “30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Tetelestai — paid in full. Stamped on debt certificates in the ancient world to show the account was cleared. The debt of every believer’s sin was settled at the cross. No council has authority to reopen it.

John 17:3 “3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Eternal life is not a destination you arrive at when you die. It is a relationship that begins the moment you know Christ. Heaven is where that relationship arrives at its fullness — face to face, forever.

A Word to Three Groups in This Room

If you know Christ — tonight has given you a clearer picture of where you are going and why. Live like it is real.
If you are not sure — the question is no longer about information. You have the information. It is now a question of response.
If you have believed a version of eternity that does not match what Scripture says — tonight you have the opportunity to rebuild on what God actually said.

All three groups need the same thing: not a council’s opinion, but a personal response to what the living God has plainly said. The whole counsel of God is in your hands. What you do with it is the only question that matters now.

John 17:3 “3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

What the Bible Says About Eternity

A. 1517 — The Year Everything Broke Open

B. What the Catholic Church Teaches

C. The Texts Catholics Use — and Why They Don’t Hold

D. Why Scripture Rejects Purgatory

Transition:Trent took 18 years. Florence required decades. The Bible took none of that. The rest of tonight is devoted to reading it.

Heaven

A. The Three Heavens

B. When Was Heaven Created?

C. Where Believers Go at Death — Immediate and Conscious

D. The Eternal State — New Heaven and New Earth

Transition: Heaven is the destination. But to understand what God is doing there, we need to go back to where this all started.

The Place: Eden to the New Jerusalem

Transition: We have seen the destination God is preparing. Now we look at the other destination — the one most preachers avoid.

Hell

A. When Was Hell Prepared?

B. The Words the Bible Uses

C. What Jesus Said — And He Said It Repeatedly

D. The Rich Man and Lazarus — Six Things Hell Confirms

Section 5 — Abraham’s Bosom

Transition: Now pull all the way back. These are not random doctrines. They are scenes in one story — settled before time began.

The Purpose: God’s Eternal Plan

A. The Plan Was Settled Before Creation

B. The Most Important Question in All of Scripture

The journey from the garden to the city:

Transition: Everything we have covered tonight converges in one place. One decision.

Conclusion & Call

Summary

A Word to Three Groups in This Room