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On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. Today we're going to answer the question, do people in heaven know what is happening on earth? And today I want to begin by actually answering that question first and then looking at the Scripture. The answer is absolutely people in heaven do know what is happening on earth and underneath the earth. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. The Bible describes heaven as a wonderful place with no more death, no more pain, and no more tears.
But how can we truly be happy in heaven when there's still so much suffering here on earth? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress answers the question of whether people in heaven know what's happening down below. Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory as we continue our study about A Place Called Heaven. Before we get started with our next message, I'm eager to remind you that this coming May I'll be hosting the Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise, and I'd love to have you join us for this vacation of a lifetime. I promise you will never regret booking this vacation.
The dates are May 5th through 16th, and if you're searching for the best Christmas gift ever, I promise your loved one will forever be grateful for this shared experience. This is a fully immersive tour, meaning that we've prepared a truly Christian experience that includes top of the class sight seeing. Take a look at the exquisite accommodations, the fascinating ports of call, and even the Christian music artist will get to enjoy.
All the information is found by going to ptv.org. Now before we get started, I want to remind you that we've set aside a book for you that reinforces the teaching I'm presenting on this series. It's called A Place Called Heaven, 10 Surprising Truths About Your Eternal Home. This best-selling book is designed to raise your expectations for the majestic home God is preparing for you, and a copy is yours when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. I'm going to say more about my book and other resources later on, but right now let's set aside everything else to concentrate on what God's word teaches about a place called heaven.
I titled today's message with a question. Do people in heaven know what is happening on earth? Imagine for a moment that you're dead.
Kind of a sobering thought, isn't it? You're dead. You've died in a tragic car accident, but to your relief you awaken in front of the pearly gates. Saint Peter is there to greet you.
He has a clipboard. He looks over the list, and gratefully your name is on it. He then hands you a key to your room. He hands you a white robe, a golden crown, and a ticket.
Now, you understand the white robe and the golden crown, but you ask Peter, what's this ticket for? He said, oh, it's for the movie tonight. You're not going to want to miss it. In fact, it is a double feature. The first movie is a tragedy. It stars your friend who was in the car with you who didn't make it here and is now in hell.
In fact, it's a true horror story. But the other film is about you. It co-stars your mate and your children, your family members and friends, and the climactic scene is your funeral. I think you're really going to like it, but you better get here early.
It's a sold-out crowd. All of heaven is going to be here to see the film. Now, I'm pretty sure in heaven there won't be any movie theaters or feature length presentations about our life. But the question is, can people in heaven really know what is happening on earth or even in hell itself? A lot of people wonder about that question, and today we're going to answer that question as we continue our series, A Place Called Heaven. Today, we're going to answer the question, do people in heaven know what is happening on earth? And today, I want to begin by actually answering that question first and then looking at the scripture. The answer is, absolutely, people in heaven do know what is happening on earth and underneath the earth. We can look at four key scripture passages that give us some insight on that subject.
First of all, consider Hebrews 12, verse 1. This is a passage that is often used to say people in heaven are aware of what's happening on earth. The writer says, therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. I think this is one passage that really does not say people in heaven can tell what is happening on earth.
What the writer is simply saying is, considering these great men and women and the way they lived their lives, we ought to demonstrate the same kind of faith in following their example. However, there are three other passages, at least in the Bible, that indicate clearly people in heaven do know what is happening on earth. For example, consider the story of Abraham and the rich man that Jesus told in Luke chapter 16.
We looked at that story a few weeks ago. Remember, there were two men who lived two very different lives and they both died, a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. And the Bible says when they both died, immediately Lazarus went to heaven, to Abraham's bosom, not because he was poor, there's nothing righteous about being poor, but because he had placed his faith in God. However, the rich man immediately ended up in Hades. And both the rich man and Lazarus were conscious of what was happening. But what is interesting in this story is that Abraham knew of the suffering of the rich man in Hades. And the rich man in Hades was aware of the comfort that Lazarus was being offered in heaven. Of course, even if people in heaven know what's happening in hell, does that mean they know what's happening on the earth as well?
And the answer is yes. Turn over to Revelation chapter 6. We see here the instance of the tribulation martyrs and the judgment on earth. Verse 9, and when the lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained.
Who are these? These are the people, Christians, who were slain during the tribulation time. John saw them in heaven.
Now, one final example. Heaven's saints and the salvation of the unsaved. In Luke chapter 15, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees. He was saying, you know, you Pharisees, you've got it all wrong. You hate sinners. Of course, to the Pharisees, everybody was a sinner except themselves. The Pharisees hated sinners. They did everything they could to keep sinners out of heaven. But Jesus said, God is not like you all. God doesn't hate sinners.
He loves sinners, and he rejoices when they come to salvation. And to emphasize that point, Jesus told three parables that we'll look at in the months ahead when we get to Luke 15. There is the story of the lost sheep, the story of the lost coin, and the story of the lost son.
We call it the prodigal son. But the point of each of the story is the same. When you lose something of value, you don't hate it. You don't curse it.
Instead, you search for it diligently, and you rejoice when you find it. And Jesus was saying, God is like that. He doesn't hate lost people. They are people of value to him. God loves sinners.
He searches for them, and he rejoices when they find him. In fact, this is what Jesus said in Luke 15, verse 7. I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Verse 10, and in the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
I've read this 1,000 times, but I really didn't see it until this week. Who rejoices in heaven when the unsaved are saved? Well, we know God rejoices. I've always heard that the angels rejoice, but that's not what this verse says. It doesn't say the angels rejoice.
Maybe they do, maybe they don't. He says there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when a sinner repents. Who is it that is rejoicing in the presence of sinners?
It's you and I. It's the residents of heaven. That is who rejoices when they see a sinner on earth repent. Yes, people in heaven are aware of what happens in the earth, but what about what happens in hell? Are citizens of heaven aware of the captives in hell?
I mean, if they rejoice in the salvation of the unsaved, do they lament over the horrific punishment that awaits unbelievers? Is it possible that people in heaven could see the horrors of hell? Let's talk about for a moment what hell is, understanding the term hell. The English word hell is actually a translation of three different Greek words, all with different meanings in the Greek New Testament.
We've been through this before, but write this down just as a reminder. First of all, the word Hades. This is one word that is translated hell in the New Testament. Hades refers to the temporary place of the unsaved. When an unsaved person dies, he immediately goes to Hades, just like the rich man did in Luke 16 23. Jesus said, and in Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. Hades is not a neutral place.
It's not a way station. It's not purgatory. It is a place of real, physical, immediate suffering, but it's not the final place of the unsaved.
It's the immediate and temporary place of the unsaved. Hades. The second word translated hell in your Bible is the word Tartaros.
Tartaros. And it's only used one time in the Bible. 2 Peter 2 verse 4. Peter writes, God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell, Tartaros, and committed them to pits of darkness reserved for judgment. These are fallen angels who committed a particularly heinous sin that is recorded back in Genesis chapter 6.
And that is, they chose to cohabitate with women on the earth. There's a group of fallen angels right now that are in some undisclosed place of darkness as they await their final judgment. And what will that final judgment be? It's the third word translated to hell in your Bible, Gehenna, the lake of fire. Just as Hades is the temporary location of the unsaved, Gehenna, the lake of fire is the final place of all of the unsaved. The Bible says after the great white throne judgment, every unbeliever in Hades will be cast into the lake of fire. What is hell like? One thing I want you to understand about hell is just like heaven, hell is an actual physical location. In the story of the rich man in Lazarus, hell is described as being, quote, far away.
Luke 16, 23, verse 24, consisting of flames. Verse 25, separated from heaven by a great chasm. Now let me just talk specifically about hell for a moment. Three horrific descriptions of hell that we find in the Bible. First of all, hell is a place of eternal, physical torment. It is a place not just of spiritual suffering, but of physical suffering.
Remember in Luke 16, 24, the rich man cries out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, for I am in agony in this flame. But some theologians have tried to turn down the temperature of hell just a little bit by saying, well, we believe in hell, but we can't believe in a God who would torment people forever and ever and ever. So we believe that when God throws people into the lake of fire, they are instantly destroyed.
It's called the doctrine of annihilationism, annihilationism. Unbelievers are annihilated because surely a good and loving God could not see people tormented day and night forever and ever. But that's not what the scripture says. The Bible says the punishment of hell is eternal. For example, in Revelation 20 and verse 10, we find that after the millennium and after the final rebellion against God, the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast, that is the antichrist, and the false prophet are also.
Underline that word are. Interestingly, the beast and the false prophet had been thrown into the lake of fire a thousand years earlier, before the beginning of the millennium. At the Battle of Armageddon, the Bible says the angels sent them into the lake of fire. But now a thousand years later, when Satan is finally cast into the lake of fire, it doesn't say where the beast and the false prophet were, it says where they are.
In other words, they are continuing to suffer. And it says, they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. There's a word that is translated forever and ever in your Greek New Testament.
It is the word ionos, forever and ever. And interestingly, that word ionos is also used to describe the eternality of heaven. The same word that describes the eternality of heaven is used to describe the eternality of hell.
The fact is, just as the pleasures of those who love the Lord and know Christ as Savior, the pleasures of the saved will be unending in heaven. The horrors of hell for unbelievers will also be unending. Secondly, the Bible teaches hell is a place of indescribable loneliness. I hear people say, well, hell can't be that bad.
I think I'll go there and party with all my friends since they're gonna be there. Trust me on this one, there are no parties in hell. In fact, Jesus said in Luke 13, 28, that hell will be a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. And even if your friends are there, you won't know it because it's also a place of utter and outer complete darkness, according to Matthew 8, verse 12.
It is a place of absolute and indescribable loneliness. Thirdly, hell is a place of no return. To me, that's perhaps the worst truth about hell.
No one escapes. Again, Abraham says that in Luke 16, verse 26. He says to the rich man, those who wish to come from here, that is heaven to you, are not able, and none may cross over from where you are to us. What about those who repent? What about those who believe? Remember, in hell, everybody will become a believer, but it's too late.
It's too late. Hell is a place of no return. Well, that leads to an interesting question. If in fact, we are aware of the suffering of the unsaved in hell, how could we ever enjoy heaven? Have you ever wondered about that?
Or let's put a finer point on it. How could you ever enjoy heaven if your mate or one of your children was in hell and you knew it and you knew they were tormented and it would never, never, never end? How could that be heaven for anyone?
It's a great question. Some people have tried to answer that question by saying, well, God is going to purge our memories in heaven. There is nothing in Scripture that indicates when we get to heaven, God suddenly does a memory wipe.
In fact, everything argues to the contrary. Our life is a continuum. We will remember the things on earth. Our relationships will continue in heaven. Some people have said, well, the way we handle this problem of the suffering in hell is the fact that Christians will be preoccupied with the joys of heaven. We'll be so caught up with the joys in heaven that we won't be aware of what is happening in hell.
We see that phenomenon in our life every day. I mean, there are millions and millions of starving children in the world right now, aren't there? But I bet that doesn't keep one of you from enjoying lunch today. Well, you probably won't be able to enjoy it now that I mentioned that, but had I not mentioned that, you probably would have sat down at your meal and never given a thought to starving children in the world. I mean, we have Christians right now throughout the world being decapitated and burned alive for their faith.
And yet, that didn't stop many of us from going to the State Fair of Texas and having a great time on the Midway, did it? Is it possible that when we get to heaven, we'll be so preoccupied with the joys of heaven, we won't be aware or thinking about the joys of earth, thinking about what is happening in hell? Now, some people say, well, wait a minute, Pastor. The only reason we're able to enjoy life, in spite of the suffering of others, is because we're not like Jesus. But surely, when we become like Jesus, we'll weep over those in hell. I mean, think about Jesus. I mean, he wept over the unsaved in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, he lamented. That was when Jesus was on earth. But all Scripture indicates, Jesus is not weeping in heaven right now. He's not experiencing anything except unending joy in heaven. In fact, in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2, it says that Jesus endured the cross so that he could experience the joy that was set before him. He suffered here on earth so that he could experience joy in heaven.
And the same thing is true of us. We read from Psalm 16 just a few moments ago. The psalmist talked about what it will be like when we will be in the presence of the Lord. Verse 11 says, God, you will make known to me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy.
In your right hand, there are pleasures forever. That's what it's going to be like in God's presence, unending pleasure and joy. Thirdly, some people have said, well, in heaven, we will understand the plan and the justice of God. That's how we'll handle the suffering in hell. For the first time ever, we will completely understand the plan and the justice of God.
Right now, as we look around at the details of our own life, they seem jumbled, they seem disconnected. We look at tragedies that seem to make no sense. And yet one day, on the right side of heaven, when we see our life, we will understand how God caused all things to work together for good to those who love him. And the same will be true when we see God's plan for the unsaved as well.
We'll understand why those who are in hell deserve to be in hell. I came across an interesting scripture this week. It's 2 Thessalonians 1, verses 8 and 10. Paul claims that when we see Jesus Christ at the rapture, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, we will curse him and say, Jesus, how could you be so unfair?
That's not what it says. It says when we see Jesus dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do retribution to those who have not accepted the gospel, quote, Christ the judge will be marveled at among all who believed. We won't be second guessing Jesus when we see him. When we see him in all of his glory, we understand his holiness, we will understand his retribution against those who refuse to accept the gospel.
As horrific as hell will be for unbelievers, as J.I. Packer says, their hell will not veto our joy in heaven. And let me add to that, nothing that happens on earth or in hell will diminish in the slightest degree the unending joy God has planned for us in that place called heaven. My hope and prayer is that today's study in God's word has drawn back the curtain on heaven to give you a trustworthy glimpse of our eternal home. God has prepared a place of unending joy for those who trust in him. As an added resource, I've written a best-selling book for you, and I'm hoping you'll join me on a personal journey to discover the delights of heaven. My book is called A Place Called Heaven, Ten Surprising Truths About Your Eternal Home. Few of us have taken the time to celebrate what's ahead in our forever home, but my book gives you a practical way to do so.
Sometimes we become so entangled in our daily responsibilities that we fail to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The time you spend reading about your eternal home will likely become the best part of your day. Again, my book is called A Place Called Heaven, and when you support Pathway to Victory with a generous gift, I'd be pleased to send a copy to your home. In addition, when you give a generous gift today, I'll include the popular brochure we've prepared for you called What Seven World Religions Teach About Heaven.
This is an excellent, at-a-glance resource that will help you know the truth about heaven and share it with others, especially those who follow other faiths. Your gift, while giving you access to these resources, accomplishes far more than you might imagine. We take your gifts and apply them directly to reaching more people with the truth about heaven and the only way to get there, through faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you for investing in Pathway to Victory.
David. Thanks Dr. Jeffress. Today, when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, we'll say thanks by sending you a copy of the best-selling book from Dr. Jeffress, A Place Called Heaven. Plus, you'll receive the fascinating brochure, What Seven World Religions Teach About Heaven. Just call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org.
Now, when your gift is $75 or more, you'll also receive the complete A Place Called Heaven teaching series on CD and DVD, along with a copy of Encouragement from A Place Called Heaven. Now, this beautiful book is the perfect gift for anyone going through stressful times, struggling maybe with chronic illness or grieving the loss of a loved one. To request the complete package of resources, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. You could write to us if you'd like, P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. That's P.O.
Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins, inviting you to join us again next time when Dr. Jeffress answers the question, Will We Know One Another in Heaven? That's next time, here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway partner, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
