DO YOU BELIEVE HEAVEN AND HELL AS REAL LITERAL PLACES?

By: Bishop Albert B. Gran

Job 11:8
It is as high as HEAVEN; what canst thou do? deeper than HELL; what canst thou know?

 DESTINIES WHERE YOU CAN SPEND FOR ETERNITY:  THE HOPEFUL AND THE HOPELESS

1 Corinthians 15:18-20

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸ Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

¹⁹ IF IN THIS LIFE ONLY WE HAVE HOPE IN CHRIST, WE ARE OF ALL MEN MOST MISERABLE.
²⁰ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Bear with me to contemplate the bold statement of our Apostle Paul in recognition to the HOPE we had in Christ. The more sure foundation by continuously believing the perfect demonstration of a spirit-soul eternal conscious existence was proven by Paul in connection to the HOPE issue and in consonance to the power of His resurrection after overcoming death from the cross of Calvary in that land of Golgotha.

It was very plain as stated that ‘IF’ IN THIS LIFE WE HAVE HOPE IN CHRIST, WE ARE OF ALL MEN MOST MISERABLE. Ask yourself where your life today spends for existence, interaction, or being interrelated unto for exposition, disposition, and undertakings?   Paul made this remark to show to all human kind that there’s more important life distinct from the life we have at present through which this life was renewed by and through the resurrection power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, why “if”? Logically, it was stated to show you readers a condition that believers in Christ had different position to those who didn’t believe spiritual matter or hope issue such as this hope of God’s resurrection plan, enabling us members of the Body of Christ to have sure HOPE, security, and destiny, and making us special among majority of masses. Suffice to prove based on this verse itself that those unbelievers who ceased to uphold this kind of belief (denoting by implication or by means of persuation against this notion) were men most miserable.

My point is this: Shall we contrast the soundness of this reality of HOPE with the foundation that our surety position shall not continuously be performed IN THIS LIFE, that’s why Paul exclaimed “IF IN THIS LIFE WE HAVE HOPE, WE ARE OF ALL MEN MOST MISERABLE”? Think about it many times.

OLD TESTAMENT ‘HELL’: WHAT’S THIS?

Is “hell” really not a place? This is the question often ask when your faith was challenged if someone tried to testify this was not a real place. Let’s share some information from the Scripture what it says therefore about hell and verify if indeed it’s a real place.    

Deuteronomy 32:21-23

King James Version (KJV)

²¹ They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
²² For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the LOWEST HELL, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
²³ I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.

In this passage, the description of hell connotes location or place which was determined as found in the lowest part which could consume the earth due to her increase (vastness of its area which is able to consume the earth). More description in hell is through which the foundation of the mountains was the set on “fire”. This is the modern term “volcano” wherein beneath of it is where you can find the magma. Since this is how God describe hell wherein through his anger “shall burn unto the lowest hell”.

Psalm 9:16-18

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ The Lord is known by the JUDGEMENT WHICH HE EXECUTETH: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

¹⁷ The wicked shall be turned into HELL, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

Another clear description in matters of this “hell” issue was its relativity to the JUDGEMENT OF GOD which he executed to the wicked  or for the ungodly and even to nations that forget God.        This was relative to the agony and sufferings when God through His judgment the wicked SHALL BE TURNED INTO HELL.

   Psalm 55:14-16

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁴ We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

¹⁵ Let DEATH seize upon them, and let them GO DOWN QUICK INTO HELL: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
¹⁶ As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord SHALL SAVE ME.

Again, it’s really evident in the passage which in the OT proved how God through revelation gave its emphasis about hell wherein it was situated (as in the scripture states) found beneath the earth and also related to the EXECUTION OF HIS JUDGEMENT for the wicked and the ungodly.

“HELL” IN THE SO-CALLED GOSPEL S (Matt.- John) ACCOUNT

Matthew 5:21-23

King James Version (KJV)

²¹ Ye have heard that IT WAS SAID OF THEM OF OLD TIME, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

²² But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in DANGER OF HELL FIRE.
²³ Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

Christ even confirmed that what was said of them of “old time” concerning those which were stated above were really true and such information he set forth and made to emphasize was the DANGER OF HELL FIRE.

Will there no more fire for the wicked today because the thing which were spoken of in the old time (as confirmed by Christ in His time) had ceased in existence because we are now in the dispensation of Grace which through others interpretation the day of the New Covenant and those things belonged to prophecy? (as only a mere assumption and thereby baseless ). Such notion of ‘no hell fire’ today perhaps could be true if they can prove that there would no longer be wicked people in our present time. As long as there are wicked and wickedness, the fire won’t stop burning. Will there be cessation of wickedness?  Those who were in “hell fire” were already judged to be forever wicked as the fire burning which would be for everlasting.  

CHRIST’S WARNING:

Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to DESTROY both SOUL and BODY in HELL.

There’s a notion through which a belief of no hell was supposedly viewed based on the fact that Paul not cited even a word hell in his epistles. Now, would that be the exact basis for Paul to exclaim that nowhere he mentioned about God’s wrath and His judgment to the wicked and ungodly?  Notice these things:

SUPPOSED “NO HELL” MENTIONED WITH PAUL

Romans 1:17-19

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

¹⁸ For the WRATH OF GOD is revealed from heaven AGAINST ALL UNGODLINESS and UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF MEN, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
¹⁹ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them

In here, it’s plain and simple that God will pour out His wrath (declaring judgment) against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.

Romans 2:5
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself WRATH against the DAY OF WRATH and revelation of the righteous JUDGEMENT OF GOD;

Again, there’s a righteous judgment of God in the day of wrath which was mentioned by Paul in his epistle as an inclusive revelation in our “But Now” period.

Romans 9:22
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION.

It was made it plain how dangerous is the time when God pour out His wrath for it speaks in wise as an execution of judgment FOR DESTRUCTION.

Ephesians 5:5-7

King James Version (KJV)

⁵ For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

⁶ Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the WRATH OF GOD UPON THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE.
⁷ Be not ye therefore partakers with them

Now will it be reasonable to not believe “no hell” doctrine today because Paul did not mention it? Why it’s reasonable to know Paul mentioned about God’s judgment against the children of disobedience?

PROOF THAT PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT HELL;

Psalm 16:10
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

 Ephesians 4:7-9

King James Version (KJV)

⁷ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

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?

Christ went or descended to the LOWER PARTS OF THE EARTH. It’s a fact! What is that lower parts of the earth based on my previous presentation? It’s H-E-L-L.

 THANKS BE TO GOD AS HIS JUDGEMENT TO THE BOC MEMBERS:

Romans 8:1

King James Version (KJV)

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

YOUR EXISTENCE  AFTER LIFE:

 Will there be life after death? Is there any significant proof when man ceases to exist after death? Can we prove  the annihilationists’  theory?

 Questioning the astute fundamental basis of our hope after many occurring modern teachings to disprove the restored life of God which is the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus is obviously falsifying the truth through which the purpose of God to restore humanity was preached especially in our age of grace. Through the GRACE of God he freely offered His life through which the most precious life of Jesus for sin was offered as the penalty for our sins. However , the done deal  act of God didn’t only work at that time. When the due time came, (in the dispensation of grace) God’s relative purpose to restore man’s life through Christ was perfectly preached TO ALL, FREELY GIVEN TO ALL, only it requires a sublime TRUST to achieve so that he would also achieve the same victory in Christ Jesus and have obtained hope of ETERNAL LIFE, (Rom. 6:23, 3:24-25) a life which surpasses beyond the life we have at present because our hope is NOT IN THIS LIFE ONLY. If there’s an emphasis of “ONLY”, without doubt, it would prevail towards a never ending existence and thus make it E-T-E-R-N-A-L-.

Titus 1:1-3
King James Version (KJV)

1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

² In HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
³ But hath in DUE TIMES (Dispensation of Grace) manifested HIS WORD through preaching, WHICH IS COMMITTED UNTO ME (Paul) according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

Titus 3:6-8

King James Version (KJV)

⁶ Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

⁷ That being justified by his grace, we should be made HEIRS according to the HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE.
⁸ This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Many disbelievers whose thoughts were like of Hemeneus and Alexander reaffirmed and revived their theories assuming to believe in Christ and yet there’s no literal heaven because their spirit life in Christ could be equated with a spiritual heaven which they emphasized and conjectured as not the literal place.  

My shout out was akin based on the relevance of spiritual soundness in view of God’s wonderful plan of hope which is not in this world, with kind of life in this world. I hope many would cling to believe and remain consistent and unwavered by the hope the Lord God Almighty promised to us today.             

 This study has not to be lightly taken from among those who have hope in Christ in our present time considering that this is the blissful hope the Lord had promised to the members of the Body of Christ. Many often cause dissention contending this belief of reality as though only an imagery and illusion.  

Of course those people who would not believe future resurrection contend this hope of heaven as a real place which is something for them a strange view. Many declined and abhor the basic foundation on the tenet of God’s faithful promise. Along in this article were sophisticated proofs to provide you more significant assurances proving that heaven is really and indeed a real place promised by God for those who believed in a present-future hope.

HEAVEN IS A PLACE OF DELIVERANCE: IT’S THE SOLUTION

“As hell was a literal place for the wicked , heaven was the right destination for the saints…”

Futurists had to stick in full acknowledgement of truth to incline this basic principle believing that heaven was such a real place because it’s the ultimate way to qualify God’s design to let us joy together in the Lord for all eternity. How can we prove the essence of continuing life if only in this life we have hope in Christ? My point was that there was a reality of a life not seems like or the same earthly life we had although we already claimed Christ is in us. We couldn’t see this life we had in our present life is a life with the absence of troubles, suffering, and pain. This is a fact that we’re still living in this devastated world of ours. A world ruled by the god of this world whose minds were blinded and whose nature were called the children of wrath and children of disobedience. If there would be no future hope with the reality of this blissful place of reality called “heaven” then suffice to not relinquish the veracity of His promise in the hope of deliverance pertinent to our “vile body” which shall be put on “incorruption”.

Romans 8: 16-25

¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
¹⁸ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
²⁰ For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
²¹ Because the creature itself also SHALL BE DELIVERED FROM THE BONDAGE OF CORRUPTION into the GLORIOUS LIBERTY OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
²² For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
²³ And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
²⁴ For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
²⁵ But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Upon checking these relative truth

We couldn’t twist what was written in His word knowing it’s a resolute proof to have more confidence to God’s faithful promise relative to the eternal place and destination where we could eternally experience life which was void of sufferings. This will be a life where we could differentiate and compare what life we obtained on this present dispensation of grace.

A “no heaven theory” actually presupposes the  truthfulness of our  long-awaited H-O-P-E which the Lord promised to His saints and therefore in my analysis had much to negate more basic doctrines such as the doctrine of resurrection, glorification, conscious existence of soul and spirit in the heavenly state  opposite to those who were in hell (Gehenna, Tartarus),  and many others.  

HEAVENLY STATE POSITION:

Ephesians 3:9-11

King James Version (KJV)

⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

¹⁰ To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in HEAVENLY PLACES might be known by the CHURCH the manifold wisdom of God,
¹¹ According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

ACTIVITY IN HEAVEN:

1 Corinthians 6:2-4

King James Version (KJV)

² Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

³ Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
⁴ If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

 Paul is talking about the world where we could judge the world and the things pertinent to it and its life. Which place do you think you shall JUDGE ANGELS?           

    GRACE AND PEACE