Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) records the final confinement of Satan: “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” (20:10). The Bible clearly teaches that punishment in hell is everlasting – “for ever and ever.” We should note that “tormented” is in the third person plural, indicating that the Antichrist and his “false prophet” – both humans, unlike Satan – are being judged eternally. Those who assert annihilationism (the cessation of being) not only have no Biblical support for their position but also must contradict the Word of God. Matthew 25:46 is one definitive verse: “And these [unbelievers] shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous [believers] into life eternal.” In the original Greek, “everlasting” and “eternal” are the same word. Thus, we are specifically taught that human life has no end. The only question is whether we will suffer separation from the presence of God forever or whether we will enjoy His personal presence forever. May we be grateful for the sacrificial love of Jesus that has rescued us from hell, and may we marvel that He wants us to be with Him in heaven for all eternity.