Bible Questions Answered:
“How in the world can heaven be
heaven if we know a cherished friend is burning in hell forever?”
Roxanne/ Buffalo, New York
Bible Answer:
The answer to this question, is not an
easy one.
First of all the scriptures…..
Revelation 7:17 KJV
For The Lamb which is in the midst
of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living
fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes.
Revelation 21:4 KJV
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.
Yes, in heaven, there will be for some, a time of sorrow.
Sins of
Omission:
Sorrow over not witnessing to dear cherished friend, that went out
into eternity, lost, whereas a word from you and they could have been
rescued!
Ezekiel 3:18-21
KJV
18 When I say
unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not
warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save
his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his
blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou
warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his
wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy
soul.
20 Again, When
a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit
iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die:
because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and
his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his
blood will I require at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless
if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he
doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou
hast delivered thy soul.
Sins of
Commission:
Things you shouldn't have done, yet you were drawn to do them,
gossip, backbiting, bigotry, etc. etc.
Romans
14:7,12,13 KJV
7 For none of
us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
12 So then
every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Let us not
therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no
man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's
way.
Sins of
Ignorance:
Things you said or did, you didn't even know about, that hurt The
Lord. And you were ignorant, because you failed to read and study His
Word.
Psalm 119:11 KJV
Thy word have I
hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 139:23,24
KJV
23 Search me, O
God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if
there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Crying in the
midst of the most wonderful, happy, care free, holy place there is,
and all because of earthly mistakes we have made.
Dear friends forever lost....if we don't witness to them, yes.
What sorrow indeed.
And it is also true that God does not send people to hell, they by
their own choices, send themselves there!
A child of God's creation, which could have brought to Him, eternal
joy, forever lost to damnation.
How can a Christian enjoy the bliss of heaven, knowing that a dear
friend has been forever lost?
One would only have to look into the face of the Savior.
There would be your answer.
Selah
No one in heaven, ever would ask the Savior such a question, on earth
yes, because we simply do not see, we simply do not understand.
Dear friend, were you, in earthly form, to be transported to heaven
and ask the Savior, His response would be forever an answer to your
question.
He would reply, “But, he (or she), never loved
Me.”
That reply, may not sound like much in our sin hardened world, but
were we in heaven, beholding the glory of The Lord, His beauty, His
sinlessness, His Holiness, His indescribable love and care, …...
we would know, we would know!
All who enter hell enter through the same gate, that of the
unpardonable sin, of rejecting The Savior and His dear Holy Spirit.
Psalm 27:4 KJV
One thing have
I desired of The Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in
the house of The Lord all the days of my life, to behold The Beauty
Of The Lord, and to enquire in His Temple.
Psalm 90:17 KJV
And let The
Beauty Of The Lord our God be upon us..."
Isaiah 9:6 KJV
For unto us a
Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be
upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince Of Peace.
Daniel 10:1-9
KJV
1 In the third
year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose
name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time
appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had
understanding of the vision.
2 In those days
I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
3 I ate no
pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did
I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4 And in the
four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of
the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5 Then I lifted
up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain Man clothed in linen,
whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 His body also
was like the beryl, and His face as the appearance of lightning, and
His eyes as lamps of fire, and His arms and His feet like in color to
polished brass, and the voice of His words like the voice of a
multitude.
7 And I Daniel
alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the
vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide
themselves.
8 Therefore I
was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no
strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption,
and I retained no strength.
9 Yet heard I
the voice of His words: and when I heard the voice of His words, then
was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
Matthew 17:2 KJV
And was
transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His
raiment was white as the Light.
Luke 2:11 KJV
For unto you is
born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ The
Lord.
John 1:9,14,29
KJV
9 That was The
True Light (Christ), which lighteth every man that cometh into the
world.
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.
29 The next day
John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold The Lamb Of God,
which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 8:12 KJV
Then spake
Jesus again unto them, saying, I am The Light Of The World: he that
followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have The Light Of
Life.
John 10:11 KJV
I am The Good
Shepherd: The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.
John 10:14 KJV
I am The Good
Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine.
I Corinthians
2:8 KJV
"... The
Lord Of Glory.
I Corinthians
10:4 KJV
And did all
drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock
that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Ephesians 1:22
KJV
And hath put
all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all
things to the church,
Hebrews 4:14 KJV
Seeing then
that we have a Great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens,
Jesus The Son Of God, let us hold fast our profession.
I Peter 2:7 KJV
Unto you
therefore which believe He is precious..."
Revelation
1:13-18 KJV
13 And in the
midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto The Son Of Man, clothed
with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a
golden girdle.
14 His head and
His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were
as a flame of fire;
15 And His feet
like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice
as the sound of many waters.
16 And He had
in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two
edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in His
strength.
17 And when I
saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon
me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am The First And The Last:
18 I am He that
liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and
have the keys of hell and of death.
Revelation 4:2,3
KJV
2 And
immediately I was in The Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in
heaven, and One sat on the throne.
3 And He that
sat was to look upon like a Jasper and a Sardine Stone: and there was
a Rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an Emerald.
Revelation
19:11-13,16 KJV
11 And I saw
heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was
called Faithful And True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make
war.
12 His eyes
were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had
a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.
13 And He was
clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The
Word Of God.
16 And He hath
on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And
Lord Of Lords.
Psalm 30:4,5 KJV
4 Sing unto The
Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His
holiness.
5 For His anger
endureth but a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a
night, but joy cometh in the morning.
