Heaven is a real place.

2. (2Pe 3:10-13 KJV) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Our Lord has promised to create a new heavens and a new earth.

3. (Mat 5:5 KJV) Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

The meek shall inherit the earth.

4. (Rev 21:1-5 KJV) 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. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. 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. 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.

The Holy City, New Jerusalem will descend from God out of heaven.

5. (Isa 45:18 KJV) For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

God created this world to be inhabited.

6. (Mic 4:8 KJV) And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

The first or original dominion will be restored to the human race.

7. (Phi 3:21 KJV) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

God will give us glorious immortal bodies.

(1Co 15:51-54 KJV)  Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

8. (Isa 35:3-6 KJV) Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

All physical deformities will be cured. (The eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped and the crippled healed.)

9. (Isa 65:17 KJV) For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

God will create a new heavens and a new earth.

10. (Isa 65:21-23 KJV) And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

“They shall build houses and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.”

11. (Isa 65:25 KJV) The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together. God’s new kingdom will be one of tranquil peace.

12. (Mat 8:11 KJV) And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

We shall fellowship with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the greatest minds of the ages forever.

13. (Rev 21:3 KJV) 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 Himself shall be with us and be our God.

14. (Rev 22:3,4 KJV) 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: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

We shall lovingly serve our God forever and enjoy the closest fellowship with Him.

15. (Rev 21:16,17 KJV) 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. And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

God’s new city is 12,000 furlongs or 1500 miles square with wall 144 cubits or 216 feet high.

16. (Rev 21:18-21 KJV) And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 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; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 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.

This spectacular city has walls whose foundations are magnificent gems, streets of gold and gates of pearl.

17. (Rev 21:7,8 KJV) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and 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.

Lists the entry requirements for the city.

18. (Rev 22:17 KJV) 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.

And the Spirit and the Bride say come.

The apostle Paul defines God’s church as the pillar and ground of the truth.

2. (Joh 17:17 KJV) Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Jesus reveals that His people will be sanctified by His truth in every age.

3. (Rev 6:1-7 KJV) And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

John the Revelator, in the symbolism of the four horse-men, describes the advance of God’s truth and Satan’s attempt to destroy it.

- White Horse – Apostolic purity (Col 1:16; Rev 12:1; Rev 19:7) (A.D. 31 – A.D. 100)
- Red Horse – Persecution (A.D. 100 – A.D. 313)
- Black Horse – Compromise (A.D. 313 – A.D. 538)
- Pale Horse – Spiritual death (A.D. 538 – A.D. 1500)

4. (Dan 8:12 KJV) And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.

Predicts God’s truth would be “cast to the ground.”

5. (2Th 2:3-7 KJV) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Predicts there would be a falling away or departure from the truth.

6. (Jud 1:3 KJV) Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Urges us to earnestly contend for the faith delivered to the saints.

7. (Rev 14:6,7 KJV) And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Shares the good news that the everlasting gospel would be proclaimed to the ends of the earth.

8. (Rev 12:17 KJV) And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Describes a people called the “remnant” – those who remain loyal to God, who keep His commandments in the last days, but what is the testimony of Jesus?

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

9. (Rev 14:12 KJV) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Describes a people who will keep God’s commands and be filled with the faith of Jesus.

10. (Isa 8:20 KJV) To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Warns us not to accept the teachings of those who lead away from obedience to His Word and His law.

2. Believe that God will reveal truth as you search His word with all your heart
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

3. Continually pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God promises the Spirit will lead us into truth.
Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

4. Attempt to read as many Bible passages on a given subject as possible. Do not build a Bible doctrine on a single text.
Isa 28:9-10  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

5. Accept the Bible as God’s word revealing truth to you.
2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

6. Be willing to make any change from the past ways of thinking. You will never know truth unless you are willing to live the truth.
Joh 7:17  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

7. Be willing to surrender your own ideas to the truth of God’s word.
Pro 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

8. Do not listen to the voice of any counselor who attempts to dissuade you from doing what the Bible clearly teaches.
Pro 19:27  Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

9. All truth leads us closer to Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. Seek Jesus in every subject you are studying. Ask, “How can this topic lead me still closer to Jesus”.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Luk 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Mat 7:11  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Psa 65:2  O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.

Mar 11:23,24  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

2. Be sure your life is surrendered to His will. Be willing to surrender anything not in harmony with His will.

1Jo 5:14, 15  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

3. Bring to Him everything which troubles you or concerns you in any way.

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Psa 55:22  Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

4. Mingle praise, gratitude and thanksgiving with all your prayers.

Phi 1:4  Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

Col 3:15-17  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

5. The purpose of prayer is to lead us into oneness with the mind of God and the deepest fellowship with Him.

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Eph 3:16-19  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

6. God invites you to find a quiet place to pray and seek Him each day with your whole heart.

Mar 1:35  And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

7. Learn to pray aloud where only God can hear you.

Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Luk 11:1  And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

8. Record God’s answers and rehearse His blessings.

Deu 8:2  And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

1Ch 16:12  Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1Ti 2:3-5 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

2. Acknowledge that you are a sinner, lost without Jesus Christ.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

3. Accept that salvation is a gift offered freely through Jesus. It is not something to be “earned” by righteous deeds or good works.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Rom 3:24-27 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

4. Repent of any known sins, confessing them to Jesus.

Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

5. Believe that God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. As you surrender your life to Jesus, you are forgiven and accepted. The gift of eternal life is yours by faith.

Eph 1:4-7 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: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

1Jo 5:11-13 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

6. Since you are now Christ’s child, His precious possession, He will begin to work miraculous changes in your life through His Holy Spirit.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

7. Our loving Savior has pledged to guide us from earth to heaven. You may fall but remember He is there to pick you up and get you started on the road to heaven again.

Jesus warns us of false teachers and prophets.

2. (Joh 8:32 KJV)  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Truth in and through Jesus sets us free.

3. Some identifying marks of Cults:

A. Identifying feature #1
Cults usually have a single, powerful human leader who become the cult’s messiah.
Psa 146:3  Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

Jesus is the sole source of our salvation.
Isa 45:22  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

B. Identifying feature #2
The cult leader’s word, or his teachings, become absolute truth.

Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

C. Identifying feature #3
Each cult uses “pressure” tactics to coerce its members into submission
Jos 24:15  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Rev 22:17  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.

D. Identifying feature #4
Each cult denies the central truth of the gospel that Jesus is the divine Son of God
Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

E. Identifying feature #5
Cults often urge their “converts” to leave their families.
1Co 7:13  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
1Co 7:14  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

4. (2Th 2:10-12 KJV)  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Many will be deceived because they did not recieve the truth.

5. (Joh 14:6 KJV)  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When we discover the way of salvation, He leads us into His truth so we can discover His way of life.

6. (Joh 12:35 KJV) Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

Our only safety is to walk in the light of His Word as He reveals it.

Psa 119:105  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

In John 14:1-3, Jesus states that He is preparing a place for us and will come to take us where He is. 1 Thess 4:16,17 reveals we shall be caught up to meet Him in the sky. Matt 16:27 declares that Jesus will come with the glory of the angels to give His eternal rewards. 2 Thess. 1:7,8 adds when Jesus comes with His angels, He shall come in flaming vengeance and destruction upon the wicked. According to Jer. 25:33, the slain of the Lord will be from one end of the earth to another with no one to bury them. Jer. 4:23-27 concludes that “no man” lives on this desolate earth during the 1000 years. Rev. 20:1,2 adds that Satan is bound by a chain of circumstances in the “bottomless pit” or abyss. The Greek word abussos is the same word used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament for “without form and void.” In Gen 1:2, when God spoke the world into existence, it was without form and void, a darkened, desolate, abyss of nothingness until God immediately separated the dry land, and then created a new world full of life. Again the earth will be reduced to nothingness. Sin will be destroyed. Out of the abyss of the old world, God will create a marvelously beautiful new world (2 Pet. 3:13, Rev. 21:1-5)

Jesus’ promise to return.

2. (Act 1:9-11 KJV) And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

This same Jesus which you have seen go into heaven shall so come in like manner.

3. (1Th 4:16,17 KJV) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The righteous dead will be resurrected and along with the righteous living ascend to meet Jesus in the sky.

4. (Joh 5:28,29 KJV) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

There will be two resurrections, the resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation.

5. (2Th 1:8 KJV) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

The wicked will be destroyed when Jesus returns.

6. (Rev 19:11-21 KJV) 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. 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. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

As conquering King leading the armies of heaven Jesus will redeem His people. The wicked or unrighteous will be destroyed by the brightness of His glory.

7. (Rev 20:1,2 KJV) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Satan will be bound for 1000 years.

8. (2Pe 2:4 KJV) 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;

The chains are chains of darkness. Satan is bound on a desolate earth with no one to tempt.

9. (Rev 20:1 KJV) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

The Greek word for bottomless pit is “without form and void” (See also Gen 1:2)

Gen 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep…

10. (Jer 4:23-26 KJV) I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

The earth is desolate (with out form and void) with no one inhabiting it.

11. (Jer 25:33 KJV) And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

The slain of the Lord shall not be buried.

12. (Rev 20:4 KJV) 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.

The righteous dwell with God in heaven for 1000 years. Sitting on thrones, they participate in Judgement.

13. (1Co 6:2 KJV) 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?

The saints shall judge the world.

14. (Rev 20:5 KJV) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

(First part) The resurrection of the wicked to receive their final reward occurs after the 1000 years.

15. (Rev 20:7 KJV) And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Satan is loosed out of his prison to lead the resurrected wicked in a final attack against God.

16. (Rev 20:9 KJV) 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.

Satan and his evil hosts are finally, completely destroyed.

17. (Rev 21:1-3 KJV) 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. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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 creates a beautiful new world.

In 2 Cor. 5:1-11, Paul contrasts the earthly perishable body subject to sickness, diseases, and death with the glorious, eternal, immortal body which God has prepared for us in the heavens. The expression “absent from the body” means absent from the mortal body with its earthly infirmities. The expression present with the Lord means present in the glorious immortal body received at Jesus second coming. 2 Cor. 5:4 gives us a clue when the apostle longs for “mortality to be swallowed up of life.”  These words echo the words Paul wrote earlier in 1 Cor 15:51-54, “we shall put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.” In 2 Cor. 5 as well as 1 Cor. 15, Paul longs for the immortality bestowed at Jesus’ Second Coming (See also 2 Tim. 4:6-8).

2. If the dead are asleep, how could the Witch of Endor bring the prophet Samuel back from the dead to speak to King Saul (1 Sam. 28:15)?

There are three important facts to observe about this story:

A. God’s clear command through the entire Old Testament period was that spiritualists be driven out of the land of Israel and be put to death. The word of God unmasks all spiritualism as the work of demonic, satanic forces (see Deut. 18:10-15, Isa 47:13,14).

B. Saul had already rejected the prophet Samuel’s counsel. He had inquired of God and received no answer (1 Sam 28:6). The specific reason Saul sought out the Witch of Endor was because he received no answer from the Lord. What Saul saw was not Samuel. Notice carefully the Bible declares the witch saw “gods ascending out of the earth” verse 13, and Saul “perceived” he saw Samuel. (1 Sam. 28:14). Since the “dead know not anything” (Eccl. 9:5), Satan masquerades as the form of dead loved ones imitating both their forms and voices (Rev. 16:14).

C. The ultimate result of Saul’s visit to the Witch of Endor was not repentance, confession of sin and life  but despair, discouragement and death (1 Sam. 28:16,20,21, 31:3,34,9,10). Deceived by Satan, he surrendered his soul to demons.

3. Doesn’t Paul imply that an individual goes directly to heaven at death by stating that he “desires to depart and be with Christ” and “death is gain” (Phil 1:21,23)?

The Bible does not contradict itself. Paul doesn’t state one thing in one place and another someplace else. The apostle is clear. At the Second Coming of Jesus, the righteous dead are resurrected to receive their eternal reward (1 Thess 4:16,17, 1 Cor 15:51-54). In Phil 3:20,21 the apostle points out that “our citizenship is in heaven from whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it might be fashioned like His glorious body.” Again his desire is the Second Coming of our Lord. Writing to his friend, Timothy, the apostle declares from this same Roman prison, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing” (2 Tim 4:7,8). Paul longed for the return of Jesus when he would see his Lord face to face and be ushered into eternity. Yes, death is gain! For the apostle it meant freedom from the pain of a weary body, deliverance from the bondage of a Roman prison, and security from the temptation of Satan. To Paul, death was a sleep with no passage of time. The next event after closing his eyes in the sleep of death was “to depart and be with Christ.” Since there is no conscious passage of time from death to the Second Coming, for Paul, death meant closing his eyes in sleep and waking up to be with his Lord.

4. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man goes immediately to hell and Lazarus to heaven. How do you explain this parable if the dead are sleeping (Lk 16:19-31)?

It’s important to notice this is a parable. It is the fifth in a series of parables. (the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost boy (Lk 15), and the unjust steward (Lk 16:1-11). Parables are designed to teach great moral principles. Each feature of the parable is not to be taken literally. For example, we do not all have wool and four feet like sheep. We are not metal like a silver coin. The question in each parable is what are the great moral lessons. We get in deep trouble if we attempt to take each detail of the parable literally rather than seek the lesson Jesus is trying to teach. Let’s assume that the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a literal story. Do people actually have conversations between heaven and hell? Can those in heaven see people burning in hell? Can they hear their screams? Do souls actually have fingers and tongues described in the parable? Abraham must have a large bosom to contain all the individuals who go there? To take the parable literally is to create huge problems. Heaven would be a terrible place if we beheld the constant, ever present suffering of our friends. Why did Jesus use this story? What lessons was He trying to teach? The Jews had a common story describing death as passing through a valley of darkness picturing salvation as fleeing to the security of Abraham’s bosom and eternal loss going to destruction. Jesus used this story to teach three lessons. First, the Jews believed riches were a sign of God’s favor and poverty a sign of His displeasure. In the story, the rich man who the Jews thought was blessed of God ends up in hell and the poor man in heaven. Jesus reversed the expected outcome.

A. Riches gained by greed, dishonesty or oppressing the poor are not a sign of God’s favor at all.

B. The parable describes a great gulf fixed. Jesus clearly communicated that there is no second chance after death. The decision made in life determines our eternal destiny.

C. Jesus points out that if the Pharisees rejected the clear teachings of God’s word regarding salvation, they would also reject such a mighty, supernatural spectacular miracle as one rising from the dead.

The Jews were always asking Jesus for a sign. He gave them the greatest sign. A short while later, He raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:11-14, 43, 44). As the result, the Jews became threatened and attempted to kill Lazarus (Jn 12:10). They also became so angry at Jesus – they were so deceived that they plotted to destroy Jesus as well. They had read the Bible with a veil over their eyes. (2 Cor. 3:14-16) They had failed to understand that “all the scriptures” testify of Jesus (Jn 5:39). When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they did not believe. His words in Lk 16:31 were prophetic: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.” What an appeal! What an urgent warning. Scripture is our final authority. Jesus used a popular Jewish story to illustrate this powerful truth, thus all the Bible harmonizes beautifully.

5. What does Rev 6:9-11 mean when it describes the souls under the alter crying with a loud voice saying “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood?”

Personification is a common Biblical method of describing situations with symbolic language. After Cain killed Abel, the Lord said to Cain, “the voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground” (Gen 4:10). Was Abel’s blood really speaking? No! Not literally. The language communicates God’s faithful loving, tender concern for His martyr Abel and Cain’s accountability for his sinful act. According to Heb 12:24, “The blood of Jesus speaks better things than that of Abel.” It communicates forgiveness, mercy, and redemption. Certainly the blood of Jesus is not literally speaking. The language communicates God’s message of redemption. In Rev. 6, God clearly communicates that He has not forgotten His faithful martyrs through the centuries. Their blood symbolically cries out for God to bring justice upon their persecutors and to reward the faithful ones with eternity. In the Bible, the word soul often means “person or people” (Rom 13:1, Ezek 18:4, Acts 27:37). It also means life (see Heb. 13:17, 1 Pet. 4:19, Matt 10:28). Thus Rev. 6:9 could read, “the lives of those people martyred for Jesus, symbolically like Abel’s blood, cry out from the ground for justice.” There will be a final judgement and God Himself will set all things right!

6. Is the soul immortal?

The Bible uses the word “soul” approximately 1600 times and never once uses the expression “immortal soul”. The word mortal means subject to death. The word immortal means not subject to death. The Bible expressly states “The soul that sinneth it shall die” (Ezek. 18:4). Jesus declared that both the body and the soul could be destroyed in hell (Matt 10:28). Immortality is an attribute of Divinity. Only God is naturally immortal (1 Tim 6:15,16). Satan’s first lie in the Garden of Eden was regarding death. The evil one stated that the effect of disobedience was not death but life. He said, “you shall not surely die” (Gen 3:4). God’s word says, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Death is the absence of life. Sin brings forth not eternal life in hell, but total, absolute, banishment from the presence of God by annihilation. The Bible is clear. Man is mortal (Job 4:17). We seek for immortality as a gift from our Lord at His Second Coming (1 Cor 15:51-54). Sinners receive their eternal reward as well. “Sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death (Jas. 1:15). The choice then is between eternal life and eternal death.

7. What does Peter mean when he talks about Christ preaching to the spirits in prison (1 Pet. 3:19)?

To understand this text it is necessary to read the entire passage (1 Pet 3:18-22). Verse 18 reveals that Jesus the divine Son of God who was put to death for our sins was “made alive” through the power of the Holy Spirit. Verse 19 makes a transition and declares that it was by this same Holy Spirit that Christ spoke to the spirits in prison. When did he preach to these spirits in prison? Who are the spirits in prison? Verse 20 tells us! In the days of Noah, the hearts of men and women were only evil continually. They were in bondage to evil spirits. The same Holy Spirit which raised Jesus from literal death appealed to men and women possessed by evil spirits who were spiritually dead in the days of Noah to bring them to spiritual life. The Spirit of Christ spoke through the prophet preaching the gospel to men and women trapped in spiritual prisons (1 Pet 1:10-12). The mighty power of the Spirit opens the prison of sin so the captives go free (Isa 61:1). 1 Pet 3:21 makes the illustration even clearer. The experience of the flood is likened to baptism. Just as the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from death to life, just as the Holy Spirit led Noah’s family into the ark, preserving them from death and leading them to life, so the Holy Spirit works awakening spiritual life, convicting men and women of sin, providing power for a changed life and leading them through the waters of baptism. In Noah’s day, the Spirit led men and women from death to life. Today the Spirit delivers men and women from Spiritual prisons leading them from death to life – all because of the mighty power of the resurrected Christ.

8. What does the Bible teach about re-incarnation?

Re-incarnation is based upon two premises, neither of which are true. First: human beings purify themselves through their own righteous acts. Second: There is an immortal soul which survives bodily death. The Bible teaches that salvation is through faith in Christ. (Eph 2:8, Rom 3:24-31) Death is a sleep until the glorious resurrection (1 Thess 4:15,16, 1 Cor 15:51,54). There is no second chance after death (Heb. 9:27). Now is the time for salvation (2 Cor 6:2).