Matthew 8:12 (NKJV)
"But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The sons of what kingdom?
Israel.
But not just Israel. Remember. We have the other nations that served idol gods. Then and now.
Billions of people that have rejected God, are condemned, and they're crying.
There's more people in hell than in heaven.
Don't thin so?
Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV) “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."
Sin is what they've loved more than God, righteousness, holiness, purity, and His law.
John 3:18-21 (NKJV) “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Proverbs 26:10 (NKJV)
"The great God who formed everything
Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages."
Romans 6:23 (NKJV)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The rich man and Lazarus is a real story. In Luke 16, the Lord begins by saying."There was a certain rich man...."
It's evident that the rich man was at the edge of hell and Abraham and Lazarus was on the other side of Hades, on the non-torment side called Abraham's bosom.
The rich man requested that Abraham send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his tongue because he was "tormented in this flame."
Notice the word "tormented" from Strong's Concordance.....
g3600. ὀδυνάω odynaō; from 3601; to grieve: — sorrow, torment.
AV (4) - sorrow 2, torment 2;
to cause intense pain
to be in anguish,
be tormented to torment or distress one's self.
Now some will argue that I'm adding to the condition of hell, but look at the Scripture that the Lord spoke, and look at what the rich man said that he was experiencing.
What's "weeping and gnashing of teeth" and what's "tormented in this flame?"
Notice the word "weeping."
g2805. κλαυθμός klauthmos; from 2799; lamentation: — wailing, weeping, x wept.
AV (9) - weeping 6, wailing 2, weep 1;
weeping, lamentation.
What's the cause of the rich man's torment?
The flame.
How do people show their emotions if they were burning?
The pain is intense and the normal or natural reaction of people is to cry out because the pain is excruciating.
As a side note, the word "excruciate" is from a 16th century Latin word "excruciare" that means crux or cross. The intense pain that Christ experienced was the cross.
Now notice the word "gnashing."
g1030. βρυγμός brygmos; from 1031; a grating (of the teeth): — gnashing.
AV (7) - gnashing 7;
a gnashing of teeth used to denote extreme anguish and utter despair of men consigned to eternal punishment in hell.
snarling, growling: in the sense of biting.
Mind you that the rich man's body is buried but in hell, he has all of his faculties, personality, emotions, and his intellect. Which underscores that the spirit and soul of man is more real than the physical man.
The physical body was just an earthly vehicle or container but the life that the Lord breathed into Adam is what gave life to the container or body. In other words, your body gets its expression from the spirit and soul of man, from God.
Therefore, the spirit and the soul of man, when it's detached from the body, it'll still be able to experience pain in hell but those that are justified by faith in Christ will express joy unspeakable of the bliss in heaven.
Yes, even in heaven, man will have the full use of his faculties with the exception of bodily functions. Also remember that the Lord, in His resurrected Body, ate fish and bread before the disciples. During the last supper, the Christ mentioned that He would not drink of the vine till everything is new in the kingdom of God.
Mark 14:25 (NKJV)
Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
In heaven, we'll be able to cry, express joy, and have the ability to know everyone's names without asking.
Remember on the Mount of Transfiguration that Moses (without his body) and Elijah (in his body) were present?
The world wants us to believe that when a person dies that it's over.
Proverbs 23:18 (NKJV)
"For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off."
The wicked will scream in agony. Just imagine the screams of billions of people all at once. It must be deafening.
At this time, hell isn't and will never be full. It's boundaries is ever expanding because the number of the wicked isn't full.
Proverbs 27:20 (NKJV)
"Hell and Destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied."
That's why we warn the wicked, because the Lord has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Lord Jesus Christ (see Acts 7:30-31).
The wrath of God in the lake of fire burning with brimstone, is eternal.
They'll cry in agony with no relief for all eternity.
It's forever.
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