2nd State of Man- Intermediate State
1 John 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[a] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
1.What is the Nature of the Intermediate State- Present Heaven and Present Hell
2.What is Life like in the Intermediate State – the 2nd Stage of mankind
DIAGRAM
1.What is the Nature of the Intermediate State- Present Heaven and Present Hell
Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above[a] proclaims his handiwork.
Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
and because he is strong in power,
not one is missing.
2 Corinthians 12:2-3
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—
Psalm 16:10
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.[a]
Revelation 9:1-2
And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.[a] 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
Revelation 20:14
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
“Scientists at Yale, Princeton, and Stanford, among others, claim that there are 10 unobservable dimensions and likely an infinite number of imperceptible universes. If this is what leading scientists believe, why should anyone feel self-conscious about believing in one unobservable dimension, a realm containing angels and Heaven and Hell?” Randy Alcorn
Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Acts 7:55-56
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
2 Kings 6:17
Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lordopened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
John 14:2-3
In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[a] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
2.What is Life like in the Intermediate State – the 2nd Stage of mankind?
Luke 16:22-23
The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.[a] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
Luke 16:24-27
And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—
“Surely Jesus intended us to envision both Heaven and Hell as real places where there are real people who came from earth. Every one of these teachings is directly or indirectly suggested in other passages- but none is at graphically or memorably as this one.”
Revelation 6:9
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.
Hebrews 12:23
and to the assembly[a] of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
Revelation 6:10-11
They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers[a] should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
1.We will RECOGNIZE and REUNITE with believers who have gone before us
Luke 9:30-33
And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,[a] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
Matthew 8:11
I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
2.We will PARTICIPATE in magnificent WORSHIP with Angels and Believers
Revelation 4:9-11
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
State of TORMENT
State of CONFINEMENT
State of PUNISHMENT
State of ISOLATION
2 Peter 2:9
then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,[a] and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
Matthew 25:46
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
2 Thessalonians 1:9
They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from[a] the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
Matthew 13:50
and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luke 23:39-42
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[a] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
JESUS, The MAN in the MIDDLE CROSS said I could COME
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.