“And many of those who sleep (a euphemism for those who have died) in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2)
Imagine you’re reading a book and come upon a page marked full of zeroes, beginning with the number 1. Let’s just pretend that the full number is 1 followed by perhaps 300 zeroes. I don’t know if there is a name for that kind of number (perhaps gazillion)? Are you still with me? Now let’s make this number to be an amount of years. And here’s the point: this number would represent the introduction to the beginning and/or preface for the years of eternity! [This reminds me of the Carpenter’s song-title, “and we’ve only just begun”]!
I think I can demonstrate from the Bible that eternity is not lived in a vacuum, but is a succession of never-ending time (notice the designations for time in such passages as:
Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” (Ezekiel 47:12)
Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). (Revelation 21:25)
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:2)
Now, when we come to the Book of Daniel (and several New Testament Books), we find that there will be at least 2 resurrections: one to eternal life and another to eternal separation from God, including His wrath and excluding any kind of hope! One life will be lived fully and abundantly for ever and ever. The other “life” (separation from God) will be an existence of utter misery and regrets (just read Luke 16:19-31)!
This wonderful place we call “Heaven” is reserved for those who have placed their faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The other place we commonly refer to as “Hell” is reserved for all unbelievers of all times. And here’s “the kicker:” Heaven has gates (that some have speculated will give believers access to visit the universe), while Hell has no exit doors!
All of this (and more), begs the question, where will YOU spend eternity? I believe the Word of God that proclaims His creation of both real locations! “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31)!
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