Beloved, let us go to the Lord in prayer. Dear Lord, thank you for this opportunity. And I do pray that you will bless your word going forth wherever it is around the world. Pray that you will do so today in this most important subject that we'll be in. work your will, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. In just a bit we're going to be in Revelation chapter 20 for the final judgment that's recorded in scripture. We're going to get there by means of Isaiah chapter 24 and you are welcome to follow along. Some of these verses are going to be familiar to you. And I know when I hear people's testimonies here and seeing God work in their lives over the years I know a lot of the people who are listening here in our congregation Are already saved and you do not need convincing about the existence of hell The reality of hell because that's where we're going eventually in Revelation 20. We'll be going to the great white throne judgment the last judgment recorded in Scripture But it's sad as part of the world that we live in, and even quote the Christian world. If you do surveys, and God does not do surveys, but if you do surveys of what is considered the evangelical world, the number of people who deny the existence of hell is growing rapidly. Now, beloved, you take away the existence of hell. You take away the need for the gospel. You take away the urgency of the gospel. You give people some kind of false sense of hope that they're going to end up in heaven based off something other than the saving salvation that's found in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so maybe today, the verses that we use, if you're saved, maybe today will be something that God puts upon your heart. That God will bring somebody into your path, or maybe there's already a family member that you're burdened with. And maybe this will give, hopefully, a better biblical answer. So even starting with this, because back in Isaiah chapter 24, verses that we have seen before, So it will come about, Isaiah 24, 21, so it will happen in that day. Now, of course, this is not a 24-hour period day. will happen in that day that the Lord will punish the hosts of heaven on high. That is Satan and the bad angels. That's Satan and the demons. The good angels of God never do anything where they need punishment. But in Isaiah 24 verse 21, the Lord will punish the hosts of heaven on high and the kings of the earth on earth. They'll be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon. They'll be confined in prison. After many days, they will be punished. Now what Isaiah 24 verses 21 and 22, this is the initial arresting, so to speak. This is the initial subduing of Satan and the demons and the humans who stand against Jesus when Jesus returns in Revelation 19. But it's not going to be the ultimate judgment that we'll see that will take place in Revelation chapter 20. There is an initial judgment, there is a long period of time where they are imprisoned, and then there is a final part of that imprisonment that is found out later today in Revelation chapter 20. And you don't have to turn there, but I know that you know this, or those who have read your Bible quite a bit. For instance, in Matthew chapter 8, verse 29, the gathering demoniac, the one that said legion, Because we are many. Could have been thousands of demons in that one individual. But the demoniac runs up to Jesus and the demons want to know. Have you come to torment us before that day? Before what day? Before the ultimate day of judgment. This is the temporary arrest in Isaiah chapter 21, what they're talking about, 24 rather, verse 21. That's the original arrest. They are going to be set apart And then after a long time they are going to be judged and so that what the gathering demonic was worried about Is this the day what will later become revelation 20 is this the day? That you are going to judge us Now we know also Versus you're familiar with a verse you're familiar where in James chapter 2 verse 19 Demons believe and they shudder. Demons believe and they tremble. They believe what? That Jesus has the authority, that Jesus has not just the right to do this. He's going to do this. This is not a maybe, this is not an if, this is not anything other than the predetermined will for counsel of God. This is what is going to take place. That the hosts of heaven on high are going to be judged, and those who are on earth when Jesus returns are going to be judged. So what we have seen in Revelation 19 and 20, we have seen in Revelation 19 the heavens are open and Jesus returns in judgment mode. We see him with attributes of God displayed in Revelation 19, the eyes of fire, that type of description of Jesus. He comes back from in judgment mode, he ceases having the incarnation mode that he has earlier in the Gospels. Now all of his enemies, spiritual and human, will cease their free movement and activity. When he comes back in Revelation 19, when he comes back in Revelation 20, we have seen the humans who are opposed to him, that they are killed at his return. We have seen that generally where it says that there are spirits, if you're a human and you die and you're waiting the final judgment, you go to Hades. I don't know from Isaiah chapter 24 verse 21, it says they're going to be gathered together. It could be for the ones who are killed at Jesus's return, the human beings. There may be that God goes right into the abyss, you go waiting for the final judgment. Or it could be that the abyss, where generally spirits are held in Hades, where human spirits are held, are so close together. Maybe they are, during this time, just put together by Jesus. I don't know. Whether he keeps the spiritual beings, Satan and the demons, off by themselves, and those in Hades waiting by themselves at the return, as they're gathered together. So I don't know. We'll let him work all that stuff out. But we have seen already the Antichrist and the False Prophet have a resurrected body by the time Jesus returns in Revelation chapter 19. The Antichrist is not killed. The False Prophet is not killed. They are thrown alive into the lake of fire. We've seen in Revelation 20 verses 1 through 3 that Satan will be sealed and put in the abyss 4,000 years. and not able to deceive the nations. We have seen in Revelation 20 verses 4 through 6 the dead in Christ during the tribulation come to life, they reign with Him. Those who received their resurrected bodies by that time. We have seen the final rebellion and there's no battle, there's only the release in Revelation chapter 20 because after all promises about the Messiah. When the Messiah reigns there will be no end to peace. When the Messiah reigns in Jerusalem, we'll never again be plucked up or overthrown anymore, forever. And so there can't be a battle, there can't be an end to peace, there's only the release of those, the final rebellion. And then that next part is where we are, we'll be coming to in just a bit, is the Great White Throne Judgment. And the last part, again, last judgment is found in the Bible. Now after this, and where we'll start next week, Lord willing, is we'll start in heaven. But today we end up where those who are going to be sentenced to hell. And so by this time, by the time we come to Revelation 20 at the end of this, by this time all the people who will be saved will already have been saved by this time. By the time we come to the Great White Throne Judgment, everyone lost will be lost forever. There's no more offer of salvation ever again. And literally, there is no hope for anybody who ends up headed towards the great white throne judgment. But I thought as far as biblically with this, before going to Revelation chapter 20 for the last part of this final judgment, I thought maybe just some biblical verses for who is going to be at the Great White Throne Judgment and why they are going to be there. And again, if you're saved, maybe this will help you. John Hughes mentioned in the prayer time in Sunday School, a lot of people here, most of the people here, work in the secular world. Here, you are united by like-minded believers. In the secular world, you have all kinds of things. You have people who say, there is no hell. You have people who say, I'm automatically going to heaven. You have people who say, I'm going to live my life, and after I die, nothing's going to happen. And so Matthew chapter 7, let's get some of the words of Jesus and what he has to say about hell. In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 7, If you ever run into anyone who says that Jesus never claimed to be God, he does early in the ministry. The Sermon on the Mount is one of the earliest things that is recorded about the initial ministry of Jesus. And notice how personal he makes this. Matthew chapter 7 verses 21 through 23. Not everyone who says, and look what he says, to me. He doesn't say, not everyone who says to God the Father. He says, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. And look what Jesus says, verse 22, many will say to me. Not to God the Father, many will say to me. And look where he says that's going to occur on that day. On what day? on that day when the final judgment is about to occur, and that day that we'll get to in Revelation chapter 20. This is the same day that the process starts in Isaiah chapter 24, but this is a series of events. Takes out his enemy, puts him in prison, spiritually speaking, has the millennial kingdom, has all these events take place. Final rebellion. and then that day. Now again, you'd have to go back to the downloads if you weren't here with us. We're not talking about people who are saved. We're not talking about the church. We're not talking about, all we're talking about here are people who are going to be at the Great White Throne Judgment. And this is some of the scariest verses for me in all of scripture. Here are people, many are going to say to me, Jesus says, on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy? Look what they did in your name. and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform any miracles. These people, not only are they not unbelievers, these people are involved, quote, in ministry activities. And they bring up, look what I did. Did I not do this? Now you have been with us, you understand that there is nobody saved by works righteousness. And there's none righteous, no not one, and there is nobody that does not stand before God with a righteousness obtained from anywhere other than the righteousness that he gives us. And these are people in their own eyes who are righteous. These are people who are religious. These are people, as far as they're concerned, they're waking up in Hades and they're going, how did that happen? And they had the great white throne judgment. But Jesus says, again, these are good verses. He has to be God. If this is true, He has to be God. He's already been crucified. He says, many are going to say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, do we not do this? Jesus will say, verse 23, I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, not you who do good work, not you who do religious activity, not you who do good things enough to make your way straight to heaven. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. And so later Jesus says, over to Matthew chapter 25, verses you are familiar to, kind of we do our biblical trail over to Revelation. When the king returns, he separates the sheep from the goats. This is his return to earth that we have seen in chapter 20 of Revelation. But verse 41, for the wide growing number of seminaries and universities, and again, do your surveys. If you survey, quote, the evangelical world, and how many people believe that hell exists, a very high number. believe that it does not exist. Now somebody's right and somebody's wrong. You're either going to believe what God's word says or you're going to come up with a substitute. I have not been to heaven, I have not been to hell, you have to have somebody else's testimony. Now you're either going to believe academic scholars to deny the inspiration of scripture, you're either going to believe a group survey, or you are going to believe the words of the second member of the Godhead. He says in verse 41, then he will also say to those on his left, depart from me, accursed ones. Then two, and here's the description of hell that Jesus gives. The eternal fire, and here's the original purpose for hell. which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. That is the original preparation, the original purpose for hell. When Satan and the demons rebelled, whenever that was, and history passed, the Godhead made a place. They knew they were going to be put there in Revelation 20. They knew that this was part of God's sovereign plan. But for people who say they are Christians, they do not believe in hell, I mean, how do you know? For instance, the same one who just talked about hell is the one who says, in heaven I go to prepare a place for you. And both times he uses the word prepare. He prepares hell, he prepares heaven. How do you know that? He's telling the truth with heaven. I mean, it's more logical not to believe any of it than to believe little smidgens of it. You cannot have the gospel of Jesus, you cannot have Jesus speaking without the reality of hell being there. And it is removed temporarily, it is covered over temporarily, it is tried to make nicer, and it doesn't... Beloved, it is what it is in scripture. It is eternal. And it already has been prepared. It is somewhere out there in the creations of God. And so, for this, as we're working our way over to Revelation, if you will, over to John chapter 5, some other people, just, again, people who are going to end up at the Great White Throne Judgment, You have the religious people who look to their work's righteousness in Matthew 7. You have anybody else we'll see in the other categories, for instance, coming up in John chapter 5. Just to kind of get the context for what he is saying, in verse 17, they're all, these are critics against him, trying to find ways where they can trap him. But Jesus said in John 5 verse 17, he answered them, he says, my father is working until now, and I myself am working. Look at the response in verse 18, for this cause, therefore the Jews, the unbelieving Jews, were seeking all the more to kill him. So we know ahead of time they were seeking to kill him, and this just really put gasoline on the fire. And here's why they want to kill him. Because not only was he breaking the Sabbath by healing someone, and he did not break the Sabbath, but also he was calling God his own father, making himself equal with God. Now, if there was ever a time for Jesus to say, no, no, you've got this wrong. I never claimed to be that. He takes the rest of chapter five. And there's point after point after point after point after point after point, I'm God. In fact, verses we are familiar with, if you have been with us a while, John 5, 22, for not even the Father judges anyone. But He, the Father, has given all judgment to the Son. That's why we will find Jesus on the throne in Revelation 20, because the Father has given all judgment to Him. That's why we call for the reward seed, the bane of seed of Christ, because that the second member of the Godhead is the one that carries out all the judgment. But look at what he presents as well. We're not going to do all of this, but verses 25 through 29. "'Truly, truly, I say to you, "'an hour is coming and now is when the dead "'shall hear the voice of the Son of God, "'and those who hear shall live. "'For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave authority, or gave to the Son also, to have life in Himself. John 5, 27, He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. If you mark your Bibles, beloved, verse 28, and not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tomb shall hear His voice. And shall come forth those who did good deeds to a resurrection of life and committed evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. The good deeds are evidence of the salvation. The bad deeds are evidence of the lack of salvation. Now you've got two options with this. He is 100% true or he is 100% false. He is either God in the flesh His voice can speak the authoritative word, and everybody who has ever died, from back in Genesis all the way to the end of Revelation, all, the redeemed, unredeemed, are going to hear His voice. Now, we know from Scripture that He will already by this time, the other information, we'll put it this way, other information later given in the Bible, give the details about the church, gives details about the rapture, about the dead in Christ being raised first. All of that is later on in scripture, in the early part or later part of the ministry of Jesus. In John chapter 5, he is saying, I have authority given to me that when I speak, I'm going to call people out of the grave. Now we're going to see that's exactly what takes place at the great white throne judgment for the unsaved. And so everybody who is lost is currently separated from Jesus in prison, so to speak, whether they are spiritual beings or whether they are human beings where their spirits are there. But Jesus says, I am going to call them. And so everybody is going to be called out by him one way or the other. And the reason that he is is because the Father has given all judgment to him. Beloved, let's see some others who are sadly going to be in Hades waiting for the Great White Throne Judgment. Over to John chapter 8. John chapter 8. verses 31 and we're just going to do a few verses and we're going to back up. So in John 8 31, Jesus therefore was saying to the Jews who had believed in him, if you abide in my word then you are truly disciples of mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. We have seen this before. People quote, you should know the truth, the truth shall set you free, without the first part. You have to be a believer in him, you have to be a disciple of him, and if you are abiding in his word, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. But you can't have that promise without the first part being there. I'm going to turn to another passage of scripture right after this. If you're tracking with me scripturally, I'm going to come back to John 8. We've got to look at this. This is one of the all-time great stupid things said and recorded in scripture. I'm glad God does not reveal all the stupid things that I say. I don't even know what my top 100 would be. But I am sure in my lifetime of the stupid things I have said, Oh, praise God for the covering of the Lord Jesus Christ's blood sacrifice. But this is absolutely stupid. John chapter 8, when he says, the truth shall set you free, verse 32, look how they answer. These are Jewish people. They answered, we are Abraham's offspring, and we have never been enslaved to anyone. Really all right now. Hey, I'm coming back to John 8 Genesis chapter 15 Now what they're doing they're looking at their religious I mean they're looking at the Jewish heritage and they're saying based on the Jewish heritage that we have as Abraham's children Never been a slave to anybody All right now in Genesis 15 and Abrahamic Covenant when that's being ratified God said Genesis 15 verses 13 and following then God said to Abram Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs Where they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years But I will judge the nation whom they will serve and afterwards they will come out with many possessions when you go to Exodus 1 and 2 you find this coming true just as God said that it would come true and as the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrews. They call it the Babylonian exile. They did not call it the Babylonian vacation. And so for these morons, back to John chapter eight. All right, so we're children of Abraham. We've never been enslaved by anyone. All right, so which part's true? You have either never read the scriptures, you don't believe the scriptures, Or you're really not the children of Abraham, and that's the answer. We're Abraham's children? And we've never been enslaved by anybody? And in the giving of the Abrahamic Covenant, God said you're going to be enslaved 400 years? I mean, that's just utterly, utterly, utterly stupid to hold that conviction. But let's go down a little bit more because this is very pertinent. It's real popular in our society, and I know that you know this. It's real popular in our society to say that there's no such thing as sin. To say, you know, we had a bad choice, had a bad day, just whatever it is. There is a propensity for people to call it anything else, but to call it what the Bible calls it. And here's what it says with sin. And so let's get to Moron's answer, verse 33, just so they'll get more credit for putting their account. We are Abraham's offspring. We've never been enslaved to anyone. Not to mention that Roman people are there. Anyway, I know all of that's by voluntary effort. And you say, how can we become free? Jesus answered them, verse 34. Truly, truly, I say to you, Everyone who commits sin and mark it well, beloved, is a slave of sin. Our culture says you can do whatever you want to and there are no consequences. You can do whatever you want to live your life in any way whatsoever and there is absolutely no promised judgment in the future. It doesn't matter if you're a Jew or a Gentile, many of us can give testimonies of God bringing us out of patterns of sin, not just the sins that we have committed, but different patterns of sin, different categories of sin. For some people, it's pornography. Whatever it is, enslaved to it. And not just the Jews, again, the Gentiles. A slave, verse 35, does not remain in the house forever. The son does remain forever, verse 36. It's therefore the son shall make you free. You shall be free indeed. And I know that you are Abraham's offspring, physically speaking. But here's the real problem. You seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. That's the core problem. That's the core issue involved with this. Now, one of two things happened with these particular people. Later on, at some point in their life, they received Jesus as the Lord, Savior, Messiah, and you'll see them again in heaven if you're saved. Or they died their death whenever they did individually with this. And everybody who died their death went to Hades awaiting that day. Awaiting the day of the great white throne judgment. We have brought this out from time to time over the years. It was the first sin, not the one billionth sin. The first sin separated Adam and Eve from true fellowship with God, from perfect fellowship with God. Sin kills, it always kills. Sin separates, it always separates. Adam and Eve, once they sinned, could not undo any sin that they had done. They had to have somebody stronger, they had to have someone cure, they had to have somebody who would end up breaking the bondage of sin. And beloved His name is Jesus Christ and He has done so and many of us can give praise and testimony that He has done just that. But it does not happen automatically, it does not happen by a spiritual osmosis, it does not happen that you kind of grow into this. He takes upon himself the sins that we have committed. He takes upon himself the wrath that is due for us. I always find Romans 1 just so convicting that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness, against all unlawlessness, against all sins. And so there is judgment, there is an accountability. And so with this, beloved, we now come to Revelation chapter 20 for the great white throne judgment. So Revelation chapter 20 verses 11 through 15. Look at what it says. Verse 11, I saw a great white throne. and him who sat upon it, from whose presence the earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. So in this part there is no earth, in this part there is no heaven. I know you've read ahead, Revelation 21, there's a new heavens and a new earth, so don't feel bad about this, this is a good thing actually. But there's no place on earth to hide, there is no place elsewhere that anybody else And look in verse 12, I saw the dead, the great and the small. Now, beloved, remember with us, anybody who is here is lost already. Anybody who is saved is elsewhere. Anybody who is saved is in heaven with Jesus. This is for only those who are lost. To anybody at the great white throne, judgment is not, come, let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, I'll make them white as snow. What the Great White Throne Judgment we will see is a very clear accounting of sins that have been committed. But when it says, I saw the dead, the great and the small in verse 12, and look what they were doing, standing before the throne. How did they get there? His voice called them there. Now this is looking, of course, into the future, but when this will take place. When Jesus said in John 5, the day is coming when all the dead will hear my voice. These are the dead human beings who have come out from the tomb by the authority of his voice. He has brought them there. There is not one dead who is escaping Antichrist and a false prophet. They get their judgment before anybody else, but anybody else who has lived and died outside to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And again, this is a really good one to use for people who want to be judged according to what they've done. I saw verse 12, the great and the small standing before the throne. The books was open, books were open rather. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead which is in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them. And they were judged, every one of them. according to their deeds. This is every thought, this is every word, this is every sinful activity, everywhere. Now God's got time for him to take as much time judgment-wise. I don't think there's going to be one sin that's committed that's not going to be read out loud from the books that God has for everybody. This is why we sing the songs that we do about Jesus. This is why we rejoice. This is why we do the Lord's Table. We deserve to be here. We deserve to have the same judgment that they will have passed on them. But if you are saved, you have a better sacrifice, you have a better high priest, you have a better offering, you have everything. that God has given us necessary for salvation. And if you do not have that, then anything else that you try to do religious-wise, filthy garments, religious-wise, in your name, then you'll be cast from His presence forever. Anybody who lives a lie, contrary, you have to be 100% holy in order to qualify for heaven. And since I am a sinner, I have to have that holiness given to me. And all these people at the Great War of Throne Judgment, they do not have a savior, they do not have a sacrifice, they do not have a high priest. They have a judge. These are going to be some of the people that is talked about in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. That they would not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. I bet the number of times they heard the gospel, where appropriate, will probably be brought up as well. And the number of times that somebody witnessed to them, that a family member did, that will be brought up as well. Or the time that they wouldn't take time to read the Bible on a business trip. All the things, whatever it is, excuse wise, whatever it is, people are going to be judged according to their deeds. And so in the end of verse 14 to 15, in death and Hades, we're thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone's name is not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Beloved for the overcomer promises for the church Jesus promises to confess our name before the father and One of the promises is that he will not erase our name from the book of life The book of life is he has everybody that's ever been born and those who are born again are still there At the great white throne judgment the others are stricken Now one of the things that we are not told is We don't know how much will the redeemed know about what's going on with the great white throne of judgment. And we don't know. And in Revelation chapter 14 where it talks about those who will receive the mark of the beast, they're going to spend eternity in hell. But it says in front of Jesus and his angels in Revelation 14. We're not told. God will tell us everything that he wants us to know. If he does tell us, we will see it with his holiness, with his vantage point. If we do know about it, we will view this as he does. It is, I think, telling. In Revelation 20 verses 11 through 15 for the Great White Throne Judgment, There's no reference about us being there at all as bystanders or anything So we don't know we'll find out when we get to heaven But beloved I thought we would start winding down this way We don't know some particulars, but there are things that we do know over to Luke chapter 16 In Luke chapter 16, this is an account that Jesus gives. This is obviously before or will be before the great white throne judgment. But the context for this, just to get one verse that sets the stage. In Luke chapter 16 verse 14, now the Pharisees who are lovers of money, We're listening to all these things and then look at the response that they did. They were scoffing at him. So he is giving them the word of God and they are scoffing at what he has to say. And what he has to say is not funny. What he has to say is not to be scoffed at. So in chapter 16 verse 19 there was a certain rich man And he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in the splendor every day. And there was a certain poor man named Lazarus who was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table. Besides, even the dogs, kind of like Job 1, were licking his sores, Job 1 and 2. Verse 22, it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. Now that's just a name for a good part of heaven, so to speak. There's a separation you'll see here, and I know that you've read it before. He was carried away in his bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And so the rich man, here he goes, in verse 23, and in Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment. Now, beloved, for the record with this, there is nothing wrong with being rich. There is nothing righteous with being poor. One of the most misquoted beatitudes, blessed are the poor. I've heard that on newscasts. I have heard that on people speaking different things. Blessed are the poor. They're left out in spirit, poor in spirit. And so for this, there is nothing wrong with having money. If God has blessed you with whatever it is, then you have an account to give before God with us. And all of us live as kings and queens compared to the vast majority of people in the world. So having money... You know what a rich person is? It's somebody who has two changes of clothing. Two changes of clothing. That, in a worldwide standard, is what is considered rich. And so for this, there's nothing against the rich, is how the rich use the money. Now in this case, the rich man did absolutely nothing in regard to Lazarus. And in this case, Lazarus obviously believed God's word. Because when Lazarus died, he's not in Hades, when Lazarus died, he's in the good part of whatever it is, Abraham's bosom. So in verse 23, and in Hades, the rich man lifted up his eyes, being in torment, And saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me. And said Lazarus, he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame." So we know Hades is a place of torment. We know that it is a place of flame. Now again, this is not the Great White Throne Judgment. This is the holding place for the lost until they go to the Great White Throne Judgment. So for the rich man, he has no second hope of salvation. For the rich man, he has no offer of salvation. Anyone who goes to Hades will end up at the Great White Throne Judgment and end up going into hell eternally. Now, it is quite evident that the rich man in Hades, he remembered Lazarus, it's very evident that he's able to speak, he's got language capacity. He's not at soul sleep, we'll put it that way, and he's not annihilated. He has gone from the earth into the spiritual realm. And he is in bondage and Hades, so he remembers Lazarus. And not that Abraham's the ultimate judge. Of course, these are the scoffers that Jesus is speaking to. But Jesus continues, verse 25, that Abraham said, Child, remember that during your life you received your good things and likewise Lazarus' bad things. But now He is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all of this, between us and you, there is a great chasm fixed in order that those who wish to come over from there to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us. Then He said, verse 27, I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father's house, look at the remembrance that the rich man of Hades has, verse 28, for I have five brothers, that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment. Now remember that Jesus is speaking to scoffers. Unless those scoffers end up getting saved in their lifetime, He is giving a detailed preview of where they are headed. And so to this place of torment, sin that they may warn them. But Abraham said, verse 29, they have Moses and the prophets. They have the twofold vision of the Old Testament. They have the entirety of the Old Testament. You could word it that way. They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. Very resonating with how the book of Revelation opens. Let them hear what Moses warns. Let them hear what the prophets warn. But he is talking to religious scoffers at this time. And so they've got Moses and they've got the prophets. Verse 30, but he, the rich man says, no, father Abraham. But if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. But he said to them, if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded. If someone rises from the dead, said the one who is the resurrection and the life, if one rises from the dead who was to be crucified in a few months and be raised from the dead, they would not believe even if they had the risen one among them. In this story, whatever it is, a depiction, and it's truthful whatever it is. There's a question back and forth among scholars whether this is a parable or not. Because it doesn't have the word parable in front of it. I don't know what it is, but I know this. The rich man exists, Lazarus exists, Hades exists, Jesus is not about to lie. This is a very graphic description, a somewhat graphic description of what takes place in Hades. I found it very fitting to that Jesus said they've got the self-help books or they've got victimology. They have, in a world that says there is no absolute truth, they have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear Moses and the prophets. Jesus says elsewhere in John chapter 5, if you believe Moses, you believe me. Moses wrote about me. They have the word of God presented to them in the immediate context. The people who were the religious scholars at the time should have had it more than just your average layman or laywoman. And yet these particular ones were scoffers. We don't know what happens to them. I hope, I know in the book of Acts you've got many priests who believed. I hope some of these people got saved. You know, I can't do a thing in the world about them. I can't do a thing in the world about an unsaved relative I have, an unsaved friend that I have. You cannot argue anybody into the Kingdom of Heaven. But beloved, what you can do is give an account of the hope that is within you. What you can do when it comes out, when people say that hell does not exist, how do we know that hell exists? Because the one who made it says that it does. Now, if you're talking to people who are atheist, people who are agnostic, you just have to pray that God burdens their heart, that the Holy Spirit will convict them of sin. They've got it, righteousness, they don't have it. Judgment, it's coming. Because without that, you just cannot reach, as much as I would love to reach into family members, as much as I would love to reach into friends. And just grab their heart and twist it, and that wouldn't save them. There has to be a reception of Him. They have to believe that He died for their sins. They have to believe that He is resurrected. He is at the right hand of the Father. They have to believe that He is the resurrection of the life. You have to believe that His perfect sacrifice is sufficient for every sin that you have ever committed in your life or ever will commit. This does not give us freedom to sin, to go out and do whatever. May it never be, Paul says. But that being said, as long as we're in this earthly body, we press on. And we press on as sinners, and we press on as sinful. I have told my family members I'm not better than them. I'm not. They know a smidgen of my sins that I've committed. I know some of theirs. But I believe what Jesus says. I believe I'm not a scoffer in that regard. I know that many of you here are the same way, that you walk with God, you accept his word, you believe in him. You are on the basis of the guarantees of what the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ promised. You really do believe his body was broken for you. You really do believe his blood was shed for you. And we walk closer to heaven every day. Beloved, if you're here and these words are piercing your heart, praise God. Come talk to us. I pray God will burden your heart. We will be delighted to talk with you, pray with you, tell you about what it is to be a Christian. Beloved, also, I did just want to take a moment. You can do it where you are. If you want to come up here and pray, I'll leave that entirely to you. But if you are saved and you're walking with God, if you're saved and you are secure in your salvation, and if you are saved and you have a family member that God has burdened your heart with and you want to come up here and pray, I don't want to make a big show out of it. If there's somebody you want to come and bring before the Lord, we're going to take two or three minutes and do that and then we'll conclude at the end. So we invite you, you can stay where you want to or if you want to come up here and pray, you can pray. And so here we go. Dear Lord, that the saving word would go forth today, wherever you see proper for it to go forth. As sad as it is, we know this has to be in the scripture. It has to be fulfilled. And we just pray for your perfect will in all of this. I pray for whatever prayers were lifted out, whatever intercession was made for whoever those people are. that you would convict them of sin and draw them to yourself. And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. That is, beloved, the last judgment in the scripture. Next week we'll start heaven. God bless.