Session 2 - The Spirit World

In this next session we will be looking at the Spirit World that God created

We will look at the topics of Heaven and Hell and what the Bible says

We will also look at the topic of Angels (Angelology) and Demons (Demonology)

Doctrine of Heaven

When we look at the revelation of scripture, beginning in the old testament, we have three heavens identified for us

1. The first heaven consisted of the earth atmosphere where the clouds and

birds were.

There is quite a few passages that use heaven in this way

Acts 14:17: "Yet he has not left himself without

testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in

their seasons;”

Deut. 28:12--The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to

send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.

2. The next heaven is outer space where the stars and planets are

Jeremiah 8:2--They will be exposed to

the sun and the moon and all the

stars of the heavens which they have loved

and served

“I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, [even] my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I

commanded.” - Isaiah 45:12

“Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he

that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that

walk therein:” - Isaiah 42:5

3. We then reach the third heaven, which is what most people think when they

think of heaven

1 Kings 8:30: ”And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your

people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place;

and when You hear, forgive.”

Heaven in the place where God dwells

Matthew 5:16--In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your

Father in heaven.

The Bible even speaks of the highest heaven, showing multiple things can refer to it

1 Kings 8:27--"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest

heaven, cannot contain you.

Deut. 10:14--To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the

earth and everything in it.

The Bible is clear that God created heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1) and that heaven has

not always existed (nor will this one)

Revelation 21:1: “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and

the first earth had passed away.”

Philippians 3:20: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the

Lord Jesus Christ,”

The Bible tells us that our destiny (as believers) is heaven, not here on earth

Has anyone ever been to heaven? The Bible does give us an example of someone who

did go to heaven, but the way he handles it is very different

2 Corinthians 12:1-6: “It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to

visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or

whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—

whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—

how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast,

except in my infirmities. 6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees

me to be or hears from me.”

Paul was caught up to the third heaven

The doctrine of hell

There is a lot more debate on this doctrine (major disagreement) than on the doctrine

of heaven, because people don’t like the idea of hell

The Bible has a few words that it used to describe and refer to hell throughout the

old and new testament

GehennaIn the OT the word for

hell is 'ge-hinnom,' meaning "Valley of

Hinnom." It was a place to the southwest of

Jerusalem.

This place was once "called 'Topheth' and derived from an Aramaic word

meaning 'fireplace.'

It was here that some pagan kings practiced human sacrifice by fire (2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6;

Jer. 7:31; 32:35)

This is why in the New Testament the word came to be associated with the idea of

destruction by fire.

The word 'gehenna' is found in the NT 12 times and every instance is spoken of

by Jesus. In the NT, "gehenna" is used of a condition and never of a place.

Hades

Jesus uses the word four times: Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23. The

other six occur in Acts 2:27, 31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14.

This is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament Sheol (we will look at that

next) and it occurs in ten times in the New Testament

From scripture we see that it is where all the dead go and await judgment (or

possible until the atonement) the Bible shows us that it’s divided into two areas,

paradise (Abrahams Bosom) and Gehenna (the place of torment)

We get this idea from (but not limited to) the account of Lazarus and the Rich

man of Luke 16:19-31

Sheol

The word is probably derived from a root

meaning “to make hallow”

Sometimes it can refer to the grave only, sometimes in means the underworld, the

state of the dead, etc. It has a few different meanings depending on the context.

Where did hell come from?

Matt. 25:41, "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones,

into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels."

Hell was originally made for the devil and demons, but once man rebelled we now go

there without salvation

Jude 1:7: “ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for

an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

Is hell eternal?

But that’s not the only verse that emphasizes the teaching

Revelation 20:10: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire

and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented

day and night for ever and ever.”

Is it unjust for God to send people to hell? That is something you’ll have to be ready

to explain and defend

Angels and Demons (Angelology)

Angels are not humans who have died and gone to heaven

Angels are spiritual beings (who at times are capable of taking physic form) who were

created by God with free will

Angels are not robots, they can think and communicate (although they are always

obedient to God now)

Where did they come from

Genesis 1:31: “Then God saw everything that He

had made, and indeed it was very good. So the

evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

Everything God created would include the angels (even those who fell!).

Since the angels (and Lucifer) were created, that means they were created in the six days

of creation (probably day one or two).

Eventually Satan/demons rebel and fall

Colossians 1:16: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that

are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through

Him and for Him.”

Ezekiel 28:11-16 “Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of

man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the

Lord GOD: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of

God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond,

Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and

emerald with gold…

“The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you

were created. “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You

were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence

within, And you sinned;

“Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed

you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.”

We know that Lucifer was not fallen when God created Adam and Eve because he is

in Eden (created day six) until iniquity was found in him.

More people are familiar with the next verse that speaks to Lucifer's fall.

Isaiah 14:12-15:“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have

said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the

north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you

shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.”

Because of Lucifer's pride he fell, same thing for humans!

The Bible says that 1/3rd of the angels fell with Lucifer and became fallen

angels, or demons.

Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”

This is why God hates pride so much.

Satan and the demonic realm have great power in this world.

Luke 8:24: “And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they

ceased, and there was a calm.”

Power of nature and weather

Why does Jesus rebuke the wind?

He has power over sickness and disease

Book of Job again shows us this, as well as different examples in Jesus’ ministry.

There are several examples in book of Job: lightning, tornado’s, etc.

God removes his hand of protection from Job’s family and Satan kills his children with

violent weather

Satan/demons have the power to hinder and delay believers (and Angels)

1 Thessalonians 2:18: “Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time

and again—but Satan hindered us.”

This is after the resurrection! Satan did not lose all his power at the resurrection, he is

still the ruler of this world.

We also see something similar with Daniel.

Satan fought Michael over the body of Moses

Jude 1:9 “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he

disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation,

but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ “

You have to understand that Satan and demons have power in this world! Christians often times say things like “Satan is a joke.”

But also remember that he can do nothing without God’s permission.

Job 1:12: “And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power;

only do not lay a hand on his person.”

But as Christians, we don’t need to fear.

Luke 10:19: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and

over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

But make sure you know you are walking with the Lord, or things won’t go well.

Acts 19:13-16: “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the

name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ’I adjure you by the Jesus

whom Paul proclaims.’ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva

were doing this But the evil spirit answered them,…

‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’ 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they

fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

Don’t think you can live your life any way you want to, and still use

the power of the name of Jesus.

What is the purpose of angels?

Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who

will inherit salvation?”

Angels carry out God’s judgment; Angels serve God; Angels praise God; Angels are messengers; Angels protect God’s people; Angels do not marry; Angels do not die;

Angels encourage

What is the destiny of Angels?

Good angels will spend eternity with God in heaven (and with us)

Bad angels have a different destiny

Matthew 25:41: “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me,

you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

Memory Verse

Revelation 20:10: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire

and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented

day and night for ever and ever.”