God cares about the inhabitants of heaven, earth, and hell, right now. He wants everyone in heaven and no one in hell. Jesus Himself descended into hell when He died for all sin, proclaiming the truth of salvation. Those in heaven are conscious of those who remain on earth, and of those who are in hell. Those in hell are conscious of those who are in heaven, and of those who remain on earth. Those before God’s altar remembered their murderers, and cried out for vengeance FROM HEAVEN on those who remained ON EARTH. The rich man was aware of Abraham and Lazarus IN HEAVEN, as well as his five brothers ON EARTH.
Why do some assume that it is irrelevant to think on these things? Is heaven and hell irrelevant? Is eternal destiny irrelevant? Is the eternal destiny of the living or the dead irrelevant? The very meaning of every life, whether of the living or the dead, is summed up in our eternal destinies—heaven or hell.
True, people may not know every detail of every life or every death. True, people should not make it their goals to “judge” who is or is not “saved,” and thus who is or is not in heaven or hell. Yes, C.S. Lewis said there would be “surprises” on judgment day. But surely none of this means in heaven, black is white and white is black? In heaven, on earth, and in hell, justice HAS to mean the same thing. In heaven, the righteous are rewarded. In hell, the unrighteous are punished. But rewarded and punished for what? THEIR LIVES ON EARTH!
Surely those sinned against have a case, on earth and in heaven, as we have seen. Those in heaven who cried out before God’s throne were not waiting for judgment day to ask for justice. God didn’t say, “Maybe those who murdered you will be saved in the last milliseconds of their lives. Maybe there will be ‘surprises.’” Justice, in life or death, is relevant. To think anything less is to make an unscriptural and illogical division between the spiritual and physical life
As will be shown:
The heart can be known, in life and on the death bed.
The saved and unsaved can be known, in life and on death beds.
The inhabitants of heaven and hell can be known, by their lives and deaths on earth.
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