Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser
Think about your destination after you die. Everybody has an eternal home. Where is yours? Remember that death is just a translation from this earth. In our daily lives, consumed by the immediate and the tangible, it’s easy to lose sight of the eternal perspective. Yet, the Bible consistently calls us to lift our eyes beyond the horizon of this temporal world. Scriptures offer profound insights into the nature of life after death, providing a framework for understanding our eternal destiny.
A vivid picture of two primary destinations; heaven and hell, is painted in the scriptures. These destinations are not merely abstract concepts, but are depicted as real and significant, carrying eternal implications for every individual. Central to this biblical narrative is the promise of eternal life with God in heaven for those who place their faith in Jesus Christ, contrasted with eternal separation from God in hell for those who reject Him.
It is important that we consider how this heavenly perspective should transform our earthly lives as we contemplate our eternal home. So, how should the promise of eternity with God shape our priorities, decisions, and relationships today? This article explores scriptures to gain a deeper understanding of eternal realities and choices that lead to our final home, offering both a sobering and hopeful perspective on our ultimate destiny.
In John 14, Jesus said to his disciples: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”.
My father’s “house” refers to his residence or dwelling. Jesus is simply saying that in heaven there are many dwelling places, and he is preparing one for us. Our experience in heaven will be beyond our expectations (remember Ephesians 3:20). The fact that we will be with Jesus makes it even more exciting if you think about it. This is because nothing will compare with being with the one who loved us and died for us.
Let me remind you of the story of the rich man and Lazarus that Jesus told in Luke 16.
19-21 “There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores. 22-24 “Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’ 25-26 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.’ 27-28 “The rich man said, ‘Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won’t end up here in this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham answered, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘I know, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but they’re not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.’ 31 “Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they’re not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.’”
" It’s important to consider how having a heavenly perspective should transform your earthly life as you contemplate your eternal home. "
To be clothed in purple and fine linen is to wear the clothing of kings and live in the luxuries of this world. The rich man lived comfortably and lacked nothing every day of his life. He never thought of losing his riches or suffering in some unforeseen way. His expectations did not include eternity. The day of death comes to all people. Lazarus’ life of suffering had come to an end. The days of pain, hunger, begging, and struggling for existence were over. Jesus tells us that Lazarus, the beggar, “was carried away by the angels into Abraham’s lap.” Lazarus is seen in Abraham’s lap being comforted after a long life of pain and hardship.
Lazarus has now gained the ultimate prize or reward for a life of faith. Jesus said that the rich man, on the other hand, “was buried.” There were no angels to carry him away. The text of scripture simply said that he died. The tables had now turned in the realm of eternity. While Lazarus was the suffering beggar in the world and the rich man basked in the comforts of luxury. It is now the rich man who is poor and Lazarus is the one rich in comfort. The rich man is now begging, and Lazarus is in the comfort of Abraham’s bosom.
This story also shows that the people God honours are not necessarily the same people the world honours (Luke 16:15). This rich man had a beautiful home, fancy clothes, and the best of everything. He had it all, but he never showed the beggar any mercy. When he died, I guarantee you he had a fancy funeral. Thousands of people may have gathered, all talking about how great his accomplishments were. Yet the Bible says only that he was buried, left to rot in the grave. On the other hand, the beggar who was most despised on earth was carried away by angels.
Which of the two would you rather have been? When you see this from an eternal perspective, it makes the suffering of this earth pale in comparison to what God has prepared for us (Romans 8:18). We can also see from Scripture that there are no second chances. There is no purgatory. There is no ultimate reconciliation. On earth, the rich man rejected God and went directly to hell. When the rich man pleaded for mercy, Abraham could do nothing. There will be no mercy, no hope, and no goodness of any kind in hell, ever.
