Broadening The Range Of Our Testimony Through Others
In the twenty-three years of our ministry through The Researcher, we have enjoyed many heartening reports from readers who told us of how they were converted from baseless error in their thinking about eschatology, especially regarding topics like The Millennium, The Secret Rapture, The Future Of Palestine and The Church; but there are other very important aspects of truth and future events concerning which more awakening teaching is sorely needed. For instance, a few of those with whom we had close relationship have drifted away from what we are sure to be Divinely revealed truth about the Intermediate State and The Future Fate of Satan and The Lost and are aggressively promoting falsehood about Soul Sleep, Conditional Immortality and even the promise that the Devil will eventually be given a reprieve from damnation and on-going sinning and conscious punishment. Some of these theories are as far from God's blessed gospel truth as anything given by Romanism, Mulimism or so-called Modernism.
For this reason we are giving herewith a few pages of borrowed material from a 1991 publication put out by Baker House Company, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA 49516, which we wish many of our readers would buy and use. It is by John H. Gerstner, on "Heaven and Hell," by Jonathan Edwards. I have not agreed with the great Edwards in respect to all he taught on every detail of his teachings on church doctrine; but we very badly need his alarming messages on the fate of sinners who leave this life as rejecters of God's authority and matchless mercy. In writing the original material for this book, Mr. Edwards still had some problems about Christians who die without repenting of sins toward others here; but he does faithfully cover many points on which many of us need to take action now if we really hope to get to Heaven.
Please read these excerpts carefully and write us if you are sure he misses or overstates biblical revelation.
Heaven Beholding Hell
"... no occasion of grief to 'em but rejoicing."
"All things are yours" wrote Paul to the Corinthian saints (I Cor. 3:21). In Edwards's thought "all things" included
hell.'"
"the substance of two posthumous discourses (sic) dated March 1733,"
Hell, like a gladiatorial combat, was made for the spectators not the participants. The sufferers were useful only in their suffering.'12 All blessing from this curse came to God and the godly.
Since God cannot be made happier, being ever and infinitely blessed, hell was made, not for him but for heaven. Indeed, Edwards virtually reasons that heaven would not be heaven without hell. It is an argument for the fact of hell that heaven is blessed by it
I am convinced that hell torments will be eternal from [one great] good the wisdom of God proposes by them, which is by the sight of them to exalt the happiness, the love, and joyful thanksgivings of the angels and men that are saved, which it tends exceedingly to do. I am ready to think that those beholding the sight of the great miseries of those of their species that are damned will double the ardour of their love and the fulness of the joy of the elect angels and men.113
The rejoicing of the righteous over the suffering of the sinful is not sinful itself, because "the damned suffering divine vengeance will be no occasion of joy to the saints merely as tis others' misery or because that tis pleasant to them to behold others' misery merely for its own sake"114 but as it revealed the justice and majesty of God. Still, there will be no pity because the glory of God will in their esteem be ' 'of greater consequence than the welfare of thousands and millions of souls.""5
This act of divine wrath exhibits the dreadful majesty, authority, justice, and holiness of God and thereby excites exquisite love in the saints. Since the happiness of the saints is to be double, the suffering of sinners must be eternal!"6 "The misery of the damned in hell is one of those great things that the saints in their blessed and joyful state in heaven shall behold and take great notice of throughout eternity.""7
"When the saints in glory shall see the wrath of God executed
on ungodly men, it will be no occasion of grief to 'em, but of rejoicing."118 Since this sermon is definitive and has been published we will follow its outline of our mind-boggling subject.
Edwards sees this text (Rev. 18:20) as an account of the fall of Babylon, the antichristian, papal church. It has reference partly to the overthrow in this world and in the next. "But we are not to understand those plagues here mentioned as exclusive of the future vengeance that God will execute upon the wicked upholders and promoters of antichristianism and the cruel antichristian persecutors in another world. "119 The next chapter of Revelation, in fact, refers to the smoke rising "forever and ever." Of course, individual antichristians go to hell at death, but the text refers to a visible demonstration in this world and the world to come. At that time Antichrist is restricted to hell and has no more place on earth (cf. Rev. 20: If.).120 On this occasion, in our text, the apostles and prophets and the rest of the church triumphant are summoned to see God take vengeance on their enemies and oppressors.
All the enemies of the church through all the ages will be gathered and condemned together as directly or indirectly of the same company, "Satan's army."121 The saints will rejoice because God is vindicating them. "Rejoice, for God hath avenged you on her." The Scriptures "plainly teach" that heaven will behold hell as Lazarus and Abraham saw Dives in his misery.122 Isaiah 66:24, "And they shall go forth and look on the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched." Christ had taught that the sheep on his right hand at the judgment would see the wicked on his left hand and hear Christ say: "Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." So the saints in heaven and sinners in hell shall some way or other have a direct and immediate apprehension of each other's state.123
This will be a terrible sight because God's wrath is meant to "make his power known." Better than now the saints will see and understand the divine anger poured out on the wicked, but it will cause no "uneasiness or unpleasantness to them. "124Rather, "it will excite to joyful praises."125
109. Hickman. I. ccxiv,
110. M1061.
111. Rev. 18:20. "When the saints in glory shall see the wrath of God executed on ungodly men, it will be no occasion of grief
to 'cm but of rejoicing" (p. 5). March 1733. Hickman, II. 210f..
112. Ezek. 15:2-4, "Mankind, if they bring forth no fruit to God are wholly useless unless it be in their destruction" (p. 3), July
1734. Cf. Prov. 19:4.
113. M279.
114. Rev. 18:20, pp. 10, 11.
115. Ibid., p. 12.
116. Cf. M866, M491, and Rom. 9:22 (2), "God has no other use to put finally impenitent sinners to but only to suffer his
wrath" (p. 3), Nov. 1741.
117. Isa. 66:23, June 1742. p. 1.
118. Rev. 18:20, March 1733.
119. Ibid.. p. 2,
120. Ibid.. p. 3.
121. Ibid.. p. 5.
122. Ibid., p. 6.
123. Ibid.. p. 7.