There is a place called Hell. It is mentioned several times in the Gospel of Matthew, a few times in Mark and Luke, and there are some other references. The Apostle Paul does not use the term Hell nor was escape from Hell preached by the Apostles in the Book of Acts.

There are heavens, and there is a highest, or third Heaven, which we capitalize in our writings. The emphasis of the New Testament is definitely not on our making our eternal residence in Heaven.

There is a Jerusalem in Heaven, the place of the spirits of righteous people made perfect, of the Church of the Firstborn.

There is a garden called Paradise. At one time it was on the earth. At the present time it seems to be in Heaven.

All these are real places and things, they are not subjective experiences.

We know that Hell is a dreadful place of fire and torment. The rich man is there, according to the Lord.

The heavens are polluted with the presence of angels who have rebelled against God.

Heaven is the place of the Throne of God, of the glorified elders, of the sea of glass laced with fire, of the four-faced cherubim. There is no evidence in the Scriptures that there are mansions there although there may be.

The Jerusalem in Heaven, the perfected and glorified counterpart of the Jerusalem on earth, will descend to rest forever on the new earth after the final judgment.

It is Paradise, the garden of God, that we think of when we refer to Heaven. Paradise at one time was on the earth, at the present time is in Heaven, and eventually will return to the earth. God always finishes what He begins. We know practically nothing about the Paradise in Heaven because the New Testament does not discuss it.

None of these, Hell, Heaven, the new Jerusalem, or Paradise, is the Kingdom of God or eternal life. Until the believer understands clearly that the Gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, not the Gospel of escape from Hell or of residence in Heaven, he will not understand the demands of God on his personality. He will not perceive what the Divine salvation is all about.

Are you with me so far? Any questions?

Now, when we preach that the purpose of receiving Jesus is that we may escape Hell we are missing the point.

Naturally the guy we are preaching to is going to think he can keep on in his own way and escape punishment. If this were true he would be a fool not to receive Christ and thus escape from punishment.

However the Gospel is not designed for people who are seeking to live in sin and yet escape punishment but people who want to make their peace with God.

Believing in Jesus is never presented in the Bible, to my knowledge, as being a means of escaping Hell.

To be continued.