Dispensations (Part IV)

X Eternity: This is the dispensation in which God and His people eternally dwell together (II Pet. 3:12,13; Rev. 14:1-5; 21:1,2) and the devil and his angels undergo eternal damnation (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10,15).

1. The eternal habitations of the righteous are as follows:

(i) New Earth: The saved of all dispensations will be here (Rev. 21:24). (ii) New Heaven: The Old Testament saints, the general martyrs and the tribulation martyrs will be here (Rev. 7:9-15; 11:18,19). (iii) New Jerusalem: This is the place where the Bride is seen (Rev. 21:9,10); that is, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 21:27), and who have grown to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13) and have been caught up to the throne (Rev. 12:1-5) will be here. (iv) Zion: The highest place in New Jerusalem — the dwelling place of God (Psa.132:13,14). This is also the place for the consecrated, sacrificial, faithful servants of God who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God (Isa. 56:4,5; Matt. 19:12; Rev. 14:1-5).

2. The dwelling place of the devil, his angels and his children: Lake of Fire: This is the place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). The Lake of Fire burning with fire and brimstone is also called the second death (Rev. 21:8). There the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die (Mk. 9:44-48). The Antichrist, false prophet and Satan will be cast into this Lake of Fire. They will be tormented forever (Rev. 19:20; 20:10). Those who partake of the Lake of Fire come from the three places of the lower parts of the ear th, namely, (i) the Bottomless Pit (ii) Hell and (iii) Outer Darkness.

(i) Bottomless Pit (Abusos / Abyss): (Isa. 14:12-15; Rev. 9:1-11; 20:1-3) Fallen Lucifer, son of the morning, the fallen anointed Cherub and the army of Satan will be here. During the Millennial Reign Satan will be bound and cast into this Bottomless Pit till the thousand years should be fulfilled (Rev. 20:2,3). (ii) Hell (Hades / Sheol / Grave):

(a) The wicked and all sinners who forget God (Psa.9:17) — The group mentioned in Reve lation 21:8 will come under this category of ‘the wicked’. (b) Those who had lived only for the pleasures of this world like the rich man mentioned in Luke 16:23,24. (iii) Outer Darkness (Tartarus / Death):

This is a place where there is weeping and gna shing of teeth. The following groups of people will have their part here.

(a) Angels who kept not their first estate (Jude 6).

(b) Jews who do not believe that Jesus is the Almighty God, (children of the kingdom) (Matt. 8:12).

(c) Those who do not hav e on a wedding garment — those who endeavour to enter the kingdom of God through their self -righteousness and moral works (Matt. 22:2,11-13).

(d) The wicked servants (Matt. 24:48-51).

(e) Those who are hypocritical in their life and ministry (Matt. 24:51).

(f) The wicked, slothful and unprofitable servants who do not use the talents given to them (Matt. 25:15,24-30).

(g) The backsliders who were once enlightened and had then fallen away (Heb. 6:4-8). Concerning them, the apostle Jude mentions that they are filthy dreamers who defile the flesh, speak evil of dignities, those who perished in the gainsaying of Korah walking in the ways of Cain and Balaam, those who are spots in feasts of charity and feed themselves without fear, murmurers, complainers, those who walk after their own lusts, those who speak great swelling words having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage (Jude 8-13,16). As soon as sinners and backsliders die, they suffer agony in these two places — Hell and Outer Darkness respectively. After the White Throne Judgment, they will be cast into the Lake of Fire. “Death [Outer Darkness] and hell [Grave] delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell [backsliders and sinners] were cast into the lake of fire”. They form the group whose names were not found written in the book of life (Rev. 20:13-15). Those who fall under these two categories comprise the group called ‘goats’ who will be set at the left hand of the Son of man at the White Throne Judgment. They will be resurrected in the seventh order of Resurrection, will be judged during the White Throne Judgment and will have their part in the everlasting fire (Matt. 25:32,41-46). Satan who was kept bound in the Bottomless Pit will be released for a little season at the end of the Millennial Reign. He will be caught at the end of the Gog Magog War and will be cast into the Lake of Fire, even before the White Throne Judgment. In this manner (i) at the end of the Armageddon War (before the Millennial Reign), the Antichrist and the false prophet will be cast alive into the Lake of Fire (ii) Then, at the end of the Gog Magog War (before the White Throne Judgment), the devil that deceived men will be cast into the Lake of Fire (iii) Finally, after the White Throne Judgment, sinners and backsliders (Hell and Outer Darkness) will be cast into the Lake of Fire.