Session 2 - The Spirit World
In this next session we will be looking at the
Spirit World that God created
We will look at the topics of Heaven and Hell
and what the Bible says
We will also look at the topic of Angels
(Angelology) and Demons (Demonology)
Doctrine of Heaven
When we look at the revelation of
scripture, beginning in the old testament,
we have three heavens identified for us
1. The first heaven consisted of the earth
atmosphere where the clouds and
birds were.
There is quite a few passages that use
heaven in this way
Acts 14:17: "Yet he has
not left himself without
testimony: He has
shown kindness by
giving you rain from
heaven and crops in
their seasons;”
Deut. 28:12--The LORD will open the
heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to
send rain on your land in season and to bless
all the work of your hands.
2. The next heaven is outer space where
the stars and planets are
Jeremiah 8:2--They
will be exposed to
the sun and the
moon and all the
stars of the
heavens which
they have loved
and served
“I have made the earth, and created man
upon it: I, [even] my hands, have stretched
out the heavens, and all their host have I
commanded.” - Isaiah 45:12
“Thus saith God the LORD, he that created
the heavens, and stretched them out; he
that spread forth the earth, and that which
cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto
the people upon it, and spirit to them that
walk therein:” - Isaiah 42:5
3. We then reach the third heaven, which
is what most people think when they
think of heaven
Heaven in the place where God dwells
1 Kings 8:30: ”And may You hear the
supplication of Your servant and of Your
people Israel, when they pray toward this
place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place;
and when You hear, forgive.”
Matthew 5:16--In the same way, let your
light shine before men, that they may
see your good deeds and praise your
Father in heaven.
The Bible even speaks of the highest heaven,
showing multiple things can refer to it
1 Kings 8:27--"But will God really dwell on
earth? The heavens, even the highest
heaven, cannot contain you.
Deut. 10:14--To the LORD your God belong
the heavens, even the highest heavens, the
earth and everything in it.
The Bible is clear that God created heaven
and earth (Genesis 1:1) and that heaven has
not always existed (nor will this one)
Revelation 21:1: “Now I saw a new heaven
and a new earth, for the first heaven and
the first earth had passed away.”
The Bible tells us that our destiny (as
believers) is heaven, not here on earth
Philippians 3:20: “But our citizenship is in
heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ,”
Has anyone ever been to heaven? The Bible
does give us an example of someone who
did go to heaven, but the way he handles it
is very different
2 Corinthians 12:1-6: “It is doubtless not
profitable for me to boast. I will come to
visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a
man in Christ who fourteen years ago—
whether in the body I do not know, or
whether out of the body I do not know, God
knows—such a one was caught up to the
third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—
whether in the body or out of the body I do
not know, God knows—
how he was caught up into Paradise and
heard inexpressible words, which it is not
lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such a one I
will boast; yet of myself I will not boast,
except in my infirmities. 6 For though I might
desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will
speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone
should think of me above what he sees
me to be or hears from me.”
Paul was caught up to the third heaven
The doctrine of hell
There is a lot more debate on this doctrine
(major disagreement) than on the doctrine
of heaven, because people don’t like the
idea of hell
The Bible has a few words that it used to
describe and refer to hell throughout the old
and new testament
Gehenna
In the OT the word for
hell is 'ge-hinnom,'
meaning "Valley of
Hinnom." It was a place
to the southwest of
Jerusalem.
This place was once "called 'Topheth' and
derived from an Aramaic word
meaning 'fireplace.'
It was here that some pagan kings practiced
human sacrifice by fire (2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6;
Jer. 7:31; 32:35)
This is why in the New Testament the word
came to be associated with the idea of
destruction by fire.
The word 'gehenna' is found in the NT 12
times and every instance is spoken of
by Jesus. In the NT, "gehenna" is used of a
condition and never of a place.
Hades
This is the New Testament equivalent of the
Old Testament Sheol (we will look at that
next) and it occurs in ten times in the
New Testament
Jesus uses the word four times: Matt.
11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23. The
other six occur in Acts 2:27, 31; Rev.
1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14.
From scripture we see that it is where all
the dead go and await judgment (or
possible until the atonement) the Bible
shows us that it’s divided into two areas,
paradise (Abrahams Bosom) and Gehenna
(the place of torment)
We get this idea from (but not limited to)
the account of Lazarus and the Rich
man of Luke 16:19-31
Sheol
The word is probably
derived from a root
meaning “to make hallow”
Sometimes it can refer to the grave only,
sometimes in means the underworld, the
state of the dead, etc. It has a few different
meanings depending on the context.
Where did hell come from?
Matt. 25:41, "Then He will also say to those
on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones,
into the eternal fire which has been
prepared for the devil and his angels."
Hell was originally made for the devil and
demons, but once man rebelled we now go
there without salvation
Is hell eternal?
Jude 1:7: “ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha,
and the cities about them in like manner,
giving themselves over to fornication, and
going after strange flesh, are set forth for
an example, suffering the vengeance
of eternal fire.”
But that’s not the only verse that emphasizes
the teaching
Revelation 20:10: “And the devil that
deceived them was cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone, where the beast and the
false prophet are, and shall be tormented
day and night for ever and ever.”
Is it unjust for God to send people to hell?
That is something you’ll have to be ready
to explain and defend
Angels and Demons (Angelology)
Angels are not humans who have died and
gone to heaven
Angels are spiritual beings (who at times are
capable of taking physic form) who were
created by God with free will
Angels are not robots, they can think and
communicate (although they are always
obedient to God now)
Where did they come from
Genesis 1:31: “Then God
saw everything that He
had made, and indeed it
was very good. So the
evening and the morning
were the sixth day.”
Everything God created would include the
angels (even those who fell!).
Colossians 1:16: “For by Him all things
were created that are in heaven and that
are on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers. All things were created through
Him and for Him.”
Since the angels (and Lucifer) were created,
that means they were created in the six days
of creation (probably day one or two).
Eventually Satan/demons rebel and fall
Ezekiel 28:11-16 “Moreover the word of
the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man,
take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre,
and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“You were the seal of perfection, Full of
wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in
Eden, the garden of God; Every precious
stone was your covering: The sardius,
topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and
jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and
emerald with gold…
“The workmanship of your timbrels and
pipes Was prepared for you on the day you
were created. “You were the anointed
cherub who covers; I established you; You
were on the holy mountain of God; You
walked back and forth in the midst of fiery
stones. You were perfect in your ways from
the day you were created, Till iniquity was
found in you. “By the abundance of your
trading You became filled with violence
within, And you sinned;
“Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out
of the mountain of God; And I destroyed
you, O covering cherub, From the midst of
the fiery stones.”
We know that Lucifer was not fallen when
God created Adam and Eve because he is
in Eden (created day six) until iniquity
was found in him.
More people are familiar with the next
verse that speaks to Lucifer's fall.
Isaiah 14:12-15:“How you are fallen from
heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground, You
who weakened the nations! For you have
said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the
congregation On the farthest sides of the
north; I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you
shall be brought down to Sheol, To the
lowest depths of the Pit.”
Because of Lucifer's pride he fell, same
thing for humans!
This is why God hates pride so much.
Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is
hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the
way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”
The Bible says that 1/3rd of the angels
fell with Lucifer and became fallen
angels, or demons.
Satan and the demonic realm have great
power in this world.
Power of nature and weather
Luke 8:24: “And they came to Him and
awoke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are
perishing!’ Then He arose and rebuked the
wind and the raging of the water. And they
ceased, and there was a calm.”
Why does Jesus rebuke the wind?
There are several examples in book of Job:
lightning, tornado’s, etc.
God removes his hand of protection from
Job’s family and Satan kills his children with
violent weather
He has power over sickness and disease
Book of Job again shows us this, as well as
different examples in Jesus’ ministry.
Satan/demons have the power to hinder and
delay believers (and Angels)
1 Thessalonians 2:18: “Therefore we
wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time
and again—but Satan hindered us.”
This is after the resurrection! Satan did not
lose all his power at the resurrection, he is
still the ruler of this world.
We also see something similar with Daniel.
Satan fought Michael over the body of Moses
Jude 1:9 “Yet Michael the archangel, in
contending with the devil, when he
disputed about the body of Moses, dared
not bring against him a reviling accusation,
but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ “
You have to understand that Satan and
demons have power in this world! Christians
often times say things like “Satan is a joke.”
But also remember that he can do nothing
without God’s permission.
Job 1:12: “And the LORD said to Satan,
“Behold, all that he has is in your power;
only do not lay a hand on his person.”
But as Christians, we don’t need to fear.
Luke 10:19: “Behold, I give you the authority
to trample on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.”
But make sure you know you are walking
with the Lord, or things won’t go well.
Acts 19:13-16: “Then some of the itinerant
Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the
name of the Lord Jesus over those who had
evil spirits, saying, ’I adjure you by the Jesus
whom Paul proclaims.’ Seven sons
of a Jewish high priest named Sceva
were doing this But the evil spirit
answered them,…
‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who
are you?’ 16 And the man in whom was the
evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of
them and overpowered them, so that they
fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Don’t think you can live
your life any way you
want to, and still use
the power of
the name of Jesus.
What is the purpose of angels?
Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are not all angels
ministering spirits sent to serve those who
will inherit salvation?”
Angels carry out God’s judgment; Angels
serve God; Angels praise God; Angels are
messengers; Angels protect God’s people;
Angels do not marry; Angels do not die;
Angels encourage
What is the destiny of Angels?
Good angels will spend eternity with God in
heaven (and with us)
Bad angels have a different destiny
Matthew 25:41: “Then He will also say to
those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me,
you cursed, into the everlasting fire
prepared for the devil and his angels:
Memory Verse
Revelation 20:10: “And the devil that
deceived them was cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone, where the beast and the
false prophet are, and shall be tormented
day and night for ever and ever.”