No Hope
Scripture: 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 24:29-31; Rev. 1:7; 21:1-5
Introduction
The title of my message this morning is “No Hope.” Through this message I want to share with you why it is so very important that we bring people to Christ because only through that relationship can people have an eternal hope that will not fade. This week I have spent a lot of time thinking about Jackie’s co-worker whose daughter died. I was thinking about whether or not this mother had a hope that she would see her daughter again on the other side. But this only happens if the daughter died knowing Christ and that the mother too as a relationship with Him. I cannot overstate this importance. This week I also heard from a woman whose father recently died. In my email conversation with her I noticed the hope that she had that she would see her father again. Although she is still in the midst of her grieving period, she understands that she will see her father again and therefore she is also exhibiting true hope. As I continued to think about these two individuals, my mind went to my brother and how he dealt with the death of his daughter. While I cannot imagine the pain one experiences when they must bury their child, I do understand the pain of burying someone you love. I am using the word “bury/burying” versus the word” lose/lost” because if someone we know dies in the Lord, they are not lost for we know where they are. But, when someone dies and we do not know what or if they had any type of a relationship with the Lord then there is really a sense of loss as we will not see that person again. If someone dies and will spend eternity in the lake of fire, their family members and friends who are saved have truly “lost” them and will never see them again. Let me explain.
One of my favorite Scriptures that I have often mediated on since my mother’s death is found in First Thessalonians 4:13-18. This will be our Scriptural text for this morning. If you will turn there, let’s read what it says. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." I want you to notice and pay close attention to verse thirteen. It says “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.” The last line talks about someone who is grieving without any hope. I want you to understand the hope that Paul is references in this verse. Keep this statement in mind for a moment as I tell you a story.
I. Dante’s Description of Hell
In the 14th century, Dante Alighieri wrote the epic poem “Divine Comedy” which, if you’ve ever read it, knows that this poem is not a comedy. It was called a comedy because during the 14th century Italian literature was, by requirement, divided into two categories: tragedy and comedy. A tragedy represented “high” literature and written in formal Italian while a comedy represented “low” literature and was written for the general population. The poem has three parts; Inferno which is about Dante’s descent into hell; Purgatorio focuses on his time in Purgatory after surviving hell; and finally Paradiso, his arrival into heaven to commune with God. For the purposes of this message, we will briefly examine some of the things he writes about in part one of the poem, Inferno. Dante’s description of hell was extremely vivid as he described how individuals, based on their actions on earth, would be placed into one of the nine different circles which made up hell. Here is how Dante described hell and how people were placed in the circles based upon the sins they committed on earth. I will not go into too much detail as not to scare our little ones:
• Limbo: The first circle was Limbo, where people who were not baptized or those who were virtuous pagans, though not sinful, had never accepted Christ existed. They were placed in Limbo to spend eternity in a deficient form of heaven. Beyond this first circle, those who deliberately, willfully committed sins were judged to one of the lower circles (each circle descending deeper and deeper into hell.)
• Lust: The second circle of hell was Lust. Dante condemns these “carnal malefactors” to the first circle that had some form of real punishment. These lustful individuals were the first to be punished for letting their appetite sway their reasoning. These souls were blown back and forth by the terrible winds of a violent storm, without rest. It symbolized the power of lust to blow one about needlessly and aimlessly.
• Gluttony: The third circle was Gluttony and was for all of those souls who had allowed food to be their true source of pleasure on earth. In the third circle those who were gluttons on earth were forced to lie face down in a vile slush produced by an unceasing foul, icy rain.
• Greed: The fourth circle of hell was Greed. Those whose attitude towards material things deviated from the appropriate means/use of such things were condemned to this circle in hell. Interesting is the fact that in the poem these souls included many clergymen, cardinals and popes. The two groups confined to this circle either hoarded possessions and had possessions and squandered them. The two groups spend eternity using weapons to fight against each other while shouting: “Why do you hoard?” or “Why do you squander?”
• Anger: The fifth circle was Anger. This circle contained the souls who lived out and acted on their anger while alive on earth. The circle contained swamp like water where the wrathful fight each other on the surface without ending. Beneath those fighting on the surface, the sullen lie gurgling beneath the water finding no joy in God, man or the universe.
• Heresy: The sixth circle was Heresy. In the sixth circle heretics are trapped in flaming tombs.
• Violence: The seventh circle was Violence. In the seventh circle are those who lived a life of violence on earth. It is divided into three rings with the first being those violent against others; the second, those violent against self (suicides); and the third, those violent against God. The punishment was different based on which ring a person was placed in and was severe. The last two circles of hell punished sins involving fraud and treachery.
• Fraud: The eighth circle was Fraud. Those committing fraudulent acts (those guilty of deliberate, knowing evil) were placed in the eight circle which consisted of ten ditches. It included seducers, flatterers, sorcerers, false prophets, corrupt politicians, hypocrites, thieves, etc. Again, their punishment was based on the sins they committed.
• Treachery: The last circle was Treachery. The ninth circle was ringed by classical and Biblical giants who symbolized pride and other spiritual flaws behind their acts of treachery. There were four different zones for the traitors and their punishment was based on which zone they were placed in. In the very center of hell, convicted of committing the ultimate sin (personal treachery against God) was Satan.
I shared how Dante visualized hell so that you would have a visual of how he perceived it and the hopelessness that it represented. As you listened to each description, did you feel a sense of hopelessness for those entering the gate of hell? Dante described hell in such a vivid manner that when the poem was published it caused people to rethink their life and the afterlife. His description of hell caused people to ask the question “What if?” What if what I am doing will send me to hell? What if I do not repent? What if I am really on my way to hell? When people began to ask those questions some chose to change how they were living.
Now let me tell why this poem that was written in the 14th century gives a great description of what Paul talked about in First Thessalonians chapter four. Dante writes that he had to pass through a gate before he could enter hell. At the top of the gate was written the inscription “Abandon all hope, ye who enters here.” In other words, there was no hope for those who entered hell. Now let’s go back to First Thessalonians chapter four.
II. Comfort One Another With These Words
In these verses Paul addresses the Thessalonians concerning those who had loved ones who had died in Christ and were grieving. In these words he was attempting to comfort those who were mourning the deaths of their family members and friends who had died in the Lord. He was attempting to dissuade them from excessive grief or inordinate sorrow. In verse thirteen he writes “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.” (Vs. 13) Paul compares the death of someone who knows Christ to someone who does not. For someone who knows Christ there is life after death; but for someone who does not know Christ as their Lord and Savior, they will not. That is why we refer to Jesus as Savior as He saves us from the 2nd death. Our hope in Christ allows us to understand and believe that the life we have on earth is not the end. And because this life on earth is not the end, we can believe that we will see our loved ones again if they died in Christ. Paul states that he did not want them to be ignorant of this fact. He needed them to understand that there was more awaiting them so that when others saw them grieving they could also see their hope. Although death is an unknown thing to us and we do not know everything about our state after death, there are some things that we can understand. We should understand that there is an afterlife as evident when Christ rose from the dead. For those who walk with Christ, we have a promise that gives us hope as it relates to our loved ones who died in Him. That promise is that we will see them again. Look at verses fourteen and seventeen.
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (Vss. 14-17) In these verses Paul explains the promise and then tells us how the promise will be fulfilled. He states that if we believe in Jesus and that He rose from the dead, that when Jesus returns God will bring with Him those who had died in Christ. In other words, if I am still alive when Christ returns, all of my loved ones will be descending through the clouds with Jesus when He comes back. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends will all return with Christ when He returns. Can you see this? Paul said that those of us who are alive will not precede those who have died in being in Christ and are returning with Him. They are already in His presence and if we are still alive here on earth we will join them in the air when He returns. If we are dead, then we will be in the group that comes back with Him. So either way, we will either be called up to join Him or we will be descending through the clouds with Him – either way it will be good!
Paul explains that Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. When that happens, the dead in Christ will rise first and join Him. Then, those of us who are still alive here on earth will be changed and then called up to meet the Lord in the air and forever remain in His presence. This is how Paul described what will happen when Christ returns. But Paul was not alone in his description as to why we should have hope.
Jesus made the following statement in Matthew 24:29-31: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." Here Jesus speaks of His coming which is also referenced in the book of Revelations. He describes what Paul mentions in First Thessalonians the fourth chapter.
Now, forty years after Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, John received his revelation from Jesus Christ and what he saw is recorded in the book of Revelation. Revelation 1:7 says “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him; even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.” How will it be that those who pierced Him (at the time of His crucifixion, see John 19:37) will see Him return? Because the day will come when everyone that ever lived will see Christ and bow before Him. That includes those soldiers who pierced His side as well as everyone who died in Him. Those who are in hell and awaiting judgment will be able to look up from hell and see Christ descending and know once and for all that he is the Son of God. His arrival will be seen simultaneously by everyone who still alive on the earth as well as everyone who had died previously. Everyone will witness this and those who died in Christ will not only be witnesses, but participators. Turn over to Revelations chapter twenty-one.
Revelation 21:1-5 says “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." This is our hope! This is what Paul was trying to get the Thessalonians to understand.
Conclusion
I shared with you at the beginning of this message that I have spent time this week just reflecting on Jackie’s co-worker’s situation. I do not know this person nor did I know her daughter, but I felt compassion for her. I do not know if this young lady was saved or not and I cannot imagine the feelings that her parents are feeling right now. It is extremely difficult for me to imagine losing a child and realizing that I will never see them again - I cannot even fathom something like this. The Scripture that I often reflect on when I experience the death of a loved is First Thessalonians chapter 4. Through all of the pain and grief that I have felt during those times I always try to focus on the fact that this is not the end. I focus on the fact that I will see my loved one again. This understanding gives me hope. In the last verse Paul said that the knowledge that he has shared with them should be used to comfort one another. First Thessalonians 4:18 says “Therefore comfort one another with these words." The understanding that there is more to life than just our days here on earth and that we will see our loved ones again if they died in Christ should bring some comfort to us when a loved one dies. If we believe what the word says about death and the afterlife, once we get through the initial stages of grief, we should be comforted by this knowledge that our loved one is at peace in the presence of the Lord and we will see them again. This is the hope that we offer to others when we introduce them to Christ. This is a gift that will keep on giving for all eternity. If you have a hope that you will see a family member again because they died knowing the Lord, think about how a person would feel if they did not have this hope. Think about what it means to lose someone at the age of 20 because we believed that we had plenty of time to introduce them to Christ. Think about the number of people who you know that don’t know the Lord. Now consider this, if you knew that if they do not accept the Lord and they die tomorrow that they will be lost forever, would you call them up and introduce them to the Lord? Would you take “no” for an answer? This is why I am in ministry – to try and save a lost soul before that soul is lost for an eternity.
Paul stated that we should comfort one another with the words from First Thessalonians chapter four. We should comfort one another by understanding that our lives here will come to an end but once that happens, our new life begins. I thank God that I know that the Bible is true and that once I leave here as my work will be complete. Based on what the Bible says, there is no purgatory for once we leave here there is no more works to be done. You see, even though this test is based on Dante’s Inferno, if I did not know better I would think as some do that I have more works to do on the other side in order to earn my way into heaven. My hope is in the promise that when I leave here my working days are done. I will be at rest with my Lord and Savior. I am living under grace but my faith in Christ is what has given me salvation. I do not work for it, it is a gift. This gift was received because Christ died for me. Because He died for me I have an eternal hope that I will spend eternity with Him and with all of my family and friends who have gone on before me. So when I attend funerals I am thinking that this “loss” is temporary and therefore not a loss at all. This is what Paul was trying to convey to the Thessalonians – that there loved ones were not lost and that they would see them again.
If you ever needed an additional reason to help someone find Christ you have it now. Show them that in Christ we live forever and that is not just wishful thinking, it is a fact!
May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
