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“Then He will say to those on His left,
‘Depart from Me, you cursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!'”

– Jesus, to the disciples (Matthew 25:41)

The human heart longs for justice, to see God right the wrongs that have taken place in our world and bring the universe back into balance. In describing what the final moment of God’s justice will be like, Jesus speaks of people being brought before the throne of a King who separates them like a shepherd does his sheep from the goats. The righteous people who are placed to the right of the King’s throne are commended for the many times they cared for His servants. They inherit the Kingdom that has been prepared for them from the beginning of time.

What happens with the people standing to the left of Jesus seems at first sight to be a repeat of the scenario, only this time all the rewards are replaced by punishments. But there are several crucial differences. The most important distinction is that while the Kingdom was prepared specifically for the righteous, the fiery hell that the wicked depart to was not prepared for them at all. Jesus claims that the place of eternal punishment was prepared for the rebellious angels and Satan.

Another distinction is that God’s kingdom is shown as being prepared for His people from the beginning of time; hell has been prepared, but it has not existed from the foundation of the world.

The true tragedy of the moment is striking. The cursed are being sent to a fate that was never meant to be theirs. Hell was not made for people. Eternal punishment means total separation from the love of God. It is a most unnatural state for a human being to be in, since God created humans in His image. And that is why the tragedy of hell is so disturbing. Rejection of the King ultimately means exclusion from His kingdom.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2008 Kingdom People blog

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