But the idea of time, as something that can be measured by seconds, minutes, days, months and years will no longer have any meaning. In the great hymn by John Newton, Amazing Grace, we (Christians!) sing:
"When We've been there 10,000 years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun."
That is a wonderful hymn, but I don't think there will be any clocks or calenders in heaven to remind us how long we have been there. And while I don't think there will be clocks in hell either, I do think that those who are in hell will be aware of the passing of time. And they will know beyond all shadow of a doubt that their torment will never end. Jonathan Edwards talks about this very sobering concept in his great gospel sermon, Sinners in the hands of an angry God:
"It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God for one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity. There will be no end to this exquisite horrible misery. When you look foreword, you shall see a long forever, a boundless duration before you which will swallow up your thoughts, and amaze your souls, and you will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance, any end, any mitigation, any rest at all; and you will know certainly that you must wear out long ages, millions and millions of ages, in wrestling and conflicting with this Almighty merciless vengeance; and then when you have so done, when many ages have actually been spent by you in this manner, you will know that it is all but a point to what remains. So that your punishment will indeed be infinite."
Jonathan Edwards has been called a "Latter Day Puritan." Here is what one of the earlier Puritans, Ralph Venning, had to say on this very sobering subject:
"It's as if the sinner should say to the Lord in the day of judgment, 'Lord have mercy upon us.'"
'Have mercy upon you?' says God. 'No, I will have no mercy upon you. There was a time when you might have had mercy without judgment, but now you shall have judgment without mercy. Depart! Depart!'
If they should then beg and say, 'Lord, if we must depart, let it be from Thy throne of judgment, but not from Thee.'
'No,' says the Lord. 'Depart from me. Depart form my presence, which is joy. Depart, and go to hell!'
'Lord,' they say, 'seeing we must be gone, bless us before we go, that Thy blessing may be upon us.'
'Oh no,' says God, 'Go with a curse. Depart ye cursed.'
'Oh Lord, if we must go from Thee, let us not go into the place of torment, but appoint a place, if not of pleasure, then of ease.'
'No, depart into fire, burning and tormenting flames.'
'Oh Lord, if into fire, let it be only for a little while. For who can dwell in everlasting burning?'
'No! Neither you nor the fire shall know an end. Be gone into everlasting fire.'
'Lord, then let it be long before we go there.'
'No, depart immediately. The sentence shall be immediately put into execution.'
'Oh Lord, let us at least have good company who will pity us, though they cannot help us.'
'No, you shall have none but the tormenting devils. Those whom you obeyed when they were your tempters shall be with you as tormentors.'
What misery sin has brought on man to bring him to hear this dreadful doom."
Please take time today to listen to Dr. David Murray's sermon, The Most Important Question and Answer
Recommended listening:
The Burning Hell that Jesus Preached, by Dr. Ian Paisley
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, by Jonathan Edwards
