A Place Prepared

By Peter Crause

Exodus 23:20 Behold, I’ll send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.

The prepared place mentioned above was the Land of Canaan; the earthly home of the nation of Israel. They would enter an inhabited land and inherit all the cities, farms and possessions of the inhabitants. I wish to meditate on two other “prepared” places scripture teaches us about.

There are two “prepared” places in the hereafter for which mankind are destined. Every nation, kindred and tribe on earth have an inner “witness” and awareness of this fact. No matter how they may suppress or deny this fact, it remains a dull inner dread to those who have never accepted the Lord’s “escape” from the place that tends to arouse terror in the heart. It is because of this we see the multiplicity of religions and sacrifices of appeasement being offered to what they believe is an angry God. This all comes from the inner witness every man has of the power and existence of God – and His holy demands.

For those who refuse to accept the only way to gain acceptance with God, there awaits the “lake of fire”, the place “prepared for the devil and his angels.” Some points in passing:

- Hell was never prepared for mankind – as evil as many of humanity are. It was prepared for the devil and his angels (demons) (Matthew 24:41)

- God made Hell; He controls it – not the devil. Hell is Satan’s prison, not his sphere of ruler-ship. Satan will be the incarcerated and God the jailer.

- Hell is a prepared place with punishment in view. It is everlasting in nature; has unimaginable torments associated with it – a nasty place – definitely to be avoided. Satan doesn’t dish out the punishment – God does – yes the God of Love who offers His free salvation today will judge those who trample underfoot the blood of His Son – who refuse His salvation.

- The worst thing about Hell is that Jesus will not be there – that alone makes it Hell.

The early pioneers who landed on these shores faced untold hardship. They came to a place “unprepared”; a place of wilderness, harsh weather and utter lack of civilization. They couldn’t run down to the corner store and get a pint of cold milk. They couldn’t buy a tin of coffee. They couldn’t go to the grocer to get fresh vegetables and meat – in fact nothing that they were used to in the old world was available to them in the new world. The place they had come to was not a place prepared for their needs. We; later generations; came to “a place prepared”; we just “came aboard” and enjoyed what our forefathers had done and prepared.

Heaven is a “prepared place” – there is nothing we can add to it excepting our presence. Human words cannot describe it – Paul saw it and said he couldn’t tell what it was like. Our picture of it is always colored by our own limited experiences and what we consider it to be – but I believe nothing we can conceive of can ever even approach the true nature of this “prepared place”.

What are some of the desirable characteristics of this place?

- It is prepared; complete; lacking nothing; no work required on our part – perfection far beyond anything mankind has or can begin to conceive of.

- It will be our eternal home – no need to hunt for a bigger or better home; it will be everything we ever wanted – and more!

- The earthly needs we are accustomed to will no longer be the driving force behind our endeavors. All earthly limitations will be forever past; we will have unlimited capacity and desire to serve our Lord throughout eternity.

- Best of all; Jesus will be there! “And they shall see His face”

- It will be eternal day; no need to rest weary bodies and minds; illuminated by the very presence of our God.

- There will be no sin, sickness or death there – only life, peace and joy.

- There will be no corruption – the devil and his entourage will not be there! No more lies, deceit, thievery, murder, hate et al.

- All physical lusts and needs will forever be past – no hunger or thirst.

Two prepared places – which one has a slot for you to fill? I believe there is place for every one of Adam’s race in heaven – but the choice is made by each and every one in this life. At physical death, the destination to one or other “prepared” place has already been determined. Rejecting God’s free and loving provision in Christ is actually a choice to go to the other prepared place. The choice is ours – have you made your choice yet?