Psalm 88; Heman the Ezrahite; and a Vision of Hell

Should we listen to, and consider, testimonial accounts by individuals making the claim that God revealed to them Hell – either through dreams, visions, or visitations?  Are their accounts supported by scripture?  Does the fruit of these accounts direct others to Jesus and His Gospel?  Are others brought to Jesus Christ, alone, through hearing the testimony of these individual accounts?  (Romans 10:17 says: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.)  Are the individuals testifying asking for money, or seeking attention and fame through sensationalism?  

There is power in the testimony!  Finally, Revelation 12:11 says of our testimonies: …they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

As I was reading Psalm 88, accredited to Heman the Ezrahite, it resembled very much (to me) the accounts of individuals who claim God has revealed to them Hell.  It also sounds very much like many numerous and varied descriptions of hell throughout the Bible.  Psalm 88 reads: [1] O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You. [2] Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry! [3] For my soul has had enough troubles, And my life has drawn near to Sheol. [4] I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength, [5] Forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And they are cut off from Your hand. [6] You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths. [7] Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah. [8] You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out. [9] My eye has wasted away because of affliction; I have called upon You every day, O LORD; I have spread out my hands to You. [10] Will You perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah. [11] Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? (Note: Abaddon is another name for Hell) [12] Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? [13] But I, O LORD, have cried out to You for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before You. [14] O LORD, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? [15] I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on; I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome. [16] Your burning anger has passed over me; Your terrors have destroyed me. [17] They have surrounded me like water all day long; They have encompassed me altogether. [18] You have removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are in darkness.

This  Psalm sounds very much like the numerous testimonies of hell given by mostly unknown people who could be considered as people of no account.  They are not known, wealthy, famous, etc.  The Author of Psalm 88, however, is a rather obscure character in the Bible.  Yet, in his time Heman was well known and respected.  Let’s learn some of what the Bible tells of Heman the Ezrahite.

1 Chronicles 6:31-38 outlines duties and ancestry of Heman.  It reads, "[31]Now these are those whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark rested there. [32] They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order. [33] These are those who served with their sons: From the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, [34] the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, [35] the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, [36] the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, [37] the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, [38] the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel."

Heman was one of the men chosen by David to be over the music service of the Temple, along with other names mentioned in the scriptures.  Heman was the grandson of the prophet and judge Samuel.  Though information about his family history is minimal, we can take away from what is documented in the Bible that Heman was a servant of God.  We will see through scripture, too, that Heman was blessed by God.

Heman’s service to God is shown in 1 Chronicles 15:16-19: "[16] Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. [17] So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, [18] and with them their relatives of the second rank, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. [19] So the singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze..."

In 1 Chronicals 25:1-7 we learn that part of Heman's service to God was as a Seer for King David.  Here, too, we read that Heman was blessed by God with many children.  It reads: "[1] Moreover, David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals; and the number of those who performed their service was: [2] Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. [3] Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising the LORD. [4] Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. [5] All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer to exalt him according to the words of God, for God gave fourteen sons and three daughters to Heman. [6] All these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, harps and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the direction of the king. [7] Their number who were trained in singing to the LORD, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was 288.

Heman the Ezrahite was known as a wise man.  When the scriptures tell of the wisdom of King Solomon, the wisdom of Heman is mentioned as a contrast.  So, although not as wise as Solomon, Heman was known and revered as a wise man.  1 Kings 4:30-31 tells us: "[30] Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. [31] For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations."

In the reading of Psalm 88 we can clearly see that the Psalmist was distraught, and whatever he experienced was terrifying and hellish.  Yet, he was a man of God - of wisdom, blessing, respected, and a Seer.  Whenever a teaching, prophecy, or testimony is given - no matter how disturbing or uncomfortable – we should always take it to the Lord in prayer, test it against the scriptures, and test the spirits.  The Bible is clear that God gives visions!  We need to take care not to practice a blanket rejection of uncomfortable messages and testimonies - nor to reject those from whom the revelation comes.  We must take care to consider and heed God’s warnings - whomever they come through.  God will give His people discernment if we seek not to be deceived, but to follow the Truth.  

Too, we must remember – God is Holy, merciful, good, and just!  He always warns us – time after time.  God is not willing that any should perish.  God has made a way for each of us, not through our own merit (we have none!), but through Jesus Christ alone.  He is all our righteousness. His Name is ‘O Lord, Our Righteousness!’

STUMBLING ON THE CORNERSTONE

 

The Holy Bible is full of accounts telling of the hatred towards, and persecution of, God’s people – His Prophets, and even His Son.  King Ahab said of the Prophet Micaiah, “I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me”.  This comment is the tell-all of the reason people hate the true Prophets of God and God's Son, Jesus Christ.  In John 15:18-20 Jesus made it clear to His Follower of The Way that, "[18] If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. [19] If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. [20] Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  

A true Follower of Jesus Christ can expect hatred and persecution from the world.  They can expect trials.  They can expect, too, that God will keep them.  God will never leave, or forsake, His Servant – His Child – no matter outward appearances!

Another difficulty the Prophets, and even the Son Jesus Christ, experienced was the difficulty of the Message – not only the reactions to the Message.  A vision from God – a truth – can be disturbing like no other thing.  Would that the disturbance of God’s warnings would lead to repentance, rather than hatred.

Isaiah predicts Jesus’ disturbing and violent death in Isaiah 53:1-12:

[1] Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? [2] For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. [3] He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. [4] Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. [5] But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. [6] All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. [7] He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. [8] By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? [9] His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. [10] But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. [11] As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. [12] Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

In 1 Kings 19:3-8 we read that Queen Jezebel (who had killed most of the prophets of God) sent men to kill Elijah, too.  We read, in this scripture, that:

[3] …he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. [4] But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers." [5] He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat." [6] Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. [7] The angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you." [8] So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

1 Kings 22:7-9,13-28 tells us of King Ahab, and his hatred of the Prophet, Micaiah – which, in truth, was a hatred of God’s words.  The king wanted only words he perceived as ‘favorable’ to him.  So, King Ahab had the Prophet Micaiah thrown in prison.  We read:

[7] But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?" [8] The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." But Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." [9] Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah."…  [13] Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, "Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably." [14] But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I shall speak." [15] When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king." [16] Then the king said to him, "How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" [17] So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep which have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.'" [18] Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?" [19] Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. [20] The LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said this while another said that. [21] Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' [22] The LORD said to him, 'How?' And he said, 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' Then He said, 'You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.' [23] Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you." [24] Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?" [25] Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself." [26] Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son; [27] and say, 'Thus says the king, "Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely."'" [28] Micaiah said, "If you indeed return safely the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Listen, all you people."

In Daniel 8:1,26-27 we read that Daniel had a vision from God that disturbed him so much that it made him ‘'exhausted and sick for days’.  We read:

[1] In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me previously...  [26] "The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future." [27] Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king's business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it.

In Jeremiah 38:1-13 we read that Jeremiah was thrown in a cistern because officers did not approve of his word from God:

[1] Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying, [2] "Thus says the LORD, 'He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as booty and stay alive.' [3] Thus says the LORD, 'This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.'" [4] Then the officials said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm." [5] So King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you." [6] Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king's son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud. [7] But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, while he was in the king's palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. Now the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin; [8] and Ebed-melech went out from the king's palace and spoke to the king, saying, [9] "My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have cast into the cistern; and he will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city." [10] Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies." [11] So Ebed-melech took the men under his authority and went into the king's palace to a place beneath the storeroom and took from there worn-out clothes and worn-out rags and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah. [12] Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits under the ropes"; and Jeremiah did so. [13] So they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, and Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guardhouse.

Finally, Jesus gives us a Parable about God – the OWNER OF THE VINEYARD (the World) – and the treatment, by the World, of His Prophets, and His Son… God’s Servants and Heirs.  We read the Parable in Matthew 21:33-46:

[33] "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted A vineyard AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. [34] When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. [35] The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. [36] Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. [37] But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' [38] But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' [39] They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. [40] Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?" [41] They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons." [42] Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES'? [43] Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. [44] And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." [45] When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. [46] When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

Popularity with the World, comfort, and riches, are not indicators of God’s favor.  Rather, these are indicators of favor with the World…

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Jesus had popularity – many Followers and Disciples.  Then came a day of words of Truth from Heaven which many stumbled over, and this caused the greatest majority to walk away from Jesus until only 12 remained – and one of those was a betrayer.  We read in John 6:52-71:

[52] Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" [53] So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. [54] He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. [55] For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. [56] He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. [57] As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. [58] This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." [59] These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. [60] Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?" [61] But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble? [62] What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? [63] It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. [64] But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. [65] And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." [66] As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. [67] So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" [68] Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. [69] We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." [70] Jesus answered them, "Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?" [71] Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus - regardless of the cost, and by the help of Jesus - let us accept, and tell of, Jesus words... even, and especially, the hard ones.  Let the Cornerstone not be a stumbling block.  Let us love the Truth.  Let the Truth bring us to repentance, and not to hatred.  Let us be made perfect in Love, as our Father in Heaven is perfect.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He will set us free.  Let us not fear what man can do.  Let us walk in the fear of the Lord, only.  Amen.