In Christian theology, Heaven is a place, a condition or an reward which is prepared by God for pious individuals (see Divine transcendence). Hell, on the other hand, is seen as a condition or place of separation from God, generally depicted through apocalyptic or punitive imagery. Those are the two eternal fates for mankind in Christian scripture. This article seeks to explore the biblical description of Heaven and Hell, the nature of eternal existence, the various terms that are found in the Bible to refer to states of judgment or the afterlife and the extent to which they are related to the Christian doctrine of judgment and salvation. It examines the biblical grounds for understanding eternity and discusses related ideas about the ultimate state of being.
What Does the Bible Say About Heaven And Hell?
The Bible gives us Heaven and Hell as opposite ends from life on earth and judgment from God. Getting to each place is a whole other story: the character of both places is in direct opposition. Thus life in heaven is described as perfection, peace, and the presence of God, with no more tears and pain. Revelation’s vision of the new Heaven and the new Earth confirms a physical universe renewed (indwelt) by God whose presence is among human beings [REV 21:1-4]. Hell, on the other hand, is depicted in more graphic, sometimes horrifying, detail as horrible suffering, destruction, and eternal alienation from God. Language such as “eternal fire,” “outer darkness,” and “unquenchable fire” is used in different biblical texts for this state or place.
What Words Are Used in the Bible to Describe the Heaven of God’s People?
The description of life in heaven or the new creation in the Scriptures includes a number of features. Life there is endless, forever. There’s burglary of God’s presence, another’s taken for ultimate joy and meaning. Revelation 21:4 says that in the new creation, God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.” This implies a condition totally without any form of pain or restriction suffered in this life. Heaven is described as the believers’ place of living with God and the lamb (i.e. Jesus Christ), in which worship and righteous service occurs. The descriptions frequently include the imagery of the city, the New Jerusalem, being filled with precious stones and having gates of pearl, indicating great value and security [REV 21:10-21]. It is a world filled with peace, a world of reconciled humanity dwelling together in perfect communion with God and one another. Now the number of those who share this indissoluble existence is so great that it is called “a great multitude that no one could count” (REV 7:9).
What are the Bible Words for Conditions of Judgment or Punishment?
The Bible has several words that are used in reference to what is translated or understood as Hell, each with its own nuance. There are four main words that are often translated hell: Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, and Tartarus, as well as the Lake of Fire.
- Sheol Sheol is a Hebrew word in the Old Testament, which is associated with English words like “grave,” “pit,” or “the underworld.” It is described as the general habitation of the dead, good or bad, in which no work is done [PS 6:5, IS 38:18]. It is not necessarily depicted as a place of eternal punishment but rather a neutral place were the soul awaits final judgment. Some passages do imply a “penal” consequence in terms of fate for the wicked within Sheol. The Psalmist hopes that God will not leave him in Sheol [PS 16:10].
- Hades is the corresponding Greek term for Sheol, although the New Testament uses that term of the place of the dead. Like Sheol, it is the place of the dead. Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) describes Hades as having different parts: one side for comfort (called “Abraham’s bosom”) and one side for torment, with a great chasm between them. This in turn implies a difference in the state of the dead before the general judgment. Hades is woven into this portion, for Peter is quoting as to Jesus’ resurrection in that He was not left in Hades [ACTS 2:27-31].
- Gehenna takes its name from the Hebrew “Ge Hinnom” (Valley of Hinnom), a valley outside ancient Jerusalem where trash was burned and, in antiquity, child sacrifices were made. In the New Testament, and especially in the Gospels, Jesus utilized Gehenna to symbolize a place of fiery judgement and damnation [MATT 5:22, 10:28, 23:15, MARK 9:43-48]. So this word has very strong references to hell, to severe punishment, a lot of the times severe punishment accompanied by fire. It is separate from Hades and often confused for final punishment.
- Tartarus is mentioned only once in the New Testament (2 Pet 2:4) with reference to the place where some of the fallen angels are currently imprisoned, awaiting their final judgment. It is a place of confinement and darkness for these spiritual beings, even within the realm of the dead.
- Lake of Fire is a word only used in the Revelation. It is described as the ultimate home of the devil, the beast, the false prophet, death, hades and, finally, all whose names cannot be found in the book of life [REV 20:10, 14-15]. This is likely the final, eternal condition of punishment and perdition, after the final judgment, unconnected with the intermediate abodes of Sheol/Hades or the philosophical Gehenna. It is also explicit in Revelation 20:14 that what is called the Lake of Fire is “the second death.”
Is the Eternity of Heaven and Hell Actually Infinite Time?
The image of eternity in the Bible, especially concerning the being of Heaven or Hell, is invariably presented as without end. The word aionios is used in the New Testament to describe fire, punishment, sleep, life (as in “eternal life”), and other things, but “eternal” is not proper here without some explanation because zoe aionios (life eternal) is a duration of existence into which immortality enters and of a quality belonging to God. It is the word used to express the punishment of the wicked (kolasis aionios) [Matt 25:46]. The parallelism between “eternal life” and “eternal punishment” in Matthew 25:46 strongly suggests that both last forever. Though there have been disputed interpretations of whether aionios most often refers to endless duration or to an age, when it refers to God’s life and that which he imparts, the evidence indicates that it means without end. The “Lake of Fire,” portrayed as the eternal abode of the damned, is said in Revelation 20:10 to be a place in which the devil, beast, and false prophet will be tormented “day and night for ever and ever,” language (εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων) elsewhere in John’s writings that quite unambiguously means never-ending time. This offers solid textual grounding for taking both eternal life and eternal punishment as continual states.
What Does The Bible Say About Judgment At The End Of Days?
There are many scripture passages throughout the bible that refer to the day of judgement and the resulting eternal destination with God or in a place of punishment/destruction.
The prophets of the Old Testament referred frequently to a “day of the Lord,” a day of divine vengeance and judgment on behalf of Israel and against the nations. Although not always specifically describing the eternal, it establishes the concept of divine judgment and a judgment based upon wickedness (e.g., Amos 5:18-20, Is. 13:6-11).
In the New Testament, Jesus has a lot to say about judgment and the division of people into groups based on their reactions to him and their behaviour. Matthew 25:31-46 gives an elaborate description of the judgment of the nations, between the “sheep” (the righteous) and the “goats” (the wicked). The sheep receive the kingdom prepared for them, or “eternal life,” while the goats receive “eternal punishment,” prepared for the devil and his angels. On the one hand, this verse connects deeds to eternal results, and it uses the word aionios for both.
For John 3:16 says that “whoever believes in him [Jesus] shall not perish but have eternal life.” The verse juxtaposes perishing (destruction or ruin) to eternal life, meaning that the alternative of eternal life is not merely being – non-existence – but ruin or separation.
The most detailed eschatological (end times) account of the final judgment is found in Revelation chapters 20 and 21. Chapter 20 gives an account of God’s judgment at the “great white throne” at which time the dead are judged according to their works, and anyone not having their name found in the “book of life” are cast into the lake of fire, (the second death). Chapter 21 then presents the new Heaven and new Earth where God dwells with His redeemed people in perfect tranquility and eternal life. These chapters show a simple progression, from earthly life, through death, through resurrection/judgment, to either eternal life in the new creation, or eternal punishment/destruction in the Lake of Fire. The quantity of those who stand at Great White Throne is indeed huge, all who ever not found in the book of life.
Is There Diverse Christian Interpretations of Heaven and Hell?
In Christianity, especially in the western traditions, the following are some historical interpretations of the Bible, including views on the nature and duration of Hell, not all of which are held by Christians: There have been different perspectives among Christians on the extent of Hell, from no Hell at all (universal reconciliation) to one of eternal torment. The only commonly-held interpretation of Hell that is found in history (traditionally called Infernalism) is that Hell is a location of conscious and eternal punishment in the afterlife for the damned. This view gains considerable support from passages such as Matthew 25:46 and Revelation 20:10 that utilize terminology that implies timeless agony and eternal suffering.
Another view is conditionalism (or annihilationism), which is the belief that the unsaved will be punished for their own sins and then ultimately cease to exist after a period of conscious punishment rather than suffer unending conscious torment. Those supporters of this view draw on biblical language, such as that of the wicked ‘perishing,’ ‘being destroyed’ or ‘consumed by fire’ – emphasis the fire is potent but destructive: it brings consumption and end, not preservation for torment. They may take the phrase “eternal punishment” as signifying the eternal outcome (eternal destruction), more so than an eternal process of being punished.
Third, and less common throughout historical orthodoxy, is universalism which holds that, ultimately, all human beings will be restored to God and saved. This perspective also frequently reinterprets passages about judgment and punishment so they are viewed as remedial or temporary in effect (i.e.: designed to elicit repentance rather than final and eternal for any). This viewpoint yields readily to contrary biblical material, which envisions a sharp and ultimate disjunction in judgment.
Traditional Christian theology in recent centuries has held to the traditional view of eternal, conscious punishment, largely based on Jesus’ very words regarding Gehenna and the clear language in Revelation about the Lake of fire and the meaning of aionios. Still, there is a respectful conversation between adherents of these various positions because all of them believe that in what they believe and advocate, they are making the Scriptural case in its entirety.
What Are Core Christian Beliefs of the Faith?
There are some fundamental teachings that are central to Christianity. These include the belief that God is a triune being who exists as three persons, or in the divine Nature (as Father, Son and Holy Spirit), Jesus Christ is the Son of God the second person of the Triune God head, both fully divine and fully human, his virgin birth, sinless life, death on the cross, atonement for all sin, bodily resurrection and his restorations to heaven as well as the promise of his return. Fundinal doctrinal beliefs include the authority and inerrancy of the Bible (The Word of God), the sinfulness of man (rebellion against God), salvation by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, including belief in angels and demons. These beliefs together determine the Christian concept of God, humankind, sin, salvation, and the end of all things.
Are There Similar Ideas in Christianity?
Associated with biblical concepts of Heaven and Hell are also idea of the end times, the end of the world, and the New Heaven and New Earth and the final destinations of the redeemed and the damned and the eternal existence of both.
What does resurrection mean to the Christian?
Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead expects a resurrection of the body. The saved will be raised to live eternally in glorified, immortal bodies that are suited to dwell in the new heavens and new earth, and the damned will be resurrected to face final judgment and standing in condemnation [JOHN 5:28-29, 1 COR 15:42-44].
What the Bible says about Great White Throne Judgment?
The Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 is the final judgment of all the dead and is not to be confused with the judgment of believer’s works at the Judgment Seat Of Christ ( 1 Corinthians 3:12-15). And the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. The Book of Life is open – and whosoever is not found written therein is thrown into the Lake of Fire. This verdict predates the new Heaven and the new Earth. The people judged in the above are all those who have not been previously judged nor have entered into eternal life.
Is purgatory biblical in the Bible?
There is not direct biblical basis for the Purgatory, a place of purification after death before Heaven, in mainstream Protestant Christianity. While other traditions claim that some biblical passages indicate potential post-mortem purification, those interpretations that rely exclusively upon the Bible understand that each person’s destiny is irrevocably determined by their lives and faith upon death or at the final judgement. The Bible teaches the doctrine of eternal life or eternal perdition.
What is the relationship of salvation to eternal destiny in Christianity?
I believe that what is taught in the Bible, that people can be saved from the penalty and power of sin by believing in Jesus Christ, is the only way to gain eternal life in God’s next world (Heaven or the new creation). Those who experience God’s salvation are guaranteed eternal life and deliverance from a judgment that would result in eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire [ROM 6:23, EPH 2:8-9]. Salvation is themselves directly proportional to the acquisition of a positive destiny of eternity.
What is the New Heaven and the New Earth?
The new Heaven and new Earth, as found in Isaiah 65:17 and given fuller treatment in Revelation 21-22, is a description of God’s final re-creation of the creation. It’s not flying away from the earth to a barely physical heaven but the restoration and transformation of the cosmos, the one in which God is fully present to his redeemed people. It is the fulfillment of God’s redemptive work, reconciling all creation to perfect unity and righteousness, and the place forever of those who have been given the gift of eternal life. And this new creation is where God “makes all things new” [Rev. 21:5]. Then [there are] twelve gates, and the very gates twelve pearls [REV 21:21].
