Study 10: Heaven & Hell
In this study we deal with three things: Christ’s Second Coming, Heaven, and Hell. The Bible teaches that history is moving toward a definite end. Christ will return personally and bodily, the dead will be raised, and all shall stand before Him in judgement.
These truths are not given to satisfy curiosity, but to call us to seriousness, faith, and readiness. We need to be prepared, by being saved and by serving Christ while there is time.
Before you begin
The Bible does not leave us in the dark about the future. Christ came once in humility to save sinners. He will come again in glory to judge the world in righteousness. This means that life now is full of eternal significance.
We should not approach this subject with idle speculation, but with reverence, honesty, and readiness to hear what Scripture says.
This study at a glance
Christ will return
His second coming is a fact taught by Scripture, though the exact time is unknown.
Believers will be with Christ
Believers who die go to be with Christ and will finally live with Him in the new heaven and new earth.
Judgement is real
Unbelievers will rise, face judgement, and be consigned to everlasting punishment.
Read these passages first
These passages lie close to the heart of this study.
Core passages
- Matthew 25:31-46
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
- John 5:28-29
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
Passages to compare
- Luke 23:43
- Philippians 1:21-23
- 2 Peter 3:10-13
- Luke 16:19-31
Christ’s Second Coming
God made the world, man fell into sin, and God promised a Saviour. The Saviour came, lived, died, and rose again. Then He ascended into heaven and poured out the Holy Spirit. The next event is His personal bodily return. All Christians are agreed He will return, though the sequence of events around His return is still a matter of difference amongst Christians.
Christ’s second coming is a fact taught by Scripture
Read Matthew 25:31. See also Matthew 24:30-31, Acts 1:11, and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.
The time is unknown
Any system which predicts the day or year is wrong. Read Matthew 24:36-42. See also 2 Peter 3:3-10 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.
Scripture gives pointers which herald His coming
Yet in these last times, the time between Christ’s ascension and His second coming, Christians have always experienced some of these signs and thought His coming was near.
Read Matthew 24:9-13, 21-22. Some see all this as referring to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. You may also look at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10, 2 Timothy 3:1-7, and 1 John 2:18-22.
On Christ’s return, two things will happen
The resurrection of the dead
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. See also John 5:28-29.
The final judgement
Read Matthew 25:31-46. See also 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:11-15, and 2 Peter 3:10-13.
Heaven
What happens to believers when they die?
They go to be with Christ
They go to be with Christ to await the resurrection of the body. Read Luke 23:43 and Philippians 1:21-23. See also 2 Corinthians 5:8 and Revelation 6:9.
Body and soul will be reunited
At Christ’s return their bodies and souls will be reunited. Read Philippians 3:20-21 and 1 John 3:1-3. See also 1 Corinthians 15:22-23, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and John 6:40.
Believers will face judgement
This is the evaluation of their lives. Read 2 Corinthians 5:10. See also 2 Timothy 4:1, Revelation 20:12, Matthew 25:46, and 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.
Believers will live with Christ
Christians will then live with Christ in a new heaven and new earth. This will be physical. Read 2 Peter 3:10-13 and John 14:2.
Hell
What happens to unbelievers when they die?
They are cast into hell
It seems they are cast into hell like the rich man in the passage. Read Luke 16:19-31.
They rise and face judgement
They rise from the dead on Christ’s return and face judgement. Read John 5:28-29. See also Daniel 12:2 and Acts 24:15.
They are put into a place of everlasting punishment
Read Matthew 25:42-46 and Matthew 13:40-43.
This awful place is without opportunity to change
Deprived of God’s favour, they will experience endless lives filled with pangs of conscience and despair with no opportunity to change. Read Mark 9:47-48 and 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10. See also Luke 16:19-31, Matthew 8:12, and Revelation 21:8.
Application
In view of the awful certainty of God’s judgement, Hebrews 9:27, the practical applications of what we have looked at are these:
- Be sure to trust in Christ, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2.
- Being outside of Christ means hell. Therefore we must be concerned for our fellow humans and take the gospel to them, 2 Corinthians 5:10-21.
- There is an urgency now to live well for Christ. Everything we do has significance, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. See also 1 Thessalonians 4:7, Philippians 3:12-16, and 2 Peter 3:14.
You may be wondering
Do all people eventually go to heaven?
No. Scripture teaches everlasting life for the righteous and everlasting punishment for the wicked. Our eternal state depends on whether we are in Christ.
Can anyone know when Christ will return?
No. The time is unknown. Any scheme that claims to predict the day or year is wrong. Our duty is readiness.
What happens to believers when they die?
They go to be with Christ and await the resurrection of the body. At His return, their bodies and souls will be reunited, and they will live with Him in the new heaven and new earth.
Why should this study affect daily life now?
Because eternity is certain. Thinking rightly about Heaven, Hell, and Christ’s return should make us earnest, watchful, hopeful, and faithful.
Questions
Use these to think carefully and honestly before the Lord.
- How do people get to heaven? Do all people go there eventually?
- What is hell like?
- How does thinking about heaven encourage the Christian?
A simple prayer before moving on
Keep going
Having considered Christ’s return, Heaven, and Hell, the next study turns to the Church, helping us think about the gathered people of God, their life together, and the place of the local fellowship in the Christian life.
