What does the Bible Say About Heaven and Hell?
The Scriptures in the Holy Bible tells us that heaven and hell both exist. Revelation 20:14 says, “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (the lake of fire). And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Our Lord Jesus Christ spent more time telling people about the dangers of hell than about the comfort and hope found in heaven. From a biblical standpoint, an individual exists in heaven or hell having afterlife consciousness forever. Heaven or paradise is the dwelling place of God. The Scriptures say that heaven is not only a real place, but also a dwelling place of God. His throne is there, the angels are there, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What an awesome place to look forward to being received into forevermore.
As human beings we struggle with sin daily. We know that in the kingdom of heaven the Scripture says, “But there shall by no means enter it (heaven) that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life,” (Revelation 21:27). This Scripture verse is true because it was already judged and taken away at the cross by Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. One day all those born of the water and the spirit will have heavenly bodies, free from sin. We will no longer face the challenges and limitations we face on earth. In John 14:2-3, Jesus Christ said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive (rapture) you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ is now in paradise with our heavenly family looking down on us. As born-again believers we put our trust and hope in this promise for our Lord God. We are to long for heaven/paradise. The Bible says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). As God’s people, we should long for heaven. When we do, this please our Lord who has prepared a place for us. We should be motivated by our Lord’s return for us. Our hearts and minds are to be set on “things above” where Christ our Lord and Savior is in heaven, and not on “earthly things.”
What Jesus Christ Said About Heaven
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.” (John 6:47-50)
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:43)
“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” (2 Timothy 4:18)
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9)
“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1) Further Readings: Matthew 5:16,45,48; Matthew 7:11,21; Matthew 10:32, 33; Matthew 12:50; Matthew 16:17; Mark 13:32; Luke 6:23; Luke 10:21; Luke 11:12; Luke 15:7; Luke 23:43; John 14:3,4.
What Jesus Christ Said About Hell
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” (Matthew 5:22)
“And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.” (Luke 10:15)
“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:5)
“… Who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive condemnation.” (Mark 12:40)
“For the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the Son.” (John 5:22)
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6) Further Readings: Matthew 7:13: Matthew 10:28; Matthew 11:23; Matthew 13:40,43,50; Matthew 16:28; Matthew 18:8-9; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 23:15; Mark 9:43, 44, 46, 48; Mark 9: 45, 47; Luke 13:3; Luke 16:24.
Scripture Verses about Heaven or Hell from the Holy Bible for Meditation:
“And God call the firmament Heaven. So, the evening and the morning were the second day.”
(Genesis 1:8)
“And he blessed him and said: Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.”
(Genesis 14:19)
“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years.’” (Genesis 1:14)
“And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!’” (Genesis 28:17)
“He who overcomes shall inherit all things and will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstones which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:7–8)
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
(Matthew 4:17)
“And saying, ‘the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” (Mark 1:15)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
“Now this the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)
“For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, says the LORD, so shall your descendants and your name remain.” (Isaiah 66:22)
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea.” (Revelation 21:1)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in His should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to this brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” (Matthew 5:22)
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” (Matthew 5:29)
“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” (Matthew 5:30)
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to wine one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much as son of hell as yourselves.” “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:15, 33)
“And again, he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.”
(Luke 12:5, The Parable of the Wicked Vinedresser)
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25: 41, 46)
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed, rather than having two hands to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched – where their worm does not die and the first is not quenched.” (Mark 9:43-44)
“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger into water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16:24)
“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen.”
(Matthew 22:13-14)
“Who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’ eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and to not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness – indignation and wrath.” (Romans 2:6-8)
“And a very multitude spread their clothes on the road; other cut down branches form the trees and spread them on the road. …. saying ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!’” (Matthew 21:8-9)
“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” (Revelation 20:10, 12)
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abomination, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
(Revelation 21:8) Read Revelation 21-1-27
“Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (Revelation 10:20)
“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)
“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14–15)
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14)
“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage.” (Joshua 1:5-6)
“I have set before you life and death … therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live … love the LORD your God … obey His voice, and … cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’” (Revelation 21:3-5)
“Then he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’ And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 22:6–7)
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever,” (Isaiah 40:8)
The Time is Near. “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20–21)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to watch and pray and to also fast and pray for we do not know the day or hour of Your return to receive those who love your appearance. Father, I take my stand upon Your Word which is forever settled in heaven, and in so doing, I feel completely secure. You are my security and my strong rock. Thank you, Lord God, that through faith in Christ I have boldness and access to You with
confidence, and this makes me secure in your gift of salvation and eternal life forever with You in the
new heaven and earth. Lord God, my heart is fixed, trusting in You, and I will not be afraid of any evil tidings. Thanks for Your promise that anyone who trusts in You will be like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out its roots by the river. Thank You for Your promise of the new heaven and new earth where all those who are born of the water and of the Spirit shall live in Your presence forevermore. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Scripture verses taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.
By Constance A. Burns, NAAV Contributor for Moments of Meditation and Scripture Readings; email: cburns@naavets.org.