FAQ - Heaven and Hell

Scripture 2 Timothy 3:16 (Scripture is sufficient for salvation and godly life) Matthew 24:36 (no one knows the day/hour of Jesus’ return) 2 Corinthians 5:6–8 (away from the body = at home with the Lord) Luke 16:22–26 (Lazarus and the rich man; comfort vs torment; chasm) Luke 23:42–43 (today you’ll be with me in paradise) Revelation 20:11–15; 21:1–4 (final judgment; Hades thrown into lake of fire; new heaven/new earth) 1 Corinthians 15:35–54 (resurrection body; imperishable) Philippians 3:21 (our bodies made like Jesus’ glorious body) Ephesians 4:7–13; Psalm 68:18 (ascending/“captives” language) 1 Peter 3:18–20; 4:6 (proclamation to spirits; gospel proclaimed to the dead) Isaiah 6:6–7 (coal/fire imagery; cleansing) 1 Corinthians 3:12–15 (fire tests the quality of our work) Key themes SCAN: the Bible is sufficient but not exhaustive What happens right after death: presence of the Lord vs Hades (temporary) Final judgment: Hades → lake of fire, and believers to new heaven/new earth Heaven isn’t “clouds and harps”—it’s resurrection life in a restored world Jesus’ descent/proclamation to the dead (and early church support) Why hell exists: justice, separation from God, “your will be done” Fire as imagery of God’s holiness and purification; rewards and loss Description In this bonus FAQ episode we tackle the big afterlife questions: Where do we go when we die? What is heaven like? Why does hell exist? We walk through what Scripture clearly teaches about the intermediate state (paradise vs Hades), the final judgment in Revelation, and the Christian hope of a resurrected body in a new heaven and new earth. We also explore the debated passage about Jesus proclaiming to the dead (1 Peter) and why the early church largely affirmed it. Finally, we talk about hell as real and sobering, and why God’s holiness is often pictured as fire—both as purification for the believer and judgment for those who refuse God. The goal: not speculation, but clarity, humility, and living differently in light of eternity.