Introduction

One of the most cherished of traditional Christian beliefs is that at death the righteous go to their reward in heaven. Is this belief upheld by the scriptures? The Bereans were commended for checking out what they were taught by searching the scriptures (Acts 17:11). This study guide is for those who wish to search the scriptures to learn whether this commonly held idea is true.

ACTS 2:29,34 "...David ... is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. (34) "For David did not ascend into the heavens ...."

1. Was David among the righteous? Consider Acts 13:22; II Chronicles 7:17; 28:1; 29:2; 34:2.

2. Where is David? Is he in heaven?

JOHN 3:13 "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."

3. Who has gone to heaven?

ECCLESIASTES 9:5-6,10 ...But the dead know nothing ... Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished.... (10) ... there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

4. Are the dead conscious?

5. Do they have emotional awareness?

MATTHEW 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

LUKE 6:20 ... "Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God."

6. Is there a difference between the "kingdom of heaven" and the "kingdom of God"?

MATTHEW 5:12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven ...."

7. What is in heaven?

8. Does this verse say we go to heaven to receive the reward?

MATTHEW 25:31-34 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those of His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world...."

9. When do the righteous receive their inheritance? Consider Revelation 11:15-18 and 22:12 as well.

10. What is the inheritance?

11. Where is the inheritance? Is it in heaven?

12. What does the parable of the ten minas (Luke 19:11-17) teach us about what the reward is and when it is given?

I CORINTHIANS 15:50-52 ...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God ... we shall all be changed -- in a moment ... at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

13. What must first occur before anyone inherits the kingdom?

14. Has the resurrection taken place yet?

15. Has anyone inherited the kingdom?

16. Where are the dead waiting for the resurrection?

REVELATION 21:2-3 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.... 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, and God Himself will be with them and be their God."

17. Do we eventually go to heaven to dwell with the Father?

Summary

1. What does God, through the Bible, tell us about the reward of the saved, where that reward is, and when that reward is to be received?

2. What do people say concerning the reward of the righteous and when and where it is to be received?

3. What do you believe? Do you believe that a righteous individual receives his reward at death in heaven?

For a more comprehensive study, we recommend the booklet, "Heaven And Hell: What Does the Bible Really Teach?".