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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?
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?
Do Good People Really Go to Heaven When They Die?
Most churchgoers believe that when they die they will go to heaven, But will
they? The Bible reveals some astounding truths about the mystery of life
beyond the grave.
Is Heaven God's Reward for the Righteous?
Is the reward of the righteous an eternity in heaven? It seems a large percentage
of Americans believe it is. Through
the centuries this has been the hope taught by traditional Christianity. What
would going to heaven be like? What would we do when we got there? How does
the Bible describe heaven?
Are There Saved Human Beings in Heaven?
The popular teaching is that when Christians die they immediately go to heaven,
where they take up residence in their permanent abode. But can we find such
a teaching in the Bible?
What
Does the Bible Say About the "Immortal Soul"?
Many people think the Bible says we have an immortal soul destined, at death,
for heaven, hell or purgatory. What does the Bible say?
Created by the Teen Bible Study Committee Volunteers
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