Heaven and Hell - What Does the Bible Really Teach?

Heaven and Hell: What Does the Bible Really Teach?

The question of what happens to us when this life ends has intrigued people for centuries. Find out what the Bible really says and how it compares to what you may have heard about heaven or hell.

Uncover the truth about what happens after death. The Bible reveals that God has something in mind—something far different and far superior to traditional concepts about heaven.

Find out in this guide:

  • Could a God of love sentence people to an eternity of agony in hell? 
  • Does the Bible teach that we have an immortal soul that cannot die?
  • What really happens after death?

Discover the encouraging truth with an in-depth look at the Scriptures about God’s plan for us after we die.

Table of Contents

A blue sky with clouds and sun rays.

Introduction: Heaven and Hell

5 minutes
Few things could be more important than what happens to us when this life ends. Most people believe the Bible teaches that we will go to either heaven...
An illustrated version of what people believe to be a spirit or immortal soul.

The Biblical Truth About the Immortal Soul

10 minutes
Ideas about us going to heaven or hell hinge on belief in the immortal soul, which must go somewhere when the body dies. Yet the Bible nowhere teaches...
A bust of Plato's face in stone.

The History of the Immortal-Soul Teaching

2 minutes
Despite widespread use of the phrase immortal soul, this terminology is found nowhere in the Bible. Where did the idea of an immortal soul originate?
A Bible laying on a table.

Do Some Bible Verses Teach We Have an Immortal Soul?

4 minutes
Some believe that various scriptures support belief in an immortal soul. Let's consider some of these passages and understand what they really say.
Woodcarving painting by Gustave Doré.

Will a Loving God Punish People Forever in Hell?

19 minutes
Millions believe that God is loving and merciful, but also that He has condemned millions to suffer torment for all eternity. Is something wrong with...
Bible laying on top of a table

Lazarus and the Rich Man: Proof of Heaven and Hell?

6 minutes
Many interpret one of Jesus' parables to mean that people have immortal souls that go to heaven or hell immediately at death. But does this parable...
Flames of a fire.

Are Some Tortured Forever in a Lake of Fire?

2 minutes
Any human being thrown into the lake of fire will be destroyed and will not be tormented for eternity.
Bible laying on top of a table.

Will the Torment of the Wicked Last Forever?

3 minutes
Rather than describing eternal torment of people in hell, from the context we see that this passage is actually describing specific events to take...
A photo illustration showing a person reaching for another person surrounded by bright lights.

Is Heaven God's Reward for the Righteous?

12 minutes
If heaven is the reward for good people, why does the Bible reveal so little about what they will do there for eternity? Could it be that this isn't...
A statue of head of the Egyptian god Osiris.

Ancient Pagan Belief in Heaven

3 minutes
The idea that souls go to heaven at death originated in pagan religion, not the Bible.
A Holy Bible laying on a table.

Paul's Desire to "Depart and Be With Christ"

4 minutes
Many have assumed from Paul's words in Philippians 1:23-24 that he believed that at the moment of his death his consciousness would leave his body to...
An open Bible laying on a table.

Are There Saved Human Beings in Heaven?

3 minutes
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...
A young couple by a grave stone.

The Resurrection: God's Promise of Life after Death

14 minutes
The Bible clearly teaches that the dead will be raised in a resurrection. But if their souls have already gone to heaven or hell at death, what's the...
An open Bible laying on a table.

Was Enoch Taken to Heaven?

4 minutes
Some people believe Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5 declare that God took Enoch to heaven. But is that what these verses say?
Sunrays coming through the clouds.

Did Elijah Go to Heaven?

5 minutes
A biblical event many cite to support belief that the righteous go to heaven when they die involves the prophet Elijah.
Cover of a Holy Bible

The Thief on the Cross

7 minutes
Many people think Jesus assured the thief on the cross that he would go to heaven with Him that very day. But is this really what Jesus Christ meant?
A doctor consoling a person who is grieving.

Your Awesome Future

12 minutes
A careful study of the Scriptures reveals major problems with popular beliefs about life after death. Sadly, these misguided ideas have masked the...
An bed that has been slept in.

Jesus Christ and Biblical Writers Compare Death to Sleep

4 minutes
What happens to a person when he dies? The Bible compares death to a state of sleep.
Bible laying on top of a table.

Does the Bible Speak of Hellfire That Lasts Forever?

2 minutes
Two verses that many assume prove the wicked are to be eternally tortured in hellfire are Matthew 25:41 and 25:46. But do they? Let's take a closer...
A woman standing beside an old bridge.

The Spirit in Man

2 minutes
The human spirit is critical to our destiny, since God's Holy Spirit joining with it is what makes us God's children.