No, Christians Won’t Spend Eternity in Heaven
Understanding what happens when we die
I grew up in a Southern Baptist church and remember learning that, if I was a Christian, when I died (or Jesus returned) I would go to heaven where I would spend eternity. Later I was taught that one day God would come to judge the earth and every person would give an account before Him. After this, the followers of Jesus would go to heaven and those who did not follow Jesus were cast into the lake of fire. Later still, I was told that one day believers would receive a new resurrection body. As you can imagine, I had questions:
- Do people go to heaven (or hell) when they die or after the Day of Judgment?
- If people go immediately to heaven or hell, what’s the point of the Day of Judgment?
- If we are perfectly content in heaven, why do we need new bodies?
There is an answer to resolve these questions but it’s probably not the one you expect. Let’s begin with what the Bible affirms.
Followers of Jesus do go to heaven when we die. The Bible affirms this principle in multiple places.
“And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And he said to him, ‘Be Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’ ” (Luke 23:42-43, ESV)
“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8, ESV)
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” (Philippians 1:21-23, ESV)
God will judge the whole world. Each person will give an account before God. Those who do not follow Jesus will be cast into the lake of fire.
“Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:10-12, ESV)
“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22-23, ESV)
“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done…And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”(Revelation 20:12, 15 ESV)
Believers will receive a new resurrection body. We will have a body that will not grow old, get sick, experience pain, or die.
“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:52-53, ESV; but read the whole chapter)
The problem with seeing heaven as our eternal destiny is that we are not heavenly creatures. We were not made for heaven and heaven was not made for us. We were created for earth.
Heaven is not our eternal home; heaven is where we wait for our eternal home. In the book of Revelation, John had a vision of heaven and the souls of those who had been slain.
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” (Revelation 6:9-11, ESV)
Christians will not spend eternity in heaven, they will spend eternity on a new earth.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more…And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:1, 3, ESV)
This is why we will receive new bodies, because we will live on a new earth. In heaven, though we are with God, we are still incomplete. It was never God’s design that we would spend eternity in heaven with Him. It was always his design that He would dwell on the earth with us. What a glorious day that will be! Come, Lord Jesus.
Live for Jesus.