what do you believe happens to people when they die?"

Benjamin Franklin said, "In this globe nothing can be said to be sure, except death and taxes." His words, though slightly humorous, remind united states of america of a very real truth: 1 of the things nosotros all have in common is that everyone dies.

At one time or another, nearly people wonder what will happen when they dice. Death feels frightening and mysterious, and perspectives on what happens and what it means vary significantly.

To help you find some answers to this question, let's explore some different views on this topic, including what the Bible has to say virtually it.

If you already know what y'all're looking for, you can use these links to go direct to the topics that are well-nigh relevant for you:

Historical Beliefs Well-nigh the Afterlife

When you inquire, "What happens when you die?" you are joining generations of people who accept asked that question throughout history.

The afterlife has historically had an important part in cultures all over the world. Greek and Roman mythology described it as an underworld. Vikings talked most Valhalla, a paradise. Chinese mythology refers to the Diyu, or hell. Many of the Great Plains tribes saw it equally a "happy hunting footing."

Even earlier recorded history, people buried the dead with nutrient, weapons, valuables and other useful items. The living manifestly thought the dead would need these things after death, implying a belief in an afterlife.

A Choice of Perspectives

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There are many means to approach the question, "What happens when yous die?" People have looked for answers through science, philosophy and religion. Even inside those schools of thought, people have a broad variety of beliefs well-nigh the afterlife.

Science and Medicine

People who study science and medicine accept come to very different conclusions about the afterlife. Some think that to believe in scientific discipline means the supernatural, including life after death, is not possible. Others believe that science proves, or at least points to, the possibility of life after death.

Physicist Stephen Hawking compared death to a computer that stops working when it breaks. He thought of the afterlife as a fairytale.

In dissimilarity, Nobel-Prize-winning physicist Max Planck believed physics shows that consciousness is not a product of concrete affair (such as brain cells). Since information technology exists exterior of physical matter, it could outlast concrete death.

Others argue that the first police of thermodynamics, which states that energy and matter cannot exist created or destroyed, ways life cannot finish at death.

Doctors and scientists have as well studied the experiences of people who have been declared clinically dead, merely to be revived later. One large-scale scientific study, by a team from the University of Southampton in England, constitute evidence of consciousness during a menstruum of cardiac arrest and no brain action.

Based on enquiry and case studies like this, some scientists accept concluded in that location must exist life after death.

Philosophy

Philosophy also has a lot to say on this subject. Ancient philosophers similar Socrates and Plato believed that when the body died, the soul lived on. Years after, Immanuel Kant ended that morality requires life after death as well as the existence of a just judge.

Atheist philosophers similar Marx, Lenin and Nietzche did not believe in an afterlife. They viewed belief in an afterlife equally in conflict with living life to its fullest.

Organized religion

Faith is one of the virtually common ways people answer the question of "what happens when yous die?" At that place are many unlike religions and almost equally many beliefs virtually the afterlife, fifty-fifty if it'southward that no afterlife exists.

Though the specifics differ, many religions have like themes, such as reincarnation, sky, hell, enlightenment or some combination of these. Some religions have very consequent beliefs across all followers. Other religious teachings leave more open to estimation, which can effect in a wide diversity of beliefs among members.

Christianity. Followers of Jesus believe that at that place is an afterlife and that Christ is not merely the fundamental to life and love on this earth, He is the primal to what will happen when you lot die. The Bible teaches that when people die, their souls live on. People will spend eternity either with God (usually called sky) or separated from God (commonly called hell).

People attempt to attain God through being very moral, doing expert deeds, or behaving in ways they think of as very religious. Just the Bible teaches that no 1 is really worthy of spending eternity with God based on their ain efforts. In fact, trying to get to heaven on the basis of our own effort is actually office of the trouble the Bible refers to equally sin. This is the problem Jesus' death and resurrection solved for anyone who trusts in Jesus.

Just why exercise nosotros need Jesus to solve the problem of sin?

Christians believe it's because we've all chosen to go our own way, or rebel against God, and and then do not deserve to be in sky with Him forever. Trying to earn your fashion to heaven or make yourself practiced plenty for heaven is essentially an attempt to exist your ain god. People remain imperfect, despite their best efforts.

Because God is perfect, imperfect people cannot spend eternity with Him in heaven without ruining its perfection. Merely a perfect God tin can make imperfect people perfect once again. He did this by coming to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, living a perfect life and dying on behalf of all people so their wrongdoings and rebellion can exist forgiven.

When people accept Jesus as their only mode to God, they volition be given the righteousness of Christ then they tin can spend eternity with God (starting with a personal relationship with Him in this lifetime). Those who reject Jesus pass up God. Since heaven is eternity with God, this means they will exist separated from God for eternity.

People who do not trust Jesus cannot go to heaven because of what heaven is.

Discover out more well-nigh what Christianity has to say.

Islam. Muslims believe people take immortal souls. After expiry, the destination of the soul depends on a person's good and bad deeds. Islam teaches that everyone will be resurrected (be raised to life once again) and face final judgment. People who are faithful and good volition enter paradise. People who are unfaithful and wicked will enter hell.

Judaism. There are different behavior near the afterlife inside Judaism. Most sacred Jewish texts draw some form of afterlife. The Hebrew Bible talks about "Sheol," and the Talmud describes "the Globe to Come up," though what exactly these are is not articulate.

Some Jewish people believe only the true-blue and adept will enter the afterlife merely that the afterlife is open to good people of whatsoever worldview. Others believe at that place will be a resurrection of everyone that volition include a judgment of every person'south skilful and bad deeds to determine their eternal fate.

But many Jewish people do non believe in hell. Some exercise non believe in an afterlife at all, just place value on preserving civilization and living on through future generations.

Baha'i. The Baha'i faith teaches that at expiry, the torso dies, but the immortal, rational soul continues on in the spiritual realm and grows toward perfection. The prayers of people still on earth and skilful deeds done in the name of the person who died can help a soul make progress in the next earth.

Though Baha'i teaches of the truth of all religions, information technology does not promote the idea of a physical heaven and hell. Instead, references to heaven and hell are to be taken figuratively and symbolically. Baha'is do not believe in reincarnation.

Buddhism. There are several types of Buddhism with distinct teachings about the afterlife. In full general, Buddhism teaches that eternal, individual souls do non be but that afterward death, people ordinarily experience reincarnation based on their actions and desires in this life. The ultimate goal is to end the cycle of reincarnation and accomplish an aware land called Nirvana. This is accomplished through meditation, religious practice and the elimination of desire, hatred and ignorance.

Nirvana is characterized by freedom from suffering. It's not a physical location, only a higher state of existence than the concrete earth.

Hinduism. Hinduism includes a large variety of beliefs and practices and is both a religion and a culture. The cadre Hindu belief about what happens subsequently death focuses on reincarnation. Well-nigh Hindus believe in an eternal, immortal soul that is reincarnated at death based on its actions in life, known every bit its karma. The consequences of karma are automatic and cannot be avoided.

A person may endure in 1 life for bad karma from the current life or a previous life. The ultimate goal in Hinduism is to accomplish moksha, or freedom from reincarnation. This is achieved by eliminating bad karma through proficient actions, meditation, spiritual devotion or freedom from ignorance and desire.

Once moksha is accomplished, the soul becomes 1 with (or acknowledges that it and everything else is already one with) Brahman, the ultimate reality or universal God.

Sikhism. Sikhism emphasizes both living a good life in community and meditating on God. Sikhs believe a person experiences reincarnation until they resolve all of their karma and accomplish mukti, or liberation. This happens when one focuses their attending on God instead of self and attains a total agreement of God.

Merely God tin cause someone to attain mukti, but people should strive to be close to God. When liberated, the individual becomes 1 with God.

Shinto. Shinto includes a number of different beliefs and practices merely does not emphasize the afterlife. Death is seen as impure in Shinto religion, and the focus is on this life, non the next.

Most Shintoists do not necessarily believe in an eternal soul, just many practise believe people can become kami, or sacred spirits who tin can protect their descendants. People oftentimes worship their ancestral kami and honor them through festivals.

Many Shintoists practice both Shinto and Buddhism and view death in a more Buddhist sense.

Taoism. Taoism, likewise known as Daoism, teaches nigh the Tao — the fundamental free energy of life. There are a wide variety of beliefs and practices within Taoism. In general, Taoists seek to achieve immortality through rituals and pursuing harmony and oneness with the universe.

Unitarian Universalism. Unitarianism does non have a core prepare of beliefs and does not promote universal truth. It emphasizes tolerance and rational thought. Unitarians may or may non believe in God or the supernatural, and its focus is on this life. Some Unitarians believe that people cease to exist after expiry, while others believe at that place is some sort of afterlife or unification with God or the universe.

Unitarians do not believe in hell or eternal penalization. "Universalism" refers to the belief in universal salvation.

Other Views. People who follow Jainism, Scientology, New Age Organized religion, Wicca and Hare Krishna believe in some class of reincarnation, merely the specifics vary. Indigenous Chinese and Tibetian religions take like, merely distinct, beliefs about the afterlife to Buddhism. Members of the Unification Church building believe in a spirit world with God and eternal families.

Some religious groups that have some basis in the Bible or who self-identify as Christian but have additional sacred texts paint a dissimilar picture of the afterlife than the i establish in the Bible. Mormons and Jehovah'south Witnesses are ii of these groups.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-twenty-four hours Saints (Mormons) believe that people were part of the spiritual kingdom before coming to earth and will return to their spiritual country when they dice. Immediately after death, peoples' spirits enter the spirit world. The faithful will be in paradise, but others volition be in spirit prison, where they can cull to take God or not.

Mormons believe in resurrection for all that reunites body and spirit. After the final judgment, the true-blue volition enter the Celestial Kingdom with God and their eternal families. Those who are good simply did not accept God until the spirit world will alive in the Terrestrial Kingdom. Those who are non practiced and rejected God will be in the Telestial Kingdom. Endless punishment is reserved for the devil, his angels, and those who served him or totally reject God.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe the soul is not split up from the concrete body and dies with the body. For well-nigh, expiry means nonexistence. A small-scale group of the most true-blue (144,000) will be part of the first resurrection and reign with Jesus in heaven. Others who choose to serve God will be part of the 2d resurrection and alive on a new earth forever.

Non-Religious Worldviews

Agnosticism. The give-and-take "agnostic" tin refer to someone who does not know if God or anything supernatural exists or to someone who does not believe it is possible to know if God or the supernatural exist.

Atheism. Atheists practice not believe in God or gods and generally practise not believe in an afterlife. Most believe that at death, a person simply ceases to exist. Some people who do not believe in God, and are therefore technically atheists, do even so believe in some sort of afterlife.

Confucianism. The Chinese philosophy of Confucianism is more than of a philosophy and a fashion of life than a religion, and it does not promote the idea of an afterlife. The focus of Confucianism is on this life, with an emphasis on family and guild too every bit respecting the wisdom and traditions passed down from previous generations. Ancestor worship is important in Chinese civilisation in full general and is practiced past many who follow Confucianism.

Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a movement that came out of China in the 1990s and does not claim to exist a religion or promote a conventionalities most the afterlife. It does promote attaining a grade of salvation or enlightenment in this life through the exercises and teachings of its founder, Li Hongzhi.

Humanism. Humanism teaches that the physical globe is all there is and there is no life subsequently expiry. Humanists believe people should focus on the human experience because at death they will cease to exist.

Going Deeper Into What Christianity Says Near Life After Death

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The Bible teaches that God has prepare eternity in the hearts of humans (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This is ane reason why death makes us pitiful; nosotros were non made to terminate. There are many passages in the Bible that make it clear we practice non stop to exist when our earthly bodies dice.

Daniel 12:2 says, "Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried volition ascent up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace."

Jesus said, "I tell you lot the truth, those who heed to my message and believe in God who sent Me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life" (John xi:25).

When people dice, their souls continue to live on. Where their souls get is based on whether or not they accept Jesus' cede on their behalf.

Where Do People Spend Eternity?

Heaven and Hell. The Bible teaches that there are two alternatives: eternity with God and eternity separated from God, often referred to as sky and hell. From an eternal standpoint, to be present in one is to be absent from the other.

Eternity with God is safe, peaceful and void of all evil. Hell is the terrible alternative where God and all the good things that come from God are completely absent.

What Happens Immediately After Expiry?

When Jesus hung on the cross where He was being executed, at that place were 2 criminals being crucified on either side of Him. Luke 23:42-43 describes a conversation between one of those criminals and Jesus: "Then [the criminal] said, 'Jesus, recollect me when You come into Your Kingdom.' And Jesus replied, 'I assure you, today y'all will be with Me in paradise.'"

The paradise Jesus mentions is where people who have a relationship with God go immediately after they die. When people say "sky," this is oft what they mean.

Sky volition be an astonishing place, but it'due south not designed to be the eternal home of God's people. That even more than amazing identify is usually referred to as "the new creation" or "the new heaven and new world."

Judgment Mean solar day

The Bible describes a time when all people will come up dorsum to life, or exist resurrected, and volition stand earlier God to exist judged. This is often referred to equally judgment 24-hour interval. This is when God will declare who will enter the new creation and spend eternity with God and who will spend eternity with Satan in a identify of eternal suffering.

Revelation 20:11-xv describes judgment day:

And I saw a keen white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and heaven fled from His presence, but they institute no identify to hide. I saw the dead, both keen and small, continuing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the expressionless were judged according to what they had washed, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and expiry and the grave gave upwardly their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. And so death and the grave were thrown into the lake of burn. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose proper name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

God'south Standard

The key question is, What will exist the standard on judgment day? How good do yous have to be to go to heaven?

Many people think that equally long equally your good deeds outweigh your bad, or as long every bit you make a good effort and practice not practice anything as well bad, you will go to heaven. In reality, God'southward standard is much higher. He requires perfection.

But Romans three:23 says, "Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God'southward glorious standard."

Since everyone falls short, how can anyone go to sky? The reply is in the next verse: "Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed u.s. from the penalty for our sins" (Romans 4:24).

No one can run into the standard of perfection on judgment day past their own efforts, simply God fabricated a way for people to spend eternity with Him. Jesus lived the perfect life that we cannot, so died in our identify to take on the penalty we deserved for our rebellion against God.

No one can brand themselves perfect; only God can exercise that:

God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made correct with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was beingness fair when He held dorsum and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this nowadays fourth dimension. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.

Can nosotros boast, then, that we have done anything to exist accustomed by God? No, considering our acquittal is not based on obeying the police force. Information technology is based on faith. So nosotros are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. (Romans 3:25-28)

If y'all accept Jesus' sacrifice on your behalf, you're forgiven for your sins and can begin a personal human relationship with God.

God does non force you to have a relationship with Him; every person must decide whether they want that.

You can take that what Jesus has done is sufficient to salve you lot from an eternity apart from God, or you can reject it and rely on your own efforts to save y'all.

God showed His great dearest for us by sending Christ to die for us while nosotros were still sinners. And since nosotros take been fabricated right in God's sight by the claret of Christ, He will certainly save the states from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while nosotros were still His enemies, nosotros volition certainly be saved through the life of His Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." — Romans 5:eight-11

The New Heaven and New World

Revelation 21:ane-viii describes the ultimate destination of those who accept Jesus' sacrifice and have eternal life with God:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former sky and the quondam earth had disappeared. And the body of water was too gone. And I saw the holy urban center, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now amid His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He volition wipe every tear from their eyes, and in that location volition exist no more than death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."

And the 1 sitting on the throne said, "Wait, I am making everything new!" So He said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you lot is trustworthy and truthful." And He likewise said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega — the Starting time and the End. To all who are thirsty I volition give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious volition inherit all these blessings, and I volition be their God, and they will be My children.

I of the virtually amazing things nearly the new creation is that people will get to spend eternity in God'due south presence. In the new cosmos, God'due south people will live in a beautiful place gratis of hurting and suffering and feel the joy of a perfect human relationship with a perfectly loving God.

The Second Death

Those who do not take God's free gift of forgiveness through Jesus will spend eternity away from God. Since God is goodness and love, being apart from Him volition mean being in a place of suffering and pain.

The Volume of Revelation as well describes this destination:

Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and nighttime forever and ever. (Revelation 20:x)

But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars — their fate is in the fiery lake of called-for sulfur. This is the 2d death. (Revelation 21:8)

Whether there is literally burn and called-for sulfur or not we cannot know, but it's clear that hell is non a place you want to be.

All of the states do things we know are wrong or immoral to some extent or another, and we choose to go our own way instead of following God. If y'all have this passage out of context, it seems rather hopeless.

Merely God has fabricated a way through Jesus to receive forgiveness for all of these things. Without Jesus' sacrifice, each person is responsible for their own choices and as a result will never be good plenty to enter into eternity with a perfect God.

Thankfully, God tin can wipe out our wrongdoings and brand people worthy of eternity with Him. We can be resurrected into a new life if we trust in Jesus.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, ready your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the correct paw of God. Set your minds on things above, non on earthly things. For you lot died, and your life is now subconscious with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you lot also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4, New International Version)

Bodies and Eternity

It is natural to wonder what people will exist like in eternity. The Bible makes information technology articulate that eternal bodies will exist different from earthly bodies. Paul, an early follower of Jesus who wrote much of the New Testament, wrote about this in his first letter to the church building in the metropolis of Corinth:

Someone may enquire, "How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?" What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it does non grow into a constitute unless information technology dies kickoff. And what you put in the basis is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or any you are planting. ... Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, just they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human being bodies, but they volition be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as at that place are natural bodies, there are likewise spiritual bodies. (1 Corinthians xv:35-37, 43-44)

In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, Paul explains further that our new bodies will exist better, stronger, and not bailiwick to illness or decease similar our earthly bodies.

Nosotros know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and get out this earthly body), we will have a house in sky, an eternal torso made for u.s.a. by God Himself and not by human easily. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For nosotros volition put on heavenly bodies; nosotros will not be spirits without bodies. While we alive in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and become rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies then that these dying bodies volition be swallowed upwardly by life. (ii Corinthians five:1-four)

Unlike the drawing version of sky, where people become spirits with wings that float around on clouds and play harps, people in sky will have real bodies. People volition non become ghosts or disembodied spirits.

Other Views Inside Christianity

Though most Christians agree on the basic behavior about the afterlife described in a higher place, at that place are some differing views on aspects of life afterwards death.

Catholicism. The Catholic church teaches the doctrine of Purgatory, that Protestant Christians do non commonly accept. According to the official teachings of the Cosmic church, called "The Catechism of the Cosmic Church," Purgatory is a "terminal purification of the elect, which is entirely unlike from the punishment of the damned."

Pope John Paul 2 said Purgatory "does not betoken a place, but a condition of beingness."

Catholicism teaches that those who have a relationship with God merely are non fully purified will have eternal salvation but all the same need farther purification after death. After purification in Purgatory, they achieve the perfect holiness required to be in the presence of a perfectly Holy God.

The Catholic Church partially bases the doctrine of Purgatory on Scripture passages referring to a cleansing fire. It as well draws this concept from a passage where Jesus said that those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit will non exist forgiven in this age or the age to come. The Catechism of the Catholic Church farther states, "From this sentence we understand that certain offenses tin be forgiven in this age, but sure others in the age to come."

Most Protestants believe that Jesus' sacrifice fully paid for all of our sins and fully purified all who believe in Him, so there is no need for further purification after decease.

Universalism. In that location are some people who identify as Christians who merits in that location is no literal hell. They believe that everyone goes to heaven. These people are called universalists (though they shouldn't exist dislocated with Unitarian Universalists).

Religious and Nominal Christians. There are a meaning number of people who self-identify every bit Christian only have their own private views on the afterlife. They may have grown up going to church regularly or merely for religious holidays and may or may not go along attending church.

They do not necessarily take all of the Bible as true, so their behavior vary well-nigh heaven and hell. Many people in this category retrieve that as long as you're a pretty practiced person and practice not do something as bad as, for example, killing someone, you go to heaven. Others believe hell is just for peculiarly bad people or that there is no hell, and people who do non become to heaven just end existing.

Though these views are common, they practise non represent what the Bible says about life later death.

Different Views About the Finish of Days in Christianity

Christians more often than not agree on the ultimate destination of people and that trusting in Jesus' sacrifice of His ain perfect life is the only mode to spend eternity with God.

The Bible makes the most important things clear in the Bible: What God is like, why we can trust Him, what Jesus has done for the states and why that matters to every person on earth. These are the fundamentals on which Christians agree, considering the Bible makes them very articulate.

Merely some details almost the afterlife remain unclear enough for Christians to hold differing beliefs nearly them. This does not mean they differ in their agreement of how you can know God personally.

So how practice Christians reconcile themselves to believing in things that are not completely clear to them? Christians practice not trust God because He always explains Himself but because they know He is expert. God Himself is beyond the level of our agreement. Only nosotros can know Him and trust Him without completely agreement every attribute of His nature or the way He has designed this life and the next.

Considering there is room for interpreting the Bible in different means, Christians sometimes understand the afterlife with slight differences.

In that location is a whole branch of theological study called eschatology, which is the study of the end of time, life subsequently decease, and Jesus' return.

The Bible talks almost Jesus returning at some time in the hereafter. Jesus' return anytime is a doctrine shared past all true Christians, and the Bible teaches it conspicuously.

After saying this, He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see Him. Equally they strained to run into Him rise into sky, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why are you continuing here staring into sky? Jesus has been taken from yous into sky, but someday He volition return from heaven in the aforementioned style you saw him go!" (Acts 1:nine-11)

Christians have dissimilar views about when exactly that will happen and what it will be like before, during and after Jesus' return.

Some, but not all, Christians believe the Bible teaches that there volition exist a time of smashing persecution for people who follow Jesus. This time is often referred to as the tribulation. These Christians likewise believe that at some betoken before Jesus returns, He will accept His followers away to be with Him and exit other people on earth for a fourth dimension. This is chosen the rapture. Many of these Christians believe that before all people accomplish one of the final, eternal destinations described above, and after the tribulation, in that location will be a period of 1000 years, chosen the millenium, when Jesus' followers volition prosper and dominion on earth. Among the Christians who believe these things, many differ in their behavior about what social club the events will happen in.

Some believe that prophecies in the Bible that talk about the finish of the globe, including the volume of Revelation, actually refer to historical events that have already occurred. Others believe some of these prophecies refer to events that have happened but that other prophecies refer to future events. Notwithstanding others believe all of these passages refer to events that will occur in the future.

Some believe nearly or all of the things written in these passages are literal, while others believe they are metaphorical.

Some things about heaven really are beyond our earthly understanding. These can only be described metaphorically by comparing them to earthly things we tin can understand. For example, when the Book of Revelation describes the new Jerusalem, the beautiful city of the new earth, it compares it to a precious stone, jasper and crystal. The writer, John, could not fully capture what he saw in his vision because it was unlike anything he had ever seen.

So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious rock — like a jasper as clear every bit crystal. (Revelation 21:x-11)

The Ultimate Question: Where Will You Go When You lot Die?

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Though views differ and questions remain nearly the afterlife, in the end each person must observe for themselves the answer to the most of import question: Where volition you go when you die?

Co-ordinate to the Bible, every man beingness that dies will spend eternity either with God or separated from God. A natural response might be to wonder why there are two options.

The Eternal Dilemma

Because God is perfect and good, He cannot allow us, imperfect people who have rebelled against God, to enter eternity with Him in our current state. The Bible teaches that all of humankind has fallen brusk and missed the mark of perfection, which is referred to as sin (Ecclesiastes 7:xx; Romans 3:23).

Left to their own devices, no one will become to heaven when they die. Although well-nigh people assume they will go to heaven unless they are especially bad, the Bible explains that everyone is specially bad in comparing to God's standard of goodness — or holiness — and needs to be rescued.

Fortunately, God does not get out the human race without promise.

God'southward Solution

Christianity'south main message is that God loves us so much He was willing to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty nosotros deserved.

This is what John 3:16, one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, explains: "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and merely Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

The concept of beloved might feel like a contradiction with the idea of eternal hell. How tin a loving God transport people to hell?

The Bible tells us we earn eternal separation from God because of our determination to live life apart from God. This is why the story of Adam and Eve that we read in Genesis is so significant. They chose to eat the forbidden fruit considering they thought it would give them equality with God. The effect of their action was that death came into the globe.

The natural consequence of choosing to live your earthly life apart from God is that God will respect that pick and not bring you into an eternity spent with Him.

Jesus' death paid for our sin, creating a way for the states to come back into the human relationship with God we were designed for. Jesus altered our eternal fate, but nosotros yet have to choose our eternal destination.

It is no longer a question of, "Why would a loving God send people to hell?" Instead, the real question becomes, "Why would you cull non to receive the free gift of heaven?"

What Will You Choose to Believe?

So, how volition you answer? You can choose to accept God'due south invitation to spend eternity enjoying His beloved and forgiveness, or you tin can reject Him.

It is no longer a question of, "Why would a loving God send people to hell?" Instead, the real question becomes, "Why would y'all choose non to receive the free gift of heaven?"

None of us knows how many days we have left to live, so we cannot know how long we have left to accept God'due south offer of eternal life.

If you, or someone you know, has yet to take God's invitation, consider your options. God provides a manner for y'all to know for certain where you'll spend eternity.

Then how will y'all answer the question, "What volition happen when I die?"

Where Tin can You Go From Here?

Practice you want to choose to spend eternity with God? You tin brainstorm a relationship with God right now and know for certain where you volition go when you lot dice.
- Read a more detailed explanation of how to start a human relationship with God, including a prayer you can utilise to express your decision.
- If you have committed your life to Christ and want help getting established equally a Christian, sign up for our "Spiritual Starter Kit."
Still have questions? Sign up for the "Learn More than About God" email series.
Read about the changed lives of people who chose to starting time a human relationship with God
- A skeptic who asked "Who am I? Why am I hither? Where am I going?"
- A woman who constitute promise and purpose in the midst of astringent depression.
- A grad educatee who feared decease considering of the violence he witnessed in childhood only is now sure he'll spend eternity with God.
- A scientist whose studies have helped convinced Him God is real.

Read more about sky and hell.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used past permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Source: https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/core-christian-beliefs/what-happens-when-you-die.html