Christian Beliefs about Life and Death » Heaven, Hell, Judgment and Resurrection

One life, then judgment

The lesson Death and the Afterlife: Linear and Cyclical Views explained that a linear view sees life as a road with one beginning and one end. Christians hold a linear view. They believe each person lives one earthly life, dies, and then faces judgment. Body, Spirit and Soul in Christianity showed that many Christians also believe in the resurrection of the body. This lesson looks at what comes after death.

Key terms:

• Heaven: life with God for ever, free from pain and sin.
• Hell: life without God. Christians disagree about what this means.
• Last Judgment: the time at the end of history when Christians believe God will judge everyone.
• Purgatory: in Catholic teaching, a state of cleansing after death before a person enters heaven.
• Second Coming: the Christian belief that Jesus will return at the end of time.

Jesus' resurrection and hope

Christians believe Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day. The full story is told in The Trials, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, so here we only need one line: this event is the ground of Christian hope.

The apostle Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 15. He says that if Christ has not been raised, Christian preaching and faith are empty (verse 14). He then calls Jesus the "first fruits" of those who have died (verse 20). First fruits are the first part of a harvest, a sign that the rest is coming. So Christians believe that because Jesus rose, believers will also be raised. Paul says the body is "sown" able to die and decay, and raised unable to die or decay, a "spiritual body" (verses 42-44). He does not mean a ghost. He means a new, deathless kind of life.

Heaven

Christians believe heaven is life with God after death. The book of Revelation (21:4) describes God wiping away every tear, with no more death, mourning or pain. Jesus told his followers that his Father's house has many rooms (John 14:2) and told the criminal crucified beside him, "today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

Christians picture heaven in different ways:

Hell

Christians believe hell is the opposite of heaven: being apart from God. They disagree about what that looks like.

This links to a big question: would a loving God send anyone to hell? Some answer yes, because God is also just, and people are free to refuse him. Others answer that a loving God would never punish for ever, so hell must be a choice people make, not something God does to them.

Judgment

Christians believe everyone is accountable to God. Hebrews 9:27 says people die once and then face judgment, and 2 Corinthians 5:10 says all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Catholics (members of the church led from Rome) teach that each person is judged at death, and that there is also a Last Judgment at the end of time, when Jesus returns at the Second Coming. Many Protestants (Christians from churches that began in the Reformation, such as Anglicans and Methodists) and Orthodox Christians (such as Greek and Russian Orthodox) also expect a final judgment at the end of history. Christians say Jesus, who "will come to judge the living and the dead" in the creeds, is the judge.

Jesus' parable (a short story told to teach something) of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46) is the best-known picture of the Last Judgment. The king separates people like a shepherd dividing sheep from goats. The "sheep" fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed strangers, clothed the naked and visited the sick and the prisoners. The king says that whatever they did for the least of his people, they did for him. The "goats" did none of this and are sent away. The parable ends with eternal life for the first group and eternal punishment for the second.

Purgatory

The Catholic Church teaches that some people die in God's friendship but are not yet fully holy. They go through purgatory, a cleansing, before they enter heaven. It is not a second chance and not a lesser hell, because everyone in purgatory is going to heaven. Catholics pray for the dead, especially on All Souls' Day (2 November), to help them. Most Protestants reject purgatory because they do not find it in the Bible and they teach that Christ's death alone makes believers ready for heaven. Orthodox Christians also pray for the dead, but they do not use the Catholic teaching on purgatory.

Why believe, and how it changes lives

• Jesus' resurrection: if he rose, death is not the end.
• Jesus' teaching: he spoke of heaven, judgment and eternal life.
• Justice: wrongs that are never put right in this life will be put right by God.
• Comfort: many Christians find hope when someone they love dies.

The belief affects how Christians live. Many try to follow Matthew 25 by helping the poor and sick, and to forgive others, because they believe their lives matter to God. Some are less afraid of dying. Others feel a duty to share their faith.

Exam-style question

(a) Identify three Christian beliefs about life after death. [3 marks, AO1]

(b) Choose one religion. Outline two beliefs about heaven in this religion. [4 marks, AO1]

(c) Explain why there are different attitudes to hell among Christians. [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]

(d) "A loving God would not send anyone to hell." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks, AO1 and AO2]

Recap

• Christians hold a linear view: one life, then judgment.
• Jesus' resurrection is the ground of hope; 1 Corinthians 15 says believers will be raised too.
• Heaven is life with God; hell is life apart from God, understood in different ways.
• The sheep and goats (Matthew 25) shows judgment based on how people treat others.
• Catholics believe in purgatory; most Protestants reject it.