So you make it to heaven...

Say you make it into heaven, you walk up to the pearly gates and as you get closer they start to open with angel harps and all playing in the background, you then step into heavenly bliss.

But uh oh, there aren't many people here because only a very few will make it, right? And you notice that uncle Jeff isn't here, neither is your best friend or a few other very close friends and relatives who passed on before you. Say you have children and after waiting for what seems like eternity they never show up, you come to find out that all these people that are missing from your life in heaven were either faking their faith or somehow didn't meet the standards of God in order to make the cut.

You then realize that at that very moment they are in hell suffering for eternity, in the most agonizing pain imaginable for the rest of their existence (forever apparently) and somehow you are still in "heavenly bliss" despite knowing these things. How does this work? How can someone be happy and in bliss for eternity knowing that just on the other side of those gates you walked through your family and friends who didn't make the cut are suffering?

Just a thought I had and wanted to share it with some. Can anyone explain this supposed contradiction to me? If hell is not suffering but non-existence then how does that make it any better? People hurt from someone's death because they know they will not see them again in this lifetime, what about the knowledge you will literally never see them again? That would be almost too much to take I would think, but apparently everything in heaven is perfect and all of its inhabitants are in bliss.

Take that how you will, it is just an interesting thought I had.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Just don't drink that koolaid and your mind won't either.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Maybe when you are in Heaven things are revealed to you. Maybe you will realize that people in Hell deserve to be there, even if family. I've always had this feeling that once you die, everything is instantly explained, awakened, as if while living we are asleep and with death we are awake. Maybe we realize that our loved ones get reincarnated? Maybe Heaven is ignorant bliss, what you don't know does not bother you, maybe we are wiped of our memories?

Everyone goes to heaven
All living things
And everything will make sense when you are there

a reply to: JAGStorm

Very possible that our memories are wiped but that kind of defeats the purpose of the lessons we're supposed to learn while on Earth doesn't it? Also, if the only reason someone is suffering for eternity is because they didn't believe a certain way yet were an outstanding person in every other regard, would that really be a fair punishment? Seems a bit harsh.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Firstly, who are you addressing? Is it Jew, Christian, Muslim or any of the others?

As a Christian the Scripture informs that we do not go to heaven. We will be resurrected to a new earth. There will be those in and outside the gates. Apparently we will be able to see each ohter and the ones outside the gates of Zion will gnash their teeth in envy because they make a bad choice not to be in Christ's little place in paradise.

Revelation 21:
"A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”"

Revelation 22:

"Eden Restored

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”"



When Christ spoke to His fellow executionee he said "Today, you will be with Me in Paradise". He means that when we die it is the blink of an eye before we rise again in our own perception, like going to be at night and waking up in the morning.

It is not just a New Testament idea. We know that Daniel spoke of the Resurrection, too, many years before Christ came to the earth. It comes from the Hebrews:

Daniel 12:

The End Times

"12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise[a] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”"

To turn around "No-one gets out of here alive" - No-one gets out of there dead. That is how I see it. Do not think we get off the hook that easily.

I think we will be given some kind of final choice before the worlds are separated. They who choose to be outside will be really mythed at the choice they made and they will be able to see how the other half live.

HE is a busy God who likes writing and making New Covenants. They did not know a 2nd contract was coming. Do we know there will not be a third? Do we know that HE might really looking to get all HIS Creation back, including the Fallen Angels? Christ makes it clear that they can't come in unless they honour the host. He said He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the key, not some idea, not some building, not even our good works. He is the Stargate into eternity.

Do you know, the older I get the more I perceive and the more I believe.

edit on 23-1-2018 by Revolution9 because: (no reason given)

I don't know.

How do you think it must feel to find out that someone you love is actually a murderer who killed someone, or maybe several someones without mercy or remorse, and is now going to spend the rest of their life locked up in the worst prison on earth?

Maybe something like that.

originally posted by: ketsuko
I don't know.

How do you think it must feel to find out that someone you love is actually a murderer who killed someone, or maybe several someones without mercy or remorse, and is now going to spend the rest of their life locked up in the worst prison on earth?

Maybe something like that.

Remember that Christ said that we must put Him before even Family. He put us before His blood family. It is important that He comes first then everything else will fall into place as it should. It means faith and trust. It is a huge leap of faith. It took me a long time to really do that. We can't pretend. Now I can do it. YOU are all my family. You really are. That is how we are going to have to be. God demands it. It is easy for me to do it now. I can love my enemy so easily now and pray for them. I do not pretend. I mean it. It is in my heart now. I never thought this possible as it was always so hard before.

Let the Judge make all those decisions. We do not have to. It is above our station and we are not capable of doing it. look at us. I have read loads of books, studied English and still I make grammar and spelling errors. We are very prone to constant error, not perfect at all.

I must say that I see something very wonderful in you. I did from the start. You are a fine person. You are fair. You are no pushover. You have a good heart.

a reply to: ketsuko

And if they didn't do anything like that to get their punishment? Not everyone going to hell will be a murderer or molester, a lot will be good people who simply didn't believe a certain thing.

I’m guessing the distance between heaven and hell is no more than the distance between yourself and your soul. If it’s possible to communicate with anyone in the afterlife, I’d guess it would be able to communicate with everyone.

The way alive always thought about heaven and hell is that you’ll one day know every ripple that you caused while walking the earth. If your path is full of pain and suffering by the other loving souls here, then you’ll experience it all firsthand, kind of like being in hell. Likewise if you spend your time helping and nurturing others along...

No need for massive apartments, pearly gates, rivers of koolaide, Etc.. Just a complete understanding of the value of your life. The kicker is in my opinion anyways, is that it can all fit into the couple seconds while you’re nodding out..

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

I am of the belief that our bodies are merely vessels for our consciousness and all that is bound to life here on earth dies along with it. I think we'd be wrong to assume that when we die, we still feel, think, and act the same -- assuming there is anything at all.

But hey, what do I know.

***** just trying to edit this messed it up beyond recognition...... sorry BUFAR

a reply to: Plotus

There's nothing provocative about the thread nor did I state that anything in it was truth, that's why I presented a question and not an answer. Thanks for ignoring the question and passive aggressively attacking me.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Believe me, I don't mean to insult or anything of that nature. But these type of questions are typically posed by those just beginning their journey for knowledge. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should have everlasting life...... key word Believe and everlasting life. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our salvation........ Salvation. And it is written that there will be no tears in heaven referring to your question of who might not be there with us. There is more to describe, but this is a cursory description. Please take no offence...

a reply to: Plotus

No offense taken, I promise. I'm only asking for the thoughts of those who believe in such a scenario. So far I haven't gotten a real answer which is ok, it's about faith after all.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

As I understand it, God/Jesus would not want sorrows of the loss of loved ones to affect those in Heaven, thus they would effectively be wiped from their minds, to never be thought of again. Frankly I don't think Heaven is even something we can comprehend, not like walking into a splendid city or something, I believe it will be more a state of being, perhaps with bodies, but I don't think like the ones we recognize here in this life.

No one can meet God's standards, thus Jesus interceded on our behalf, I think there will be a lot more in heaven than you or I expected to see. After all, forgiveness is freely given if it is asked for.

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
a reply to: ketsuko

And if they didn't do anything like that to get their punishment? Not everyone going to hell will be a murderer or molester, a lot will be good people who simply didn't believe a certain thing.

You don't understand.

That's not for us to judge. By the standard of the Lord, they did. The wages of sin is death. So they will be dead. Those who believe, who seek forgiveness because they understand that we all sin, can escape that fate.

But only He can judge, not you or I or anyone else. None of us is qualified to make that judgment of who is righteous before Him.

a reply to: Plotus

I think there will both be more than we expect and those we would not expect to see at the same time.

I don't know why, but I keep running across a popular estimate of roughly 1 in 3 and they are of all peoples and nations.

a reply to: Revolution9

There are plenty of pretty good people here, several in this discussion. That's why I stay.

I know what you mean about being genuinely upset over people who never really liked you or even knew you existed. Things that never would have bothered me before *hurt* now, and I'm not talking about things related to me, but things I have nothing to do with happening to others, even others who don't like me.

a reply to: ketsuko

I find myself thinking along those lines myself. You know what still makes me wonder.... Steve Jobs deathbed where as he passed it is said that he said "Oh Wow", .......... like he was coming into the presence of '''something''', the Lord?