Sense and Nonsense About Heaven and Hell

 “Nonsense” may seem like a strong word, but it applies to many of the ideas circulating today about Heaven and Hell. To be fair, there is quite a lot of confusion on these subjects even among Christians, in part because the King James Version and other English Bibles have used the word “hell” to translate two different Greek words in the New Testament. This book sorts out such matters and offers a no-nonsense guide to what the Bible says about what happens after death. It offers a nuanced understanding of the doctrine of eternal punishment and a robust defense of the biblical doctrine that the redeemed will live forever in glorified, resurrected bodies in the new heavens and new earth. Along the way, it refutes universalism (the doctrine that everyone will be saved) and some of the erroneous views of Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons. The authors also offer comforting teaching from Scripture on the salvation of children who die in the womb or while young as well as of the mentally disabled.

“I am a conservative Christian who did his own study on the Biblical view of Hell. I had come to the tentative conclusion that Jesus taught a certain type of Annihilationism (specifically, that those not forgiven of their sins by Jesus went to Hell for a finite period of time, the length dependent upon the severity of their sins, and then simply ceased to exist). I had read multiple books on the subject and presented my view to multiple scholars. But it was not until I read this book that I was convinced of the faults of my view. They addressed every single one of my objections to the eternity of Hell in a very clear manner. Formal theological education is not necessary to easily follow the arguments in the book. I highly recommend it to anyone who struggles with questions regarding the Biblical view of Heaven and Hell.”

             Jack Gibson, adjunct professor of Bible, Hope International University