Board index ‹ Heaven and Hell

[Rachel]

Are there different levels of heaven and hell depending on how much you know and practice your religion?

[jimwalton]

There is no indication in the Bible there are different levels of heaven and hell. That sounds like The Divine Comedy, by Dante, which is not scriptural.

There are, however, levels of punishment in hell, and levels of reward in heaven.

Look in Luke 19.11-27. The parable that Jesus tells speaks clearly of different rewards in heaven based on faithfulness in this life—how much we have multiplied our life for Him. And in Matthew 20.23, Jesus mentions that there will be individuals who will be in particular positions of honor, so we know there are different rewards in heaven. Of course it makes sense, since we will all, as believers, be judged according to our works (2 Cor. 5.10; Rev. 20.13). It's hardly possible that we can be held accountable, judged, and then all receive the same thing. But there is no indication of levels.

So also with hell, there is teaching that there are different levels of punishment. Here are the texts that teach it:

Mt. 11.22-24 & Luke 10.12: Jesus says it will be "more tolerable" for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah than for the people of Capernaum. That would indicate to me a more harsh punishment and a less harsh punishment.

Mt. 23.14: Jesus tells the Pharisees they will be punished more severely for the way they are deceiving the people and living as hypocrites.

Rev. 20.13: Again, if each is going to be judged according to what he has done, then the punishments and rewards can't be the same for everybody.

and finally, Luke 12.47-48.

Hopefully that helps. Let me know if you have more questions.

[RLunde]

So, is this where people get the idea that if you're a good person, and the more good you do, the better a person you are, and if you're a good person you get to go to heaven? I know someone who thinks if she does a few good things she's all good with "the Man upstairs."

[jimwalton]

Yes. The part they miss is the first step, and that's the important one.

The first step is to turn your life over to God. Then your good works are the RESULT of that relationship, and we are accountable for what we do with what God has given us.

For those who never turn their lives over to God, their good works don't accomplish anything in terms of heaven or salvation.

Suppose I said that if you took a trip to Costa Rica, I would give you a dollar for every footstep you took. Then you walked around Buffalo and said, "OK, give me $10,000, because I took 10,000 steps." Yeah you did, but you missed an important step: go to Costa Rica first. It's the steps THERE that count. Your steps here didn't earn you a thing.

SOOOOOO many people misunderstand, and think that good works will get them to heaven. Actually, the Bible slams the idea pretty hard, saying that's completely ridiculous (Eph. 2.8-9, among others). But after you have the nature of Jesus in you, your good works are a sign of your salvation and show your love for God.