Kenneth D. Boa - Sense and Nonsense about Heaven and Hell

ZONDERVAN

Sense and Nonsense about Heaven and Hell
Copyright 2007 by Kenneth D. Boa and Robert M. Bowman Jr.

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ePub Edition January 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-29828-1

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Boa, Kenneth.

Sense and nonsense about heaven and hell / Kenneth Boa and Robert M.

Bowman Jr.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-310-25428-7

1. Heaven. 2. Hell. 3. Future life. I. Bowman, Robert M. II. Title.

BT846.3.B63 2007

236'.24 dc22

2007001535

The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All italics in biblical quotations are added by the authors for emphasis. Biblical quotation from other translations will be noted in the text.

A number of Scripture quotations are also taken from: the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation; used by permission; and the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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CONTENTS

Heaven may be one of the safest subjects on which anyone could write. No one on Earth knows exactly what Heaven will be like, but almost everyone agrees that it will be wonderful. So, just say nice things about Heaven and youre home free. On the other hand, its easy to offend people when talking about Hell. After all, the very idea of a Hell is offensive to many people. Whats even more offensive is the suggestion that some people might actually go there.

We have no desire to offend anyone unnecessarily. However, in this book were not going to hold back from saying things that might offend people. Regrettably, a lot of what is said today about both Heaven and Hell is nonsense. False, sometimes absurd ideas about what happens after we die confuse millions. Bestselling books offer testimonies from apparently sincere, earnest individuals reporting that they visited Heaven or occasionally Hell and can tell us exactly what it is like.

Our goal in this book is to help you think clearly and critically about the subject of Heaven and Hell. To that end, we look at a variety of beliefs about this subject. Although we are Christians, we identify some nonsense coming from Christian as well as non-Christian sources. In that respect, we are equal-opportunity offenders: we think nonsense should be exposed wherever it may be found, even in our own religious backyard.

The focus of this book will be on getting a clearheaded understanding of what the Bible says on this subject. We refute common misconceptions about Heaven and Hell in order to foster a biblically sound view of death and eternity. We warn about the dangers of false teachings on the afterlife prevalent in our society. In so doing, we clarify fundamental truths about God and his purpose for our lives.

One minor detail: We capitalize Heaven and Hell when those words refer to the final disposition of the redeemed and the unredeemed. We do not capitalize them when used in other ways (e.g., heaven may refer to the sky; hell may refer to the abode of the dead awaiting judgment).

Without further ado, then, lets start sorting out sense and nonsense about Heaven and Hell.

There are lots of different ideas about Heaven, and some of them must be wrong.

If human beings were created for an eternal existence, nothing could be more important than finding out what that eternal future is all about and making sure that we are going in the right direction. Yet we find ourselves today confronted with a broad spectrum of beliefs about Heaven and Hell. In this chapter, we will concentrate on the diverse views regarding Heaven.

Of course, some people dont believe in Heaven at all. To them we ask one simple question: Do you believe in God? If you do, then it shouldnt be too tough to believe in Heaven. If you dont believe in God, nothing we can say about Heaven will make much sense to you. The question of Gods existence is logically prior to the question of Heavens existence. So we encourage those who dont yet believe in God, or are unsure about Gods existence, to examine the evidence on that subject before tackling the issue of Heaven.

BLAISE PASCAL

All our actions and thoughts must take such different courses, according as there are or are not eternal joys to hope for, that it is impossible to take one step with sense and judgment unless we regulate our course by our view of this point which ought to be our ultimate end.

Modern and Postmodern Heavens

The history of modern views of Heaven begins with Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 1772). Swedenborg was a brilliant if eccentric thinker who distinguished himself in the sciences but left his most influential (and controversial) mark in religion. Many of the features of Swedenborgs theological system have made their way into the views of Heaven in modern cults as well as the broad range of Western (especially American) pop culture:

Angels are human beings who have died and become perfect.

There are three heavens corresponding to varying degrees of closeness to God.

The highest of those three heavens has specific features matched or duplicated in the physical world (such as having an east, west, north, and south).