Is There Any Other Place You Can Go To Besides Heaven Or Hell When You Die?
Answer: You may have heard people talk about purgatory, limbo, or some other in-between place where people go after they die.
But the Bible does not teach anything about a place like that. The Bible does teach, however, that death is the final cutoff point.
People do not have a second chance after they die. There is no opportunity after death to undo the bad things a person did while alive.
The Bible also makes it very clear that Christians immediately go to be with God after they die.
Key verse: Jesus replied, “Today you will be with me in Paradise. This is a solemn promise.” (Luke 23:43)
Related verses: Psalm 86:13; Proverbs 1:12; Luke 23:40-43; Hebrews 9:27
Related question: Does your soul stay in your body until you are buried or just until you die?
Can God Take You To Heaven If You’re Not Dead Yet?
Answer: God can do anything. He can take a person to heaven anytime he likes, even if that person has not died.
And in fact, the Bible tells about two people who had that privilege: Enoch and Elijah.
God took them directly to heaven before they died.
The Bible also tells us that someday Jesus will come back and take all his people to heaven, even those who have not died yet.
Key verse: When [Enoch) was 365, he disappeared. God took him away! (Genesis 5:24)
Related verses: 2 Kings 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
Related questions: Why did Elijah get taken into heaven by a whirlwind when he hadn’t died yet? Will we go to heaven in a fiery chariot?
Why Are Cemeteries So Creepy?
Answer: Death is a scary thing because it is final. After a person dies, that person does not come back to earth ever again.
It’s not like going on a trip and then coming back. It’s like going on a trip and never coming back.
Death also scares us because it can happen so suddenly. One second the person is here, awake and talking.
Then he or she is dead, unable to talk or live with us ever again. That’s why cemeteries are so creepy.
No one wants to die, and cemeteries are where dead bodies are buried.
Also, television and movies show cemeteries as places where ghosts and other spooky things hang out.
Because most people fear death, a cemetery can be a scary place.
But Christians don’t have to be afraid of death because they know that they will go to heaven when they die and that scary things are just made up by people who make movies and TV shows.
Key verses: Even now, just as in the past, I hope that I will be an honor to Christ. This is true whether I live or die. For to me, living is Christ, and dying-well, that’s better yet! (Philippians 1:20-21)
Related verses: Proverbs 10:24; Luke 8:49-56; Romans 8:38-39; 1 Corinthians 3:22
Related questions: Why is everybody buried together in a cemetery instead of by themselves? How can they make room in the cemetery for everyone who is dead?
Note to parents: Help your children develop a healthy attitude about death. Say positive things as you pass a cemetery; don’t jokingly say things that foster a fear of death.