Christianity #4: Judgement, Heaven, And Hell

Question 1

Describe what Christianity teaches about judgement (4)

Answer 1

1. Scripture speaks of two kinds of judgement: individual or particular judgement and final judgement.
2. Individual judgement occurs at the end of our life here on earth and will be followed either by eternal union or eternal separation from God.
3. Final judgement occurs at the end of the world and will mark the culmination of God’s re-creation of ourselves and our world.
4. The final or last judgement is associated with the Parousia, the second coming of Christ which will usher in the full establishment of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Question 2

What is Heaven? (4)

Answer 2

• Heaven involves vision, union and life with God.
• It is experiencing God and other people fully.
• It is being at peace with yourself and with others.
• It is receiving everything that God is from Him, and giving unconditionally to Him and others.

Question 3

Key facts about Heaven (6)

Answer 3

• Heaven is a state of being united with God
• Heaven is a realm of divine perfection, like Eden before the fall of man
• Heaven is where the souls of the righteous go in the afterlife.
• Many Christians see it as a kind of physical existence after resurrection with a new ‘resurrection body’
• Heaven is where God and Jesus are
• a state/condition of existence rather than a physical place. Some think heaven happens on earth when Christians experience the Kingdom of God.

Question 4

What is Hell? (3)

Answer 4

• rejecting everything that God is - Unity, Truth, Goodness, Beauty.
• It is being truly alone.
• God respects the decision of some people not wanting to be with Him.

Question 5

Key facts about Heaven (4)

Answer 5

• Hell is a place of fire and torture where people face the consequences of their sins on earth
• Hell is the absence of God and Jesus
• Hell is the rejection of Jesus and His teachings
• some Christians don’t see it as a real, physical place, instead they see it as a state of mind.

Question 6

Why might some think that Christian belief about judgement is too negative? (4)

Answer 6

• it’s scary to think that God is watching all the time. This could take enjoyment out of life and means people can live in fear about what might happen after death

• traditional ideas about hell can be very grim and frightening, for example, that it is a place of torment, and that it is eternal

• judgement isn’t just about the individual, but about their loved ones too, and they may fear for them after they die if they think they might not get a good judgement

• the story of the Sheep and the Goats might be worrying for some Christian as it suggests that people will be judged on how well they have loved their neighbours rather than how religious they were

Question 7

Why might some think that Christian belief about judgement is not too negative? (4)

Answer 7

• in this life, it can be comforting to know that Jesus loved everyone, and told his followers that they shouldn’t judge others. This can help people to feel valued and welcome in the Kingdom of God?

• after death, God is the judge, and because he is all-knowing and all-good they can be reassured that judgement will be fair.

• some Christians believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus paid the price for the sin of every single man and woman in history. This means that all can be welcomed into God’s presence, in this life and the next. For bereaved Christians, it could be comforting to think that a life which has been lived faithfully will be rewarded after death

• the prospect of heaven after death can be enormously comforting as Christians think of it as a place without pain or sadness or death. This would be especially comforting for those who experienced pain, illness or sadness in their life on earth.