WHO LIVES IN HEAVEN?

First of all, God lives in heaven. There are three persons that make up God: the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. All three are separate persons, yet all three are fully God. (More on this later.) God the Father rules from His throne which is situated at the apex of the great city, the New Jerusalem. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.

There are angels in heaven, “ten thousands times ten thousand.” Angels are divided into ranks with the archangels being the most prominent. The angels are mighty, radiant beings who carry out the will of God. The Bible also speaks of other creatures in heaven.

And there are millions of people in heaven. After Jesus was buried, he descended into paradise to preach to the saints. Paradise was, as already mentioned, a part of sheol-hades, a comfortable holding place for the saints of the Old Testament who put their trust in the coming Messiah. Jesus led these believers into heaven and that is where they are to this day. Also, the saints who have died since Christ’s death on the cross have instantly gone to heaven.

WHO LIVES IN HELL?

There are many more people in hell (sheol-hades) than in heaven. Perhaps the number is in the billions. These would include all who died without Christ. Those who died without Christ are those who did not put their trust in Christ (to save them) while on earth. Jesus taught, “narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” And Jesus also taught that the way “that leads to destruction” is wide and “there are many who go by it.”

GEHENNAH. Gehennah at the present time is empty. The first people to be cast into this place of “fire and brimstone” will be two men – the antichrist and his forerunner who is “the false prophet.” (More will be said about these two in another publication.) Many scholars agree this will occur in the very near future. One thousand years later, satan will be cast into Gehennah, along with his vast army of weird underlings. Also at this time, those awaiting judgment in sheol-hades will be thrown into Gehennah immediately after their trial. Gehennah, therefore, is the final and permanent living quarters of every rebel, every despot, every weird demon and the devil (satan) himself.