If all of the non-believers are going to hell...?

Question

Why would a Heaven have "Pearly Gates?"

Is "Heaven" ostentatious, or are the bad guys lurking just outside?

Answer 1

Heaven is a gated community. Got to keep the riff raff out, you know. Don't forget your card key...

Answer 2

Heaven has "Pearly Gates" to show that not everyone can get in. After Judgment Day the non-believers are sent to hell. They don't just lurk outside

Answer 3

Good question, I'll give you a star for starters. Not only are the gates pearly, but they always seemed to be embedded into clouds, why is heaven always white fluffy clouds? And anyone who goes there gets a full length white gown, a halo and a harp. If I've never played a harp in my life, why would I do it afterwards? And when he dies, will Pete Townsend smash his harp through his speaker??

I wonder where all this imagery comes from, We all know that Coke are responsible for the modern image of Santa, do we have a similarly left field source for this idealistic heaven? It's not just down to Loony Tunes in the 40's was it?

Side point, looking at your profile, I've never heard this expression "pantheist" before. It's not far off the ideals of the wicca witches, or even Paganism, do you agree?

Answer 4

The Pearly Gates is a figure of speech used to describe somewhere exotic, royal, regal and heavenly. I think that the person that came up with that term meant it to entice non believers into beleiving. Something like they would be forced to be judged at the Pearly Gates- just enough to see inside, and to realize what they are missing out on because they didn't believe when they were alive. It's like another way of teasing or bragging about what they have to miss out on because they didn't believe.

However, if the bad guys were lurking outside, it would be a good way to keep them out, I suppose. Although if god is in heaven, then why would he need gates to keep out the bad guys...?? Maybe because it doesn't exist?

Answer 5

The tradition of the Pearly Gates at the entrance to Heaven has its origin in the Book of Revelations, which describes twelve sets of gates into the City of God, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We are told that 'the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl'. In Revelations, each gate is attended by an angel; the idea of St. Peter standing in judgement over those hoping to get in has its origins elsewhere, in the Gospel of Matthew, in which Peter is told: 'I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven.'

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=pearly%20gates

Answer 6

Why have "pearly gates"? because he can. Can you really look around at the wonders of this fallen world, and not realize that What God will do, will make all of this seem like dust? But alas no, there will not be 'bad guys' lurking around.

Answer 7

"pearly" is a color, maybe that's all the paint they had left to paint the gates with. Or, maybe they got a good deal on "pearly paint".

I don't know that non-believers are going to hell, I just don't know where they will go. Maybe those are the ghosts that are left here on earth, they can't find the light.

Some people on their deathbed make nice with the christian belief, and some people allow themselves to be baptized on their deathbed. Still some go without any blessing and people pray for their soul and ask God to be understanding.

The really bad guys go to hell; the savable ones go to purgatory and work off their lurking ways.

Answer 8

Pearl Gates are just spoken into existence by God. It is beyond our mortal minds to fathom what God can do, and will in heaven.

The after-life will be nothing like this world. Streets of pure gold will pop up when and where needed, without a gas tax to pay for it.

You gotta be there, to see all this! It will be better than anything you can imagine. And best of all, your troubles will be over!!!

One day when God restores all things, Heaven and Earth will be forever combined into the 'New Heavens' and 'New Earth'.

Answer 9

Heaven is described by each of the major religions (including the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhism and various numerous other spiritualities, as we would call them) in a positive light, using descriptions that that culture can relate to (for the Judeo-Christian, the concept of precious gems paving the walkway or entrance is pretty enthralling a concept and so we have it as their way to create a very exciting and beautiful picture designed to attract others to the right behavior that would entitle one to arrive at them. No one really knows for sure what the phenomenal structures of such a dimension would really look like. People who have had near death experiences only describe meeting people they either know (relatives or friends) or don't know but feel a complete trust in and that it is very peaceful, but they don't say too much about what the place might look like.

Answer 10

because, it's going t o be the believers firmament and the pearly gates represent , our rewards and treasures and others numerous blessingsand the righteous, shall open the gates , for various reasons such as to allow access;; to young and old and all of those who were wash in the blood, of the lamb and the bad guys would be out- side of the gates for , ever.

Answer 11

I certainly do not believe non-believers go to hell, if there even is such a place; the same with "heaven". It's all a ploy by those "religious" powers that be have a way of intimidating their flock into behaving, donating to their place of worship, and keeping the industrial religion complex in power.
Heaven and hell are created only in a person's mind and here on Earth. "Faith" is the outward and accepted practice of delusion.