Did Jesus himself (not Paul) actually state that heaven and hell followed death or did he mean they were a?

Question

state of mind on the earth?

after all I know he said about heaven that "no one will look for it and say here it is or there it is because the kingdom of heaven is within you"

I am searching for the truth Fabian - now tell me the truth as you have found it.

Yes but does he ever state that the kingdom of God is after death, or is it an inner state of mind while we live and then all go to nothingness. I'm only interested in what Jesus himself actually said - none of the stuff after.

Answer 1

"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." John 5:28

Answer 2

The concept of Heaven and Hell for Jesus and all other Jews is nothing like the Christian idea of Heaven and Hell.

All the ‘ Hell ‘ words in the Bible are Mistranslations . For example Hades is the Brother of Zeus , or at a stretch a replacement word for the Hebrew word Sheol - the gloomy pit or grave of the dead.

Heaven is the dwelling place of only God – known as Shekinah to the Jews , normally the space between the two Cherubim on the Ark of the covenant , behind the 2nd curtain in the Most Holy Place . All Jews , including Jesus and the 12 disciples know that only God exists in heaven , not anything nor anyone else .

Luckily , these days we are starting to see some Bibles with more correct translations , there are about 40 versions of the Bible which no longer use the word Hell. Sadly it is going to take a few more hundred years before we start to see better translations for the word Heaven.

Answer 3

There is much confusion about hell. The key to understanding it's use by Jesus is in the translation. The word hell comes from the Hebrew word Sheol meaning grave , or pit. It's equivalent in Greek is the word Hades.

Jesus however used a third word often mistranslated Hell, ' Gehenna'. This was a reference to the valley of hinnom which was a burning rubbish tip outside Jerusalem where criminals bodies were thrown for a dishonourable 'burial.

Jesus used this as an analogy to show that those disfavoured would be excluded from the kingdom of god and suffer eternal destruction NOT pain.
How can you suffer when Ecclesiastes 9;5,10 show that the dead are conscious of nothing , and that we can do nothing in Sheol (hell,kJ)) The place where we all are are going.
Those spoke of as weeping and gnashing teeth are those who had the opportunity to enter the kingdom but are excluded because they deny Christ.

This same description of eternal destruction is used to describe how the Devil and his angels will be destroyed forever. The lake of fire can clearly not be viewed literally as death and Hades (hell) are spoken of as being thrown there also.

Answer 4

Jesus speaks about Hell much more than Paul does. Just in the Book of Matthew alone:

Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30 Jesus speaks about a place that men go after judgment where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.Matthew 10:28, 18:9 (5:30) He speaks about the terror of Hell.

Jesus speaks in depth abou the torment in Hell in Mark 9:42 through the end of the chapter. In that passage He clearly defines physical torment.

I think that the best place to look at what Jesus says about Hell is His description of the day of Judgment in Matthew 25:31 through the end

I do not believe there is a single time Paul refers to hell in the BIble.

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I think I see your question more clearly with your last comment: does jesus confirm that there is existence after death? Consider this statement by Jesus:
Luke 13:28 "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out."
Here Jesus states that the men of the past (men who are dead) would exist in the Kingdom of Heaven in the future

Answer 5

The text says "the kingdom of God" not "kingdom of heaven"....heaven is referred to in more detail in the Book of Revelation (see chapters 21-22) as a destination following our earthly lives....but the kingdom of God itself is something that is always with us who are in Christ - for it is the body of Christ!

Edit: We do not go to "nothingness". Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life...whoever lives and believes in me will never die." (Jn 11:25) He also said, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." (Lk 18:29)

Answer 6

There are two Kingdoms, the inner one where a person becomes a child of God and serves as an ambassador of Christ here on this earth. Then there is the Kingdom to come when Jesus will rule on this earth. When you get to the second one there is a debate among theologians about whether or not there will be a 1,000 year Kingdom on the earth as it is now and then a recreation where Heaven will be on earth because God will be here dwelling with humanity.

As to what follows death, the way I understand it is that a believer goes to be with Christ and an unbeliever goes to the holding tank of Hell or Hades to await the resurrection of the damned before being tossed into the Lake of Fire along with the Devil, the Beast, and the False Prophet.

2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore always being confident, and knowing that while we are in the body, we are away from home from the Lord 7 (for we walk by faith, not by sight), 8 but we are confident and prefer rather to be away from home from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.

Philippians 1:22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this to me will mean fruit from my labor; and what I shall choose I do not know. 23 For I am hard pressed by the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where also the Beast and the False Prophet are. And they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and He who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled. And no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened the books. And another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged by the things having been written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to their works. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death, the Lake of Fire. 15 And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire.

Look at verse 34 to see what Jesus said about a future Kingdom.

Matthew 25:31 "And when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then will He sit upon His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left.

34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'

40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.'

41 "Then He will also say to those on the left, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'

44 "Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we did not minister to You?'

45 "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, neither did you do it to Me.' 46 "And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Answer 7

Definitely followed death,...and was not created for us, but for the devil and the angels.

Mathew 25 (particularly vs 41+),...Mathew 10:28

Answer 8

There is not a shadow of doubt that Jesus said that heaven and hell would follow physical death, and nobody spoke more terribly of hell, and more encouragingly of heaven.
.

Answer 9

The good thief asked "Lord, remember me when you come unto your throne."

Jesus responded "Before the sun has set this day, you will be with me in Paradise."

Answer 10

Why does it have to be one or the other?

Read up on these:

Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

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Mat 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

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Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

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Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

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Mat 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

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Mat 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

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Mat 25:14 For [the kingdom of heaven is] as a man travelling into a far country, [who] called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.