First, Scripture clearly favors burial over cremation. The Old Testament pattern was always burial except in highly unusual circumstances. Likewise, in the New Testament Paul equates baptism with both burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4).

Furthermore, burial symbolizes the promise of resurrection by anticipating the preservation of the body. Cremation, however, better symbolizes the pagan worldview of reincarnation. While resurrectionists look forward to the restoration of the body, reincarnationists look forward to being relieved from their bodies.

Finally, burial highlights the sanctity of the body. In the Christian worldview, the body is significant in that it has numerical identity to the resurrected body. Thus, while God has no problem resurrecting the cremated, cremation does not point to the resurrection of God.

For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, Resurrection (Nashville: Word Publishing, 2000), chapter 15; and Norman L. Geisler and Douglas E. Potter, “From Ashes to Ashes: Is Burial the Only Christian Option?” Available from CRI at www.equip.org.

Romans 6:4:
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

First, the doctrine of Purgatory undermines the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement on the cross. Scripture declares that Christ through “one sacrifice . . . has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14; see also Hebrews 1:3). Thus, we can rest assured that Christ received in his own body all the punishment we deserved, absolutely satisfying the justice of God on our behalf (Romans 3:25–26; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2). When Jesus cried out from the cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) he was in effect saying, “The debt has been paid in full.”

Furthermore, Roman Catholicism clearly undermines the seriousness of sin by forwarding the notion that there are venial sins that can be atoned for through temporal punishment in Purgatory. In reality, as the Bible makes clear, all our transgressions and iniquities are sins against a holy eternal God (Psalm 51:4).  And as such, they rightly incur an eternal rather than a temporal debt (Ezekiel 18:4; Matthew 5-7; Romans 6:23; James 2:10).

Finally, while purgatory was officially defined by the Council of Florence (1439) and officially defended by the Council of Trent in the late sixteenth century, nowhere is Purgatory officially depicted in the Canon of Scripture. As The New Catholic Encyclopedia readily acknowledges, “the doctrine of Purgatory is not explicitly stated in the Bible.” Thus, Catholicism is forced to appeal to the traditions of the fathers rather than the testimony of the Father—who through his Word has graciously provided salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone (Romans 4:2-8; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9).

Hebrews 10:14
By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

First, common sense dictates that a God of love and justice does not arbitrarily annihilate the crowning jewels of his creation. Far from rubbing us out, he graciously provides us the freedom to choose between redemption and rebellion. It would be a horrific evil to think that God would create people with freedom of choice and then annihilate them because of their choices.

Furthermore, common sense leads to the conclusion that nonexistence is not better than existence since nonexistence is nothing at all—as Norman Geisler aptly puts it, “to affirm that nothing can be better than something is a gigantic category mistake.” It also is crucial to recognize that not all existence in hell is equal. We may safely conclude that the torment of Hitler’s hell will greatly exceed the torment experienced by a garden-variety pagan. God is perfectly just, and each person who spurns his grace will suffer exactly what he deserves (Luke 12:47–48; Matthew 16:27; Colossians 3:25; Revelation 20:11–15; Proverbs 24:12).

Finally, humans are fashioned in the very image of God; therefore, to eliminate them would do violence to his nature. The alternative to annihilation is quarantine. And that is precisely what hell is.

Adapted from Resurrection

For further study, see Robert A. Peterson, Hell on Trial: The Case for Eternal Punishment (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Press, 1995).

Revelation 14:9–11
“If anyone worships the beast and his image and
receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand,
he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has
been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.
He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the
presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the
smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever.
There is no rest day or night for those who worship
the beast and his image, or for anyone
who receives the mark of his name.”

First, Christ, the Creator of the cosmos, clearly communicated hell’s irrevocable reality. He spent more time talking about hell than he did about heaven. In the Sermon on the Mount alone (Matthew 5–7), he explicitly warned his followers about the dangers of hell a half dozen or more times. In the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25), Christ repeatedly warned his followers of the judgment that is to come. And, in his famous story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16), Christ graphically portrayed the finality of eternal torment in hell.

Furthermore, the concept of choice demands that we believe in hell. Without hell, there is no choice. And without choice, heaven would not be heaven; heaven would be hell. The righteous would inherit a counterfeit heaven, and the unrighteous would be incarcerated in heaven against their wills, which would be a torture worse than hell. Imagine spending a lifetime voluntarily distanced from God only to find yourself involuntarily dragged into his loving presence for all eternity; the alternative to hell is worse than hell itself in that humans made in the image of God would be stripped of freedom and forced to worship God against their will.

Finally, common sense dictates that there must be a hell. Without hell, the wrongs of Hitler’s Holocaust will never be righted. Justice would be impugned if, after slaughtering six million Jews, Hitler merely died in the arms of his mistress with no eternal consequences. The ancients knew better than to think such a thing. David knew that for a time it might seem as though the wicked prosper in spite of their deeds, but in the end justice will be served.
Common sense also dictates that without a hell there is no need for a Savior. Little needs to be said about the absurdity of suggesting that the Creator should suffer more than the cumulative sufferings of all of mankind, if there were no hell to save us from. Without hell, there is no need for salvation. Without salvation, there is no need for a sacrifice. And without sacrifice, there is no need for a Savior. As much as we may wish to think that all will be saved, common sense precludes the possibility.

Adapted from Resurrection

For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, Resurrection (Nashville:Word Publishing, 2000), chapter seven.

Daniel 12:2
“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth
will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame
and everlasting contempt.”

Furthermore, the Bible is clear that with greater revelation and responsibility comes stricter judgment (cf. James 3:1). Jesus warned the Pharisees that they would “be punished most severely” for their willful hypocrisy (Luke 20:47). In denouncing the cities where most of his miracles had been performed, Jesus said, “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:21). Thus, said Jesus, “It will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you”
(v. 22). Moreover, Jesus used the metaphor of physical torture to warn his hearers that those who knowingly disobey will experience greater torment in hell than those who disobey in ignorance (Luke 12:47–48).
God is perfectly just and will reward and punish each person in accordance with what he or she has done.

Finally, the canon of Scripture ratifies the common-sense notion that not all sins are created equal (cf. John 19:11). To think a murderous thought is sin; to carry that thought to its logical conclusion is far graver sin. Every sin is an act of rebellion against a holy God, but some sins carry far more serious consequences than others and thus receive severer punishment in this life and the next. Indeed, according to Scripture the torment of Hitler’s hell will greatly exceed that of the less wicked.

For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, “Why should I believe in hell?” and “Is annihilationism biblical?” The Bible Answer Book Volume 1 (Nashville: J Countryman, 2004): 211–218.

Revelation 20:12
“And I saw the dead, great and small,
standing before the throne, and books were opened.
Another book was opened, which is the book
of life. The dead were judged according to
what they had done as recorded in the books.”

First, it is significant to note that in his most famous sermon, Christ repeatedly referred to rewards. In concluding the Beatitudes he said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:11–12, emphasis added). Christ continued his message by warning the crowd that if they did their acts of righteousness to be seen by men, they would not receive a reward in heaven (Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18). Jesus Christ’s message is crystal clear. Rather than fixate on earthly vanities, such as the admiration of men, we ought to focus on such eternal verities as the approval of the Master. He exhorted his followers to store up “treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20). 

Moreover, Jesus made essentially the same point in his parables. In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30), Jesus tells the story of a man who entrusts his property to his servants before going on a long journey. Each servant received an amount commensurate with his abilities. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to a third he gave one. The servant who received five talents doubled his money, as did the servant who had received two. The last servant, however, showed gross negligence and buried his master’s money in the ground. When the master returned, he rewarded the faithful servants with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” The unfaithful servant not only forfeited his reward but was thrown into outer darkness, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Furthermore, the canon of Scripture communicates degrees of reward in the resurrection. The basis of our salvation is the finished work of Christ, but Christians can erect a building of rewards upon that foundation. As Paul puts it, “no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:11–15).

Paul here illustrates the sober reality that some Christians will be resurrected with precious little to show for the time they spent on earth—they “will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” This conjures up images of people escaping burning buildings with little more than the charred clothes upon their backs. This will be the lot of even the most visible Christian leaders whose motives were selfish rather than selfless. Conversely, those who build selflessly upon the foundation of Christ using “gold, silver and costly stones” will receive enduring rewards. Indeed, a selfless Christian layman who labors in virtual obscurity will hear the words he has longed for throughout his life: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21). While deeds are our duty, not even the smallest act of kindness will go without its reward.

Finally, degrees of reward in eternity involve both enlarged responsibilities as well as enhanced spiritual capacities. An experience I had several years ago aptly underscores this biblical reality. I received an invitation to play Cypress Point, arguably the most spectacular golf course on planet Earth. While the invitation to play Cypress Point was free, I have seldom worked harder to prepare for anything in my life. For months I beat my body into submission. I lifted weights, worked on stretching exercises, and pounded thousands of golf balls, all the while
dreaming of the day I would physically experience walking the fairways of Cypress Point. Without my strenuous preparation I would have still experienced the same cliff–side vistas and breathtaking views. I would still have been able to smell the fragrance of the Monterey Cypresses and feel the refreshing sting of the salt air upon my face. All the hard work, however, added immeasurably to the experience.

That is how heaven will be. As a master musician can appreciate Mozart more than can an average music lover, so too my strenuous training allowed me to more fully appreciate the architectural nuances of Cypress Point. As phenomenal as Cypress Point is, it pales by comparison to what Paradise will be. I spent one day at a golf haven; I will spend an eternity in God’s heaven. It stands to reason, therefore, that I would put a whole lot more effort into preparing for an eternity in heaven with God than I did for playing eighteen holes of golf. That is precisely the point Paul is driving at in one of his letters to the Corinthians. Pressing the analogy of athletics he writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24–25). Thus, says Paul, “I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (vv. 26–27).

For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, Resurrection (Nashville:Word Publishing, 2000).

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ, that each one may receive what is
due him for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad.”

To begin with, we will never exhaust exploring our Creator. God by nature is infinite and we are limited. Thus, what we now merely apprehend about the Creator we will spend an eternity seeking to comprehend. Imagine finally beginning to get a handle on how God is one in nature and three in person. Imagine exploring the depths of God’s love, wisdom, and holiness. Imagine forever growing in our capacities to fathom his immensity, immutability, and incomprehensibility. And to top it all off, the more we come to know him, the more there will be to know.

Furthermore, we will never come to the end of exploring fellow Christians. Our ability to appreciate one another will be enhanced exponentially. Imagine being able to love another human being without even a tinge of selfishness. Imagine appreciating, no, reveling in the exalted capacities and station that God bestows on another without so much as a modicum of jealousy.

Finally, we will never come to an end of exploring the Creator’s creative handiwork. The universe literally will be our playground. Even if we were capable of exhausting the “new heaven and new earth” (Revelation 21:1), God could create brand-new vistas for us to explore.

Will heaven be perfect? Absolutely. Will it be boring? Absolutely not! We will learn without error—but make no mistake about it, we will learn, we will grow, and we will develop. Far from being dead and dull, heaven will be an exhilarating, exciting experience that will never come to an end.

Adapted from Resurrection

For further study, see Peter J. Kreeft, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Heaven, but Never Dreamed of Asking (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1990).

Psalm 16:11
“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

First, by nature or essence we are sexual beings. Thus, sex is not just something you do. Sex is what you are! The foremost reason we can say with certainty that sex will exist in the resurrection is that sex is not merely a word that describes an erotic experience; it is what we are by essence—in the beginning God created us male and female (Genesis 1:27) and that is likely how it always will be.

Furthermore, we can safely surmise that there will be sexuality in heaven because heaven will personify enjoyment. Men and women will enjoy each another—not in a mere physical sense but in a metaphysical sense. This reality is virtually impossible for a crass materialist to grasp. The materialist views sexual pleasure as a function of fitting body parts together. Christians, however, see humanity as a psychosomatic unity of both body and soul. Thus, we are not solely sexual somas (bodies); we are sexual souls as well. In heaven, the pleasure that the male and female sex will experience in one another will be infinitely magnified, because in eternity our earthly conception of sex will have been eclipsed. In place of selfishness, we will take pleasure in selflessness.

Finally, we can safely assume that there will be sex in eternity because God created sex in Eden before humanity’s fall into a life of constant sin terminated by death. Thus, in Eden restored we can rest assured that God will not remove our sexual nature; rather he will redeem it. In the new heaven and new earth, sex will no longer be for the purpose of procreation. Nor will it involve sexual intercourse—for “at the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). In heaven we will experience a kind of spiritual intercourse that eludes our grasp on earth. In paradise, romance subverted will become romance sublime. It will be agape-driven rather than animal-driven. In Eden Restored our sexual bodies and sexual souls will fly full and free, unfettered by the stain of selfishness and sin.

Will there be sex in the resurrection? Again, yes and no. Yes, there will be sexuality in heaven in that we will be in heaven—and we by our very nature are sexual beings. And no, there is no warrant for believing there will be sex in heaven in terms of the physical act.

Adapted from Resurrection

For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, Resurrection (Nashville:Word Publishing), Chapter 17. See also Peter J. Kreeft, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Heaven, but Never Dreamed of Asking (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1990).

Genesis 1:27
“So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him; male and
female he created them.”

Scripture does not conclusively tell us whether our pets will make it to heaven. However, the Bible does provide us with some significant clues regarding whether or not animals will inhabit the new heaven and the new earth. 

First, animals populated the garden of Eden. Thus, there is a precedent for believing that animals will populate Eden Restored as well. Animals are among God’s most creative creations. Thus, it would seem incredible that he would banish such wonders in heaven. 

Furthermore, while we cannot say for certain that the pets we enjoy today will be “resurrected” in eternity, I am not willing to preclude the possibility. Some of the keenest thinkers from C. S. Lewis to Peter Kreeft are not only convinced that animals in general but that pets in particular will be restored in the resurrection. If God resurrected our pets, it would be in total keeping with his overwhelming grace and goodness.

Finally, the Scriptures from first to last suggest that animals have souls. Both Moses in Genesis and John in Revelation communicate that the Creator endowed animals with souls. In the original languages of Genesis 1:20 and Revelation 8:9, nephesh and psyche respectively refer to the essence of life or soul. Not until Descartes and Hobbes and the Enlightenment did people think otherwise about animals. However, because the soul of an animal is qualitatively different from the soul of a human there is reasonable doubt that it can survive the death of its body. One thing is certain: Scripture provides us with sufficient precedence for believing that animals will inhabit the new heaven and new earth. In the words of Isaiah: “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). 

Adapted from Resurrection 

For further study see, Hank Hanegraaff, Resurrection (Nashville:Word Publishing, 2000), chapter 13. 

Psalm 145:13 
“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” 

First, when God created Adam and Eve in Eden, he created them with apparent age and in the prime of life. Additionally, Jesus died and was resurrected at the prime of his physical development. Thus we are justified in believing that whether we die in infancy, in our prime, or in old age, we will be resurrected physically mature and perfect, as God originally intended.

Furthermore, our DNA is programmed in such a way that at a particular point we reach optimal development from a functional perspective. For the most part, it appears that we reach this stage somewhere in our twenties or thirties. Prior to this stage, the development of our bodies (anabolism) exceeds the devolution of our bodies (catabolism). From this point on, the rate of breakdown exceeds the rate of buildup, which eventually leads to physical death. All of this is to say that if the blueprint for our glorified bodies is in the DNA, then it would stand to reason that our bodies will be resurrected at the optimal stage of development determined by our DNA.

Finally, one thing can be stated with certainty— in heaven, there will be no deformities. The body, tarnished by humanity’s fall into a life of constant sin terminated by death, will be utterly transformed. You will be the perfect you, and I will be the perfect me. Indeed, in heaven “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

Adapted from Resurrection

For further study see, Peter J. Kreeft, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Heaven, but Never Dreamed of Asking (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1990).

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