The Afterlife in Christianity

Christian Beliefs About the Afterlife

Heaven is often described as a paradise, a place of eternal joy, free from suffering and sin.
Hell is described as a place of eternal suffering, isolation and despair.
Christians believe that upon death, souls are judged by God and sent to Heaven or Hell based on their actions in life.

Christian teaching maintains that at the end of time, there will be a Last Judgement where all the dead will be resurrected and judged by God.
The Book of Revelation in the Bible describes this event in detail, saying that those whose names are in the “book of life” will join God in Heaven, while others will experience second death in a lake of fire.

Some interpretations of Christian teachings also speak of the Kingdom of God - not a physical place, but rather a spiritual state of being, where God’s will is fulfilled.
This could be established on Earth before or instead of the Last Judgment, depending on the interpretation.

Different Christian denominations have slightly variations in their understanding of the afterlife.
The Roman Catholic Church, for instance, also teaches about purgatory, a state or place for the purification of souls before they enter Heaven.
Some Protestant denominations reject the concept of purgatory, focusing more on the individual’s personal relationship with God.
Universalists believe in universal salvation, where eventually all souls will attain salvation and enter Heaven, after a period of correction.

Many Christians believe Jesus Christ to be the judge during the Last Judgement, as well as the saviour whose self-sacrifice allows for human sin to be forgiven and for people to attain Salvation, thus achieving eternal life in Heaven.
The belief in “resurrection of the body” and life everlasting is central to the Apostles’ Creed, a Christian statement of faith common to many denominations.

The belief in an afterlife affects Christians’ actions in their current life. They try to live righteously following Jesus’s teachings, in hope of achieving eternal life in Heaven.
The belief also offers comfort to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, since they hold the hope of reunion in the afterlife.