God is all good and created only good in the beginning, including man.  Then evil entered into the picture, and there was sin.  God did not stop this from happening.  I don't understand.

In the end, when we are all judged and those who are allowed to become a part of the promised Paradise on Earth are left, can the same scenario as before occur?  Can evil once again enter the picture and put Paradise in jeopardy as it did before?

Sincerely,
Learning From History

Dear Learning From History,

Paradise isn’t going to be here on Earth, and we are told that it is a place where sorrow and death will never occur (Rev 21:4).  Therefore, we have a guarantee that God will protect heaven from what happened here on Earth.  1 Pet 3:10-12 tells us that eventually God will destroy the earth by fire.  After that, He will establish a spiritual universe (heaven) where those who love Him will exist forever.  Here is a list of verses that teach on that subject:

1) 1 Cor. 15:42-50
vs. 47 says our bodies will not consist of earthly components
vs 50 says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
2) Lk 20:34-38
a)    vs 36 says we will have bodies like angels
3) Jhn 14:2-4
a)    vs 2 says we will dwell where God dwells (heaven)
b)   vs 3 says Jesus is preparing a place for us now
4) 2 Pet 3:10-13
a)    vs 10 says that when God uses fire to destroy the earth, He will both destroy the works of the earth and the earth itself.
5) Heb 1:10-12
a)    vs 11 says the earth and heavens will perish like an old garment
b)   vs 12 says that the earth and heavens will be changed like one would change and put on new clothes
c)     the new heaven and earth will not be a redo of this earth, but an entirely new garment.
6) Matt 24:35
a)    Heaven and earth are temporary, unlike God’s Word
7) Heb 11:13
a)    faithful people are considered strangers and wanderers on this earth
8) Php 3:20
a)    our citizenship is in heaven, not on earth
9) Jhn 18:36
a)    Jesus refers to His kingdom as not being “of this world”

I would like to know where hell is.  Somebody said heaven is above earth... so where is hell?

Sincerely,
Spatial Recognition

Dear Spatial Recognition,

People often think of heaven as being “up” and hell as being “down”, but that is most likely because we also use the word ‘heaven’ to refer to the sky, and it is natural to think that since the sky is up, heaven must be up, too.

Both the place where the saved go, known as Paradise (Lk 23:43), and the place where the lost go, known as ‘torments’, exist in Hades (Lk 16:23).  ‘Hades’ simply means ‘the unseen place’.  Neither Paradise nor torments are “up” or “down”; they are in the spiritual realm, and you can’t reach them while still alive – no matter what direction you travel.

I need to know where in the bible does it say, "all Christians may not go to heaven"?  Please help me because I don't really understand it.

Sincerely,
Preparing For The Future

Dear Preparing For The Future,

The Bible never says, “all Christians may not go to heaven”, that isn’t a quote from God’s Word.  The Bible talks about the principle that we must be faithful until death (Rev 2:10), and that a Christian that drifts away from God has lost their hope (Heb 2:1, Heb 10:26-27).  If we turn our back on God, then we no longer have our assurance of heaven.

However, the opposite is also true.  If we turn to the Lord and place our faith in Him, we can have confidence in our salvation (2 Tim 4:7-8) and peace of mind knowing that no one can snatch us from Christ (Jhn 10:28-29).

If a believer in Christ takes their life after suffering from depression, will they go to heaven?

Sincerely,
Just Asking

Dear Just Asking,

Whether someone suffers from depression or not, suicide is murder, self-murder, and is therefore very clearly a sin (Rev 21:8).  The only difference between suicide and murdering someone else is that you don’t get a chance to repent after suicide.  Suicide is a final decision and leaves no room for correction or for asking forgiveness.  It is a willful act of disobedience against God without opportunity for repentance.  The final judgment belongs to God (Heb 12:23), but we certainly wouldn’t want to face that judgment with our own blood on our hands.

     Do animals go to heaven… like, when Elisha flew to heaven in a fiery chariot, wouldn’t a horse pull the chariot?  And when Jesus comes back, won't He be riding on a horse that came from heaven?

Sincerely,
Horse Whisperer

Dear Horse Whisperer,

Any horse that could pull a chariot that is on fire and flying through the sky isn’t a “horse” in the traditional sense, and Rev 19:11’s reference to Jesus on a white horse is symbolic just like the rest of the book.  The white horse represents purity, not necessarily a physical steed.

Animals don’t go to heaven.  Animals are a blessing from God (Gen 1:26).  Animals have the “breath of life” just like humans do (Gen 2:7, Gen 6:17).  This “breath of life” is also sometimes referred to as the “spirit” of a man or animal (Gen 7:22).  Animals have spirits, and humans have spirits, but humans were also made in the image of God (Gen 1:26).  Our spirits are eternal and will go up to be with the Father, and animal spirits are temporary and will return to the dust of the earth (Eccl 3:21).  God made our spirit of a different caliber than He made those of the animal.