A question that causes many different answers.

• Atheists might say we turn into nothingness. We would literally just cease to exist.
• A Muslim might say they wait in Barzakh for judgement day.
• A Christian might say they’d be immediately with Jesus in the promised land. Or possibly wait for judgment day.
• A spiritual person might believe heaven is just a state of mind,
• A jewish person might say they are to wait in Sheol until their Messiah comes.

And as we could add many types of beliefs to the list lets just move forward…shall we?

Being I have been in a few of those belief systems I didnt have to research much. But in that I have come full circle back to Christianity (deconstructed tho as most Christians do belief from a more biblical perspective.

I don’t believe there is an eternal damnation like we were led to believe.

‘Whaaa? I thought you were a bible believing Christian’?

First…let me ask you this, where in the bible does it state people will burn forever without saying the sinners prayer?

I would think that might be a pretty big selling point for Jesus don’t you? And one you’d want to make darn sure is spelled out so no one could have an excuse.

I can see the ad at the pearly gates now “For those feeling misled call 1-800-WAS-MISLED”!

Also did you know there is no word for hell in the Hebrew language? And never in the torah is it mentioned either. And there’s some pretty serious lack-of-mercy & grace kind of stuff going down in there. It’d been a good time to slip that in between blessings and curses.

But omission isn’t proof hell is a lie. So let’s dive in a little bit.

If we’re English speaking we have relied on the translations of others through the centuries. But the “Young’s Literal Translation” is touted as the best translation from the Hebrew and Greek. As it’s (as far as it can be) word for word. And never does the word hell show up.

I took the liberty of screenshotting how a few translations use the word hell. Spoiler alert…the KJV is the leader with 54. FIFTY FOUR!

How’d it get to be so many with a literal translation being at zero?

Now lets try and show how hell has been added.

One way is in the newer translations they changed out hell for Gehenna. Gehenna was a nearby city that burned trash 24/7. So it’s why Jesus speaks about burning. And in the fine print it will tell you they are talking about Gehenna.

If you’d like to know more here is a playlist with some great things to think about.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not a co-exist type believer. But at the end of the day…EVERYONE will be reconciled with Christ. At the very least can we speculate at the gates we can still manage to accept Him as who He says He is?

But that God so loved the world He will bring all of us to Him. He’s not going to lose to the enemy.

“Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess”. God will win everyone to His son Jesus Christ.

Which means we are all God’s children. Even if we don’t act like it at times. We are born with His DNA inside of us. Everyone.

‘Does that mean we get to do whatever we want’?

Yes and no. We reap what we sow. (Some religions call this karma) So we will have consequences for our transgressions but that is how we learn.

So telling people they need to change their behavior is almost a waste of breath. (Not that we can’t have boundaries). As I believe we have to live out our specific journeys while we’re here on earth. So we can learn from our mistakes and grow from the consequences we suffer.

But thats the good news. That’s how we learn about the need for change. Usually giving way to learning to love more. Myself included.

I have learned from watching these NDEs, and those that have studied this out for decades judgement day is not what most think…and are afraid of. It’s a life~review.

What’s a life review?

Well, haven’t we heard of the phrase “My life flashed before my eyes”?

But in this process we will feel how we made others feel. So if we have rejected or been hurtful to others we will feel that pain that we caused if unrepentfull, or if we haven’t asked that person for forgiveness.

One story was that a man, while alive had gotten out of his car at a stoplight and punched another driver right in the face.

In his life review he saw the event from the guys perspective he had punched. Felt the fear he felt and the physical pain of getting punched. Even the blood running down his chin.

In the life-review, we will then naturally (and hopefully) want to repent. They’ll say as painful as it was though, they still felt Christ loving them during the pain they felt.

So even if we feel justified to hurt and or reject others…we will reap this somehow. Here or later.

So….I believe if we learn to love and forgive others it’s best to do it now. Instead of judgement day. Plus we will reap the benefits of loving and forgiving others now which will be ever~so sweet while on earth. And receive this sweetness when we have our life review instead of any pain we’ve caused others.

Assumably no one does anything because they think they are wrong. (Follow link to our modern day prophet..John Crist…not lying he has wisdom plus he cracks me up).

Why do we have to go through all this pain while here?

We go through trials to learn how to have empathy for others…or we will feel the hurt we caused when we go through our life review.

In the NDEs I have seen, Jesus never asks anyone if they got everything right theologically. Religion is non-existent in heaven. One Hindu man that died asked Jesus what church or synagogue he needed to attend as he was convicted Jesus was the way. He said Jesus said “It’s not about religion but a relationship with Him”. (Though he left Hinduism when he came back and wrote two books).

The number one component to peoples life-reviews is how well they loved others.

So suffice it to say we will mostly be judged on how well we loved. These NDEs have really taught me it’s all about loving others…and not just those we agree with.

When we surround ourselves with like-minded individuals we’re not challenged.

Because that’s really not courageous is it? We need to challenge ourselves to love those we might not agree with. After all, we’re going to spend eternity with everyone. Might as well start now.

No two NDEs were identical, yet they all come back changed.

I have full faith that when my son Tim left this earth he had an amazing experience and loves even more than he did on earth.

And as everyone wonders our creator is so loving He has restored ALL things. even our precious pets.

There are also a great amount of stories where loved ones come to get those about to leave here.

One story was rather funny, this woman had died and when she came back she was still in ICU. Now, some might think it’s a little out-there but she could see the spirit world now.

As she lay there she said it was like a parade day and night of angels and souls going back and forth to get their loved ones. I’d like to think both sets of grandparents were there to meet Tim as well.

When a child dies that has not experienced a relatives death, they will have their pet meet them so they feel welcome.

In my own walk this has been the largest shift in learning to love others.

I lived with a lot judgement inside of me. Pointing fingers and never knowing how much God loves us. Little own that He will bring all of us to Him.

Or feeling like I needed to evangelize to everyone I met. Not a good combo. Now I know everyone is my brother or sister. As we truly are ALL God’s children. I could feel the judgement fall off my shoulders when I was given this truth. It was so freeing. I thought of loved ones I wasn’t sure about…now I knew I would see everyone again.

A loving God was foreign to me as my parents were highly critical.

Unfortunately I raised my children with a lot of condemnation of others that didn’t fit into the mold.

But when understanding God’s unconditional love is in someone’s soul their heart will change.

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My best,

Emily