Heaven (Part 7) – Valley of Death, Pearly Gates, Judgment at Death or at the 2nd Coming?

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Heaven (Part 7)

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Is the “valley of death” a literal, actual place, or is it just symbolic? (Carey)

1. “The valley of the shadow of death” is only found in one place in the Bible (Psa 23:4).
   1. “The shadow of death” signifies a state of darkness, affliction, trouble, and distress (Psa 107:10-14; Job 16:16).
   2. Those in situations like this are close to death (or at least feel like they are).
   3. A valley is a low place between high places.
   4. Walking through the valley of the shadow of death is a symbolic description of enduring tribulation and affliction in life that would be as dreadful as death.
2. “The shadow of death” also refers to the grave where the dead go (Job 10:20-22).

Does heaven really have pearly gates with Saint Peter? (Austin)

1. The new Jerusalem has 12 gates which are each made of a pearl (Rev 21:21).
   1. So there are pearly gates in heaven.
   2. See Section X, 53, F, vi – What will the New Jerusalem be like? for more info on the pearly gates.
2. Peter will certainly be in heaven (Mat 16:15-17).
3. One of the 12 foundations of the city bears his name since he was one of the 12 apostles (Rev 21:14).
4. However, there is no scriptural support for the Roman Catholic tradition that departed saints will meet Saint Peter at the pearly gates for admission into heaven.

Will we be judged immediately after death or at the final judgment at the resurrection?

1. The judgment of the righteous and wicked will happen at the second coming of Christ.
   1. All men will stand before the great white throne of Jesus Christ to be judged at His second coming (Mat 25:31-33).
      1. The sheep (the elect) on His right hand will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world (Mat 25:34).
      2. The goats (the reprobate) on His left hand will be sent to the lake of fire (Mat 25:41, 46).
      3. The reprobate will be judged out of the books of their works and cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:11-15).
      4. The elect whose names are in the book of life will be spared the wrath of God in the lake of fire on judgment day because God blotted out their sins out of the books of judgment (Psa 103:12; Isa 43:25; Isa 44:22; Jer 50:20; Mic 7:19; Heb 8:12).
   2. At the judgment at the second coming Jesus will be ashamed of His children who lived as hypocrites, and they will be ashamed of themselves (Mar 8:38; 1Jo 2:28).
   3. On judgment day at the judgment seat of Christ we will all give an account of ourselves to God (Rom 14:10-12) including every idle word that we spoke in this life (Mat 12:36).
   4. Every man will be rewarded according to his works at the judgment at second coming after the resurrection (Mat 16:27 c/w Luk 14:14; Rev 22:12).
   5. The rewards of the elect and reprobate will be given when Christ returns (Mat 25:14-30; Luk 19:12-27).
   6. The wicked dead will be judged and the saints will be rewarded on the last day when the last trumpet sounds at the second coming of Christ (Rev 8:6 c/w Rev 11:15 c/w Rev 11:18; 1Th 4:16-17; 1Co 15:51-52; 2Ti 4:1).
2. What about verses that appear to teach that we will be judged immediately after death?
   1. 2Co 5:10
      1. 2Co 5:10 might appear to some to be linking being absent from the body and being present with the Lord with appearing before the judgment seat of Christ (c/w 2Co 5:8-9).
      2. The time of the appearing before the judgment seat of Christ is not given in 2Co 5:10, but in numerous other verses it is stated to be at the second coming of Christ (see above).
      3. Paul’s point is that we should labor while we are in this body and absent from Christ so that we will be accepted with Him when we are judged for our works on judgment day (2Co 5:9-10).
   2. Heb 9:27
      1. Some think that Heb 9:27 is teaching that the judgment comes immediately after death since it says that the judgment happens after death.
      2. The time of the judgment is not given in Heb 9:27, but in numerous other verses it is stated to be at the second coming of Christ (see above).
         1. The sentence that begins in Heb 9:27 is finished in Heb 9:28 which says that Christ shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
         2. The salvation that will happen at the second coming is the salvation from the wrath to come (Joh 5:24; Rom 5:9-10) in the lake of fire which the wicked will experience on judgment day (Mat 25:41, 46).
      3. Heb 9:27 is teaching that we only get one life on this earth, and when that life is over we will be judged.