Heaven: Will EVERYONE end up there?
Are you aware that there a people who believe EVERYONE without exception WILL end up in Heaven? In times past, and even with many now, this is often called Universalism. You’ll find statements like this on the web defining it—The belief that all people will ultimately be saved and reconciled with God, regardless of their actions or faith. These people believe that God’s love and mercy extend to all people, and that eternal punishment is inconsistent with a just and loving God. These people will also quote Bible verses for you that they believe teach this. But if we’re to believe that their claim is correct, certain issues must be adddressed. Here are some examples of those—
John 4:42
42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. [Emphasis added]
Passages like this tell us of the availability of salvation for all, to the entire world of mankind, but not that everyones accepts that provision. In fact, most people don’t.
1 John 4:14
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. [Emphasis added]
Christ certainly died on the cross for ALL to provide A WAY for ALL to be saved. But not ALL have accepted what He’s provided. In fact, most people will die in rejection of it. Nevertheless, the offer to them stands good all their lifetime.
John 3:14-16
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoeverbelieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [Emphasis added]
Those who believe and put their trust in His provision will be saved from hell and everlasting torment, but not all others.
John 3:17-20
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him MIGHT be saved.
Yes, “might” presents the potentiality of salvation for all but not the actual salvation of all. Only believers will be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [Emphasis added]
Not all are going to be saved. Those who reject His provision for their salvation will be in a state of condemnation forever. If everyone is to ultimately be saved and end up in a place of everlasting blessings, what are people saved from?
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved [SOZO = delivered from danger] through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. [Emphasis added]
The list of questions that must be asked is endless. If everyone’s going to Heaven, why is there a need to present the gospel to anyone? What’s the point of doing this?
Romans 11:13-14
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save SOME of them. [Emphasis added]
Truly some will be saved but not all. How could this be put any plainer?
1 Corinthians 9:22
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save SOME. [Emphasis added]
If everyone’s going to Heaven, why do we have stories like the one of the rich man and Lazarus?
Luke 16:23-24
23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments [BASANOS = torment, a condition of dreadful pain in hell [HADES = hell]], and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. [Emphasis added]
If everyone’s going to Heaven, who or what is Hell and the “Lake of Fire” for?
Revelation 20:15
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. [Emphasis added]
If everyone’s going to Heaven, was Jesus lying or at least misleading us about the fear of going there?
Matthew 10:28 [as in Luke 13:3,5 & John 3:16]
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy [APOLLUMI = not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being] both soul and body in hell. [Emphasis added]
As you can see, the list is long of those things that make universalism clearly a false teaching. Yet I’ve known many people who once had their understanding of things correct but fell for this false teaching. Every generation has many such situations.
Matthew 7:13-14
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. [Emphasis added]
There are many people who believe that everyone is God’s child, and that everyone will go to Heaven eventually. Therefore, these people dismiss the ideas of Hell, divine wrath, God’s judgment in the afterlife, as fiction. However, if we are to believers the Bible, we must face the truth of the Bible and believe the truth of the Bible. This book tells us more about Hell than it does about Heaven. Hell is indeed the real, eternal fate of all who die without faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as the sole basis for one’s salvation.
We can search the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, cover to cover, and find the majority always going against God. At any and every point in human history, we find just a very small fraction of believers accepting God’s way with things. Remember, for example, the eight believers on the Ark during the Great Flood of Noah’s day [Genesis 7:7; 2 Peter 2:5]. With people then living for hundreds of years as Scripture tells us, the world was very likely more populated in Noah’s day than it is now. But all these people drowned in the flood waters that then came. Billions of people have been suffering in Hell since that time. Another interesting case is that of the city of Sodom. There were less than 10 believers in the whole city that didn’t perish [Genesis 18:32; Genesis 19:24-25]! Also, consider the 7,000 believers in the whole nation Israel in Elijah’s day [1 Kings 19:18]! Think of the approximately only 120 believers in Jerusalem after Christ’s three-year earthly ministry!
Acts 1:15
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) [Emphasis added]
We could go on and on and on, but I trust the point has been made with these Scriptures. God’s people are always in a minority. I even have other articles about that on this website—
Minority: Are you in God’s minority?
Minority: Who is the real minority?
I even have some videos about this—
There’s should be no doubt at all that there’s terrible everlasting judgment coming for all who die having never accepted God’s provision for their salvation. I, therefore, hope you’ll accept that provision now. Here are some of God’s promises to you—
Acts 16:31
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,… [Emphasis added]
Romans 4:4-5
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. [Emphasis added]
Again, Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved [SOZO = delivered from danger] through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. [Emphasis added]
