Hi, ahouch1n.
The best that any of us could ever do would be to share with you some scriptures on the topics of heaven and hell, but the convincing would need to come from God himself.
When it comes to the topic of heaven, the Bible actually speaks of three heavens.
2Co 12:1
It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2Co 12:2
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) such an one
caught up to the third heaven.
2Co 12:3
And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth)
2Co 12:4
How that he was
caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
The third heaven is the place where paradise presently dwells, and it is the place where God the Father, Jesus, and the righteous dead presently dwell as well.
2Co 5:6
Therefore
we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7
(For we walk by faith, not by sight)
2Co 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
When a Christian dies, they will be absent from the body, and present with the Lord. In other words, their spirit and their soul will depart to be with the Lord in heaven, and their body will lie in a grave (or be cremated, or whatever) until the time of Christ's second coming when they will receive a glorified body. After receiving their glorified body, they will reign and rule with Christ on this earth
(Rev. 5:10), and not in heaven. In other words, heaven is not the Christian's final destination, but a place where their spirit and soul go until the time of Christ's return to this earth with his glorified saints.
When it comes to the topic of hell, there are actually three different Greek words which have been translated into English as
hell in the New Testament. One of those Greek words is
tartaroō, and it only appears once in the New Testament in the following verse.
2Pe 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned,
but cast them down to hell, and delivered
them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
This
hell is a place where certain fallen angels are currently being held as they await their final judgment.
Another of those Greek words is
hades, and it appears 11 times in the New Testament. One of the more familiar places where it appears is here.
Luk 16:23
And
in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luk 16:24
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.
Luk 16:25
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
This
hell is the place where the wicked dead initially go as they await their final judgment, and according to Jesus, it is a place of torment and flames. This
hell (hades) will be cast into the third Greek word for
hell, or into
geenna, or into the lake of fire at the end of Christ's coming Millennial Reign.
Rev 20:11
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is
the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This
hell is the place where Satan will be cast himself.
Rev 20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are,
and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
According to Jesus, this
hell was prepared for the devil and his angels.
Mat 25:41
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Pause for a moment and consider all of the evil which has ever transpired in this world because of Satanic and/or demonic influence. Should such evil go unpunished? It will be punished, and it will be punished via the means of everlasting fire.
When it comes to where people will spend eternity, that is based upon what decision they make in this life in relation to Jesus Christ. If they embrace him as their Lord and Savior, then they will spend eternity with him in the kingdom to come. If they reject him, then they will suffer eternally with Satan and his angels because they will have foolishly chosen to follow them instead of Jesus Christ.
Like I said earlier. only God can convince you of the truths surrounding both places, and he will do just that if you simply ask him to.
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