We may be sure Adam did not go to heaven at death, because 3,000 thousand years later, Jesus said, “No man has ascended into heaven” (John 3:13). God judged and sentenced Adam to death when He said, “for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). God then denied Adam access to the tree of life in Eden (See Genesis 3:23,24) thereby enforcing the death sentence. The first man finally died at 930 years old.
Adam, therefore, went into the death condition. He went to hell — not the hell of the Dark Ages, which has been represented as a lake of fire and brimstone and everlasting torture — but to the hell of the Bible. The word hell is translated from the Hebrew word sheol and the Greek word hades. It is properly translated as grave, tomb, or state of death. Likewise, all of Adam’s children, inheriting this death sentence, have followed him at death to the tomb. The entire race would have been exterminated had it not been that God provided for the redemption and resurrection of the race through Christ Jesus, “who gave his life that we might live.”
Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1174: “Did God Make Heaven and Hell Humanity’s Destiny? (Part I)”
Uncovering who goes to heaven and what happens to planet Earth
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
Episode #1175: “Did God Make Heaven and Hell Humanity’s Destiny? (Part II)”
Unpacking the true meaning of hell and Judgment Day in Scripture
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
Episode #1231: “What if I’m Not Good Enough for Heaven?”
Uncovering the destiny of humanity’s billions who don’t go to heaven
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
Special 3-part series: “Is the Hell of Christian Tradition Taught in the Bible?”
For a comprehensive study on hell, download the free PDF: “The Truth About Hell”
