Bible Verses About Death and Heaven

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Even in the darkest valley the psalmist says he will not fear, because the shepherd is with him. The promise is presence, not the absence of hard places.

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.”

The death of God's faithful people is precious to him. It is a tender phrase for anyone who has lost someone they love.

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.”

Moses prays that God would teach us to number our days so that we gain a wise heart. Remembering that life is short can make it clearer, not darker.

“before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

The Teacher describes death as the dust returning to the earth and the spirit returning to the God who gave it. It is a sober and reverent picture of life's end.

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?””

Standing at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, Jesus says he himself is the resurrection and the life. Hope is placed in a person, not just an idea.

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Paul looks ahead to the day when what is perishable is clothed with what lasts, and death is swallowed up in victory. That victory is credited to Jesus, not to our own strength.

“Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Christ shared our flesh and blood so that through his own death he could free those who were held in lifelong fear of dying. The fear itself has been answered.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul is convinced that neither death nor life, nor anything else in creation, can separate believers from God's love in Christ. Death is on the list, and it does not win.

““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.”

Before his death Jesus comforts his disciples: there is room in his Father's house, and he will come back and take them to himself. Heaven is described as being with him.

“Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Paul writes so that grieving believers will not mourn like those without hope, and he tells of Christ's return and of being together with the Lord. Christians grieve, but with hope.

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know. I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.”

Paul admits he is torn between staying to serve and departing to be with Christ, which he calls far better. It shows how near he felt Christ to be beyond death.

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life. And it is God who has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come. Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

Paul compares our present body to a tent and speaks of a lasting home from God. He would rather be at home with the Lord, and so he takes courage.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.””

John sees a new heaven and earth where God makes his home with people, wipes away every tear and ends death, mourning and pain. Many Christians read this as the final hope, a restored creation and not a distant cloud.