cc0077..iinndddd 220044 66//11//0099 22::3300::0011 PPMM PRAISE FOR THE POCKET GUIDES “Jason Boyett’s Pocket Guides are smart and hilarious. And they’re sneaky too: You don’t realize how much you’re learning because you’re having so much fun.” —AJ Jacobs, author, The Year of Living Biblically “Hewing to his trademark theology-by-way-of-Jon- Stewart model, Jason Boyett’s hilarious, fact-packed collection of Pocket Guides refresh the maxim, if you’re not careful, you might just learn something. Anyone with a curiosity about history and belief—and an ear for wry irreverence—should not miss out on these pithy, delightful volumes.” —Lauren Sandler, author, Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement “Boyett’s witty, weird and sometimes even wise Pocket Guides are proof that the best things do come in small packages. Besides, Jesus could return at any minute. Do you really want to start reading some big, long book?” —Daniel Radosh, author, Rapture Ready! Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture “Irreverent, illuminating, and packed with thousands more 21st century pop-culture references than the Bible, the Qur’an and the Bhagavad Gi-ta- combined. Boyett’s Pocket Guide series is a one-stop religion degree without the annoyances of fi nancial aid payments or the medieval club.” —Robert Lanham, author, The Hipster Handbook and The Sinner’s Guide to the Evangelical Right ffffiirrss..iinndddd ii 66//11//0099 22::3333::0055 PPMM “The Pocket Guides are more fun than a plague of frogs, more satisfying than manna from heaven and way less expensive than attending seminary. Pocket Guide to the Bible, to Sainthood and to the Afterlife achieve the re- markable feat of being absurdly funny, surprisingly full of legitimate Biblical information and, inexplicably, provok- ing a deeper understanding of my faith. Jason Boyett is a truly inspired and disturbed individual and for that I am grateful.” —Dan Merchant, writer/producer/director of Lord, Save Us from Your Followers “Here’s a writer with insight like a fi nger in the eye, but you later want to thank him for that fi nger in the eye. If there were a Pocket Guide to Jason Boyett, it would include words like Fearless, Deep, and Snarky. And did I mention funny? Oh my goodness this guy is funny.” —Dean Nelson, author, God Hides in Plain Sight, and director, Writer’s Symposium by the Sea at Point Loma ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiii 66//11//0099 22::3333::0055 PPMM Other Books by Jason Boyett Pocket Guide to the Bible Pocket Guide to Sainthood Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiiiii 66//11//0099 22::3333::0055 PPMM ffffiirrss..iinndddd iivv 66//11//0099 22::3333::0055 PPMM Heaven, Hell, and Other Ultimate Destinations Jason Boyett ffffiirrss..iinndddd vv 66//11//0099 22::3333::0055 PPMM Copyright © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741—www.josseybass.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/ go/permissions. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, Cambridge, 1769. Readers should be aware that Internet Web sites offered as citations and/or sources for further information may have changed or disappeared between the time this was written and when it is read. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifi cally disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fi tness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profi t or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax 317-572-4002. Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Credits appear on p. 212 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Boyett, Jason. Pocket guide to the afterlife : heaven, hell, and other ultimate destinations / Jason Boyett. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ). ISBN 978-0-470-37311-8 (pbk.) 1. Future life. I. Title. BL535.B69 2009 202'.3—dc22 2009013919 Printed in the United States of America first edition PB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ffffiirrss..iinndddd vvii 66//11//0099 22::3333::0055 PPMM CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1 The Cosmic Lexicon (A Glossary of the Hereafter) ...............................3 CHAPTER 2 Great Moments in Eternity, Part 1 (A Timeline: 2000 B.C.E. to 1563) .......................... 43 CHAPTER 3 Great Moments in Eternity, Part 2 (A Timeline: 1743 to Present Day) ........................ 65 CHAPTER 4 Geography of the Beyond (Where You Might Go) ...................................... 97 CHAPTER 5 The Bible on Heaven (A Scriptural Tour of Glory) ..............................131 vii ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiii 66//11//0099 22::3322::5577 PPMM CONTENTS CHAPTER 6 The Bible on Hell (A Holy Trek Through the Fiery Pit) ....................155 CHAPTER 7 The Afterlists (Cataloging Kingdom Come) ............................175 Selected Bibliography ...............................................................205 The Author ..............................................................................207 viii ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiiiii 66//11//0099 22::3322::5577 PPMM