Heaven and Hell False Traditions: Is the Devil in Hell and Are We Going to Heaven?

For centuries, Christians have absorbed images of Satan ruling from a fiery underworld and believers escaping to heaven forever. These ideas are emotionally gripping, but biblically false. They are rooted in tradition, mythology, and fear, not in the Word of God. When carefully examined, the Bible dismantles both errors, exposing how Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) and Annihilationism have blinded generations to the truth of God’s plan of Universal Reconciliation and the purpose of Christ’s return.

The Devil Is Not in Hell

Popular testimony often claims, “I went down to hell and met the devil.” But Scripture never locates Satan in hell. In fact, it says the opposite.

• Satan is “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31).
• He is “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2).
• He “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Revelation 12 describes him as thrown down to the earth, raging because his time is short. His final sentence is the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10), but that is future. Right now, Satan is active on earth, not locked in hell or ruling over it. Hell is not his headquarters; it is his destiny.

The cultural picture of the devil with a pitchfork comes from medieval art, Dante’s Inferno, and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Tragically, it has been preached as if biblical, enslaving people in fear of a devil who supposedly rules a fiery kingdom. In reality, those near-death experiences of “meeting Satan in hell” are visions filtered through tradition, not truth.

The False Escape to Heaven

A second ingrained tradition is just as hollow. Christians have been told their ultimate destiny is “going to heaven forever.” But the Bible teaches resurrection and renewal, not permanent escape.

• Paul declared, “The dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).
• The psalmist said, “The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth He has given to the children of man” (Psalm 115:16).
• Jesus told us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Heaven descends; earth is renewed. Revelation 21:2 shows the New Jerusalem coming down from God. Revelation 5:10 confirms, “They will reign on the earth.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17 pictures believers meeting Christ in the air to escort Him back, not to escape with Him.

The doctrine of eternal flight to heaven comes from Platonic philosophy, not the apostles. Greek thought despised the material world, so early Christians began to imagine salvation as release from earth into a purely spiritual realm. That philosophy, not the Bible, became the seed of escapist preaching.

What About the Heavenly Host?

Revelation 19 shows the armies of heaven following Christ, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Many assume these are glorified saints. But the sequence of Scripture says otherwise.

• The dead “sleep” until the resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13–16).
• The “first resurrection” does not occur until Revelation 20:4–6.
• The armies of heaven, elsewhere in Scripture, clearly include angelic hosts (Luke 2:13, Matthew 25:31).

Revelation 19 therefore depicts Christ returning with angelic armies. Then, at His descent, the saints are raised and join His reign. This maintains the integrity of the resurrection and avoids the false teaching that saints are already enthroned in heaven.

The 24 Elders Around the Throne

Another supposed proof that humans are in heaven now is the 24 elders in Revelation 4 and 5. They sit on thrones, clothed in white, crowned with gold. Tradition claims these are redeemed saints. But this contradicts the resurrection timeline.

Early interpreters closer to the apostles understood the elders differently:

• Irenaeus saw them as a heavenly priesthood, patterned after the 24 divisions of Israel’s priests (1 Chronicles 24).
• Hippolytus identified them with the angelic council, members of God’s heavenly court.
• Jewish apocalyptic literature already pictured elders and thrones in heaven long before Christianity.

The 24 elders symbolize heavenly order, not resurrected men. They anticipate the priestly reign of the saints, but they are not evidence that glorified humans are already present.

A Caveat: Revelation 7:9

There is one important exception that deserves attention. Revelation 7:9–14 describes a great multitude standing before the throne in white robes, holding palm branches, crying out salvation to God and the Lamb. The text explains exactly who they are:

“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14).

This means the multitude in heaven is not all believers from all of history. It is a specific group, martyrs and faithful who died during the great tribulation. They appear before the throne as an exception, given the privilege of worshiping in heaven during that climactic time. The vision does not erase the truth that the rest of the dead in Christ sleep until the resurrection. Instead, it highlights the special role of tribulation martyrs in God’s plan.

The Trap of Escapism

Here is the tragic effect of these false traditions. Believers have been indoctrinated to think:

• The devil rules in hell.
• Our hope is to escape to heaven forever.

These ideas are so ingrained that when someone says otherwise, it provokes an emotional reaction, people refuse even to believe what Scripture plainly says. That is the power of indoctrination.

But escapism is not just harmless error. It cripples the Church’s mission. If we think salvation means abandoning earth, we stop fighting for heaven here and now. Sin reigns because Christians wait passively for rescue instead of ruling and reigning with Christ’s authority in the present. Then, when Christ comes, our lack of faith may be exposed, for we were meant to release heaven on earth, not to cower in fear.

The Reality of God’s Plan

The biblical vision is not torment without end, nor annihilation without hope, nor escapism into the clouds. It is Universal Reconciliation, all things brought under Christ, death destroyed, God dwelling with man.

The devil will not reign in hell. He will be cast into the lake of fire. The saints will not escape earth. They will be raised to reign on it. The elders in heaven are not proof of an early exodus of the righteous. They are symbols of God’s heavenly government, awaiting the full company of the redeemed.

The lies of ECT and Annihilationism have enslaved hearts in fear, painting God as a tyrant or a weakling. The truth of Scripture reveals a God of love, justice, and ultimate restoration. To cling to the false traditions is to remain trapped in fear. To see the biblical hope is to awaken to a kingdom already breaking in, here and now.