John Bunyan’s "Visions of Heaven and Hell" — a vivid spiritual journey in which a troubled soul, prevented from suicide, is taken by an angel to witness scenes of eternal heaven and horrifying hell. Heaven is portrayed as a realm of radiant joy, peace, and reunion with believers, while hell is depicted as a place of unending torment, regret, and the agonies of those who rejected Christ — a sobering plea to repent before it’s too late
Chapter 1. Planning Suicide: The story begins with a man deep in despair, considering taking his own life. His soul is tormented by guilt, and he believes there is no hope left. However, God intervenes and sends an angel to stop him. The man is taken on a divine journey beyond death, not as punishment, but as mercy—so he can see the realities of eternity and repent.
When evil people have gone in a life of sin, and find that they have reason to fear the just judgment of God, they begin at first to wish there were no God to punish them. Then little by little they persuade themselves that there is no God, and look for arguments to back their opinion. I had the unhappiness to know someone like this, who would always be telling me there was neither God nor devil, and no heaven or hell.
THE LOSS OF TRUTH AND SPIRITUAL CONFUSION
It was with fear and trembling that I first heard him speak about these topics, but he spoke of them so often that I felt I must consider what he said. From this time I found my mind so confused that I could not remember the truths about God, which had appeared so clear to me before. I could not think there was no God—but with the greatest horror—yet I questioned the truth of His being. I would not have parted with my hope of heaven for all the riches of the world—yet now I was not sure whether there was any such place.
TURNING TO THE WRONG COUNSEL
In my confusion I went to my false friend to see what comfort he could give me. He only laughed at my fears and pretended to pity my weakness. His talks only made me more confused, until life became a burden to me. It is impossible to tell you the agonies I felt, until I was pushed to the edge of desperation. I thought, "Why should I linger between despair and hope? Would it not be better to end my life and find out what is the truth?" So I decided to kill myself.
THE SUICIDAL MOMENT AND DIVINE INTERVENTION
One morning I went out into a nearby woods, where I had planned to kill myself. But before I tried to use the knife, I heard a secret whisper say,
"Do not fall into everlasting misery to gratify the enemy of your soul. The fatal stroke you are about to give yourself will seal your own damnation. For if there is a God, as surely as there is, how can you hope for mercy from Him if you willfully destroy yourself, who were made in His image?"
Where this secret whisper came from, I do not know, but I believe it came from God; for it came with so much power it made me throw away my knife, and it showed me the great evil of suicide. The horror of what I had almost done made me shake so much that I could hardly stand.
I recognized my deliverance to have come from the Lord, and in gratitude I returned thanks.
A HEAVENLY ENCOUNTER
I knelt down on the ground and worshiped Him, asking that He would take away the blackness in my soul so that I would never again question His being or great power which I had just experienced.
Suddenly I was surrounded with a glorious light, brighter than anything I had ever seen before. I saw coming toward me a glorious person like a man, but circled with beams of light and glory which shined from him as he came nearer. I tried to stand up, but had no strength left in me, so I fell flat on my face. As he lifted me up and I was given new strength, I said to him, "O my shining deliverer, how shall I acknowledge my thankfulness, and in what manner should I adore you?"
With majesty and mildness he replied, "Pay your adorations to God, and not to me who am your fellow-creature. I am sent from Him Whose being you have so lately denied, to stop you from falling into eternal ruin."
GRACE NOT BASED ON WORTHINESS
This touched my heart with such a sense of my own unworthiness that I could only cry out, "Oh, how utterly unworthy I am of all this grace and mercy!" To this the heavenly messenger replied, "When God decided to show mercy—He did not consult your unworthiness, but His own unbounded goodness and vast love. He saw how the grand enemy of souls desired your ruin, but He upheld you by His secret power. Through this, when Satan thought that you were destroyed, the snare was broken and you have escaped." These words made me break forth into song, and I praised my Savior and declared that He alone is God.
- Chapter 2. Beyond the Sun and Stars: The angel lifts the man above the earth, past the stars, to realms unseen by mortal eyes. There, he sees celestial cities and radiant beings. The angel tells him they are approaching the place of eternal glory where the righteous dwell. He is filled with awe at the beauty and grandeur of the heavens.
- Chapter 3. Elijah Explains: The man meets the biblical prophet Elijah, who explains the wonders of heaven and the joy that awaits those who trust in Christ. Elijah reveals how souls are judged and shares God’s deep love for humanity. He stresses that salvation is a free gift, not earned by works, but by grace through faith.
- Chapter 4. The Happiness of Heaven: He is shown saints rejoicing in the presence of God—full of light, love, and eternal rest. There are no tears, no pain, and no sorrow in this place. He witnesses the peace and contentment of those who have overcome the trials of life and now enjoy everlasting communion with Jesus.
The reasons for the happiness of the saints in Heaven include:
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Freedom from sin – They are completely delivered from all sin and temptation, both inward and outward.
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No more sorrow or punishment – There is no grief, pain, or fear of God’s wrath.
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Perfect holiness – They are made perfectly pure and righteous, no longer struggling with the flesh or corruption.
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Constant vision of God – They see God face to face, which brings unspeakable joy and satisfaction.
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Transforming glory – They are changed into His likeness, shining with divine light and purity.
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Unbroken fellowship with God – They dwell continually in God's presence, which is the source of all joy.
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Increased knowledge of God – Their understanding is enlightened, and they gain a deeper, ever-growing knowledge of divine things.
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Spiritual bodies – Their resurrected bodies are glorified, no longer subject to weakness, sickness, or decay.
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No need for earthly sustenance – They are sustained by God's glory, not food or drink.
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Eternal praise and worship – Their happiness includes serving and praising God continually.
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Endless increase in joy – Because God is infinite, their joy and knowledge are eternally expanding.
🕊️These reasons form a complete and eternal state of happiness that no earthly experience can compare to!
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- Chapter 5. We Shall Know Each Other: In heaven, people recognize and embrace loved ones who served the Lord. The man observes reunions between saints who had been separated by death but are now together forever. Perfect knowledge, love, and harmony fill the atmosphere. The angel explains that in heaven, every saint knows each other in the Spirit.
- Chapter 6. Conducted to Hell: After seeing heaven, the angel brings the man to witness the place of the damned. The contrast is stark and terrifying. Hell is a place of darkness, fire, and weeping. The souls there are tormented by the memory of their sins and their rejection of Christ’s offer of salvation.
- Chapter 7. The Tortures of Hell: He hears cries of agony and hopelessness. The torments are not only physical, but deeply spiritual—regret, hatred of truth, and overwhelming despair. Demons torment souls, and justice is felt everywhere. The angel reminds him this suffering is not God’s desire, but the result of each soul’s choice.
- Chapter 8. A Lost Soul Speaks: A soul in torment cries out to the man, begging him to warn the living. The soul tells how he heard the gospel but refused it, preferring sin over salvation. Now he’s lost forever, tormented not just by flames, but by the memory of grace rejected. He begs the man not to follow his path.
- Chapter 9. Further Conversations: The man speaks with other souls—rich and poor, educated and ignorant—all united by the same judgment. They confess their sins, their rejection of the Bible, and their disdain for God’s mercy. Each testimony is a warning that hell is real and avoidable through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
- Chapter 10. An Atheist in Hell: He meets an atheist who had mocked God all his life. Now, in torment, the atheist admits he was wrong. He scoffed at the Bible, denied judgment, and lived for himself. Too late, he sees the truth. His message to the living: “There is a God, there is a hell—turn while there is still time.”