Why is the Christian concept of Heaven depicted as the Pearly Gates?
Not to create any sort of religious flame war, because it is obvious to anyone familiar with me that I am not a Christian, but it puzzles me as to why Heaven would need gates? Who are they trying to keep in? or keep out, as the case may be? Surely if someone wanted to sneak into Heaven, God would stop them before they jumped the fence, wouldn’t He? I’d like to have a reasonable explanation here.
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I think it’s more of a metaphor. Example: Really fancy mansions have really nice gates, therefore if Heaven has really really fancy gates, imagine what the inside would be like.
I don’t believe the term “pearly gate” is in the Bible anywhere.
the christian concept of heaven is not depicted as the pearly gates. This is merely a metaphor created by storytellers. The christian concept of heaven is depicted as a kingdom that is built by the good that all people create. We have to build the kingdom. Heaven is the level of closeness we have with God, and our relationship with God. Also christians do not believe hell is a firey place. Hell is basically being separated form all the people in heaven and not being close to God in heaven.
There are lots of things that don’t exactly make sense in the Bible. The Pearly gates? That was a more of a concept invented by Hollywood, in order to glamorize/give meaning to what it meant to be in Heaven. If it was just a giant cloud with a few winged people, it wouldn’t be as nice I guess.
don’t sue me if it was invented earlier than Hollywood
It sounds better than one of those rotating doorways.
It’s actually mentioned in the last book of the Holy Bible called Revelation there’s whole description of heaven etc. The 12 gates to New Jerusalem are made all in one whole pearl to show splendor and glory of God’s Kingdom and everything found there.
Metaphor everywhere you look; poetry in every age.
They are trying to keep out the devil! duh!... oh and Jews, poor people, anyone who isn’t caucasian, and people who don’t throw more than a five spot in the collection basket so the priest can “eat” (or molest children)
I like desiree’s answer/ I’m tired by wit and critique/ thank you desiree333/
for an answer that’s clear, not oblique.
ok honestly I don’t think that “Christians” have a clear concept of what heaven is or for that matter anything! There are so many sects of Christian religion that only agree upon a loose base of information and on the rest they differ. It’s almost sad because if I said ” How many people are Christian?” the majority would stand up but if I asked what their specific beliefs were they would disagree. It’s a bullshit religion that was created as a mind control device a long time ago… almost any other religion can coherently agree upon their basic belief and value system and thats because they are much older than Christianity and haven’t been “as” exploited, all religion exploits for control… Can’t wait to see the hate the devoted give me after this…
Well, madcapper, that’s why I created Evelynism. When the devout missionary types drop by my house to ask if I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I can say, No, I believe in Evelyn. Which begs them to ask who is Evelyn, and I can respond that she is a 300 foot tall woman with six breasts. Evelyn, the world’s largest deity. :-) I’d tell you more about Evelyn, but that would be proselytizing, which Evelyn absolutely despises.
If we have to build the kingdom of heaven, where do we go to get the building permits filled out?
@ Evelyn yes never proselytize! bad bad for business… and religion is business
Everyone keeps saying that heaven is only for christians, its not. God accepts anyone into heaven who has repented and asked for forgivness. Im not huge on religion so i cant explain this very well but my rel ed teacher is a really great teacher, hes not prejudice he teaches that all people can follow God, and be accepted into heaven if they accept God into their lives.
Pearly Gates, streets of gold, mansions over the hill top.
-something some one living in poverty would aspire to
-shiny things: something and uneducated population would value
-something someone without economic security would value.
Evelynism—I am more and more intrigued by this diety.
Given the choice of spending eternity in Heaven, or spending eternity snuggled on Evelyn’s ample bosom, that’s an easy choice for me. :-)
I’m going to guess they went with pearls
because it’s precious and white.
You know. That whole connotation of white being good?
@ Nimis, yeah. White represents purity, thats why brides wear white dresses.(brides are supposed to be virgins, hence being “pure”) While black represents negativity, and evil.
desiree333, Hell is at its worse (or best, depends on how you take it) frozen – place were traitors go.
Hell is spending an eternity with a bunch of self-righteous know-it-alls. Heaven is spending an eternity with those same folks, but they are mute or you are deaf.
It is definitely a metaphor.However,Jesus warned us and talked more about HELL than heaven.It is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. How can you rationalize anything different than that? Pretty clear.
“Revelation 21:21”:
The description of the the New Heaven describes the gates of the city. The New Jerusalem that arrives at the end of the age.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; 3 and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
Excellent question! I’ve never even thought about it myself, but the people at GotQuestions have.
Heaven isn’t the only place around, post-Judgment Day; we also have a rebooted Earth, and quite possibly the rest of the cosmos.
In short, the link points out that only the redeemed may enter the city, which suggests that there is a state between redeemed and damned that will characterize those outside the city but not actually in the Lake of Fire.
People tend to limit their mental image of Heaven to the Pearly Gates because somebody, probably an editorial cartoonist, decided that it would make for good visual shorthand.
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