I received a comment on one of my episodes (“Is Pope Francis in Heaven?” https://youtu.be/I13V4Fizc1U) that’s worth addressing. It’s a chance to dig further into the Bible to see whether it teaches that humans existed in heaven before coming to earth.

If you’re a fellow truth seeker and have comments or questions about the origins and pre-existence of humans or related matters, please connect with me at elizabethwhitworth.com/contact.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil makes for a fascinating study. What kind of knowledge is it? Why didn't God want humanity to have it? Will there ever be an end to evil? If so, how?

I received several excellent questions about the tree of knowledge and want to share my thoughts with all of you. Perhaps they will spark even more great questions.

For reference, read Genesis 2 and 3.

“At 7.35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.” (Declaration of the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, 21.04.2025)

This statement contains an outright claim, an implied assertion, and a paradigm. We need to examine all of these.

The outright claim is that Pope Francis went to heaven when he died.

The implied assertion is that Francis came to earth from heaven in the first place.

The paradigm is that, for human beings, our location matters more than our status.

For more details on what I discuss in this episode, check out my series on what the Bible says about death and hell: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4z902AIoUs5wpujtATY0uNkd91tOk_Yp

• The importance of distinguishing between spirit and soul
• The mechanics and logic of hell
• The purpose of hell
• The good news about hell
• The end of suffering

“Death & Hell: What Does the Bible Say?” is a comprehensive video series that aims to get to the bottom of what the Bible truly teaches about death and hell. Be sure to watch all 15 videos — in order — as they build on each other. You can find the video playlist here.

Along the way, I also talk about why the Bible is a trustworthy source of truth, how to study and interpret the Bible, and how to develop sound beliefs that are less likely to be shaken and more likely to be true.

If you’d like to become a ministry partner to help me create more content like this, please visit my website. Thank you!

If you have comments or questions and would like a response, please contact me.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

• The second death
• The first death vs. the second death
• The foreshadowing of the second death
• The danger of downplaying death and emphasizing suffering
• The suffering and death of Jesus
• The wages of sin

“Death & Hell: What Does the Bible Say?” is a comprehensive video series that aims to get to the bottom of what the Bible truly teaches about death and hell. Be sure to watch all 15 videos — in order — as they build on each other. You can find the video playlist here.

Along the way, I also talk about why the Bible is a trustworthy source of truth, how to study and interpret the Bible, and how to develop sound beliefs that are less likely to be shaken and more likely to be true.

If you’d like to become a ministry partner to help me create more content like this, please visit my website. Thank you!

If you have comments or questions and would like a response, please contact me.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

• Torment "forever and ever"
• What the Bible doesn’t say about hell
• What the Bible does say about hell

“Death & Hell: What Does the Bible Say?” is a comprehensive video series that aims to get to the bottom of what the Bible truly teaches about death and hell. Be sure to watch all 15 videos — in order — as they build on each other. You can find the video playlist here.

Along the way, I also talk about why the Bible is a trustworthy source of truth, how to study and interpret the Bible, and how to develop sound beliefs that are less likely to be shaken and more likely to be true.

If you’d like to become a ministry partner to help me create more content like this, please visit my website. Thank you!

If you have comments or questions and would like a response, please contact me.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

• The popular view of hell

“Death & Hell: What Does the Bible Say?” is a comprehensive video series that aims to get to the bottom of what the Bible truly teaches about death and hell. Be sure to watch all 15 videos — in order — as they build on each other. You can find the video playlist here.

Along the way, I also talk about why the Bible is a trustworthy source of truth, how to study and interpret the Bible, and how to develop sound beliefs that are less likely to be shaken and more likely to be true.

If you’d like to become a ministry partner to help me create more content like this, please visit my website. Thank you!

If you have comments or questions and would like a response, please contact me.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

• The first judgment
• The second resurrection
• The final judgment

“Death & Hell: What Does the Bible Say?” is a comprehensive video series that aims to get to the bottom of what the Bible truly teaches about death and hell. Be sure to watch all 15 videos — in order — as they build on each other. You can find the video playlist here.

Along the way, I also talk about why the Bible is a trustworthy source of truth, how to study and interpret the Bible, and how to develop sound beliefs that are less likely to be shaken and more likely to be true.

If you’d like to become a ministry partner to help me create more content like this, please visit my website. Thank you!

If you have comments or questions and would like a response, please contact me.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.