Most of traditional Christianity believes we go to heaven after we die, but there is no support for this in Scripture. To tell your child the truth about heaven, you can start with the words of Jesus Christ: “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man” (John 3:13).

All people who have died except Jesus Christ have not gone to heaven. Consider the following scriptures: “In death, there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks?” (Psalms 6:5); and, “The living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5).

Except for Jesus Christ, the dead are still dead (you can find more information about that in our booklet, What Happens After Death?). Beginning with this understanding, you can truthfully answer your kids’ question about what they will do for eternity.

As Jesus' disciples watched Him go to heaven, two angels stood by. The angels said, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

The Bible is very clear that “this same Jesus” will return to earth. When on trial for His life, Jesus declared to one of His accusers, “You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14:62).

The Bible, the Word of God explains that Jesus Christ will return to establish a literal kingdom—the Kingdom of God—on earth. Christ spoke of His coming Kingdom throughout his earthly ministry and told us to pray to God, “Your Kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10 and Luke 11:2). This is an explanation a child can understand.

Now, to answer your kids’ question about what we will be doing for eternity. When Jesus returns to earth in power, the Bible explains that those who have believed Him will be made immortal: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven . . . and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The eternal life of Christ's followers (called saints in the Bible) begins at their resurrection from the dead. This takes place when Jesus Christ returns and the kingdoms of the world become “the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15). Then, as Daniel the prophet explains, “The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever” (Daniel 7:18).

This is what you can tell your children. Jesus Christ is going to come back. He is going to establish His Kingdom on earth just like He said. Tell them if we endure in the faith, “we shall also reign with him" forever (2 Timothy 2:12). This is what you can explain to children about what they will do for eternity.

If you would like to learn more of God’s eternal reward for the faithful saints, see our booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom.