Knowledge of Earthly Sins in Heaven According to Scripture
Scripture indicates that sins committed on earth are known in heaven, often described as "reaching to the sky" or being "remembered" by God [1, 3]. The book of Revelation states, "for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities" [1]. Similarly, Job 20:27 asserts that "The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him" [2]. John Gill interprets this verse to mean that God, the Maker of heaven, sees and knows all things, even secret sins, and will make them manifest [7]. Alternatively, it could refer to the angels of heaven who will gather those who offend and commit iniquity [7].
The concept of heavenly knowledge of earthly deeds extends to the idea that individuals in heaven retain memory of their earthly lives. Charles Hodge argues that memory will not only continue but will be greatly exalted in heaven, allowing the records of the past to be as legible as present events [8]. This implies that the knowledge of one's earthly life, including social relations, will be retained [8].
While the Bible speaks of sins reaching heaven, it also distinguishes between the fate of the righteous and the wicked. The souls of the pious are said to dwell in the heavens, hymning God, while the souls of the wicked "flit about below the skies on earth, in murderous pains" [6]. The unrighteous, according to 1 Corinthians 6:9, "shall not inherit the kingdom of God," meaning they will not be true members of God's church on earth nor admitted to the church in heaven [4]. Augustine, in his exposition on the Psalms, speaks of "sinners of the earth" who drink the "dreg" and come to nought, in contrast to those who drink the "wine" and are justified [9].
The idea of sins being known in heaven is tied to divine judgment. Our Lord's account of the final judgment states that the wicked will experience everlasting punishment, arising from the loss of earthly good, exclusion from God's presence, the withdrawal of the Holy Spirit, the dominion of sin, and the operations of conscience [5]. Aquinas notes that souls are conveyed to their reward or punishment immediately after death, based on their merit or demerit [10].
Sources
- Revelation “for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities. -- Revelation 18:5”
- Job “Job 20:27 (BBE) — The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.”
- Revelation of John “Revelation of John 18:5 (KJV) — For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”
- 1 Corinthians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 6:9: Here he takes occasion to warn them against many heinous evils, to which they had been formerly addicted. I. He puts it to them as a plain truth, of which they could not be ignorant, that such sinners should not inherit the kingdom of God. The meanest among them must know thus much, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Co1 6:9), shall not be owned as true members of his church on earth, nor admitted as glorious members of the church in heaven. All unrighteousness is sin; and all reigning sin, nay, every actual sin committed deliberately”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 96: § 6. Future Punishment. Our Lord in his account of the final judgment says, that the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal. The sufferings of the finally impenitent, according to the Scriptures, arise: (1.) From the loss of all earthly good. (2.) From exclusion from the presence and favour of God. (3.) From utter reprobation, or the final withdrawal from them of the Holy Spirit. (4.) From the consequent unrestrained dominion of sin and sinful passions. (5.) From the operations of conscience.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 2: Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria — CHAP. XXVI.--HOW THE PERFECT MAN TREATS THE BODY AND THE THINGS OF THE WORLD. (part 3): above;" and the minstrel[4] who sings:-- "The souls of the wicked flit about below the skies on earth, In murderous pains beneath inevitable yokes of evils; But those of the pious dwell in the heavens, Hymning in songs the Great, the Blessed One." The soul is not then sent down from heaven to what is worse. For God works all things up to what is better. But the soul which has chosen the best life--the life that is from God and right”
- Job (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Job 20:27: The heaven shall reveal his iniquity,.... Either God the Maker and Possessor of heaven, who dwells there, and is sometimes so called, Dan 4:25; who sees and knows all things, even those that are most secret, as well as more openly committed, and will make all manifest, sooner or later; or else the angels of heaven, the inhabitants of it, so the Targum; who in the last day will be employed in gathering out of Christ's kingdom all that offend, and do iniquity, Mat 13:41; or the judgments of God descending from heaven, or appear there, and are owing to it; such as drowning”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 81: heaven, as creatures newly created, who had no history. Then all the songs of heaven would cease. There could be no thanksgiving for redemption; no recognition of all God’s dealings with us in this world. Memory, however, is not only to continue, but will doubtless with all our faculties be greatly exalted, so that the records of the past may be as legible to us as the events of the present. If this be so, if men are to retain in heaven the knowledge of their earthly life; this of course involves the recollection of all social relations, ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM LXXV.[1] (part 11): "All the sinners of the earth." Who are the sinners of the earth? The Jews were indeed sinners, but proud: again, the Gentiles were sinners, but humble. All sinners shall drink, but see, who the dreg, who the wine. For those by drinking the dreg have come to nought: these by drinking the wine have been justified. I would dare to speak of them even as inebriated, and I shall not fear: and O that all ye were thus inebriated. Call to mind, "Thy cup inebriating, how passing beautiful!"[6] But why? Do ye think, my brethren, t”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of Matters Concerning the Resurrection, and First of the Place Where Souls Are after Death, Art. 2: Article: Whether souls are conveyed to heaven or hell immediately after death? I answer that, Even as in bodies there is gravity or levity whereby they are borne to their own place which is the end of their movement, so in souls there is merit or demerit whereby they reach their reward or punishment, which are the ends of their deeds. Wherefore just as a body is conveyed at once to its place, by its gravity or levity, unless there be an obsta”