Author Burford has composed a thought-provoking guide for those wishing to understand the afterlife as put forth in the Holy Bible. Because, as he points out, most people simply speak of heaven and hell, further exploration is necessary. Burford’s examination begins in the book of Genesis, when God’s universal creation included several complex realms, such as Sheol (Hades, or hell, including Tartarus), Paradise (or heaven, which would eventually become tripartite), the Lake of Fire, and the Grave.

The Grave was first occupied only by animals, followed by the body of Abel, whose spirit would be transferred to Paradise. The first person to occupy heaven, Burford states, was Enoch, whom God “translated” from earth. After God deemed it necessary to bring on the flood, many sinning humans, as well as demon spirits known as Nephilim, would go to Sheol, and many bodies would be in the Grave. The generations after the flood would ultimately lead to the birth of Jesus, who would redeem all believers through his sacrificial crucifixion. These truths are offered by Burford as an encouragement to readers to offer their lives to God for the gift of his salvation.

Burford, a Christian minister for the past forty-three years, is the founding pastor of a church in Nashville, Tennessee. He clearly displays his wealth of biblical understanding in this informative volume. Scriptural quotations combined with his perceptive explications comprise the bulk of the narrative, which, treating with subtle characterizations of the varying levels of heaven and hell, such as their origins and the changes wrought in them over centuries, open a storehouse of material that will likely surprise and educate many. It is Burford’s wish that his readers will absorb and accept this material with open minds and hearts, leading to the affirmation or reaffirmation of their Christian faith.

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