Did John MacArthur Go To Heaven Or Hell?

God desires for all human being to choose Him, have a relationship with Him, and be in Heaven with Him when that person passes out of their body.  Jesus people (Christians) should desire the same for people, after all God desires that all mankind would come to Him (1 Timothy 2:24).  If someone is a ‘Christian’ pastor, the immediate assumption when they pass away is that they went to Heaven.  But, as every person must choose light or darkness… God or themselves, the final decision about whether someone goes to Heaven (the place where God is) or hell in the end, is personal. When you are saved, you know you are saved.  But once you are saved you are not always saved (Read about Once Saved Always Saved). God requires an ongoing relationship with you.

If someone is leading a Christian church, the assumption is also that those ministers also go to Heaven at physical death.  We must never forget that the Lord Jesus never spoke kindly of religion.  Jesus Christ said that religion is like white washed tomb stones… pretty and white on the outside, but ugly and filled with dirty bones of dead people (Matthew 23:27).  The Pharisees of Jesus’ time have long passed, but that religious spirit is not only in Jewish people of that time but that judgmental Pharisaical religious spirit continues today.  The ugly religious thing is in the heart of many Christian leaders as well. 

Not all ministers or teachers of the Bible will be with us in Heaven.  It does not matter how many messages you preached, books you wrote, or Bible studies you taught.  In fact, Jesus teaches that there will be many people that say, God look what I did for You when they depart their bodies.  In Matthew 7:21-23, God tells us that Jesus will tell many that “I never knew you, depart from Me”.  In other words, these people who thought they were Christians doing something for God, were actually doing things for themselves.

What Did John MacArthur Do?

John MacArthur (June 19, 1939 to July 14, 2025) wrote many books, taught many Bible lessons, and was not hesitant to criticize other believers.  In particular, he preached against Holy Spirit-filled believers, miracles, and the supernatural move of God demonstrated in the books of Acts, as well as with present day faith-filled Christians.   In fact, he taught secessionism which is a false teaching that the supernatural works of the Bible have passed, that tongues and spiritual gifts have ceased, and that his interpretation of the Bible was the only true teaching. 

In fact, MacArthur convened conferences (one called Strange Fire) all to speak against the moves of God going on with other Christians around the world.  He personally attacked other ministers of the Gospel of Jesus calling them false teachers.  The teaching that the miracles of God have ended is one of the biggest false teaching in many spiritually dead churches around the world.  It cheats people of the super natural lives that the Lord Jesus taught us to live (John 10:10).  MacArthur was a big proponent of Dark Ages Mentality teaching  (More on that here) that is unbiblical spiritual weakness, when God wants us to live strong.

Working Against God and Blaspheming the Holy Spirit

In Matthew 12:31-32, as well as Mark 3:28-30, Jesus Christ teaches about that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. 

 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.  (Matthew 12:31-32 NKJV)

What exactly is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?  Find out here. What is the unforgiveable sin for all of mankind?  (Find out more on the unpardonable sin here).

Dakes comments on Matthew 12:32 in the Dakes Annotated Reference Bible saying,

a [speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him] Explaining what blasphemy is. It is any insulting remark or curse, even attributing to Satan the works of the Holy Spirit. It is unforgivable if it is done maliciously and knowingly, as here and in Heb. 6:4-9; 10:26-31 1Tim. 1:13.

This is exactly what John MacArthur did. God is gracious and warned him.

We NEED the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

Most Bible teachers simplify it by teaching that denying the conviction and drawing of the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus (Romans 10:9) is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  This is true, but re-reading Matthew, you will see that blasphemy is actually denial of something.  Denying the Holy Spirit is such a big deal, the Lord says these people will not enter into Heaven despite what how much religious activity they execute. 

This is where the concern comes in for Mr MacArthur.  We hope desperately that He is in Heaven, but is he? He was apparently working against the Holy Spirit during His lifetime. Not only that, he was teaching others to do the same and making things worse.  It is one thing to have some theories on the Bible, but it is another thing to teach this and influence people in false teaching against God.  James 3:1 says teachers will be judged stricter by God than just the average Christians. 

Finally, we have to face it, most ministers have issues.  The best rule as a pastor or minister is to never criticize or judge other ministers.  If people are coming to Jesus through other ministries, praise God!  No pastor should be speaking against brothers or sisters in Christ unless they truly are cultish (Nine Ways To Identify A Christian Cult )

On August 16, 2015, an unidentified man with a Scottish accent traveled to the United States and interrupted a sermon by John MacArthur at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. The man approached the pulpit while John was teaching, blew a piercing whistle from his mouth, and shouted that MacArthur had “grieved the Holy Spirit” and that his doctrine of cessationism was an error. He stated he was a prophet sent to deliver this message before being surrounded by MacArthur’s church security and leaving the premises. Point made.  Was this a message that John heeded or ignored?

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the only unforgiveable sin.  Why?  The Holy Spirit is God on earth with us and in those who are saved.  Is John McArthur in heaven?  Most Christians would assume yes. However, we really do not know.  There is a good chance he is not. When you see that gravity of working against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against God Almighty, and you see that visit of 2015 calling out the error you begin to question if John MacArthur really is in Heaven at all. Working against God and His people in judgement and damnation from his perch within his religious organization, it is really unclear.

We hope and pray to see John when we all enter into Heaven (Heaven is a real place).  However there is punishment for denying God, The Holy Spirit, no matter how many messages you taught, books you wrote, or how much you knew ‘about’ God. Denying the Holy Spirit is so important it is the only unforgiveable sin.  You have got to know the Father through Jesus and work through the Holy Spirit who is on the earth with us today.  We pray for John McArthur and all the people that listened to his teaching. We pray that they will not continue the condemnation and judgmental negative teaching of John and learn to operate in the grace of God, after all God brings grace to you when you love others.

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Want to find some great Bible teachers and preachers? There’s a good list here.

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