What visions of heaven and hell does Peter experience?

I. The Transfiguration as a Foreshadowing of Heavenly Glory

One of the most significant events associated with Peter that offers a glimpse into heavenly reality (though not a full vision of heaven in the afterlife sense) is the Transfiguration of Jesus. Peter was present with James and John at this event (Matthew 17:1–8; Mark 9:2–8; Luke 9:28–36). As Peter himself later writes:

“After all, we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; rather, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”

(2 Peter 1:16–18)

Though the Transfiguration does not depict the afterlife realms in a direct vision, it powerfully shows Christ’s divine radiance and glory “from the Majestic Glory.” Many interpreters view this event as a foretaste of the splendor of heaven. Peter’s experience there underscores his certainty of Christ’s divine nature and the reality of God’s glory, which believers anticipate sharing in eternity.

II. Peter’s Vision of the Sheet from Heaven (Acts 10)

In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter sees a supernatural vision that distinctly originates from heaven, though primarily concerning dietary and cultural barriers:

“The next day, as they were traveling and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray at about the sixth hour. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. Then a voice said to him, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat!’ ‘No, Lord!’ Peter answered. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time: ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven.”

(Acts 10:9–16)

This vision came directly “from heaven,” illustrating God’s plan to extend salvation to the Gentiles. While it gives Peter a momentary experience of the supernatural realm, it does not portray the final abode of the righteous or the damned. Rather, it focuses on God’s inclusive redemptive work. Nonetheless, it remains an example of Peter receiving a heavenly directive, underscoring how visions and revelations can come from above.

III. References to Judgment and Hell in 2 Peter (But No Personal Vision)

Peter’s second epistle includes stern warnings about divine judgment, referencing the punishment of fallen angels and evildoers:

“For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment… then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.”

(2 Peter 2:4, 9)

Though 2 Peter 2 vividly describes the reality of judgment and the condemnation associated with it, there is no statement that Peter experienced an actual vision of hell. These passages function more as doctrinal teaching rather than personal revelations of the afterlife.

IV. The New Heavens and New Earth in 2 Peter 3

Near the close of his second epistle, Peter describes the future destruction of the present cosmos and the emergence of “a new heaven and a new earth,” saying:

“But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

(2 Peter 3:13)

Again, this is a prophetic promise rather than a recorded vision of Peter actually seeing the heavenly realm. Yet it provides insight into Peter’s understanding of the ultimate renewal brought about by God. It looks ahead to the eternal state reserved for the righteous, serving as an eschatological hope rather than a firsthand report.

V. The Apocryphal “Apocalypse of Peter”

Outside of the canonical Scriptures, there is a second-century document known as the “Apocalypse of Peter.” This apocryphal work purports to describe Peter experiencing graphic visions of both heaven and hell. It depicts detailed scenarios of the righteous in their glory and the unrighteous in their torments. Early church writers such as Eusebius mention it, but the Apocalypse of Peter did not gain acceptance into the canonical New Testament.

From a historical standpoint, partial fragments of this text have been discovered (including a Greek fragment in 1886–87), but due to content, style, and other factors, it is generally not considered authoritative. While it shows that some early Christian communities pondered Peter’s potential visions of the afterlife, these apocryphal accounts differ markedly from the canonical witness, which does not record any direct personal vision of heaven or hell by the apostle.

VI. Summary of Canonical Evidence

• Peter witnesses the Transfiguration of Jesus, offering a preview of divine glory.

• Peter receives a vision from heaven in Acts 10, which addresses the inclusion of Gentiles in the gospel.

• Peter’s letters describe judgment and the condemnation of evildoers, but do not set forth a firsthand account of hell.

• Peter prophesies the passing away of the present world and the coming of a new heaven and new earth in 2 Peter 3, yet does not recount a direct vision of that future state.

• Apocryphal writings (like the “Apocalypse of Peter”) present stories of Peter’s visions of the afterlife, but they are not part of the authoritative biblical canon.

Thus, within the Bible’s recognized corpus, there is no narrative of Peter receiving an explicit, personal vision of hell, nor a comprehensive glimpse of the heavenly realm in the manner John experiences in the book of Revelation. Instead, Scripture presents Peter bearing witness to certain supernatural revelations—chiefly the Transfiguration and the Acts 10 vision—and teaching on the reality of both divine judgment and ultimate salvation.