English

Noun

sweet hereafter ‎(uncountable)

1. (idiomatic) Heaven; paradise as enjoyed in the afterlife.
   • 1885, Mary Lee Demarest, "The Pathway o' the Sea," in A Library of Religious Poetry by Philip Shaff and Arthur Gilman (eds.), Funk and Wagnalls, New York, page 885:

     Lord, what thou doest noo, an' why,

     We maunna seek to ken;

     But sune the sweet hereafter comes,

     An' thou wilt tell us then.

   • 1903, "Woman Roiled Into Ditch by Train," The Daily Review (Decatur, Illinois), 22 Mar.:

     Miss Lacy Stafford of Taylorville was struck by an Illinois Central train at the Sangamon street crossing at 3 o'clock and in the eyes of the spectators she was wafted directly into the sweet hereafter by lightning express.

   • 2003, Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible, ISBN 0060512822, page 174:

     Owing to his sugarcane habit, his stubby front teeth are all pretty much gone to the sweet hereafter.

Synonyms

• Elysian Fields