Skip to main content

Translate

Relax and Listen >

After death what happens

Within the Christian faith, there is a significant amount of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death, everyone “sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to heaven or hell. Others believe that at the moment of death, people are instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still others claim that when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to a “temporary” heaven or hell, to await the final resurrection, the final judgment, and then the finality of their eternal destination. So, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death what happens

First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins are forgiven by having received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36). For believers, death is to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection? It seems that while the souls/spirits of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and then reunited with the soul/spirit. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the possession of believers for eternity in the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21-22).

Second, for those who do not receive Jesus Christ as Savior, death means everlasting punishment. However, similar to the destiny of believers, unbelievers also seem to be sent immediately to a temporary holding place, to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. Luke 16:22-23 describes a rich man being tormented immediately after death. Revelation 20:11-15 describes all the unbelieving dead being resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and then being cast into the lake of fire. Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of fire) immediately after death, but rather are in a temporary realm of judgment and condemnation. However, even though unbelievers are not instantly sent to the lake of fire, their immediate fate after death is not a pleasant one. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire” (Luke 16:24).

Therefore, after death, a person resides in a “temporary” heaven or hell. After this temporary realm, at the final resurrection, a person’s eternal destiny will not change. The precise “location” of that eternal destiny is what changes. Believers will ultimately be granted entrance into the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1). Unbelievers will ultimately be sent to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). These are the final, eternal destinations of all people—based entirely on whether or not they had trusted Jesus Christ alone for salvation (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

God’s undeserved kindness to you

If we see our past, none of us deserve the salvation, out of his magnificent kindness he has saved us and He has hand picked us. ‘I will surely show you kindness.’ 2 Samuel 9:7 In Bible times, when a new king ascended to the throne, he commonly killed or banished each and every member of the historical king’s family. So, here’s the story. Jonathan, King Saul’s son, and David, whom Saul hated, have been shut friends. So close, they made a covenant to guard one every other with their lives. After Jonathan and Saul died in battle, Jonathan had one last son known as Mephibosheth. So, David had him delivered to the palace, saying, ‘I will sincerely exhibit you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will repair to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will constantly consume at my table.’ Mephibosheth used to be dwelling in Lo Debar, which skill ‘the land of nothing…the region of no bread’ (see two Samuel 9:4-5). That’s significant, due to the fact when y...
Post a Comment
Read more

The difference between Samson and Samuel

Everyone has a choice....to become Samson or Samuel!! ‘Time would fail me to tell of…Samson…and Samuel.’ Hebrews 11:32  Samson and Samuel are mentioned in the same Scripture, but there are big differences between them. You ask, ‘Why should I be interested?’ Because as a Christian, you are like them. Each had a miraculous birth, so they’re a picture of those who’ve been born again and called to serve God. Paul writes, ‘These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition…Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall’ 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 . Difference one: Finances. Samson was greedy and manipulating, whereas Samuel practised integrity. One day Samson bet thirty Philistine princes that they couldn’t solve his riddle, saying, ‘If you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing’ Judges 14:13. Quite a wardrobe, eh? Samson’s emphasis was ‘you shall give me’. He’s an exampl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Best way to study the Bible

knowing how to study the Bible is important because determining the meaning of scripture is the most important task in life for a believer. One of the noblest interests a infant of God can embark upon is to get to recognize and apprehend God better. The first-class way to accomplish this is to show up cautiously at the Bible, which communicates who God is and the structure for mankind. There are a vary of techniques we can learn about the Bible, then again one of the most excellent and effortless techniques to analyzing and grasp God’s Word in best three easy steps: Step 1: Observation—What does the passage say? Step 2: Interpretation—What does the passage mean? Step 3: Application—What am I going to do about what the passage says and means? Let's dive into every step of inspecting the Bible. Step 1 of Bible Study: Observation Observation is the first and most integral step in how to locate out about the Bible. As you study the Bible text, you want to show up cautiously at what is ...
Post a Comment
Read more