Posted on 08/10/2015 6:26:09 PM PDT by imardmd1
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?
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. Revelations 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 (Revelations 21:1). Unbelievers will ultimately be sent to the lake of fire (Revelations 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 (John 3:36).
Great question; and how about people who existed before Christ's earthly birth?
I know some persoly that will not be there, they were atheists.
I will be honest. I have no answer for that. : )
Life is eternal. We release our bodies as we move into what’s next.
Finally men are vindicated, we dont always think about sex.
I like that, thanks.
I will hope and pray that I go gently into that night. It’s probably NOT going to happen that way, but what you described is an optimal outcome. :)
*SMIRK* :)
Feel that way too at times. But then I am reminded that He tells us to “fear not, for I am with you...” And then I like to focus on the parade of loved ones who hopefully will be there to greet me!
God wont let anyone slip away that is His.
God bless us.
The cycle of life, we start dying as soon as we are born. Like all living things we all have an expiration date. Whether its a rehearsal for another life or not, we are all going to die. There are many “beliefs” pertaining to some kind of a spiritual world after life ends. Its always been a question, what next? I wish I had an answer, but no one from the next life has ever contacted me. We only have the text of one book where after Millions of years or even 10,000 has only one person ever returning to discuss the trip. What is heaven like, a bunch of people playing harps on the clouds would drive me nuts. Maybe we all become walking spirits, or better yet a power force with a memory being release into the universe to seek the ones who entered earlier. To be able to thought speak to those who came before us.(good or bad) To me that would be the after life, no heaven or hell, just a total spirit world with a lot discussion on how things coulda, woulda, shoulda have been over the years of human existence. I might have a problem, because I don’t think there is a common language, and my ancestors were from different countries with different languages. A rebirth may be possible too, like coming back as a rabbit on a golf course. ??? Whatever fate awaits us, don’t expect a call or a postcard.
Every religion believes that they have the one and only route to eternal happiness...Christians certainly do, but so do muslims, Hindus, Buddhists,Mormans, and all others
one at a time ... just like us
That has always bothered me.
John 3:36 requires “obedience!”
Not a problem: Revelation 21:1-7!
Fortunately, it's quite rare.
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