Life Immediately After Death
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 the finality of their eternal destination.
The Afterlife in the Old Testament: In the Old Testament, the concept of the afterlife is not as clearly developed as in the New Testament. Nevertheless, certain passages hint at the existence of an afterlife and provide clues about what may occur after death.
- Sheol: The Hebrew term “Sheol” is frequently used in the Old Testament to refer to the realm of the dead. It is depicted as a place where both the righteous and the wicked go upon death, yet they experience different conditions.
a. The Righteous: The righteous in Sheol are described as being in a state of peace and rest. They are often referred to as being “gathered to their people” (Genesis 25:8) or “asleep with their fathers” (1 Kings 2:10), suggesting a sense of continuity and communion with their ancestors.
b. The Wicked: The wicked in Sheol, on the other hand, are depicted as facing a more distressing state. Though not explicitly elaborated upon, certain passages suggest a notion of separation from God and a sense of punishment for their unrighteousness.
- Wisdom Literature: The books of wisdom literature, such as Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes, offer additional perspectives on the afterlife. They contemplate the brevity of life and express a longing for justice and rewards that extend beyond earthly existence. While these passages do not provide detailed information about the afterlife, they imply a hope in God’s ultimate justice and the possibility of a future reckoning.
The Afterlife in the New Testament: In the New Testament, the teachings of Jesus and the apostles provide more explicit insights into the afterlife, differentiating between the destinies of believers and unbelievers.
Heaven: For believers, the New Testament consistently presents the promise of eternal life in the presence of God. 1. Jesus spoke of preparing a place for His followers in His Father’s house (John 14:2), and 2. Paul described being absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). 3. The book of Revelation portrays a vision of the redeemed worshiping before the throne of God in heavenly glory (Revelation 7:9-17).
Hell: In contrast, the New Testament also speaks of the reality of hell, a place of eternal separation from God for the unbelieving and unrepentant. Jesus warned about the consequences of rejecting Him, emphasizing the existence of a place of punishment and suffering (Matthew 25:46). Revelation describes the final judgment, where those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).
So, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death?
The Bible indicates that for those who die entrusting their lives to Jesus Christ, immediate presence with God in a heavenly paradise awaits. 1. Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). The 2. apostle Paul said, “to be absent from the body” for a Christian is “to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). This implies a seamless transition from earthly life into the joys of heaven.
Images of restful peace, comfort, freedom from pain, and worshiping around God’s throne give glimpses of this intermediate state before bodily resurrection (Revelation 7:15-17). While awaiting Christ’s return, those in paradise experience a taste of their coming inheritance as children of God. After facing trials on earth, believers enter into eternal reward (Luke 16:25; 1 Peter 1:3-5).
So, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to Christ’s presence, because their sins were forgiven when they received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36).
For believers, death means being “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?
Taken literally, it would appear that, while the souls/spirits of believers go to be with Christ immediately at death, the physical body remains “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the soul/spirit. (Cremation)
This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the state of existence for believers for eternity in the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21—22).
Second, for those who are not received by Jesus Christ as Savior, death means everlasting punishment.
However, similar to the destiny of believers, it seems that unbelievers also go 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 cast into the lake of fire.
Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of fire) immediately after death, but they are rather sent to a temporary realm of judgment and anguish. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire” (Luke 16:24).
So, after death, a person resides in either a place of comfort or in a place of torment.
These realms act as a temporary “heaven” and a temporary “hell” until the resurrection. At that point, the soul is reunited with the body, but no one’s eternal destiny will change.
People go to one or the other, based entirely on the decision of Jesus Christ as the final Judge (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).
The Example of Stephen
Upon his death, the martyr Stephen called upon Jesus to receive his spirit.
And he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’. . . And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’ (Acts 7:55,56, 59).
The usual picture of Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God the Father. But when Stephen was about to die, Jesus stood to welcome him into God’s presence. This is another indication that the believing dead go immediately to be with Christ.
The intermediate state is not the place of final reward for the believer. Final rewards will occur after the resurrection – which is still future. Though Christians who die go to be with the Lord, this is not when they receive their final reward, or their resurrection body.
Conscious
Believers are in a state of awareness after death. Jesus told the religious leaders in His day that God was the God of the living. He reminded them what God had said to Moses.
I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matthew 22:32).
With Others
When the beggar Lazarus died, the Scripture says.
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man died and he was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side (Luke 16:22,23).
The rich man in Hades saw both Lazarus and Abraham. Each were in a better place.
Live Together
Paul told the church at Thessalonica that believers will always be with the Lord.
Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him (1 Thessalonians 5:10).
Activity
Though the intermediate state is a place of waiting, it is also a place of activity.
For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship Him day and night within His temple, and the One who is seated on the throne will shelter them (Revelation 7:15).
Emphasis On Final State
Though we have some information from the Bible on the intermediate state, it is not something that is emphasized. The hope of the believer is the coming of Christ. It is at that time the dead are raised in a glorified body, judged, and receive their rewards. The intermediate state is only a short interval between this life and the fulness of God’s promises. Hence the lack of emphasis. (Time Construct)
Limited Amount Revealed
The Bible only reveals a limited amount of information about what goes on in the presence of the Lord. Paul wrote of his experience.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know – God knows. And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that people are not permitted to tell (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).
Paul was not allowed to tell what he had experienced. If we knew exactly how wonderful it was, we probably would not be content to remain for one more hour on the earth. Being with the Lord will truly be an incredible experience!
Summary
After examining what the Bible says about the “intermediate,” or “in between” state of the believer, we can conclude the following.
1. Upon death, the soul or spirit of the believer goes immediately to be with God.
2. The Bible also says the believer goes to be with Christ in the presence of the Lord.
3. Believers are alive and conscious in this state.
4. Though it is not their final reward, it is a place of rest, waiting, activity, and holiness.
5. Paul, who was caught up in the presence of the Lord, says that he heard inexpressible things that a person is not allowed to communicate.
6. Although believers have a natural curiosity about the intermediate state, Scripture focuses on the time when Christ returns. At that time, He will raise and judge the dead, and then set up His everlasting kingdom.