Pastor Steve Paulus

10.2 What happens when we die?

One of the great questions all peoples everywhere ponder is “What happens when we die?” or, “Is there life after death?” Our concern is to examine what the scriptures have to say about this issue. Both the Old and New Testaments have quite a lot to say about what happens when we cross the threshold of death. This is a big mystery for most people, but one we need to explore in order to get a grasp of Christ’s teaching on the afterlife as well as the Bible’s message as a whole.

The New Testament has more to say about this matter than the Old Testament. This is because it was Jesus "who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”(II Tim. 1:10). Nevertheless there are references to the afterlife in both Old and New Testaments. The New Testament references clarify the insights offered by the Old. The study of what happens between death and the resurrection is known in eschatology as the study of the intermediate state.

The intermediate state is “(t)he period between death … and the final judgment and consummation. If Christian thought held to no final state of affairs for all creation, then perhaps one’s final situation could be conceived as being settled at death, as in Greek philosophy. However, Christian creeds have always affirmed the resurrection of the body, the judgment of the living and the dead, and life everlasting. To affirm that each individual’s destiny is caught up in the triumph of God in Christ has created the distinct possibility of reflection upon the individual’s situation between death and that future event”(S.M. Smith, “Intermediate State” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p. 562).

The Old Testament does not speak in great detail about the intermediate state. As we have said Jesus addresses this with greater clarity. The Old Testament speaks of the grave (qeber) and Sheol (see below), but does not go into great detail specifically about what happens to the dead in the afterlife. Several views have become prominent: 1) the Old Testament teaches a kind of two-tiered afterlife for the righteous and the wicked in Sheol; or, 2) Sheol is a dark and gloomy place for all the dead; or, 3) Sheol is a synonym for qeber, the grave. (Based on Harris, Archer and Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Vol. II, pp.892-3). We will examine this concept further in the scripture study portion of the lesson (listed above).

The Old Testament does clearly declare the blessed state of the believer after death, but there is an indication that this state is reserved for the time of the resurrection. “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave (Sheol), nor will you let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand”(Ps. 16:9-11).

The New Testament addresses the issue if the intermediate state as well. The first is the pre-resurrection view. There are several references to the nature of the afterlife before the resurrection of Christ in the New Testament. The first is in a parable or story Jesus tells about the rich man and Lazarus. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell (hades) where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham replied ‘…now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us’” (Luke 16:19-26).

Finally, Jesus tells the thief on the cross, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”(Luke 23:43). This either indicates that there is a paradise in the pre-resurrection scheme or that Jesus is referring to the coming resurrection event of his resurrection. Admittedly, these verses are difficult. In some ways they pose more questions than they answer.

A study of Bible doctrine relating to the afterlife will necessarily cover certain areas including heaven, hell, resurrection and judgment.

Heaven and hell (gehenna): “Although some, like Plato, imagine heaven to be a disembodied state where naked minds contemplate the eternal, unchanging ideas, in the Bible this is not so. According to Paul the whole person survives. Even the body is raised again, so that, if it is no longer flesh and blood (I Cor. 15:50), it nevertheless has a continuity with the present body, a sameness in form if not in material element” (J.K. Grider. “Heaven” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p. 500).

“On the other hand, final punishment is pictured as outer darkness (Matt. 8:12, 22:13, 25:30). This suggests that both fire and darkness are metaphors used to represent the indescribable. ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers’(Mt. 7:23); ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you’(Matt. 25:12. Exclusion from the presence of God and the enjoyment of his blessings – this is the essence of hell.”

The resurrection: The doctrine of the resurrection is clearly stated throughout the Old and New Testaments. We will study the details of the teaching when we look at the verses listed above. There are two types of resurrection in the Bible – temporal and eternal.

Two examples of temporal resurrection in the Old Testament are found in the ministry of Elijah and Elishah. Each of the raised a child from the dead. Elijah raised the widow’s son from the dead (I Kings 17:17-24) and Elishah also raised a child from the dead (II Kings 5:32-37. These are called temporal because both of these boys would later die, they did not receive eternal life at this time. The same is true with Lazarus in the New Testament. The Old Testament doctrine of the resurrection is explored in more detail in the Bible study portion of the lesson.

There are several examples of temporal resurrection in the New Testament in the ministries of Jesus, Peter and Paul. Jesus raised the widow of Nain’s son, Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus (Matt. 8, Mark 5, John 11), Peter raised Tabitha (Acts 9), and Paul raise Eutychus from the dead after he had fallen asleep in a lengthy church service (Acts 20). The doctrine of eternal resurrection is expressed in the resurrection accounts of Jesus and discussed in detail in Paul’s epistles.

The final judgment: The judgments are addressed in the study portion of the lesson. There are temporal judgments and eternal judgments. Temporal judgment is expressed by Paul in Galatians, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life”(Gal. 6:7-8).

“The kingdom of God is like a great drama. It moves forward to a climax. All the apparently loose ends of the development are slowly combined and gathered together. The unity of the whole is seen only I the final outcome. Without the climax the drama is meaningless. It is mere motion without progress. The book of revelation, as obscure as it is in some ways, is nevertheless an expression of the dramatic principle in the moral kingdom. And it is an expression which cannot be misunderstood. Evil takes many forms. Subdued in one form, it returns in another. The beast, the false prophet, the evil woman, the wicked city, appear from stage to stage. The end is victory, the overthrow of evil, the judgment and separation of the good and bad, the descent of the New Jerusalem, the habitation of God with men” (Edwin Yoder, “New Life in Future Extension” in Erickson, Vol. 3, p. 482).

Discussion Questions

What do you think of the concept of purgatory? Does it have any biblical precedent?

What is your view of the millenium and final judgment? The tribulation?

Does one’s view of the millenium or the tribulation affect how they live or practice their faith?

What is the basis of our judgment in the last judgment?

How does the concept of a day of judgement comfort believers in their adversity, or glorify God’s justice?

Readings for Chapter Ten

S.M. Smith on “Intermediate State”

Grudem on the Millennium

Yoder, “What is Eschatology?”

Glossary

Antichrist: A person or principle referred to in I John and described though not named explicitly in the books of Daniel, Revelation and II Thessalonians. In the latter books he is referred to as a blasphemer, powerful world ruler, usurper of God’s honor, and Man of Sin. The term in Greek may mean either against Christ or in place of Christ. His coming and activity are associated with spiritual power and deception signs and doctrines.

Day of the Lord: A concept found in both Old and New Testaments which anticipates a day of cataclysmic proportions when God will come in manifest presence to judge his people, and the tribes of the earth. He will also reward the righteous faithful and rescue believers from wrath and oppression.

Heaven (ouranos, epouranios; Hebrew, shamayim): Of the physical heavens, but also the abode of spiritual beings sometimes referred to as principalities and powers. It is also used of God’s abode and of the abode of the holy angels. (J.K. Grider. “Heaven” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, pp.499-500). “What pertains to or is in heaven…where Christ sits at the right hand of God….of those whose sphere of activity is above or in contrast to the earth” (Vine, Vol. II, p. 209). Shamayim “falls into two broad categories, 1) the physical heavens, and 2) the heavens as the abode of God. Under the first category, heaven includes all that is above the earth, and any given passage may include all or merely a part of the whole. Heaven and earth together constitute the universe…The physical heavens tell of the glory of God (Ps. 19:1), declare His righteousness (Ps. 50:6), and praise him (Ps. 65:34). As grand as they are, they merely point to the Creator and are not to be worshiped (Ex. 20:4; Jer. 44: 17-25). Though the heavens are his throne, they will one day vanish like smoke (Is. 51:6) and be rolled up like a scroll (Isa. 34:4). Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth, unmarred by the effects of sin (Is. 65;17;66;22). The joy and glory of completed redemption will be reflected in all creation” (TWOT, Vol. II, p.935-936).

Hell (Hades): “Generally speaking the word ‘hell’ is used in Scripture to refer to a place of future punishment for the wicked dead. However, there are other meanings also. There are times when the word is used to refer to the grave, or to the place of the dead.” In addition to the other two Greek words it was believed to be “below Hades, where divine punishment was endured comparable to that in Hades” (R. P. Lightner. “Hell” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p. 506).

Hell (Geenna): (II Kings 16:3; 21:6; Jer. 7:32; 19:6, Mark 9:43,48, Matt. 10:28; Matt. 13:42,50, 25:41): “Gehenna, from the Greek geenna, is the eternal abode of the wicked. Whereas Hades is the intermediate state, Gehenna is eternal hell. Wherever it is used in the NT, it always means the place of eternal damnation. The scriptural teaching of hell goes beyond these three words, however. Frequently, especially in the gospels, hell is seen as ‘unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:12 cf. 5:22; 18:9) ‘damnation’ (Matt. 23:33), “furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:42,50), ‘blackness and darkness’ (Jude 13), a ‘lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (rev. 21:8) a place ‘prepared for the devil and his angels’ (Matt. 25:41)”( R. P. Lightner. “Hell” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p. 506).

Intermediate State: This refers to the place and state of disembodied spirits of all mankind after death. The souls of the just are either in God’s presence in heaven or in the place of the wicked dead (hades). The Bible indicate that there were differences in the circumstances of the dead prior to and after the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

Last Judgment: Also known as the great white throne judgement of Revelation 20, it is the final judgment in which all souls and spirits who ever lived are assigned their final state and destination.

Millenium: This refers to a thousand year reign of the believers mentioned only in Revelation 20, though many scholars deduce references from other passages of Scripture. Historically, theologians have developed several views of the timing and nature of the millenium. These include a-millenial, pre-millenial, post-millenial, and present millenial (akin to the a-millenial position).

Paradise (paradeisos): “Is an oriental word first used by the historian Xenophon, denoting the parks of Persian kings and nobles. It is of Persian origin … to the Oriental mind it expressed the sum total of blessedness.” (W.E. Vine. Expository Words of the New Testament, p. 158). The thief on the cross is promised transport into paradise (Luke 23:43). Paul spoke of one who was caught up into paradise (II Cor. 12:4). And the tree of life is found in the paradise of God in the Revelation of John (Rev. 2:7). Its original meaning in Hebrew as received from the Persian is “a park or enclosed garden” (Harris, Archer and Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, p. 1809). Through the Septuagint (Greek) translation of the Old Testament the word paradise came to refer to the garden of Eden.

Parousia: The Greek word used to denote the second coming of Christ. In ancient usage it indicated the coming of a dignitary to a city or region who was met by along the way by a delegation from the city who accompanied the dignitary back to the city.

Purgatory: The ancient and medieval Catholic belief that there was a third intermediate state for believers who were atoning for or being purged of their earthly sins through punishment. This process of purging prepared them for heaven. IN catholic theology they could be helped by the prayers of the faithful on earth. The sale of such indulgences helped provoke the conflict leading to the Reformation.

Rapture: From a Latin word meaning “to snatch away.” It comes from the Latin Vulgate translation of I Thessalonians 5: 17 and refers to the teaching that believers who remein until the second coming of Christ will be taken into the air to meet with Christ.

Sheol: “The grave, hell, pit. The KJV uses ‘grave’ thirty-one times, ‘pit’ three times. The ASV and RSV translate as ‘Sheol’ ... the word obviously refers in some way to the place of the dead “(Harris, Archer and Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Vol. II, p.892). In the Old Testament “the intermediate state and the destiny of the wicked get less emphasis. Resurrection for the righteous is clearly and repeatedly expressed. One problem with Sheol is that both good men and bad men go there” (TWOT, p. 892). It’s primary meaning, according to Harris, is “the grave.” “Darkness, gloom, forgetfulness, and distance from God are also implied in the word (Ps. 6:5; Isa. 38:18)”(R. P. Lightner. “Hell” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p. 506).

Tribulation: A seven-year period at the end of the age prophesied in the books of Daniel and Revelation, and by Jesus. Some prophetic passages imply that the period is divided in half indicating significant events after the first half of the period. Various eschatological schemes place the taking up of the church (rapture) before, during or after the tribulation period.

Bibliography

Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979.

F.F. Bruce, “Eschatology” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter Elwell, ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1984. pp. 362-4.

James Buswell. “What is Eschatology,” in Readings in Christian Theology, Vol. III, Millard J. Erickson, ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House. pp. 419-427.

Millard J. Erickson. Contemporary Options in Eschatology.Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977. pp. 17-51.

Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 1994, pp.810-827,1091-1165.

Harris, Archer and Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Vol. II, p.892

E.F. Harrison. “Soul Sleep,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A.

Elwell, ed., p.1037.

___________. “Spirits in Prison,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, ed., p.1042.

George Eldon Ladd. A Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1974, pp.193-210.

Kenneth Scott Latourette. A History of Christianity, Vol. I, Beginnings to 1500. New York: Harper and Row, 1953,1975. pp.128-129.

____________________.A History of Christianity, Vol II, Reformation to the Present. New York: Harper and Row, 1953,1975. pp.783-784

Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults. Mineapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1965. p. 3

Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Handbook of Today’s Religions: Understanding the Cults. San Bernardino: Here’s Life Publishers, 1983. p. 75.

William G.T. Shedd. “Intermediate State,” in Readings in Christian Theology, Vol. 3, Millard J. Erickson, ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979, 443-461.

S.M. Smith. “Intermediate State,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, ed., p.562-564.

Robert H. Stein. The Method and Message of Jesus’ Teachings. Philadelphia: The

Westminster Press, 1978.

W.E. Vine. Expository Dictionary of New testament Words. Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H Revell, 1940.

Pastor P. Steve Paulus D.min. ~ pastor@stauntongrace.org