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Death, and then what?
What Really Happens When You Die?

…And What About After That?

 

Exploring the experience, no one can avoid — Death.

 

Death is truly the singular experience that no one can buy, cheat, or steal their way out of. Even though every one of us will be at that doorstep one day, most of us try not to think about it.

Is it really that bad? It will be for some, and not for others. But fear of the unknown is sometimes worse than the event itself. At this point, we all have the ability to influence the outcome after that event.

The Scriptures reveal a surprising amount of information about death. Forget the Hollywood version. Read on, and find out what really happens when you die, and what happens after that. Then be sure to make the right decisions, before that time comes.

Since the information revolution, and in today’s internet driven world, we have come to expect definitive answers to most of our questions, quickly and easily. If you apply that expectation to many Scriptural questions however, you’re likely to be in for a disappointment.

Why? Well for one thing, there’s only one true source, the Bible. And although many translations have been made over time, the content really hasn’t changed in the last 2,000 years. So there’s no new developments, no discoveries, no interviews with the key players, revealing the latest scintillating announcement. Just the information God wants us to know. And the Bible certainly doesn’t present that information in an “easy to find the answer to your question”, format.

The information on any topic, is scattered throughout the whole book, and thus researching any topic is very difficult. You can’t just look up “Death”, and find everything God has to say about it. For one thing, there are many other words involved in the topic of Death. Plus, God doesn’t tell us everything we want to know, on any given subject. He tells us what He wants us to know. So on some topics we know a lot, and on other topics the information is sketchy, often leading to speculation, conjecture, and interpretation. Finally, God delivers the information in different ways. Sometimes using parables, sometimes prophecy, sometimes using metaphors, and sometimes just straight out. All of this, makes getting an accurate and complete answer to many questions, very difficult.

You can read commentary about Death on the internet, from a wide variety of websites. But don’t be surprised to find many conflicting statements, and many statements that are totally inconsistent with the Scriptures. There is so much information presented as fact, when it is pure speculation, with nothing to back it up. It’s no wonder so many people are turned off to God, with all that conflicting and misinformation. One could easily draw the conclusion, that it’s all baloney, and walk away from God entirely. Because of that, we made a significant effort throughout this work, to substantiate each statement with a Scripture reference to validate it.

The subject of this work, is a serious one. Chances are, there’s not a single person reading this, that hasn’t pondered the answers to questions about death, at some point during their lifetime. Some of us have concluded that death is the end. There is no “then what?”. But most of us believe, or at least want to believe, that there’s something more. So much so, that theories of an afterlife have been followed for thousands of years. From the ancient Egyptians with their Underworld, to the Happy Hunting Grounds of the Native Americans, and then of course there is reincarnation.

O.K. let’s get started, and find out what God has to say about it.

Death is a subject that strikes fear in the hearts of many. While others consider it, just the natural progression of life on Earth. The camp in which you find yourself, depends a great deal on your faith, or lack of faith, in God. Either way, the key question is, ” What happens when you die?”.

Ask any 5 people on the street, and you’re likely to get 5 different answers. Ask any 5 Jews or Christians, and you’re still likely to get 5 slightly different answers. Answers to what happens when you die, tend to go something like this:

• Nothing. When you’re dead, you’re dead.
• You’ll come back to earth as the creature of your choice.
• Everyone goes to Heaven. There is no Hell.
• If you’ve been good, you’ll go to Heaven. If you’ve been bad you go to Hell.
• If you believe in Jesus Christ, you go to Heaven. If not you’ll go to Hell.

Then there’s the question of when do you go, and what happens when you get there. Most believers simply think, “when you die, you go where you belong”. I suspect you’ve heard some of the “Near Death Experience” stories. The white light that you’re drawn to. The fabulous visions. The conversations with loved ones. Only to end, when you’re brought back to earth, as the doctor revives you on the operating table. Were those experiences real? Or were they dreams or hallucinations of some sort.

Then there’s the Hollywood version of death, where you die and an angel brings you up to the gates of Heaven, with St. Peter standing there reading his book. After studying it for a moment, he either lets you in if you’ve been good, or sends you below, if not.

And what about after you get there? Will you sit around in Heaven, eating peeled grapes and listening to harp music all day? Or will you be tormented in Hell, in a blazing fire for all eternity?

Suppose I told you that according to the Scriptures, and therefore God, nothing mentioned thus far is accurate.

Whether you believe in God, or in the accuracy of the Scriptures, is another matter. But I would venture a guess that 99% of those who say they don’t believe, have never read the bible from cover to cover. How can you possibly believe in something that you’ve never read? That you don’t really know. You can’t, it’s impossible. And listening to what someone else has said about it, or reading an occasional Scripture, doesn’t get it. The bible is God’s invitation to you, to get to know Him. If you choose to ignore that, how do you suspect God, the creator of the Universe, will regard you. Just one of 7 billion people on the planet, that He created? Would you expect the God of the Universe, to knock on your door, and plead with you, for your attention? You’re probably on this planet for 70-80 years. Can you really justify not having the time to read one book in all that time?

Sorry, but we’re very emotional about this subject, here at Know-God.com. We would love nothing more than for every human being on the planet, to Know God.

Let’s get back to the subject at hand; Death. There really is no other true source of information about Death, other than what God reveals in the Scriptures. So if none of the above concepts about Death are accurate, what does God say about it? What really happens when you die?

Well, believe it or not, according to what God tells us in the Scriptures, the answer appears to be “Nothing”.

That’s right, “Nothing”. The old expression “Rest in Peace”, isn’t just a saying. It actually has its origins in Scripture.

Isaiah 57: 2 Listen to what God said through the prophet Isaiah.

² Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.

So what about the popular notion of dying and going right to Heaven?

Dealing with the death of a loved one, is arguably the most painful, traumatic experience, in all of life. Knowing that you will never see, touch, hear, or be with your loved one ever again, until you die, and then only maybe, is almost unbearable. Making it worse, there really is nothing anyone can do to help ease that pain.

So it isn’t surprising under those circumstances, that even a clergy member would bend the message outlined in the scriptures, out of compassion. Thinking about Grandpa being in Heaven, reunited with Grandma and with all his old friends, can make the loss, almost bearable.

According to the Scriptures though, it doesn’t work that way.

John 3: 13   (The question we want to address first is not where you go, but what happens when we die. First of all, listen to what Jesus told the Pharisee Nicodemus.)

¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

That’s pretty blunt. So if no one has ever gone into Heaven, that would include Noah, Isaac, Jacob, David, Daniel, and many other great men of faith who loved God and were loved by God. Let’s look at what the Scriptures say about them.

 

Genesis 9: 28   (In Genesis, God tells us that Noah died. Nowhere else after that, do the Scriptures mention Noah, other than in past tense. There is no indication of Noah being in Heaven, or anywhere else, other than resting in peace.)

²⁸ After the flood Noah lived 350 years. ²⁹ Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.

 

Genesis 35: 28-29   (As with Noah, God tells us that Isaac died and was buried. But again, nowhere else after that, do the Scriptures mention Isaac, except in past tense.)

²⁸ Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. ²⁹ Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

 

Genesis 49: 29 & 33 (Here God tells us that Isaac’s son Jacob died and was buried. And again, nowhere else after that, do the Scriptures mention Jacob, except in past tense.)

²⁹ Then Jacob gave them these instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite… ³³ When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

 

1 Kings 2: 10  (But what about David? Surely if anyone deserved to be in Heaven, King David would be high on the list.)

¹⁰ Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. ¹¹ He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

 

Acts 2: 29 & 34  (Yet listen to what the Apostle Peter said about David, after Jesus had ascended to Heaven.)

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day… ³⁴ For David did not ascend to heaven.

 

Acts 13: 36  (The Apostle Paul, in a separate conversation, added these remarks about David.)

³⁶ “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.

 

Daniel 12: 13   (Another great man of faith was Daniel. Yes the same Daniel that God thought highly enough of, to miraculously rescue him from the lion’s den. That said, even Daniel did not go to Heaven when he died.)

¹³ “As for you (Daniel), go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”

Perhaps this Scripture is the most telling. God explains that Daniel will rest, until the “End of Days”. This “End of Days” expression is a phrase which we will hear more about later.

 

Thessalonians 4: 13-14 (Here the Apostle Paul, confirms that even believers who hope to receive salvation, are at rest, sleeping, not in Heaven.)

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

 

John 6: 53-54 (And Finally, Jesus explains that the Resurrection will not occur before the Last Day.)

⁵³ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Here Jesus Himself confirms that even those who will be granted Salvation, will not be Resurrected from Death, until the last day, which is the same as the “End of Days”.

 

But what is this “Last Day” or the “End of Days”? And why does Daniel and everyone else need to rest or sleep until then?

Because something of crucial importance will happen at the “End of Days”. Something that until it occurs, no one can go anywhere, because this is the critical event that will determine where everyone will go.

Judgment!

There are some that will say, “maybe there is some intermediate place to go, between Death and the Judgment”.   But neither Jesus, nor any of His Apostles, spoke of such a place. Nor did they give any indication that there is any conscious moment between Death and the Resurrection. Just the opposite, in fact. They repeatedly spoke of sleeping in Death, until the Resurrection, which will not occur until the Last Day.

Besides, if there were some form of life between Death and the Resurrection, we wouldn’t need to be Resurrected from the Dead. We would already be alive.

 

God’s judgment or judgment day, is something most of us have heard about since we were children. But what does God really say about it?

Daniel 7: 9-10 (Daniel himself, prophesied about this judgment. God gave Daniel this vision of the beginning of the Judgment.)

⁹ “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. ¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.

 

Matthew 12: 36-37 (In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus confirms that there will be a Judgment day, and that everyone will be judged. There is no provision for Christians or anyone else to pass go, collect $200, and go directly to Heaven, after Death.)

³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

 

Matthew 16: 27   (Here Jesus speaks of His “Second Coming”, and reveals that the Judgment will occur after He returns.)

²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

 

2 Corinthians 5: 10 (In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul reaffirms the purpose of the Judgment.)

¹⁰ we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

 

John 12: 47-48   (In the Gospel of John, Jesus explains that He came to offer Salvation to all who accept it. But those who reject His offer, will be condemned at the Judgment day.)

⁴⁷ “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸ There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.

 

Jude 1: 14-15 (The Apostle Jude describes another prophecy, in which God warns us that there will be a Judgment day.)

¹⁴ Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones ¹⁵ to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” [From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c.)]

The Scriptures make it clear that there will be a Judgment, and that it will occur after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and not before. The Scriptures also make it clear that everyone will be judged, and that the purpose of the Judgment is to determine what the future will hold for each person.

 

Matthew 25: 31-34 (Here Jesus confirms His Second Coming, and the Judgment that will follow.)

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

Some have suggested that Christians will be exempt from the Judgment. If that were the case, then who are the sheep?

 

Clearly no one could enter Heaven until this Judgment, which will determine who may and who may not enter. Nowhere in the Scriptures does it indicate that anyone will be judged individually, judged right after death, or judged anytime before Judgment day. There will only be one Judgment, where all will be judged together.

This being the case, how could anyone go to Heaven when they die?

 

So let’s look at the course of events that will occur, with regard to the dead who are at rest. The first thing that will happen is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. When that will occur, no one knows.

 

Matthew 24: 36 & 42-44 (In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is speaking to His Apostles, with whom He confided many things. However the time of His Second Coming, has yet to be determined.)

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

 

2 Peter 3: 8-9 (The Apostle Peter explains that God’s time is on a scale of eternity. God literally, has all the time in the world.)

⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

 

Daniel 7: 13-14 (Once again the prophet Daniel receives the word of God, showing him what will occur in the future. Long before Jesus was born, God revealed to Daniel details of His Second Coming.)

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Unfortunately, it was Scriptures like this, that confused the Israelites (Jews). They mistakenly assumed that this Scripture was describing the way the Messiah would come to Earth the first time. And so they didn’t recognize who Jesus was.

 

Luke 21: 25-28 (In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus reveals more about His Second Coming.)

²⁵ “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. ²⁶ People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. ²⁷ At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

 

Matthew 24: 30-31   (The Apostle Matthew records this description by Jesus of His Second Coming.)

³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

 

Acts 1: 9-11 (As Jesus was taken up into Heaven, after His Crucifixion and Resurrection, His disciples that witnessed the event, received confirmation that there would be a Second Coming.)

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. ¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

 

A great deal more, is written in the Scriptures about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Much of it describes events that will need to occur before it happens. For many years, people have been trying to interpret these events, in order to predict when Jesus will return. Many predictions have been made, all have been wrong. Yet many clergymen continue to predict that the time is imminent.

But why? Jesus himself said “no one knows… only the Father”. Our suspicion is, that even the Father doesn’t know. And what Jesus meant was, that the Father will decide, not that He already had a time picked out. I suspect that God is carefully watching the world, and as the military would say, allowing the events on the ground to determine the right course of action.

Jesus also said that He would return soon. But by anyone’s measure, it would be difficult to define 2,000 years, as soon. Throughout the Scriptures, God has changed His approach to things, when circumstances called for it. Remember, God gave Man a Free Will. So as Mankind exercises this freedom, God responds as He sees fit.   When God feels the time is right, He will act.

 

When Jesus does return to Earth, a whole series of events will begin to unfold. One of which will be the resurrection of the dead.

 

Luke 20: 37-38 (Here God confirms to us that although our Earthly bodies may be dead when we die, our spirit and soul are at rest, but still alive, waiting for the Resurrection.)

They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. ³⁷ But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ ³⁸ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to God all are alive.”

 

1 Corinthians 15: 35-38 & 42-44 & 50 Here the Apostle Paul explains that when we die, and our dead body decays, it is like a seed. At the Resurrection, that seed will bear fruit and we will have a new body, different from the old.

³⁵ But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” ³⁶ How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷ When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.

⁴² So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

 

Acts 24: 15 (The Apostle Paul confirms that both the righteous and the wicked will take part in the Resurrection, and then be subject to the Judgment.)

¹⁵ and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

 

1 Thessalonians 4: 15-17 (Here the Apostle Paul reveals more details about the Second Coming and the Resurrection.)

¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

 

John 11: 25-26 (Here Jesus confirms the Resurrection, after death. Then explains that after the Resurrection, Eternal Life is available for those who accept Him.)

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

 

John 5: 28-29   (In John’s Gospel, Jesus explains more about the Resurrection and the Judgment.)

²⁸ “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear God’s voice ²⁹ and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

 

Notice here that Jesus tells us that we will be Resurrected from the grave. Not from Heaven. Not from some other place that we go when we die, between Death and the Resurrection. Thus giving yet another confirmation that when we die, we “Rest in Peace” or “Sleep”, until the Resurrection.

In Acts 25: 15 above, God tells us that all of us will take part in the Resurrection. The righteous and the wicked.

 

One thing we’ve all learned over the years, is that there are exception to almost everything, and Resting in Peace is no exception. So let’s take a look at what appears to be the exceptions to certain people Resting in Peace.

 

The Thief

 

Luke 23: 42 (Let’s start with the moment in Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus is recorded as saying to the thief who was crucified next to Him:)

“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”.

If we interpret “paradise” to mean Heaven, and read it the way the sentence is punctuated, that would certainly be an exception to Resting in Peace. The thief would go directly to Heaven after he died.

 

John 3: 13   (But remember what Jesus said to the Pharisee Nicodemus.)

¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

 

Since no man has entered Heaven after death, does it make any sense that Jesus would make an exception for a thief that He didn’t even know? And grant this thief entry into Heaven, ahead of His own Apostles, the Prophets, the Patriarchs, and all those that had given their lives for the Kingdom of God? What did this thief do? He merely said to Jesus “remember me when you come into your kingdom”. Does that warrant giving this thief preferential treatment over all mankind?

Furthermore, if the thief entered Heaven that day, it would mean that Jesus excused him from Judgment Day, when everyone else has to give account for their deeds. What justification could be used for that privilege? The Scriptures repeatedly say that God is just and treats everyone equally.

And finally, the words “today you will be with me in paradise” presupposes that Jesus will be in paradise (Heaven) that day. But the Scriptures don’t substantiate that. Jesus didn’t go back to Heaven when He died. Like everyone else, He rested until His Resurrection. And even then, He remained on Earth for 40 days after His Resurrection, before ascending to Heaven.

 

Matthew 12: 39-40 (Jesus himself, explained that He would be in the grave for 3 days.)

³⁹ He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

 

John 20: 17 (Immediately after His Resurrection, Jesus said this to Mary Magdalene, indicating that He had not been in Heaven.)

¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

 

Acts 1: 1-3 (After Luke wrote his Gospel, he spent his time with the Apostles, and wrote the book of Acts, which documents the activities of the believers, after Jesus returned to Heaven.)

¹ In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ² until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³ After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

 

Since Jesus remained on Earth for 43 days after His death, until He ascended to Heaven, it’s pretty clear that Jesus and the thief weren’t relaxing over cocktails in paradise, hours after Jesus’ death. So there must be some other explanation for His statement to the thief. Let’s explore some of the possibilities.

Of the 4 Gospels, Luke’s is the only one that records this statement. Many will consider it heresy, but is it possible Luke or the translators, got a word or two wrong?

Next. Jesus said some surprising things while on the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, for instance. Yes, Jesus was God, but He was in a human body, experiencing all of the pain and emotions that humans experience. None of us can even imagine the torture, pain, and stress that Jesus endured, both before and during the crucifixion. According to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus made the statement to the thief, right before Jesus died. Is it possible that Jesus was in such agony, near death, that His human brain wasn’t thinking clearly, or that He didn’t express Himself clearly? I suppose that thought would be considered heresy, by many as well.

Let’s then consider this possibility. When Luke and the others, wrote the Scriptures, they didn’t use punctuation. There were no commas or question marks, in their writings. So aside from the translation, Luke actually wrote this, “I tell you the truth today you will be with me in paradise”.

Watch what happens if you interpret this Scripture by moving the comma here “I tell you the truth today, you will be with me in paradise”. By placing the comma after the word today, instead of before it, the Scripture takes on a whole new meaning.

It becomes “I tell you the truth today“, someday you will be with me in paradise.

Instead of “I tell you the truth“, today you will be with me in paradise.

By simply moving the comma, back one word, the meaning changes, and all of the problems we’ve been discussing, disappear. Jesus is no longer in Heaven 43 days too soon. The thief Rests in Peace, no longer beats everyone else to Heaven, and doesn’t miss the Judgment.

But is it reasonable to move the comma, so that the phrase reads, “I tell you the truth today,”? Since that expression was commonly used at that time, I suspect the answer is yes. Listen to how the Apostle Paul expressed himself in Acts 20: 26

²⁶ Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.

Therefore, what Jesus likely meant to convey to the thief, was that He was granting the thief Salvation, due to the thief’s expression of faith in God. And so the thief would see paradise, with all the other saints, after the Resurrection and the Judgment.

 

The Transfiguration

 

A very unusual event occurred during Jesus ministry. It was witnessed by the Apostles Peter, James, and John, and was recorded in 3 of the 4 Gospels. The most elaborate description of the event, was recorded by Luke.

 

Luke 9: 28-32 (The Transfiguration.)

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. ²⁹ As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. ³¹ They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. ³² Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

 

By the sound of this description, it doesn’t appear that Moses or Elijah were Resting in Peace. It appears that they were very much alive, and with glorified bodies. The same type of glorified bodies that God promises to us, after the resurrection.

 

Philippians 3: 20-21 (This is what the Apostle Paul said about the Resurrection and our bodies.)

²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹  who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

 

So once again we’re faced with the question, why are Moses and Elijah not Resting in Peace, with everyone else. These were two very special men of faith. Did God treat them differently than everyone else? The answer appears to be, yes!

Let’s look first at Moses. It would take whole book in itself, to describe the relationship between God and Moses, and all the things that Moses did to serve God. Clearly Moses was special to God. So much so, that God did something for Moses, that He never did for another human being.

 

Deuteronomy 34: 4-7   (Moses Death.)

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” ⁵ And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. ⁶ He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. ⁷ Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.

If you read this Scripture carefully, you will see that it says that “He” that is, God buried Moses. A completely unique event. But what does that really mean? It’s not likely that God took a shovel and dug a hole. Remember God did all of the great wonders and miracles through Moses. The parting of the Red Sea, etc. So it wouldn’t be a stretch to construe that God miraculously took Moses somewhere to be with Him. Plus it’s very odd that as the leader of hundreds of thousands of Israelites, “no one knows where his grave is” .

 

Jude 1: 9   (Now, listen to this extraordinary event, revealed by the Apostle Jude, concerning the death of Moses.)

⁹ But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

 

These are 3 unique events, concerning the death of Moses. Buried by God. An unknown grave, for someone this famous. And a dispute over his body, between an Archangel and the Devil. If that isn’t extraordinary, what is? Clearly God treated Moses in a very special way.

It always seemed harsh for God to bar Moses from entering the promised land, for what appeared to be a minor infraction. But in view of these revelations, there is no doubt that Moses is very special to God.  So if Moses is not resting like the rest of us, but is alive in a glorified body, so be it.

 

There are definite similarities between Moses and Elijah, with regard to their “end of life” experience. Both men didn’t have a normal burial. In fact, Elijah wasn’t buried at all. Elijah belonged to a very exclusive club. He was one of only two people, that didn’t even die (Enoch was the other).

 

2 Kings 2: 1 & 5 & 11-12 (The Scriptures tell us that when it was time for Elijah to die, God took him from the Earth, alive. )

¹ When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

⁵ The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹² Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more.

 

So clearly, Elijah is not Resting in Peace either, since he was never buried.

This would explain why both Elijah and Moses were able to be with Jesus at the Transfiguration.

Why God chose to handle these few people differently from the rest of us, God only knows.

 

One other point. The question arises as to Elijah being taken up to Heaven, even though Jesus said that no one had ever gone into heaven except Himself. When Jesus said no one, I believe He meant no one who died. Because Jesus was the first man to die, be buried, be resurrected, and ascend to Heaven with eternal life. Part of the reason Jesus did all this, was to be a model for the rest of us, to prove to us that life after death is possible, and available to us.

 

Colossians 1: 18 (In his letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul wrote this about Jesus.)

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead

 

Whole books have been written about Salvation, including our articles, “Understanding Salvation” and “Finding Salvation”. Much can be said about the how’s and the why’s. But without getting too deep into the subject, it must be at least touched upon here, since it is an integral part of the story of Death.

After Death, Scripture tells us that there will be a Resurrection and a Judgment. Part of that Judgment will be “so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad “.

The other part of the Judgment concerns Salvation. The dictionary describes Salvation like this: “the state of being saved from destruction.” The Scriptures describe Salvation this way: “Eternal Life” and “A new Life after our death on earth.”

Although the part of the Judgment that evaluates our deeds is important, the part that establishes whether or not we will receive Salvation, is critical. Our whole eternal future depends on it. It will determine whether we will have an Eternal Life with God, or not.

Briefly then, what do the Scriptures say about how to acquire Salvation.

 

John 3: 16-18   (Jesus, speaking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee (a religious leader and teacher), explains how to achieve Salvation.)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 6: 38-40   (Jesus, speaking to the Jews, re-affirms the path to Salvation)

³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

 

Jesus said many other important things about Salvation and Eternal Life. Things that everyone needs to know in order to insure their Salvation. One can’t overemphasize enough, the importance of reading and learning all that Jesus said about how to receive Salvation and Eternal Life.

 

There are more than 800,000 words in the Bible. It may be a surprise to know, that the word Hell, is only used 13 times in all of Scripture, and the word Hades is used only 8 times. So needless to say, we don’t know a lot about either place. The word Heaven on the other hand, is used much more frequently, but there still is not a lot said about it, aside from the fact that God’s throne is there, along with Angels and other Heavenly Hosts.

So let’s see what we do know, from the Scriptures.

 

There is much speculation as to what, where, and the function of Hades. Research it on the internet, and you will find a dozen or more different descriptions and explanations about it, most of which declare their version as fact. The problem is, you will get the usual, “this means that and that means this, and therefore…”.

One would expect that if Hades were important for us to know a lot about, that God would have said a good deal more about it in the Scriptures.

One thing seem clear, Death and Hades are repeatedly linked together in the Scriptures. So there is some connection between them, but what exactly that connection is, cannot be firmly established?

 

Matthew 11: 20-24 (This is the very first use of the word Hades, in all of Scripture.)

²⁰ Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades [That is, the realm of the dead]. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴ But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Jesus actually lived in Capernaum for a while, so He knew the hearts of the people there, well. In condemning the town of Capernaum, Jesus said, “will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades [That is, the realm of the dead] “. Is Hades an actual place? Or did “down to the realm of the dead”, simply mean the grave? In the same breath, Jesus did say that Capernaum would suffer on Judgment Day, as would the other two towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida. However Hades was not mentioned with regard to those two towns.

 

Matthew 16: 18   (Here Jesus speaks of Hades as if it were in opposition to His Church. If Jesus’ Church represents Salvation, which in turn represents Eternal Life, and Hades represents Death, then that would account for this statement.)

¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

 

Revelation 6: 8   (Clearly this Scripture involves symbolism. So the meaning is subject to interpretation. However, once again Death and Hades are linked together.)

⁸I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.

Some would interpret “Hades following Death, close behind” to mean that after Death, people go to Hades, to wait for the Resurrection. But if their Soul/Spirit is already alive in Hades, what need would there be for a Resurrection? The whole meaning of the word Resurrection, is to raise the Dead, or bring the Dead back to Life. Plus Hades is described later in Luke 16, as a place of torment. The sinful man there says, “I am in agony in this fire”. If Hades is an interim stop, between Death and the Resurrection, how could the man be punished for his sins, since Judgment Day has not yet occurred? And again, what need would there be for Judgment Day, if the man is punished before he is convicted.

 

Revelation 20: 13 (This Scripture is a prophecy which describes the Resurrection and the Judgment. Notice it says, “Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them“, linking Death and Hades. But indicating that they are two entities, separate from each other. Note the plural “them”.)

¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.

 

Revelation 1: 18   (Here Jesus speaking from Heaven, once again links Death and Hades. Then He confirms that He holds the keys to both, which is His Salvation. Again, notice the plural “keys”, implying a key for Death, and a key for Hades. Two separate entities.)

¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

 

The fact is, that Death and Hades are consistently linked together.  That being the case, it would not be unreasonable to construe that Hades is simply the grave.

Luke 16: 19-31 (This story is presented here in its entirety. It follows The Parable of the Shrewd Manager, and it appears to be a parable itself. Although some have interpreted it as an actual event, many aspects of the story are consistent with the way Jesus told parables. In His parables, Jesus seldom names the participants, but refers to them as “a rich man” or “a beggar”. Here, He does name the beggar, but never names the rich man. Plus the story is told in the past tense, as with parables.)

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰ At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ 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.’

²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

 

The story goes on to say that the beggar died and was taken to Abraham’s side (or bosom in some translations). This is the only mention in all of Scripture, of “Abraham’s Side”. Since Abraham was one of God’s Patriarchs, one would expect that if Abraham is not Resting in Peace, he would be in a very nice place. The story doesn’t explain why the beggar was rewarded, and sent with Abraham. There was no mention of the beggar being a good person, or having received Salvation. Just that he had a difficult life.

The story then says that the rich man(presumably a sinner for not feeding the beggar), died and went to Hades. Then the story says that the rich man, the beggar, and Abraham, could all see and talk with one another. That would imply that Abraham and the beggar were also in Hades, in order for them to see and talk with the rich man. Or that Abraham and the beggar were in some Heavenly place, but it had an open view of the sights and sounds of this dreadful place called Hades. That doesn’t sound very likely.

Next, the story speaks of sending someone who died and passed through to Hades, back to life on Earth, and sending him to speak to the living, for the benefit of another mortal. Abraham doesn’t say that it, is not/should not/could not be done. But only that it isn’t necessary. The story seems filled with things that are inconsistent with Scripture.

The message of the story seems to be that the time to do good deeds is during one’s life on Earth. And once this life ends, you have already sealed your fate. It’s too late to make up for what you didn’t do.

The interesting thing is that Jesus locates this story which appears to be a parable, in Hades. But the location has an eerie similarity to Hell, with the rich man is in torment, and in agony in the fire, and all before the Judgment. The story really sounds symbolic, rather than an actual place and event.

 

As discussed previously, Hell is mentioned only 13 times in all of Scripture, all of which are in the New Testament. Mostly mentioned by Jesus, His message was clear. You don’t want to go there.

 

Matthew 5: 29 (Here Jesus explains that going to Hell would be so bad, that even mutilating your body, here on Earth, would be better, if it would keep you out of Hell.)

²⁹ If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

 

Luke 12: 4-5 (Jesus understands the natural fear of Death. Yet in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus warns us of a fate far worse, Hell. He explains that following Satan’s path will result in the ultimate disaster.)

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

 

Mark 9: 43   In this similar warning, Jesus reveals the eternal fire of Hell.

⁴³ If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

 

2 Peter 2: 4   (In this remarkable Scripture, the Apostle Peter reveals that the Angels are subject to Hell.)

⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment

 

John 14: 3 (After explaining that He would be leaving them to return to Heaven, Jesus revealed to His Apostles, that He would someday return to Earth, for them. These words give further credence to the premise that people do not go to Heaven or anywhere else, when they die. Jesus said “I will come back and take you to be with me”. Meaning come back to Earth, which will not occur until His Second Coming.)

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

 

Matthew 5: 34   (So what and where is Heaven? We don’t know. Here is what we do know, God is there.)

³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool

 

Matthew 18: 10 (The Angels also reside in Heaven.)

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

 

Luke 2: 13 (Luke speaks of Heavenly Host, who no doubt also reside in Heaven.)

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God

 

Luke 15: 7 (While on Earth, Jesus said practically nothing about Heaven. What it looks like, what goes on there, where it is. One of the few statements Jesus made about activities in Heaven, is as follows.)

⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

 

Hebrews 8: 5 (The Apostle Paul gives us this insight into part of Heaven.)

⁵ They (priests on earth) serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

 

Matthew 8: 11 (Jesus spoke profusely about the Kingdom of Heaven. He interchangeably called it the Kingdom of God.)

¹¹ I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

 

This is an important point. The Kingdom of Heaven is not Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is not in Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is not a place. That is why Jesus called it, the Kingdom of Heaven, and not the Kingdom in Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is everywhere, and consists of all beings who are devoted to, love, and do their best to obey, God.

Although Heaven is mentioned frequently throughout the Scriptures, there doesn’t appear to be any reference to mortals entering or being in Heaven.

 

Up to this point, we’ve talked a lot about what happens when you die. We’ve discussed the Second Coming, and the Judgment. But at some point after that, most Christians expect to wind up in Heaven.

One might say, “No. Don’t tell me. You’re not going to dispute that”

Well….. Let’s see what the Scriptures say.

 

Matthew 5: 11-12   (When we discussed Salvation, we found that Jesus promised Eternal Life to those who believe. But where will we spend Eternal Life? Here Jesus says that we will have a reward in Heaven, but not specifically that we will be in Heaven.)

¹¹  “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

Matthew 6: 20   (Again the implication is there, but Jesus doesn’t specifically say that we will be in Heaven.)

²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

 

John 14: 1-3 (Even while comforting His Apostles, Jesus didn’t specifically say Heaven.)

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

 

Matthew 5: 18 (By implication, Jesus is suggesting here, that someday Heaven may disappear.)

¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

 

Matthew 24: 35  (Here Jesus tell us flat out, that Heaven will one day be gone.)

³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

 

2 Peter 3: 6-7 (The Apostle Peter reveals that after the Judgment, Heaven will actually be destroyed.)

⁶ By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. ⁷ By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly

 

So if both Heaven and Earth will be destroyed after the Judgment, how and where will we spend our Eternal Life? Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, God gave the prophet Isaiah, the answer to this question.

 

Isaiah 65: 8 & 11-12 & 17-19 (God spoke these words to the prophet Isaiah.)

⁸ This is what the Lord says:

“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it, there is still a blessing in it. So will I do in behalf of my servants;

¹¹ “But as for you who forsake the Lord and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, ¹² I will destine you for the sword, and all of you will fall in the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.”

¹⁷ “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. ¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. ¹⁹ I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

 

2 Peter 3: 10 & 12-13   (Praise be to God. The Lord always keeps His promise. The Apostle Peter reiterates what God spoke to Isaiah.)

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.   ¹² That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

 

The End of Days will occur at the moment when Jesus Christ returns to earth, at the Second Coming. At that moment, time and everything else as we know it, stops. The End of Days is the point at which everyone’s opportunity to influence their eternal destiny ends.

So the Scriptures teach us that the course of events will be as follows:

• The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
• The Resurrection of the Dead
• The Judgment
• The Age to Come

 

Matthew 25: 31-33 (Jesus gave us this window into the Judgment.)

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

 

Matthew 25: 41 & 46   (At that point, people will have two very different destinies.)

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels… ⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

 

The Age to Come

So what exactly is this Age to Come? It appears to begin after the Judgment. At that time, the wicked will be punished, and God will create a new Heaven and Earth where those who have been granted Salvation will spend Eternity with God.

 

Luke 20; 34-36   (When asked about marriage in the Age to Come, Jesus gave us additional revelations about the future.)

³⁴ Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. ³⁵ But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, ³⁶ and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels.

Why no marriage? One would assume because there will be no more reproduction. No more sex, no more babies. No more new people. Otherwise, things would start all over again.

 

Matthew 12: 32 (Once again, Jesus refers to the Age to Come.)

³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

 

Luke 18: 29-30 (Here Jesus confirms that in the Age to Come, is when and where we will spend our Eternal Life.)

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God ³⁰ will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

 

God revealed many amazing things to mankind through His prophets. But perhaps the greatest prophecy of all, was given by Jesus to the Apostle John, after Jesus ascended back into Heaven. Jesus gave John a vision of the End of the Age, and of the Age to Come, with incredible detail. Enough detail to fill an entire book. The final book of Scripture. The book called Revelation.

Before we discuss this amazing book, more than 600 years earlier, the prophet Daniel was given this first look at those events.

 

Daniel 12: 1-4 (Almost 600 years before Jesus was born, God gave the prophet Daniel, this amazing window into the future. God showed Daniel some of what will happen at the End of the Age.)

¹ “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ²  Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. ⁴ But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

 

Long after Jesus was crucified, died, resurrected, and ascended to Heaven. Long after the Apostles preached the Gospel message throughout the land. And after churches were established in 7 different cities. Jesus made the decision to appear to the Apostle John, revealing to him and therefore to us, an enormous amount of new information about the end times.

One would think that Jesus could have told all of this to His Apostles, while He was still with them, here on Earth. But He didn’t . So why did He wait until then? We can only speculate. Perhaps He wasn’t satisfied with the development of His church, and felt that new revelations would inspire greater faith. Whatever His reason, the things Jesus revealed are quite amazing.

 

Revelation 1: 17-19 (The Apostle John, describes his initial encounter, when Jesus appeared to him.)

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. ¹⁹ “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

 

Then Jesus gave John a series of messages to give to the Churches. As a part of these messages, Jesus made a number of promises to people who are “Victorious”. By Victorious, Jesus meant people that are granted Salvation. Salvation is the Victory. While on Earth, Jesus limited His description of the benefits of Salvation, to Eternal Life. After returning to Heaven however, Jesus elaborated further in His message to John.

 

Revelation 2: 17 (This curious promise has been interpreted in many ways, none of which is definitive. So it’s still a mystery, as to its real meaning.)

¹⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

 

Revelation 2: 26 (This promise indicates that in the Age to Come, the faithful will be given positions of authority. But notice the requirement, “does my will to the end”.)

²⁶ To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations

 

Revelation 3: 21   (One really needs to mediate on this promise for a while, in order to really comprehend the magnitude of what Jesus is offering here.)

²¹ To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.

 

Revelation 2: 11 In this promise, Jesus speaks of “the Second Death” for the first time. Promising the faithful, that they will not be involved. As we know about the Judgment, there are those that will be saved, and those that will be condemned. The Second Death is what awaits those that are condemned.

¹¹ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

 

Revelation 3: 12 (In this promise, Jesus assures the faithful of their Eternal position with Him. Jesus then reveals for the first time, the name “New Jerusalem”, which we will learn more about, shortly.)

¹² The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.

 

Revelation 3: 5 (Here Jesus speaks of the “Book of Life”, which has only been mention twice before in Scripture. Once by David in Psalm 69:28, and once by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:3. Both Paul and David apparently had revelation knowledge of this book, which as we will soon learn, is a book containing the names of those who have been granted Salvation by Jesus.)

⁵ The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

Although Daniel didn’t mention the Book of Life by its full name, God gave the prophet Daniel knowledge of the book as well. In Daniel 12:1 (shown above) the prophet writes ” But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered”.

 

Revelation 2: 7 In this final promise, Jesus speaks for the first time about the Tree of Life.

⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

 

Other than using the Tree of Life as a euphemism in Proverbs, this is the first mention of the actual Tree of Life since the Garden of Eden in Genesis. And even there, it’s only mentioned 3 times. Since in all of the rest of Scripture, neither God the Father nor Jesus, mentions the Tree of Life again, most of us have either forgotten about it, or maybe presumed that the Tree of Life was just symbolic, rather than a real thing. Is it really a tree, as we know trees? Maybe, but probably not. But as Jesus goes on to talk more about it later in Revelation, it becomes quite apparent that the Tree of Life is not only real, but is the source of Eternal Life.

 

 

Genesis 3: 22 (Remember in Genesis, after Adam sinned by disobeying God and betraying God’s trust. God said: )

“He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever”.

Why? Because God could no longer allow sinful, untrustworthy Man to live forever, and give that evil access to eternity. So that is why we die. God didn’t create Man to die. God didn’t want Man to die.

 

Genesis 2: 16-17 (God warned Man about Death.)

“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Notice that Adam didn’t die after he sinned by eating from the tree of knowledge, he lived many more years. So when God told Adam he would die, God wasn’t speaking of instant death. God meant Adam would no longer live forever.

 

Genesis 5: 5   (Adam did not die when he sinned. he lost his opportunity for eternal life.)

⁵ Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.

 

Romans 5: 12   (The Apostle Paul confirms that God didn’t intend for Man to die. Man dies because of sin.)

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.

 

Now through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God is giving each of us, one last opportunity ” to eat from the tree of life “, and live forever. But we must choose to receive that Salvation, by loving and obeying God.

 

The book of Revelation goes on to describe in detail, the events that will take place at the End of the Age and in the Age to Come. Jesus gave the Apostle John this amazing vision.

 

 

Revelation 14: 14-16 (This Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the event that will trigger all the other events that will take place at the End of the Age. Jesus spoke about this to His Apostles, while on Earth. He told them He would return, but that the decision as to when, would be made by the Father.)

¹⁴ I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” ¹⁶ So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

 

For the last 2,000 years, people have been trying to calculate the time of the Second Coming. But Jesus warned us that it would be very unexpected.

 

Chapter 19 of Revelation, describes a great battle that takes place between the Kingdom of God, and the evil and wicked on the Earth. The Scriptures indicate that the followers of Satan will be destroyed, and that the righteous will remain to inhabit the Earth.

 

 

Revelation 20: 1-3 (After the battle describes in Chapter 19, God begins to deal with Satan.)

¹ And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. ² He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ³ He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

This Scripture reveals that Satan will be restrained and confined for a period of 1000 years, and that during that time Satan will be prevented from influencing matters here on Earth. But why 1000 years?

 

We are about to learn through Revelation, that there will actually be 2 Resurrections, not one.

Revelation 20: 4-6 (During that 1000 years, the first resurrection will occur, comprised only of those people who had devoted their lives to God, during their life on Earth. These people will reign with Jesus on this Earth, as priests. for that 1000 year period.)

⁴ I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God…. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Since Jesus had rid the Earth of all the evil and wicked people, during the battle described in Chapter 19, and Satan will be locked away and sealed off, preventing him from contaminating the Earth with renewed evil, one would presume that this 1000 years will be a peaceful and holy period of time.

 

Revelation 20: 7-10 (For some reason however, at the end of the 1000 years, God releases Satan, who then starts all over again to spread evil throughout the Earth. Is God doing this to give Satan one last chance to repent?)

⁷ When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. ⁹ They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰ And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

If God is giving Satan a final chance to repent, he doesn’t take it. Satan not only continues to spread his evil throughout the Earth, but he wages another war against the Kingdom of God. Big mistake. This time, God has had enough. God doesn’t even confront Satan. In one fell swoop, God simply destroys all those who followed Satan. Then God sends Satan into something called the “Lake of Fire”, or “Lake of Burning Sulfur” for all eternity. Whatever this lake is, it isn’t good. The Scripture describes Satan as being “tormented day and night for ever and ever”.

 

 

Revelation 20: 11-15 (Imagine the Apostle John, actually watching this happen, in the vision Jesus gave him.)

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

God, Jesus, the prophets, and millions of believers, have been warning Mankind about this moment, for thousands of years. When you hear about it, read about, or even think about it, it sounds terrible. But on the day when it actually occurs, when it becomes real, happening now, there won’t be any words left to describe the horror of it.

The one and only way to escape it, is to take action here on Earth. Learn all you can about the requirements for Salvation. Study the Scriptures. Build a relationship with God. Now!

 

 

Revelation 21: 1-4 (This amazing description of what God has in store for those who love and obey Him, confirms the prophecy revealed to Isaiah.)

¹ Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

God has wanted this relationship with Man since the Garden of Eden. And many people have wanted this relationship with God as well. For more information on this subject, please read the articles “God & Man”, and “Understanding Salvation”.

 

Revelation 21: 5-7 (Here God confirms His promises to those who are Victorious.)

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

 

Revelation 21: 8 (Then God also confirms the future for those who rebelled against Him, and did not repent. Here God also defines the Second Death.)

⁸ But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

 

 

Of all the revelations in this book, this description of the New Jerusalem is perhaps the most extraordinary.

 

Revelation 21: 9-27 (In this extraordinary Scripture God gives us an incredible window into our Eternal Future.)

⁹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. ¹¹ It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. ¹² It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. ¹³ There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. ¹⁷ The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. ¹⁸ The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

²² I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. ²⁵ On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. ²⁶ The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. ²⁷ Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

 

 

Revelation 22: 1-5 (This is it. The prize that Jesus offers to all who are Victorious.)

¹ Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

 

Revelation 22: 14 (Everyone must make their own personal decision, for their future.)

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

 

Different readers will most likely draw different conclusions from certain Scriptural references cited here. One thing is certain, however. The more time spent reading the Scriptures, the greater the level of understanding.

Remember the 5 common perceptions of what happens when you die, that we discussed previously?

• Nothing. When you’re dead, you’re dead.
• You’ll come back to earth as the creature of your choice.
• Everyone goes to Heaven. There is no Hell.
• If you’ve been good, you’ll go to Heaven. If you’ve been bad you go to Hell.
• If you believe in Jesus Christ, you go to Heaven. If not you’ll go to Hell.

 

Let’s compare them with God’s description of what will happen. The first 3 are so far away from any Scriptural confirmation, that they’re really not worth discussing. The 4th is one that many non-Christians like to hold on to. But although we didn’t spend much time on it, in this work, Scriptures are very clear that there is no Salvation without Jesus Christ. Nowhere in the Old Testament did God promise Eternal Life to anyone. Only Jesus made that promise. For more detail on why that is, please read the articles “God & Man”, and “Understanding Salvation”.

That leaves us with number 5, ” If you believe in Jesus Christ, you go to Heaven. If not you’ll go to Hell“. This perception is somewhat accurate in concept, but too simplistic, and missing a lot of important detail. Let’s look at it, one point at a time.

 

Define believing in Jesus Christ. That could mean a belief that Jesus was a real person, that once existed. Or it could mean a belief that Jesus was the Son of God. Or take it a step further and believe that Jesus did the miracles, was raised from the dead, and ascended to Heaven. Finally you could add to these, the belief that Jesus died as a sacrifice for your sins, and God has forgiven you.

Although all of the above is correct, and necessary for Salvation, none of these beliefs alone will attain Salvation and therefore Eternal Life. The last requirement is the hardest.

 

Matthew 10: 37-39 (Jesus gave this requirement to His own Apostles.)

³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Those are pretty strong words. Some have abbreviated them by saying, “You must put Jesus first place in your life”, and “You must make Jesus Lord of your life”. But again, what does that really mean? First of all, it starts by building a relationship with God and Jesus. How? By making a commitment to spend quality time in the Scriptures. Reading God’s word, is the way to get to know God. And as you get to know God, you learn how God wants us to behave. Then comes the really tough part for most of us. Conforming our behavior to what God wants. It won’t happen all at once. But the deal is, you must spend the rest of your life working on it. Jesus pointed that out many times in the Scriptures.

 

Matthew 24: 12 (Here Jesus explains to His Apostles, that you must continue in your walk with God, throughout your life.)

¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

 

Matthew 10: 32-33 (Here Jesus explains that Salvation requires and open declaration of Faith.)

³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

 

Matthew 7: 21   (Jesus explains here that Salvation requires both Faith and Action, on our part.)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

 

Matthew 5: 20   (Jesus explains further that Salvation requires a departure from sinful behavior.)

²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

Matthew 7: 13-14 (Jesus made many other statements about the requirements for Salvation, which is why He also made this statement.)

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

You literally have to fall in love with God. Then it all becomes so much easier. You will find yourself loving what God loves, and rejecting what God rejects, naturally.

Most people can find help in their walk with God, at the right Church. Some find help from radio, television, and internet ministries. But the Scriptures should always be the final word, because there is much information floating around out there, that is misleading, inaccurate, or flat out just wrong. Even from people with good intent. So if it isn’t consistent with the Scriptures, God’s word; it isn’t from God. That’s why it’s so important to spend as much time as possible studying the Scriptures, so that you know God personally and intimately. Then you will truly understand God, and no one can lead you astray.

 

Two things here. When and Where.

We spent a good deal of time earlier, reviewing the Scriptures that pertain to When. And all indications lead us to believe that the answer is, “not right after you die”. The Scriptures repeatedly indicate the following course of events:

1. Death
2. Rest
3. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
4. The First Resurrection
5. The Thousand year period
6. The End of Satan
7. The Second Resurrection
8. The Judgment
9. The Second Death
10. The Age to Come

The When, is not until the Age to Come, and all the other events must take place first, including the Second Coming which has not, and may not occur for some time yet.

The Where is in the New Jerusalem, which will not even be created, until the Age to Come. So the concept of going to the Heaven where God is now, is not Scriptural. That’s why Jesus said this to His own Apostles.

John 14: 1-3 (Jesus didn’t tell them, they would go to Heaven.)

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

So even the Apostles aren’t going anywhere, until as Jesus told them, “I will come back and take you to be with me (the Second Coming) that you also may be where I am (the New Jerusalem)”.

 

There are those who will refuse to give up their belief that when you die, you go to Heaven or some other nice place in between. It’s understandable. Who would want to give up the possibility of being in paradise after such a grueling experience as the dying process.

But think about it.

Since the Judgment has not occurred yet, who would go to Heaven, and who wouldn’t?

Since Jesus said “No one has ever gone into heaven”, will He make an exception for you or I?

Since dozens of Scriptures say we will sleep until the Resurrection, which hasn’t occurred yet, are they all wrong?

Since the Apostle Peter says that even King David, is in the grave, and not in Heaven, who of us will be given preference over David?

Since the “Heaven” that Jesus said we will go to, has not been created yet, how can we go now?

 

OK, so what about some other nice place, while we wait?

If that were the case, that would put all the dead people, since Adam, back together again. What would they do? Who would be in charge? What form of Government? Would there be nations? Both good and bad, the saved and unsaved people would all be together; since the Judgment has not yet taken place, to determine who’s who. That would start everything all over again. Things would happen. The bad people would hurt the good people. What about murder? Would you die again? And then what, come back to this same place? It would be like “Groundhog Day”.

The Scriptures are clear. Our destiny is to be determined at the Judgment, and it will be based on our behavior here on Earth. If there were any further activities between Death on Earth and the Judgment, how would they be accounted for? Or would they simply be ignored? It just doesn’t add up.

 

Revelation 20: 4 (But what about the Soul. Perhaps the Soul is alive/awake/conscious, between death on earth and the resurrection. Not according to Jesus, who gave this vision of the Resurrection to the Apostle John.)

⁴ I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls. of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life. and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.

If john saw the souls of Christians come to life at the resurrection, what other conclusion might one reach, other than that their souls were dormant previously? If their souls were already active/alive/awake, they wouldn’t need to be resurrected. They would already be awake.

Daniel 12: 1-4 (Almost 600 years before Jesus was born, even the prophet Daniel knew that there is no conscious life after death on earth, until the Resurrection.)

¹ “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

When studied carefully, the Scriptures are pretty clear that after Death on Earth, neither the body, spirit, soul, nor anything else, will be active/alive/awake/conscious again, until the Resurrection. Rest in Peace.

This part is a bit more straight forward. But it’s still easy to over simplify things pertaining to God. When Hell is mentioned in the Scriptures it’s usually in reference to the “Lake of Fire”, or the “Lake of Burning Sulfur” as God called it.

 

Matthew 13: 47-50 (Jesus also gave us this parable, where He called it the “Blazing Furnace”.)

⁴⁷ “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

2 Peter 2: 4   (However, here the Apostle Peter seems to expand the parameters of Hell, beyond just the “Lake of Fire”, to include an area that serves as a dungeon, so to speak.)

⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment

 

One last thing, that may bring some solace to those who are not granted Salvation, and those with loved ones who they believe are not saved. The Scripture says:

 

Revelation 20: 10 (Could you even imagine a more horrible fate?)

¹⁰ And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

 

Many other Scriptures confirm that the Lake of Fire will be the final destination for the Unsaved as well as the Devil. Therefore many people have presumed, and have taught others to believe, that the same fate of the Devil, awaits the unsaved. That “They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever“.

Think about that for a moment. Many unsaved people are not terribly evil or wicked. They’re just not qualified to spend Eternity with God. They have no relationship with God, and they haven’t received forgiveness for their sins, offered to them by Jesus Christ. Since God is holy and cannot coexist with sin, they are in effect, not able to be with Him. So to put it bluntly, they are useless to God. That’s why Jesus compared them to weeds, or fish that are not edible, in His parables.

But does it make any sense, that a just and loving God would take such a person and torture them for all Eternity.

I submit to you that He would not. Think about this. What happens when you throw something into the fire? It burns up. It’s destroyed. Why do you throw something into the fire? Unless you’re cold and want heat, it’s because the thing, whatever it is, is of no use to you. So you burn it up to get rid of it. I submit to you, that is the destiny of the unsaved. Not that “They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever“, but that they will be burned up and destroyed by the fire.

 

Psalms 1: 6 (God gave us many Scriptures that conform with this thesis, even from the Old Testament.)

⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

If you read the New Testament in order, the first indication of the validity of this thesis is in some of Jesus’ parables.

 

Matthew 13: 47-50 (In the parable of the net, notice how Jesus compares the bad fish that are thrown away because they are useless, with the wicked being thrown into the furnace to get rid of them.)

⁴⁷ “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

Matthew 13: 30 (In the parable of the weeds, Jesus compares the weeds with the wicked, and the wheat with those who have been granted Salvation. What does He do with the weeds? He burns them up to destroy them, because they’re useless, not to torture them.)

³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

 

John 15: 5-6 (Again, the branches are thrown away, and then into the fire because they’re useless. And again Jesus conflates the Unsaved, with useless branches that are destroyed in the fire.)

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

 

Matthew 7: 13-14 (Notice when Jesus offers the 2 alternatives, He contrasts Life with Destruction. Not Life with Torture. )

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

Matthew 10: 28   (Again, Jesus speaks of the destruction of the soul in Hell.)

²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

Philippians 3: 18-19   (Here the Apostle Paul reiterates the concept of destruction, not Eternal Torture.)

¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction

 

2 Thessalonians 1: 8-9   (Again, Paul contrasts ” everlasting destruction “, in other words permanent, final, no way back destruction, with Eternal Life “in the presence of the Lord”.)

⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might

 

James 4: 12 (James, the brother of Jesus, also contrasts Salvation with Destruction.)

¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.

 

2 Peter 3:7   (The Apostle Peter reaches the same conclusion.)

⁷ By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly

 

Galatians 6: 8 (Here the Apostle Paul clearly contrasts Eternal Life with Destruction.)

⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

 

In this series of Scriptures, the writers explain that sin leads to Death. On Earth, everyone dies, not just the sinful. So the reference is not to Death on Earth, but to the Second Death. The destruction in the fire of Hell, the Lake of Fire.

 

James 5: 20

²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

 

James 1: 14

¹⁴ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

 

John 3: 35-36

³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands ³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

 

Romans 6: 23

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Since the Scriptures repeatedly contrast Eternal Life with Death, then the Lake of Fire must cause Death. Otherwise, in order to “be tormented day and night for ever and ever“, you would need to be alive. And the only way for that, would be to have Eternal Life, which God repeatedly said, is only for the saved, and not for the condemned.

 

Revelation 21: 8 (Remember what Jesus said in Revelation. He refers to the fate of the condemned in the Lake of Fire, as the Second Death. The first Death of course, is our Death on Earth.)

⁸ But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

 

So for those who have not been granted Salvation, their destiny is Death in the Lake of Fire, not Eternal Torture.

But what about Satan? It’s clear that his destiny is Eternal Torture. So how can his destiny be different from the Unsaved, if their destination is the same?

I submit to you this thesis. Satan is an Eternal Being, as are the rest of the Angels. We are not.

 

Luke 20: 35-36 (Here Jesus confirms that Angels have Eternal Life, and therefore can “be tormented day and night for ever and ever“.)

³⁵ But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, ³⁶ and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels.

 

Revelation 2: 7 (Remember this promise that Jesus made to those who are Victorious and have been granted Salvation.)

⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

After the Judgment, those who are “considered worthy of taking part in the age to come” will receive Eternal Life from the Tree, and go on to spend eternity with God. Those who are condemned will not. So when the condemned are sent into the Lake of Fire, they are still mortal, and will die the Second Death and be destroyed.

 

 

Jude 1: 20

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

 

1 John 3: 2

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

 

John 8: 51

Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

 

Revelation 3: 10

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

 

Revelation 3: 19

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

 

Revelation 2: 10

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

 

Revelation 1: 5

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

 

Revelation 22: 16

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

 

Matthew 26: 29-30  

I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

 

Revelation 22: 13

¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

 

Revelation 22: 21

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

 

 

Psalm 84

¹ How lovely is your dwelling place,     Lord Almighty! ² My soul yearns, even faints,     for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out     for the living God. ³ Even the sparrow has found a home,     and the swallow a nest for herself,     where she may have her young— a place near your altar,     Lord Almighty, my King and my God. ⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house;     they are ever praising you.

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,     whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. ⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,     they make it a place of springs;     the autumn rains also cover it with pools. ⁷ They go from strength to strength,     till each appears before God in Zion.

⁸ Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;     listen to me, God of Jacob. ⁹ Look on our shield, O God;     look with favor on your anointed one.

¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts     than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God     than dwell in the tents of the wicked. ¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield;     the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold     from those whose walk is blameless.

¹² Lord Almighty,     blessed is the one who trusts in you.

 

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