Where Do Christians Go When They Die?
Job asks, in Job 14:14, “If a man die, shall he live again?” Job's rhetorical question reflects a question that has been pondered by the vast majority of human beings throughout history. It seems to me that Man, being created in the image of God, has sensed the reality of immortality...feeling that there must be something more after this brief time on this world.
The Old Testament does not provide clear teaching concerning the destination of the dead – whether they be saints or sinners. The term Sheol is sometimes used to express death in general, the earthly grave where the body decays and an abode for the souls of the dead. Old Testament writers such as Job, David and Solomon give hints that there is a division within Sheol that separates the righteous and the unrighteous (Proverbs 15:11, 24; 27:20). The righteous dead have a pleasant abode (Numbers 23:10; Psalm 73:24-25; Proverbs 14:32) while the unrighteous have an abode of gloom and suffering (Psalm 49:15, 19; Proverbs 5:4-5). Not until Jesus' account of Lazarus and the Rich Man, in Luke 16:19-31, is there a clear picture of the destinies of the righteous and unrighteous dead prior to the New Covenant.
The account of Lazarus and the Rich Man reveals that the souls of the physically dead remain alive and are completely conscious of their abodes and their conditions. The account clearly indicates that Sheol or Hades is divided into two 'chambers', one for the righteous and one for the unrighteous. Furthermore, the conditions of the two abodes are very different from each other as the righteous dwell in comfort and peace while the unrighteous dwell in pain and torment. The account indicates that there is a judgment that takes place immediately at the time of physical death which determines who is worthy of a blessed existence for the soul and who is worthy of a destructive punishing existence for the soul. Hebrews 9:27 certainly testifies of this in saying “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
It is clear that the abode of the righteous dead, 'Abraham's Bosom”, is not Heaven; that is, the eternal abode of God. This we know based upon two threads of evidence revealed in the New Testament.
First, Jesus stated, in John 3:13, that during the period leading-up to His incarnation, no person had ascended to Heaven.
Secondly, Paul states, in Hebrews 11:10, 13, 16, 39, that the 'heroes of faith' who had lived and died during the Patriarchal and Mosaic Ages had not taken possession of their promised Heavenly inheritance. They had not ascended to Heaven, wherein is the City of God.
It is critical to note Paul's statement in verse 40. He states that the abode where Christians go to, at physical death, is much “better” than the place where Old Testament saints went. He says that God did not allow those Old saints to take possession of their Heavenly inheritance before the New Testament saints. The souls or spirits of the Old Testament saints had not achieved the state of 'perfection'; that is, they had not completed their reaching their final destination. However, according to Hebrews 12:23, under the New Covenant, we have come “to the spirits of just men made perfect (or complete in Heaven).”
The Scriptures clearly teach that the destination of the souls of the righteous dead in the Old Testament was very different than the destination of the souls of the righteous dead under the New Covenant.
Paul expresses that Christ's Gospel provides greater knowledge on this subject than had been previously revealed – 2 Timothy 1:10, “Our Savior Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
Christ, in Luke 23:43, promised that the repentant thief would be in Paradise with Christ that very day when they physically died. The repentant thief died under the New Covenant, as we know that the Old Covenant was nailed to the cross. The Old Covenant died when Christ died. Christ's shed blood ratified the New Covenant.
That Paradise is not the same as “Abraham's Bosom” is abundantly clear. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:2-3, equated Paradise with the “third heaven”, which has historically been identified as God's eternal abode. According to Revelation 2:7, the Tree of Life is located in Paradise. We know from Revelation 22:2, 14, that the Tree of Life grows in the eternal City of God, New Jerusalem.
Just as Christ promised the repentant thief of his entry into Paradise directly after he physically died, so also does Christ promise, in Revelation 2:7, that those Christians who remain faithful till their physical deaths would enter Paradise and have access to the Tree of Life. No wonder that Revelation 14:13 declares, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.”
Ephesians 3:14-15 speaks of the locations where Christians, God's adopted children, are found - “the whole family in heaven (not Hades) and earth”.
Paul made unambiguous statements that teach that Christians go directly to Heaven and are in the very presence of Christ upon their physical deaths.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
When the Christian is physically alive, they enjoy the spiritual presence of Christ through His Spirit. We know this by faith and not by sight. However, while we live in our physical bodies, we are absent from the full and immediate presence of Christ. Conversely, when our soul is separated from our dead physically bodies (James 2:26), we enter the full and immediate presence of Christ, Whose throne is in Heaven. We shall know this by sight and not by faith.
Philippians 1:21, 23, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain...For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”
Paul repeats his sentiments by declaring that, in his estimation, to physically die would be “gain.” He desired to depart from his body and this wicked world to be with Christ. Being literally “with Christ” was “far better” for himself. Yet, laying aside his selfish desires, he knew that remaining in his body and in this world would be better for the Church as he knew he could benefit the Church through his ministry.
Discerning Paul's mindset, I seriously question if Paul's choice between life and death would have been so difficult if the immediate destination of his soul was some place in Sheol apart from Christ's presence. I think that Paul would have rathered stayed in this life being fruitful than staying idle in a place like Abraham's Bosom. What made physical death so appealing to Paul was his conviction that when he died he would ascend into Heaven to be with Christ.
And if you read the book of Revelation, you find that heaven - heaven as it was in the mid 1st Century - is densely populated (Revelation 7:9-17). Heaven is not empty. The saints are there, and before the throne of the Lamb they shout their hallelujahs in the presence of God.
Since the saint's body does not go with the soul into the heavenly realm, the soul will be “naked” until resurrection day (2 Corinthians 5:1-4) when we shall be clothed with our glorified resurrected body.
Since the souls of dead Christians are with Christ in Heaven, the souls will accompany Christ at His return. 1 Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.” The souls will be clothed with their resurrected glorified bodies before those who are physically alive will receive their glorified bodies. 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “The dead in Christ shall rise first.”
I have studied this subject several times during the last 30 years; basically, whenever a person presents their evidence to derive a conclusion in opposition to my own. Like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), I am always willing to study a person's viewpoint and evidence to see if it conforms to the Scriptures.
I feel confident that when my body wears-out and my soul departs, I will see my blessed Lord and Savior on His throne to the right of the Heavenly Father. "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory" (Psalm 73:24).
