What happens when a lost person dies?
Step #1 He or she dies
Step #2 He goes into the presence of Jesus for judgment
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
2 Cor. 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Step #3 He receives his punishment.
The Bible speaks about eternal punishment using different terms. Eternal punishment takes place in hell (the lake of fire, or Gehenna), the place of punishment after death for all those who refuse to repent. In the Bible, there words are used in connection with eternal punishment. All three of these words are translated from Hebrew or Greek into the English word "hell." This proves very difficult in defining the exact place the Scripture is talking about. In Summary, there are two places of punishment. The first is called "Sheol", "the grave", "hell", and "Hades." This is the place that a lost person goes immediately after the judgment.
Matt. 7:22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
Let’s look deeper at the names of the places of punishment:
1. Sheol or "the grave" is used in the OT to mean the place of the dead, generally thought to be under the earth.
Job 24:19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Isaiah 38:10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
2. Hades is the Greek word for the underworld, the realm of the dead. It is the word used in the NT for Sheol. It is the intermitten state before the lost are thrown into the lake of fire, Gehenna, or hell. The confusing arises from the practice of translating Hades as hell.
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Rev. 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Rev. 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
3. Gehenna, or hell, was named after the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where children were sacrificed by fire to the pagan gods (See 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3). This is the place of eternal fire prepared for the devil, his angels, and all those who do not believe in God. This is the final and eternal state of the wicked after the resurrection and the Last Judgment. Gehenna is translated as "hell" in the Bible. It refers to the
Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Step #4 The Resurrection
The next event in the lives of the lost is the resurrection. They too will be resurrected. There are a number of passages which indicate a resurrection of the lost.
Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Acts 24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
Step #5 The Great White Throne
They will be resurrected to stand before the Great White Throne of judgment
Rev. 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Where will lost people spend eternity?
Hades in the New Testament (NT) is comparable to Sheol of the Old Testament(OT). The NT distinguishes between Gehenna and Hades. Hades receives the unrighteous for the period between death and resurrection, whereas Gehenna is the place of punishment assigned permanently at the last judgment. The torment of Gehenna is eternal (Mark 9:43, 48).
Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Further, the souls of the ungodly are outside the body in Hades, whereas in Gehenna both body and soul, are reunited at the resurrection.
Are there degrees of punishment in Hell?
We should observe, finally, that Jesus’ teaching suggests theat there are degrees of punishment in hell. He upbraided those cities which had witnessed his miracles but failed to repent: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!. . . For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you" (Matt. 11:21-24).
There is a similar hint in the parable of the faithful and faithless stewards: Luke 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Summary:
1. Death
2. Immediately in the presence of Jesus
3. Sentenced to Hades until resurrection
4. Resurrected
5. Stand before the Great White Throne judgment
6. Cast into the Lake of Fire with Devil and the rest
