Job asked, “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14). Many people wonder about this: Is there life after death?
- Many say “no” – They believe that our existence here is all that there is.
- The Bible says “yes” – There is life after death, but what happens after death?
In this article, we will consider some various theories that people have about the afterlife and compare these theories with what the Bible teaches.
Different Theories
Nothing after death – This is the view held by those who do not believe in God or in spiritual things. Yet in denying God, they are rejecting clear evidence for His existence. Paul made this point in writing to the Romans: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Those who say there is nothing after death ignore the fact that God has “set eternity in their heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), which means there is an innate sense in each of us that there is more to our existence than what we see around us. God has placed this within us that we “would seek [Him]…and find Him” (Acts 17:27).
The wicked are annihilated – This is the view held by Jehovah’s Witnesses and others. They believe that hell (a place of eternal torment) does not exist. They claim the Scriptures teach this and cite the wise man saying that “the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Yet they ignore the fact that the context of that passage is a discussion of life “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:6), in addition to ignoring other passages that plainly teach the reality of hell (Matthew 25:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:14; et al.).
Some will go to “Purgatory” – This is the Catholic view that those who die will, after death, go to this place to receive the final purification for sins. Yet purification of sins is available now through Christ (Hebrews 1:3). In order to be His people, we need to be purified of our sins in this life (Titus 2:14), not wait until after death.
All will go to Heaven – This view is popular because it comforts the grieving and the sinner. Yet it is not true. Jesus said that some will “go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).
The faithful will go to Heaven immediately – In this view, there is no place of Hades as Jesus described in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:23). Those who hold to this view believe that the righteous dead are already with the Lord. Yet Paul indicated that when Christ returns, it is then that “the dead in Christ will rise” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), indicating the fact that they are not already with Him. They will meet Him in the air just as those “who are alive and remain will be caught up…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Martyrs will go to Heaven immediately – This is a variation of the previous theory. Instead of all of the faithful going to heaven immediately, this theory has only the martyrs going to heaven immediately. The description of the martyrs under the altar in the book of Revelation is cited on this point (Revelation 6:9-11). Yet we need to remember that the book of Revelation is highly symbolic. The individuals described at the breaking of the fifth seal did not have to actually be in heaven itself for the Lord to hear their request (cf. 1 Peter 3:12; Proverbs 15:3).
What Does the Bible Say?
Our spirits will be separated from our bodies – “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). This separation of the spirit from the body is death.
Our spirits will return to God – “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). “Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?” (Ecclesiastes 3:21). The fact that our spirits will return to God does not mean that the righteous will go straight to heaven. After all, this is about what happens to all men, not just the righteous. When the wise man described our spirits returning to God, he was simply talking about the fact that we have no control over our fate after death. There is no more free will or choice that we can make that will affect our existence in the afterlife.
Our spirits will go to Hades – “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:22-23). Hades is the realm of departed spirits. Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus was not a parable, but was a description of what happens to the righteous and wicked immediately after death. Even if one were to argue that it was only hypothetical, Jesus was still describing an actual place. This place has two sections – paradise and torments (Luke 16:24-26). Once one is in Hades, he will remain there until the time of judgment (John 5:27-29).
The Lord will return in judgment – “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Hebrews 9:27-28). Paul wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). When He judges mankind, He will divide everyone into two groups – the righteous and the wicked (Matthew 25:31-46).
We will then go to our eternal home – “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). As Jesus indicated in this statement, there are only two options:
- Heaven – In this place we will be in the presence of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17), will enjoy rest (Hebrews 4:9-11), and will be comforted (Revelation 21:4).
- Hell – This is a place of eternal punishment away from God’s presence (2 Thessalonians 1:9) that “has been prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). It is described in Scripture as “the second death” (Revelation 20:14).
Conclusion
The word of God tells us what awaits us after death. We must be prepared. Death is certain: “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). However, the timing of it is uncertain: “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Therefore, we must be ready at all times.
If you are not ready for what happens after death, now is the time to get ready.
