The Afterlife

The Afterlife

 

There are two prevailing views of the afterlife. One is called soul sleep, it teaches that the soul/spirit of a person goes into temporary extinction after the death of the body until the resurrection, the other teaches that the soul/spirit goes immediately to Paradise or Hell. Both views, are considered to be orthodox within Christianity. I believe that the Bible clearly teaches that the soul/spirit of a person survives the death of the body and we will examine what the Bible teaches. 

First, I would like to share two visions that I have had of Paradise. After spending some time in prayer, I fell asleep and I found myself standing in the most beautiful garden I have ever seen. The grass was very lush green and full of all types of flowers, and everything glowed with a white celestial light. There were also many trees, of all varieties and I saw butterflies, as well as heard birds singing. The colors were more vivid than anything that I have ever seen on earth. There was a bright blue sky overhead and I heard angels singing above me, but could not see them. I could hear the gentle, soft, strumming of harps, and the angels were singing, “holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come”. I then woke up from this experience wishing that I could remain in this place forever. I understood in the vision that this was the abode of the departed spirits, awaiting their resurrection. 

The second vision that I have had of Paradise occurred around a year later. Both visions, were given me due to the death of family members. The second vision also occurred while I was asleep. I dreamed that I was standing on a cliff overlooking a beautiful sea that was smooth as glass in appearance. There was a very comforting warm breeze blowing on me from this sea. The sky was glowing with many colors similar to a sunset, but without a sun, because God gives the light upon his celestial kingdom. I saw people dressed in white robes conversing with one another, in what appeared to be an amphitheater next to the sea. I recognized some of the people to be departed family members. Everyone appeared to be in their twenties, as well as perfect in appearance. These night visions confirmed to me what many others have shared with me over the years. I have had six co- workers share with me their near death experiences at varies different jobs that I have worked, also my late mother had many visions of the afterlife. 

I do not believe in eternal torment, because God is not a monster, he will not torture a person for all eternity. I believe that Hell (Sheol, Hades), is the prison where unsaved souls are kept until judgment day. I believe that this prison may have different sections or levels of punishment. I have talked to different people who experienced Hell during a near death experience, and they all described Hell as a very cold, dark pit. Although the apocryphal books are not canon, they show us that the Old Testament Jews very much believed that the soul of a person went to Sheol at death, to either Paradise or prison to await their resurrection. 

  The Bible teaches that after the thousand year reign of Christ on earth, Hell will give up it’s dead for the great white throne judgment. Every man will be judged according to his works, and everyone who’s name is not written in the Lamb’s book of life will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. It says that both Hell, as well as the unsaved will experience this second death. I believe that this destruction of Hell, as well as the unsaved souls is extinction, not eternal torment. The words forever or eternal in the original Greek language of the New Testament, is better translated as a final decree or an irrevocable judgment. In other words, when you read eternal fire or being tormented forever, it is referring to a judge lowering his gavel and decreeing his final judgment, not literally burning forever. The Bible mentions smoke ascending forever and ever in the description of the destruction of Babylon, but we know that Babylon is not still burning, this is indicating a final judgment or eternal decree. In Jude, we read of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, as described as suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, but we know that these cities are not still burning today. Jude 1:7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Once again, eternal fire means an irrevocable decree. The Bible mentions the destruction of the unsaved souls many times within both the old, as well as the new testament, and this will occur at the great white throne judgment.  Ezekiel 18: 4 “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. Matt 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 

 

I would now like to give scriptural evidence against the soul sleep doctrine. The Apostle Paul said that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  2 Cor 5:6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.  7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.  8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.  10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Paul also said that he was hard pressed whether to remain in the flesh, or to depart and be with Christ. Philippians 1:22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.  23 For  I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.  24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. These scriptures prove that Paul believed that the soul of the Christian went immediately to Christ at death. Paul also mentions a man who was caught up into Paradise in the third heaven. 2 Cor 12: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.  3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—  4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ said to the thief on his right hand, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise”. Luke 23: 39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”  42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” The Lord also gave us the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus died, and was carried by the Angels to Abraham’s bosom (Paradise). The rich man also died, and was tormented in a flame in Hell. Abraham and the rich man carried on a conversation and Abraham said to him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” This passage is clearly speaking of conscious souls having dialogue in Sheol. Abraham even mentions that some will not be persuaded even though one rise from the dead. Yet some Christians claim this passage is speaking of after the resurrection, but anyone who reads this literally knows otherwise.   

Luke 16: 19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,  21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.  23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’  25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,  28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’  29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’  30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’  31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”  

When Christ died, he descended into Sheol and preached the gospel to the souls in prison who were disobedient during the time of Noah. These unsaved souls died during the flood of Noah but were given the chance of salvation after death.  1 Peter 3: 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

1 Peter 4: 6 For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

These scriptures prove that the soul/spirit survives the death of the body and goes directly to Paradise or prison to await the resurrection of the body. God Bless!