Concepts related to death, the soul, heaven and hell are confusing to most of us. Men and women of all faiths struggle to understand their beliefs and the beliefs of their faith, or religion, or teaching. One of the major questions that arise from this struggle to understand is the question of the soul and its location after death. It’s an important question.
Where does the soul go immediately after death? Many members of the Christian faith believe that upon the death of a believer, the deceased’s soul is immediately escorted by an angel to be with Christ in heaven, while the soul of a non-believer is transported immediately to hell, or Hades, to await judgement by Christ following the Second Coming. Other faiths and non-believers do not adhere to this belief.
WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF DEATH?
According to Dr. Steven Waterhouse the Biblical definition of death is “the separation of the soul from the body (James2:26). It is not the end of existence for the soul but rather a change in residence for the soul.” Waterhouse, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, is the author of Not by Bread Alone, An Outlined Guide to Bible Doctrine, published in 2000 by Westcliff Press.
Dr. R.C. Sproul agrees. “The most common view has been that, at death, the soul immediately goes to be with God and there is a continuity of personal existence. There is no interruption of life at the end of this life, but we continue to be alive in our personal souls upon death.” Dr. Sproul was a Reformed theologian and ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church of America.
Other faiths offer different views on the definition of death, and the destiny of the human soul upon death, but this article will focus only on the Christian viewpoint. We recommend you search for serious scholarship in your respective faith or field of interest for answers.
So, if the Bible teaches that the soul does not die with the body, then what happens to the soul for believers in Jesus Christ and non-believers?
Although the Christian faith is broad and wide and is comprised of centuries of scholarship, proponents of the Bible do not fully agree upon every aspect of what it teaches. This challenge results in disagreements on the meaning of various concepts including death and heaven. In addition, the timing of a human’s death in the past, present and future, determine the destiny of the soul and the body.
In an effort not to bog down the reader with all beliefs, this article will focus on two periods of time. They include:
- the time period before Jesus’ resurrection.
- the time period since Jesus’ resurrection over 2000 years ago, and His return in the future, which is also called the Second Coming. This time period includes everyone currently alive today, and any of your relatives who died after 33 A.D.and who will die up until Christ’s return.
TIME PERIOD 1:
FROM THE BEGINNING OF MANKIND UNTIL JESUS CHRIST’S RESURRECTION (circa 33 A.D.)
Before Christ’s Resurrection, What Happened to the Body and Soul at Death?
There is widespread agreement among the Christian faith that the soul’s of the unrighteous who died left their body and entered Hades until the time of judgement, which will occur sometime in the future.
Many evangelical Christians believe that the souls of the righteous, also called the Old Testament saints, were separated from their bodies at death and were immediately escorted to heaven by an angel upon. “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
An alternative view of what happens to the souls of all who died before Christ is called Abraham’s Bosom.
Abrahams’s Bosom
Some scholars believe the Old Testament Saints could not enter heaven until Christ’s death on the cross and His blood could cover their sins. The idea is often described as “Abraham’s Bosom,” a sort of waiting room for Old Testament saints like David, Moses, and Noah. Their souls were forced to await Christ’s birth, death, burial and resurrection. They needed to wait for Christ’s atonement before they could ascend to heaven. According to this theory, once Christ died on the Cross, He immediately went directly to Abraham’s Bosom, gathered the Old Testament saints, and ushered them into God’s presence, also known as paradise, or heaven.
TIME PERIOD 2:
THE TIME SINCE JESUS CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND UNTIL HIS SECOND COMING SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE
After Christ’s Resurrection, What Happens to the Body and Soul at Death?
The Apostle John, in John 3:16, states that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
In John 5:24, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
In 1 Corinthians 15:22 “All who are sinners in Adam died in Adam, just as all who are justified in Christ are made alive in Christ.”
These New Testament verses lay claim to the fact that all who believe in Christ will have everlasting, eternal life. And those who reject Him will not enjoy the benefits of heaven.
According to Dr. Waterhouse, “At death, unbelievers enter Hades, and believers enter Christ’s presence.”
The soul’s destination is based on the decision the person makes about Jesus Christ during their lifetime. Does the individual reject Jesus’ promise? Or does he believe in the grace offered by Jesus to take away his sin so that he might have everlasting life? The individual either believes, or disbelieves. The result of his decision maps the final location of his soul for eternity.
In Robert Driskell’s article “What Does The Bible Say About Death? Five Important Facts,” Driskell says, “Even though both believers and non-believers exist after the death of their bodies, only believers will enjoy eternal life. Unbelievers will persist in a state separated from God. Their spiritual death will continue beyond the grave, except there will be no opportunity for repentance or salvation.” Driskell’s article may be found on the website whatchristianswanttoknow.com.
The Intermediate State of the Saved
According to R.C. Sproul, “Throughout its history, the church has struggled with the concept of what is called the ‘intermediate state’—our position between the time we die and the time Christ consummates his kingdom and fulfills the promises that we confess in the Apostles’ Creed.”
Dr. Waterhouse states that “The Intermediate State concerns the time after death but before the resurrection.”
Departed saints enter heaven and are present with Christ, they are alive and conscious, and with temporary spirit bodies until the resurrection when their bodies will be raised from the dead and become glorified bodies that will be reunited with their glorified souls.
“We believe in the resurrection of the body,” Dr. Sproul says. “We believe there will be a time when God reunites our soul and our body, and that we will have a glorified body even as Christ came out of the tomb as the ‘firstborn from the dead.’”
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus supports this concept of an Intermediate State.
“The image of Dives (the rich man) and Lazarus in the New Testament (Luke 16:19-31) indicates to me that there is a continuity of life and of consciousness in that intermediate state,” R.C. Sproul.
Judge for yourself the meaning of the parable about the rich man and Lazarus, located in Luke 16:19-31:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.
He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’
But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’
He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house– for I have five brothers–that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’
Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’
He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
It is important to point out one more concept about the soul and its state after death called Soul Sleep.
Soul Sleep
What is Soul Sleep? According to Dr. Sproul, “The idea is that at death the soul goes into a state of suspended animation. It remains in slumber, in an unconscious state, until it is awakened at the time of the great resurrection. The soul is still alive, but it is unconscious, so that there is no consciousness of the passing of time. I think this conclusion is drawn improperly from the euphemistic way in which the New Testament speaks about people in death being asleep.”