Chapter 2: State of the Dead — Are the Dead Alive in Heaven or Asleep Awaiting the Resurrection?

 

A biblical study of the state of the dead examining Scripture's teaching about death, sleep, the grave, the return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, immortality, final judgment and eternal life.

For Chapter 1: Quick Facts: Are the Dead Alive or Dead? What the Bible Really Teaches and FULL article click here:

STATE OF THE DEAD — STUDY RECAP

ARE THE DEAD ALIVE IN HEAVEN, OR ASLEEP AWAITING THE RESURRECTION?

Before continuing with Part 24, let us briefly recap the biblical evidence we have examined throughout this study so far.

The central question has been simple:

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACH HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON DIES?

Are the dead consciously alive in heaven, hell, Hades or some other spiritual realm?

Or does Scripture teach that the dead are truly dead — described as sleeping or resting — while awaiting the future resurrection?

THE FOUNDATION OF OUR STUDY

Throughout this study we have repeatedly found Scripture describing death as:

SLEEP.

REST.

SILENCE.

RETURNING TO DUST.

AND:

WAITING FOR RESURRECTION.

Ecclesiastes tells us:

“The dead know nothing...”

— Ecclesiastes 9:5

The Psalmist says:

“His spirit goes forth, he returns to his earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish.”

— Psalm 146:4

Daniel describes:

“those sleeping in the dust of the earth”

who will one day:

“AWAKE.”

— Daniel 12:2

Daniel himself was told:

“you will rest; and you will arise for your inheritance at the end of the days.”

— Daniel 12:13, BLB

JESUS CALLED DEATH “SLEEP”

When Lazarus died, Jesus said:

“Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep...”

— John 11:11, BLB

When the disciples misunderstood Him, Jesus explained plainly:

“Lazarus has died.”

— John 11:14, BLB

Jesus then told Martha:

“Your brother will rise again.”

— John 11:23, BLB

Martha answered:

“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last day.”

— John 11:24, BLB

This became one of the major foundations of our study:

DEATH.

↓

SLEEP.

↓

THE LAST DAY.

↓

RESURRECTION.

PAUL TAUGHT THE SAME RESURRECTION HOPE

Paul repeatedly described dead Christians as:

“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:13–15, BLB

He did not tell grieving Christians that their dead relatives were already consciously alive in heaven.

Instead he pointed them toward the return of Jesus:

“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB

Then the living and resurrected believers will be:

“CAUGHT AWAY TOGETHER WITH THEM”

to meet the Lord.

— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, BLB

Paul therefore directs the Christian hope toward:

THE RETURN OF JESUS.

THE RESURRECTION.

AND:

IMMORTALITY.

WHEN DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE IMMORTALITY?

Paul tells us:

“For it behooves this perishable to put on imperishable, and this mortal to put on immortality.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

Notice:

THE MORTAL MUST:

“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”

Immortality is therefore not simply assumed to be something every human being already possesses naturally.

Paul connects immortality with:

THE RESURRECTION

AND:

THE LAST TRUMPET.

— 1 Corinthians 15:51–54

THE DIFFICULT PASSAGES WE HAVE EXAMINED

Throughout this study we have also confronted the passages most frequently used to argue that the dead remain consciously alive.

We have examined:

THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
— Luke 23:43

“ABSENT FROM THE BODY, PRESENT WITH THE LORD”
— 2 Corinthians 5:8

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
— Luke 16:19–31

CHRIST AND THE “SPIRITS IN PRISON”
— 1 Peter 3:18–20

“GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:14

THE “SOULS” UNDER THE ALTAR
— Revelation 6:9–11

“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
— Hebrews 12:22–24

AND:

“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA”
— Matthew 10:28

In every case we have asked the same questions:

WHAT DOES THE TEXT ACTUALLY SAY?

WHAT DOES IT NOT SAY?

WHAT DO THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK WORDS MEAN?

WHAT DOES THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT SAY?

AND:

HOW DOES THE PASSAGE FIT WITH THE BIBLE'S CLEAR TEACHING ABOUT RESURRECTION?

THE THIEF ON THE CROSS

We examined Jesus' promise:

“Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

— Luke 23:43, BLB

We discovered that the ancient Greek text did not contain the modern comma that determines whether “today” modifies:

“I SAY TO YOU”

or:

“YOU WILL BE WITH ME.”

We also compared Jesus' statement after His resurrection:

“NOT YET HAVE I ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”

— John 20:17, BLB

And we remembered what the thief himself requested:

“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”

— Luke 23:42, BLB

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

We examined Luke 16 carefully rather than automatically treating every detail as a literal map of the afterlife.

We considered:

THE PARABOLIC CONTEXT.

ABRAHAM'S BOSOM.

HADES.

THE GREAT CHASM.

THE RICH MAN'S FIVE BROTHERS.

MOSES AND THE PROPHETS.

AND:

THE FINAL WARNING:

“If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one should rise from the dead.”

— Luke 16:31, BLB

“ABSENT FROM THE BODY”

We examined 2 Corinthians 5 within Paul's complete argument.

Paul's great hope was not merely:

BECOMING DISEMBODIED.

He looked toward being:

“CLOTHED”

and toward mortality being:

“SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE.”

— 2 Corinthians 5:4, BLB

We compared this with Paul's great resurrection teaching in:

1 CORINTHIANS 15.

THE SPIRITS IN PRISON

We examined 1 Peter 3:18–20 carefully.

We concluded that Christ was:

PUT TO DEATH.

↓

MADE ALIVE.

↓

AND THEN WENT AND PROCLAIMED TO:

“THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.”

We did not identify these “spirits” as dead human souls.

Instead we examined their association with:

THE DAYS OF NOAH

and the wider biblical evidence concerning:

REBELLIOUS SPIRITUAL BEINGS.

THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR

We examined Revelation 6:9–11 within the symbolic and apocalyptic nature of Revelation.

The martyrs are:

“SLAIN.”

Their “souls” appear:

UNDER THE ALTAR.

Their:

“BLOOD”

cries for justice.

We compared this with God's words concerning Abel:

“The voice of the blood of your brother is crying to Me from the ground.”

— Genesis 4:10

Abel's blood did not need to be literally conscious in order to:

“CRY.”

The imagery represents:

INNOCENT BLOOD

CRYING TO GOD FOR:

JUSTICE.

“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS”

We examined Hebrews 12:22–24.

We discovered that the writer tells Christians who were still alive:

“YOU HAVE COME”

to:

HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.

Therefore the passage cannot simply be treated as a literal description of physical location.

We also examined Hebrews 11, where the faithful:

“DIED IN FAITH”

while:

“NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”

— Hebrews 11:13, BLB

And the chapter concludes that:

“not apart from us, they should be made perfect.”

— Hebrews 11:40, BLB

“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY”

Most recently we examined Matthew 10:28.

Jesus says God is able to:

“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA.”

— Matthew 10:28, BLB

This raises a serious problem for the doctrine that the human soul is naturally:

INDESTRUCTIBLE

AND:

IMMORTAL.

Jesus does not say God preserves the soul forever because it cannot be destroyed.

He explicitly uses the word:

“DESTROY.”

THE BIBLICAL PICTURE EMERGING SO FAR

After examining all these passages, a remarkably consistent pattern has emerged:

LIFE.

↓

DEATH.

↓

SLEEP / REST.

↓

THE RETURN OF JESUS.

↓

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

↓

JUDGMENT.

↓

IMMORTALITY AND EVERLASTING LIFE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE.

Paul says:

“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB

And:

“THIS MORTAL”

must:

“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

The Christian hope is therefore not that:

WE NEVER REALLY DIE.

The Christian hope is that:

DEATH WILL NOT WIN.

GOD RAISED JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD.

AND THROUGH CHRIST:

THE DEAD WILL RISE.

BUT OUR INVESTIGATION IS NOT FINISHED

Several important passages remain.

We still need to examine:

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:7

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”
— Philippians 1:21–23

“THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT GOES UP TO AGES OF AGES.”
— Revelation 14:9–11

And finally:

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

THE SECOND DEATH.

AND:

THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE UNSAVED.

— Revelation 20:10–15

Then we will bring the entire investigation together in our:

FINAL BIBLICAL SUMMARY.

So now let us continue.

PART 24 — “THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT”

DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 TEACH THAT A CONSCIOUS HUMAN SPIRIT GOES TO HEAVEN AT DEATH?

Ecclesiastes says:

“the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

— Ecclesiastes 12:7

This verse is frequently understood to mean:

THE BODY DIES.

↓

THE CONSCIOUS SPIRIT LEAVES THE BODY.

↓

THE PERSON CONTINUES LIVING WITH GOD IN HEAVEN.

But is that actually what Ecclesiastes says?

To answer this, we must investigate:

THE HEBREW WORD RUACH.

THE CREATION OF MAN.

THE BREATH OF LIFE.

GENESIS 2:7.

ECCLESIASTES' OWN TEACHING ABOUT THE DEAD.

AND:

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS FOR THE:

“SPIRIT”

TO:

“RETURN TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

Research by Simon Brown

REAL DISCOVERIES

https://wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com/

PART 24 — “THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT”

DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 TEACH THAT A CONSCIOUS HUMAN SPIRIT GOES TO HEAVEN AT DEATH?

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

Ecclesiastes 12:7 is one of the most frequently quoted passages in discussions about what happens when a person dies.

It says:

“and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

— Ecclesiastes 12:7

This verse is sometimes understood to mean:

THE BODY DIES.

↓

THE CONSCIOUS SPIRIT LEAVES THE BODY.

↓

THE SPIRIT TRAVELS TO GOD IN HEAVEN.

↓

THE PERSON THEREFORE CONTINUES CONSCIOUSLY LIVING AFTER DEATH.

But is that actually what Ecclesiastes teaches?

Notice that the verse does NOT explicitly say:

THE CONSCIOUS SPIRIT OF THE PERSON GOES TO HEAVEN.

It says:

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”

To understand these words correctly, we must ask:

WHAT IS THE “SPIRIT”?

WHAT DID GOD ORIGINALLY GIVE?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THAT SPIRIT TO “RETURN”?

AND:

WHAT DOES ECCLESIASTES ITSELF SAY ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE DEAD?

QUICK FACT 281 — ECCLESIASTES 12:7 DESCRIBES THE REVERSAL OF DEATH

Notice the two movements in the verse:

THE DUST:

RETURNS TO THE EARTH.

↓

THE SPIRIT:

RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.

This immediately takes us back to the biblical account of:

CREATION.

Genesis tells us how human life began.

God formed man from:

THE DUST OF THE GROUND.

Then God gave him:

THE BREATH OF LIFE.

Death reverses this process.

CREATION:

DUST

GOD'S LIFE-GIVING BREATH

↓

A LIVING HUMAN BEING.

DEATH:

THE HUMAN BEING DIES

↓

THE BODY RETURNS TO:

DUST.

↓

THE LIFE GIVEN BY GOD RETURNS TO:

GOD.

This is the fundamental background for understanding Ecclesiastes 12:7.

QUICK FACT 282 — GENESIS DOES NOT SAY GOD PUT AN IMMORTAL SOUL INTO ADAM

Genesis 2:7 is foundational.

It says:

“And LORD God forms the man of dust from the ground, and breathes into his nostrils breath of life, and the man becomes a living creature.”

— Genesis 2:7

Notice what the text does NOT say.

It does not say:

GOD FORMED A BODY.

↓

GOD INSERTED AN IMMORTAL CONSCIOUS SOUL INTO THAT BODY.

↓

THE SOUL THEN BEGAN USING THE BODY AS A TEMPORARY HOME.

Instead:

GOD FORMED MAN FROM:

DUST.

↓

GOD BREATHED INTO HIM:

THE BREATH OF LIFE.

↓

THE MAN:

BECAME

A LIVING BEING.

This distinction is extremely important.

Man was not given:

A LIVING SOUL

as though the soul were a separate immortal person inhabiting him.

The man himself:

BECAME

a living being.

QUICK FACT 283 — THE HEBREW WORD FOR “LIVING BEING” IS NEPHESH

Genesis 2:7 uses the Hebrew word:

נֶפֶשׁ — NEPHESH.

This word is frequently translated:

SOUL.

LIFE.

PERSON.

CREATURE.

OR:

LIVING BEING,

depending upon context.

Therefore the biblical picture is not simply:

MAN HAS A NEPHESH.

Genesis says the man:

BECAME

a:

NEPHESH CHAYYAH

— A LIVING BEING / LIVING CREATURE.

This is very different from the later philosophical idea that the real human person is an inherently immortal soul temporarily imprisoned inside a mortal body.

QUICK FACT 284 — ANIMALS ARE ALSO CALLED NEPHESH CHAYYAH

This fact is especially important.

The Hebrew expression translated:

“LIVING CREATURE”

is not used exclusively for human beings.

Genesis uses related language for:

ANIMALS.

For example, the waters are commanded to swarm with:

“LIVING CREATURES.”

— Genesis 1:20

The Hebrew includes:

NEPHESH CHAYYAH.

Therefore:

NEPHESH

cannot inherently mean:

AN IMMORTAL HUMAN SOUL THAT SURVIVES DEATH CONSCIOUSLY.

Animals are also described using the same basic term.

The meaning is connected with:

LIVING CREATURE.

LIFE.

PERSON.

BEING.

QUICK FACT 285 — WHAT EXACTLY DID GOD BREATHE INTO ADAM?

Genesis says God:

“breathes into his nostrils breath of life.”

— Genesis 2:7

The Hebrew expression is:

נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים

NISHMAT CHAYYIM.

It means:

BREATH OF LIFE.

Notice where God places it:

INTO HIS NOSTRILS.

This is powerful imagery of:

LIFE-GIVING BREATH.

The passage does not say God inserted:

A CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL PERSON

through Adam's nostrils.

God gave Adam:

LIFE.

And when that life-giving power is withdrawn:

THE PERSON DIES.

QUICK FACT 286 — JOB CONNECTS GOD'S SPIRIT WITH THE BREATH OF LIFE

Job provides an important parallel:

“If He should set His heart to it and gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.”

— Job 34:14–15

Notice the sequence:

GOD GATHERS:

HIS SPIRIT

AND:

HIS BREATH.

↓

WHAT HAPPENS?

“ALL FLESH WOULD PERISH.”

↓

AND:

“MAN WOULD RETURN TO DUST.”

This is remarkably similar to Ecclesiastes 12:7.

ECCLESIASTES:

DUST RETURNS TO EARTH.

↓

SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD.

JOB:

GOD GATHERS HIS SPIRIT AND BREATH.

↓

FLESH PERISHES.

↓

MAN RETURNS TO DUST.

Neither passage requires:

A CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL PERSON FLYING TO HEAVEN.

The subject is:

THE LIFE GOD GIVES.

QUICK FACT 287 — THE HEBREW WORD “SPIRIT” IS RUACH

The word translated:

“SPIRIT”

in Ecclesiastes 12:7 is:

רוּחַ — RUACH.

RUACH has a broad range of meanings depending upon context.

It can mean:

SPIRIT.

BREATH.

WIND.

LIFE-BREATH.

OR:

A DISPOSITION OR SPIRIT.

Therefore we cannot simply read:

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD”

and automatically define RUACH as:

THE CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL PERSONALITY OF THE DEAD PERSON.

The Hebrew word itself does not establish that doctrine.

We must examine how:

RUACH

is used in Ecclesiastes itself.

QUICK FACT 288 — ECCLESIASTES USES “SPIRIT” FOR BOTH HUMANS AND ANIMALS

This is one of the most important passages for interpreting Ecclesiastes 12:7.

Earlier Ecclesiastes says:

“For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beast is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have one breath...”

— Ecclesiastes 3:19

Then:

“All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all return to the dust.”

— Ecclesiastes 3:20

Then comes the remarkable question:

“Who knows that the spirit of man ascends upward and the spirit of the beast descends downward to the earth?”

— Ecclesiastes 3:21

Notice:

HUMANS HAVE:

RUACH.

AND:

ANIMALS HAVE:

RUACH.

Therefore RUACH cannot automatically mean:

AN IMMORTAL HUMAN SOUL.

The same word is applied to:

BOTH.

QUICK FACT 289 — HUMANS AND ANIMALS SHARE THE SAME LIFE-BREATH

Ecclesiastes 3 is striking.

It says:

AS ONE DIES:

SO DIES THE OTHER.

And:

“THEY ALL HAVE ONE BREATH.”

Then:

“ALL GO TO ONE PLACE.”

And:

“ALL ARE FROM THE DUST.”

↓

“ALL RETURN TO THE DUST.”

This language strongly connects:

RUACH

with the:

LIFE-BREATH

that comes from God.

When God gives life:

THE CREATURE LIVES.

When that life is withdrawn:

THE CREATURE DIES.

QUICK FACT 290 — PSALM 104 SHOWS THE SAME CREATION-DEATH PATTERN

Psalm 104 describes animals and God's sustaining power:

“You hide Your face, they are terrified; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”

— Psalm 104:29

Then:

“You send forth Your Spirit, they are created...”

— Psalm 104:30

Notice again:

GOD GIVES LIFE.

↓

CREATURES LIVE.

↓

GOD WITHDRAWS THE LIFE-BREATH.

↓

THEY DIE.

↓

THEY RETURN TO:

DUST.

This is the same fundamental pattern found in:

GENESIS.

JOB.

PSALMS.

AND:

ECCLESIASTES.

Therefore the statement:

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT”

can naturally describe the return of God's:

LIFE-GIVING BREATH / SPIRIT

rather than the journey of a conscious immortal human being into heaven.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 24 — PART TWO

But we now need to examine something even more decisive:

WHAT DOES ECCLESIASTES ITSELF SAY THE DEAD ARE DOING?

Does Ecclesiastes say:

THE BODY RETURNS TO DUST BUT THE CONSCIOUS PERSON CONTINUES THINKING IN HEAVEN?

Or does it say:

“THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING”?

We will examine:

ECCLESIASTES 9:5.

ECCLESIASTES 9:6.

ECCLESIASTES 9:10.

PSALM 146:4.

THE MEANING OF THE SPIRIT “RETURNING” TO GOD.

AND:

WHETHER THE SPIRIT THAT RETURNS TO GOD IS EVER DESCRIBED AS:

THINKING.

SPEAKING.

WORSHIPPING.

REMEMBERING.

OR:

CONSCIOUSLY EXPERIENCING HEAVEN.

Then we can answer the central question:

DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 REALLY TEACH THAT A CONSCIOUS HUMAN SPIRIT GOES TO HEAVEN AT DEATH?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 24 — “THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT”

DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 TEACH THAT A CONSCIOUS HUMAN SPIRIT GOES TO HEAVEN AT DEATH?

PART TWO

CONTINUED FROM PART ONE

In Part One we discovered that Ecclesiastes 12:7 says:

THE DUST:

RETURNS TO THE EARTH.

↓

THE SPIRIT:

RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.

We also discovered that the Hebrew word:

RUACH

does not automatically mean:

AN IMMORTAL CONSCIOUS PERSON LIVING OUTSIDE THE BODY.

It can refer to:

SPIRIT.

BREATH.

WIND.

OR:

LIFE-BREATH.

Most importantly, Ecclesiastes uses RUACH in connection with both:

HUMANS

AND:

ANIMALS.

Now we must allow Ecclesiastes itself to explain what happens when a person dies.

QUICK FACT 291 — “THE DEAD CANNOT KNOW ANYTHING”

Ecclesiastes gives us one of the clearest statements concerning the condition of the dead:

“for the living know that they will die, and the dead cannot know anything...”

— Ecclesiastes 9:5, BLB

Notice the contrast:

THE LIVING:

KNOW.

↓

THE DEAD:

“CANNOT KNOW ANYTHING.”

This is extremely important.

If Ecclesiastes 12:7 means that a person's conscious spirit immediately travels to God and continues:

THINKING.

KNOWING.

REMEMBERING.

WORSHIPPING.

AND:

EXPERIENCING HEAVEN,

then we must explain why the same book says:

“THE DEAD CANNOT KNOW ANYTHING.”

QUICK FACT 292 — THEIR LOVE, HATRED AND ENVY HAVE PERISHED

The next verse continues:

“Also their love, also their hatred, also their envy, already has perished...”

— Ecclesiastes 9:6, BLB

Notice what has happened to their:

LOVE.

HATRED.

AND:

ENVY.

They have:

PERISHED.

The dead are not described here as continuing their earthly emotional and mental existence somewhere else.

Ecclesiastes presents death as the end of their present participation in:

LIFE UNDER THE SUN.

QUICK FACT 293 — THEY NO LONGER PARTICIPATE IN WHAT HAPPENS “UNDER THE SUN”

Ecclesiastes 9:6 continues by explaining that the dead no longer have a share in what is done:

“UNDER THE SUN.”

This phrase is important throughout Ecclesiastes.

The writer is frequently describing human existence from the standpoint of:

LIFE IN THIS PRESENT WORLD.

Therefore we should be careful not to make Ecclesiastes 9:5–6 say more than it says.

However, what it certainly does NOT describe is the dead actively continuing their normal earthly existence.

Their participation in the present world has:

ENDED.

QUICK FACT 294 — ECCLESIASTES 9:10 IS EVEN MORE DIRECT

Ecclesiastes then tells the living:

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might...”

Why?

Because death is coming.

The verse continues by saying that in Sheol, where the person is going, there is no:

WORK.

PLANNING.

KNOWLEDGE.

OR:

WISDOM.

— Ecclesiastes 9:10

This is extremely significant.

The writer does not describe Sheol as a place where dead human beings continue:

WORKING.

PLANNING.

THINKING.

AND:

GAINING KNOWLEDGE.

Instead he emphasizes the absence of these activities.

QUICK FACT 295 — NOTICE THE FOUR THINGS ABSENT IN SHEOL

Ecclesiastes 9:10 gives us four important categories:

NO:

WORK.

NO:

PLANNING.

NO:

KNOWLEDGE.

NO:

WISDOM.

Now compare that with the idea that at death the conscious human spirit leaves the body and continues fully aware in another realm.

A consciously functioning person would presumably possess:

AWARENESS.

THOUGHT.

KNOWLEDGE.

AND:

MENTAL ACTIVITY.

Yet Ecclesiastes describes Sheol in precisely the opposite terms.

QUICK FACT 296 — PSALM 146 DESCRIBES THE SAME DEATH PATTERN

Psalm 146 provides a remarkable parallel.

It describes what happens when a person dies:

“His spirit goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”

— Psalm 146:4

Notice the sequence:

HIS SPIRIT:

GOES FORTH.

↓

HE:

RETURNS TO THE EARTH.

↓

THAT VERY DAY:

HIS THOUGHTS / PLANS:

PERISH.

This closely parallels Ecclesiastes 12:7.

ECCLESIASTES:

DUST RETURNS TO EARTH.

↓

SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD.

PSALMS:

SPIRIT DEPARTS.

↓

MAN RETURNS TO EARTH.

↓

HIS THOUGHTS / PLANS PERISH.

Neither passage says:

THE SPIRIT DEPARTS

↓

AND THE PERSON CONTINUES CONSCIOUSLY THINKING IN HEAVEN.

Instead, Psalm 146 connects the departure of the spirit with:

RETURNING TO THE EARTH

AND:

THE END OF THE PERSON'S THOUGHTS OR PLANS.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 24 — PART THREE

In Part Three we will begin with:

QUICK FACT 297 — THE SPIRIT RETURNING TO GOD DOES NOT MEAN THE CONSCIOUS PERSON RETURNS TO GOD.

We will then examine:

WHAT EXACTLY RETURNS TO GOD.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT AND THE CONSCIOUS PERSON.

WHY GOD CAN RESTORE LIFE AT THE RESURRECTION.

WHY RESURRECTION IS SO CENTRAL TO THE BIBLICAL HOPE.

AND:

WHETHER ECCLESIASTES 12:7 EVER SAYS THAT THE SPIRIT WHICH RETURNS TO GOD IS:

CONSCIOUS.

THINKING.

SPEAKING.

REMEMBERING.

OR:

LIVING IN HEAVEN.

Then we will bring all the evidence together and answer:

DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 REALLY TEACH THAT A CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL HUMAN SPIRIT GOES TO HEAVEN AT DEATH?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 24 — “THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT”

DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 TEACH THAT A CONSCIOUS HUMAN SPIRIT GOES TO HEAVEN AT DEATH?

PART THREE

CONTINUED FROM PART TWO

QUICK FACT 297 — THE SPIRIT RETURNING TO GOD DOES NOT MEAN THE CONSCIOUS PERSON RETURNS TO GOD

This distinction is essential.

Ecclesiastes says:

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”

— Ecclesiastes 12:7

But notice:

GOD:

GAVE IT.

Therefore we should ask:

WHAT DID GOD GIVE?

Genesis provides the foundation.

God formed man from:

DUST.

Then He gave:

THE BREATH OF LIFE.

And the man:

BECAME

a living being.

Therefore death reverses creation:

THE BODY:

RETURNS TO DUST.

↓

THE LIFE-BREATH:

RETURNS TO GOD.

This does not require:

A SECOND CONSCIOUS PERSON

living inside the physical person and leaving the body at death.

It describes the withdrawal of the:

LIFE

that ultimately comes from God.

QUICK FACT 298 — THE CREATION FORMULA HELPS EXPLAIN DEATH

Consider the biblical pattern:

DUST

BREATH OF LIFE

↓

A LIVING BEING.

Genesis does not say:

DUST

AN IMMORTAL CONSCIOUS SOUL

↓

A LIVING BEING.

The man himself:

BECAME

a living being.

Therefore when the life-giving breath is withdrawn:

THE PERSON DIES.

The process is reversed:

LIVING BEING

↓

LIFE-BREATH WITHDRAWN

↓

BODY RETURNS TO DUST.

This provides a natural biblical framework for understanding:

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”

QUICK FACT 299 — “RETURNS TO GOD” APPLIES TO THE SPIRIT GOD GAVE

Notice the exact wording again:

“the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

— Ecclesiastes 12:7

The subject returning is:

THE SPIRIT.

The verse does NOT say:

THE PERSON RETURNS TO GOD.

It does NOT say:

THE SOUL RETURNS TO GOD.

It does NOT say:

THE CONSCIOUS MIND RETURNS TO GOD.

And it does NOT say:

THE PERSON CONTINUES LIVING IN HEAVEN.

It says:

THE SPIRIT

returns to:

THE ONE WHO GAVE IT.

This fits naturally with God being:

THE SOURCE OF LIFE.

QUICK FACT 300 — THE SAME GOD WHO GIVES LIFE CAN RESTORE LIFE

If the dead are not consciously alive, does this mean they are:

LOST FOREVER?

NO.

This is precisely why the biblical doctrine of:

RESURRECTION

is so important.

The God who originally gave:

LIFE

can:

RESTORE LIFE.

Jesus said:

“an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth...”

— John 5:28–29, BLB

Notice where those who hear His voice are:

“IN THE TOMBS.”

And what happens?

THEY:

“COME FORTH.”

The biblical answer to death is not that human beings possess life independently of God.

The answer to death is:

GOD CAN RAISE THE DEAD.

QUICK FACT 301 — WHY IS RESURRECTION SO CENTRAL IF THE DEAD NEVER REALLY CEASE LIVING?

This question deserves serious consideration.

Throughout Scripture, believers are directed toward:

RESURRECTION.

Daniel is told:

“YOU WILL ARISE”

at the end of the days.

— Daniel 12:13

Martha says Lazarus will:

“RISE AGAIN”

in the resurrection at the last day.

— John 11:24

Jesus says:

“I WILL RAISE HIM UP IN THE LAST DAY.”

— John 6:40, BLB

Paul says:

“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB

And:

“THIS MORTAL”

must:

“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

The repeated biblical emphasis is:

DEATH.

↓

WAITING / REST.

↓

THE RETURN OF CHRIST.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

IMMORTALITY.

Resurrection is not a minor addition to the Christian hope.

It is at the very heart of it.

QUICK FACT 302 — ECCLESIASTES 12:7 NEVER SAYS THE RETURNING SPIRIT IS CONSCIOUS

Now let us ask the questions directly.

DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 SAY:

THE SPIRIT IS CONSCIOUS AFTER DEATH?

NO.

DOES IT SAY:

THE SPIRIT THINKS AFTER DEATH?

NO.

DOES IT SAY:

THE SPIRIT SPEAKS AFTER DEATH?

NO.

DOES IT SAY:

THE SPIRIT REMEMBERS AFTER DEATH?

NO.

DOES IT SAY:

THE SPIRIT WORSHIPS GOD IN HEAVEN?

NO.

DOES IT SAY:

THE SPIRIT IS THE IMMORTAL PERSONALITY OF THE PERSON?

NO.

DOES IT SAY:

THE PERSON CONTINUES CONSCIOUSLY LIVING IN HEAVEN?

NO.

What does the verse actually say?

THE DUST:

RETURNS TO EARTH.

AND:

THE SPIRIT:

RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.

We should not add an entire doctrine of conscious existence after death to words that do not state it.

QUICK FACT 303 — ECCLESIASTES SHOULD INTERPRET ECCLESIASTES

This is perhaps the strongest contextual point.

We should not isolate:

ECCLESIASTES 12:7

from everything the same book has already told us.

Ecclesiastes says:

“THE DEAD CANNOT KNOW ANYTHING.”

— Ecclesiastes 9:5, BLB

It says their:

LOVE.

HATRED.

AND:

ENVY

have:

PERISHED.

— Ecclesiastes 9:6

And concerning Sheol it says there is no:

WORK.

PLANNING.

KNOWLEDGE.

OR:

WISDOM.

— Ecclesiastes 9:10

Therefore it would be extremely strange to interpret Ecclesiastes 12:7 as suddenly teaching:

THE DEAD ARE ACTUALLY CONSCIOUS.

↓

THEY CONTINUE THINKING.

↓

THEY CONTINUE KNOWING.

↓

AND THEIR CONSCIOUS PERSONALITIES GO TO HEAVEN.

That interpretation is not stated in Ecclesiastes 12:7 and sits awkwardly beside the book's earlier descriptions of death.

QUICK FACT 304 — THE BIBLICAL PATTERN IS CREATION, DEATH AND RE-CREATION

We can now see a beautiful biblical pattern.

CREATION:

GOD FORMS MAN FROM:

DUST.

↓

GOD GIVES:

THE BREATH OF LIFE.

↓

MAN BECOMES:

A LIVING BEING.

DEATH:

THE LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT DEPARTS.

↓

THE PERSON DIES.

↓

THE BODY RETURNS TO:

DUST.

RESURRECTION:

GOD CALLS THE DEAD.

↓

THE DEAD:

RISE.

↓

THE MORTAL PUTS ON:

IMMORTALITY.

Therefore the ultimate Christian hope is not:

THE NATURAL IMMORTALITY OF MAN.

It is:

THE LIFE-GIVING POWER OF GOD

THROUGH:

JESUS CHRIST.

PART 24 — FINAL CONCLUSION

Does Ecclesiastes 12:7 teach that a conscious immortal human spirit goes to heaven when a person dies?

The verse does NOT explicitly teach this.

When Ecclesiastes 12:7 is interpreted alongside:

GENESIS 2:7.

ECCLESIASTES 3:19–21.

ECCLESIASTES 9:5–10.

JOB 34:14–15.

PSALM 104:29–30.

AND:

PSALM 146:4,

a consistent picture emerges.

GOD FORMS MAN FROM:

DUST.

↓

GOD GIVES:

LIFE-BREATH.

↓

MAN BECOMES:

A LIVING BEING.

↓

AT DEATH:

THE BODY RETURNS TO:

DUST.

↓

THE SPIRIT / LIFE-BREATH RETURNS TO:

GOD WHO GAVE IT.

↓

THE DEAD:

“CANNOT KNOW ANYTHING.”

↓

THEIR PRESENT ACTIVITY:

CEASES.

↓

THE HOPE REMAINS:

RESURRECTION.

Therefore:

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD”

does not by itself prove:

THE CONSCIOUS SURVIVAL OF AN IMMORTAL HUMAN SOUL.

The great biblical hope remains:

GOD WILL RAISE THE DEAD.

COMING NEXT:

PART 25 — “TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”

DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:21–23 TEACH THAT PAUL EXPECTED TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO HEAVEN WHEN HE DIED?

Paul says:

“I have the desire to depart and to be with Christ, indeed very much better.”

— Philippians 1:23, BLB

This is one of the strongest remaining passages used to support conscious existence immediately after death.

At first sight it can appear to say:

PAUL DIES.

↓

PAUL IMMEDIATELY GOES TO CHRIST.

↓

THEREFORE PAUL REMAINS CONSCIOUS BETWEEN DEATH AND RESURRECTION.

But is that what Paul actually means?

We will examine:

“TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN.”

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

THE GREEK WORD ANALYŌ.

PAUL'S TEACHING ABOUT RESURRECTION.

PAUL'S EXPECTATION IN PHILIPPIANS 3.

AND:

WHEN PAUL EXPECTED HIS MORTAL BODY TO BE TRANSFORMED.

Most importantly, we will allow:

PAUL

to explain:

PAUL.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 25 — “TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”

DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:21–23 TEACH THAT PAUL EXPECTED TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO HEAVEN WHEN HE DIED?

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

Philippians 1:21–23 is one of the strongest passages commonly used to support the belief that Christians go consciously and immediately to be with Christ when they die.

Paul says:

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

— Philippians 1:21, BLB

Then he says:

“I am pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, indeed very much better.”

— Philippians 1:23, BLB

At first sight, this can appear straightforward:

PAUL DIES.

↓

PAUL DEPARTS FROM HIS BODY.

↓

PAUL'S CONSCIOUS SOUL IMMEDIATELY GOES TO HEAVEN.

↓

PAUL IS THEN CONSCIOUSLY WITH CHRIST BEFORE THE RESURRECTION.

But notice something important.

Paul never actually says:

MY SOUL WILL LEAVE MY BODY.

He never says:

I WILL GO TO HEAVEN THE MOMENT I DIE.

He never says:

I WILL LIVE AS A DISEMBODIED SPIRIT UNTIL THE RESURRECTION.

Those ideas are interpretations of:

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

Therefore we must ask:

WHAT DID PAUL MEAN BY “DEPART”?

WHEN DID PAUL EXPECT TO BE WITH CHRIST?

WHAT DOES THE REST OF PHILIPPIANS SAY?

AND:

WHAT DID PAUL TEACH ELSEWHERE ABOUT DEATH, RESURRECTION AND IMMORTALITY?

QUICK FACT 305 — PAUL WAS FACING THE REAL POSSIBILITY OF DEATH

The context of Philippians 1 is extremely important.

Paul was imprisoned.

He did not know whether his circumstances would result in:

RELEASE

or:

DEATH.

He says:

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

— Philippians 1:21, BLB

Paul therefore considers two possibilities:

CONTINUING TO LIVE.

OR:

DYING.

If he continues living, he can continue serving Christ and helping the believers.

If he dies faithfully, his suffering and earthly struggle are over, and his future with Christ is secure.

QUICK FACT 306 — “TO DIE IS GAIN” DOES NOT BY ITSELF EXPLAIN THE STATE OF THE DEAD

Paul says:

“TO DIE IS GAIN.”

But this statement does not itself tell us:

WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE INTERMEDIATE STATE BETWEEN DEATH AND RESURRECTION.

Death could be “gain” for Paul because:

HIS SUFFERING WOULD END.

HIS PERSECUTION WOULD END.

HIS EARTHLY STRUGGLE WOULD END.

HE WOULD HAVE FINISHED HIS FAITHFUL SERVICE.

AND:

HIS NEXT CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE WOULD BE LIFE WITH CHRIST.

Therefore:

“TO DIE IS GAIN”

does not automatically mean:

“MY IMMORTAL SOUL WILL REMAIN CONSCIOUS AFTER MY BODY DIES.”

That doctrine must be established from the text rather than assumed.

QUICK FACT 307 — PAUL'S ULTIMATE DESIRE WAS NOT DEATH, BUT TO BE WITH CHRIST

Paul says:

“If, however, to live in flesh, this is for me the fruit of labor, then what shall I choose? I do not know.”

— Philippians 1:22, BLB

His immediate alternatives concern:

CONTINUING TO LIVE

or:

DYING.

But then Paul expresses his deeper desire:

“having the desire to depart and to be with Christ...”

— Philippians 1:23, BLB

His ultimate desire is not simply:

TO DIE.

His desire is:

TO BE WITH CHRIST.

That distinction matters.

Death itself is not Paul's great Christian hope.

CHRIST is.

QUICK FACT 308 — WHAT DOES “DEPART” MEAN?

The Greek word translated:

“DEPART”

in Philippians 1:23 is:

ἀναλύω — ANALYŌ.

It can carry the idea of:

DEPARTING.

LEAVING.

LOOSENING.

OR:

SETTING OUT.

But the word itself does NOT mean:

“THE IMMORTAL SOUL LEAVES THE BODY AND TRAVELS CONSCIOUSLY TO HEAVEN.”

That theological definition is not contained within:

ANALYŌ.

Therefore we cannot simply reason:

PAUL WANTS TO “DEPART.”

↓

THEREFORE:

PAUL BELIEVED HIS IMMORTAL SOUL WOULD LEAVE HIS BODY AT DEATH.

The surrounding context and Paul's wider teaching must determine what he means.

QUICK FACT 309 — PAUL DOES NOT DESCRIBE AN INTERMEDIATE CONSCIOUS STATE

This is one of the most important observations in the passage.

Paul says:

“TO DEPART”

and:

“TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

But he says nothing here about:

A DISEMBODIED SOUL.

A CONSCIOUS SPIRIT LEAVING HIS BODY.

GOING TO HEAVEN AT THE MOMENT OF DEATH.

AN INTERMEDIATE CONSCIOUS STATE.

OR:

EXISTING CONSCIOUSLY FOR CENTURIES BEFORE THE RESURRECTION.

There is simply no description in these verses of what happens between:

DEATH

and:

BEING WITH CHRIST.

That missing information matters.

If death is described elsewhere in Scripture as:

SLEEP,

then from the perspective of the dead person there would be no conscious awareness of the passage of time.

Death could therefore be followed, from Paul's own conscious perspective, by:

BEING WITH CHRIST

even if the resurrection occurs much later in historical time.

QUICK FACT 310 — THE BIBLICAL IMAGE OF SLEEP HELPS EXPLAIN THIS

Imagine a person falling into deep, dreamless sleep.

They close their eyes.

Hours pass.

Yet from their own conscious perspective, the next thing they experience is:

AWAKENING.

Scripture repeatedly uses:

SLEEP

as an image for death.

Jesus said concerning Lazarus:

“Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep...”

— John 11:11, BLB

Then Jesus explained plainly:

“Lazarus has died.”

— John 11:14, BLB

Paul likewise speaks about:

“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, BLB

Therefore, if Paul dies and remains unconscious until the resurrection, his conscious experience would effectively be:

DEATH.

↓

NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF PASSING TIME.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

WITH CHRIST.

From Paul's perspective, there would be no experienced interval of hundreds or thousands of years.

His next conscious moment would be:

RESURRECTION

AND:

BEING WITH CHRIST.

This allows Paul's statement:

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”

to fit naturally within the biblical framework of:

DEATH.

SLEEP.

RESURRECTION.

AND:

LIFE WITH CHRIST.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 25 — PART TWO

In Part Two we will ask an extremely important question:

WHEN DOES PAUL HIMSELF SAY BELIEVERS WILL BE:

“WITH THE LORD”?

Paul gives us a remarkably clear answer in:

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13–17.

There he describes:

THE RETURN OF CHRIST.

↓

THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISING.

↓

THE LIVING AND RESURRECTED BELIEVERS MEETING CHRIST.

↓

AND THEN:

“SO ALWAYS WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD.”

We will then return to Philippians itself and examine:

PHILIPPIANS 3:10–11.

PHILIPPIANS 3:20–21.

THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.

THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST.

AND:

THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR MORTAL BODY.

This will allow:

PAUL

TO INTERPRET:

PAUL.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 25 — “TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”

DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:21–23 TEACH THAT PAUL EXPECTED TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO HEAVEN WHEN HE DIED?

PART TWO

CONTINUED FROM PART ONE

QUICK FACT 311 — PAUL TELLS US WHEN BELIEVERS WILL BE “WITH THE LORD”

This is one of the most important comparisons in our entire examination of Philippians 1:23.

Paul explicitly describes the event when dead Christians will be united with Christ.

He writes:

“because the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB

Then Paul continues:

“Then we the living remaining, together with them, will be caught away in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air, and so always we will be with the Lord.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, BLB

Notice Paul's sequence carefully:

THE LORD DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.

↓

THE DEAD IN CHRIST:

RISE.

↓

THE LIVING BELIEVERS ARE GATHERED WITH THEM.

↓

THEY MEET:

THE LORD.

↓

“AND SO ALWAYS WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD.”

This is extremely important because Philippians 1:23 says Paul desires:

“TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

And in 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul explicitly describes believers becoming:

“WITH THE LORD”

in connection with:

CHRIST'S RETURN

AND:

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

QUICK FACT 312 — PAUL'S COMFORT FOR BEREAVED CHRISTIANS WAS THE RESURRECTION

The Thessalonian believers were grieving over Christians who had died.

Paul writes:

“But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those having fallen asleep, so that you should not be grieved, even as the rest, those not having hope.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, BLB

Notice Paul's description:

“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”

This is Paul's language for Christians who had:

DIED.

Now consider something important.

If Paul's normal teaching were:

YOUR DEAD CHRISTIAN RELATIVES ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE WITH JESUS IN HEAVEN,

this would have been an obvious opportunity to say so.

But Paul does not comfort them by saying:

THEY ARE NOT REALLY DEAD.

THEIR IMMORTAL SOULS ARE ALREADY WITH CHRIST.

Instead he points toward:

THE RETURN OF JESUS.

↓

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

↓

THE REUNION OF BELIEVERS.

↓

AND THEN:

“SO ALWAYS WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD.”

Paul's comfort is:

RESURRECTION.

QUICK FACT 313 — PHILIPPIANS ITSELF POINTS TOWARD THE RESURRECTION

We do not even need to leave Philippians to discover Paul's hope.

Later in the same letter Paul says that he wants to know Christ:

“and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection out from the dead.”

— Philippians 3:10–11, BLB

Notice Paul's expectation:

“THE RESURRECTION OUT FROM THE DEAD.”

This is the same Paul who earlier said:

“I have the desire to depart and to be with Christ.”

— Philippians 1:23, BLB

Therefore these statements should not be separated.

PAUL DESIRES:

TO BE WITH CHRIST.

↓

PAUL DESIRES:

THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.

The resurrection remains central to Paul's hope.

QUICK FACT 314 — PAUL SAYS CHRIST WILL COME FROM HEAVEN

Later in Philippians 3 Paul tells us:

“our citizenship exists in the heavens, from whence also we are awaiting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

— Philippians 3:20, BLB

Notice the direction of Paul's expectation.

Paul does not say here:

WE ARE WAITING TO DIE SO THAT OUR SOULS CAN GO UP TO CHRIST.

Instead:

CHRIST IS IN HEAVEN.

↓

BELIEVERS ARE:

“AWAITING”

HIM.

Paul's expectation is directed toward:

THE COMING OF JESUS CHRIST.

And the next verse tells us what Jesus will do when He comes.

QUICK FACT 315 — CHRIST WILL TRANSFORM OUR BODY

Paul continues:

“who will transform our body of humiliation into conformity to His body of glory...”

— Philippians 3:21, BLB

This is tremendously important.

Paul's hope is not ultimately:

ESCAPE FROM THE BODY.

His hope includes:

TRANSFORMATION OF THE BODY.

The sequence is:

WE AWAIT:

JESUS CHRIST.

↓

CHRIST COMES.

↓

OUR BODY OF HUMILIATION IS:

TRANSFORMED.

↓

IT BECOMES CONFORMED TO:

HIS GLORIOUS BODY.

This agrees perfectly with Paul's great resurrection chapter:

1 CORINTHIANS 15.

QUICK FACT 316 — PAUL SAYS IMMORTALITY IS RECEIVED AT THE RESURRECTION

Paul writes:

“Behold, I tell to you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, BLB

Then:

“the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:52, BLB

And:

“For it behooves this perishable to put on imperishable, and this mortal to put on immortality.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

Notice:

THE DEAD:

ARE RAISED.

↓

THE MORTAL:

IS CHANGED.

↓

THE MORTAL:

PUTS ON IMMORTALITY.

This raises an important question:

If Paul believed that his real conscious self already possessed:

IMMORTAL LIFE

independently of his body,

why does he describe immortality as something the:

MORTAL

must:

“PUT ON”?

Paul consistently connects the victory over mortality with:

RESURRECTION.

QUICK FACT 317 — PAUL CALLS DEATH “SLEEP”

This connection becomes even stronger because Paul uses the same language throughout his writings.

He says:

“We will not all sleep...”

— 1 Corinthians 15:51, BLB

What does:

“SLEEP”

mean in this context?

It means:

DEATH.

Likewise:

“those having fallen asleep through Jesus”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:14, BLB

And:

“the dead in Christ will rise first.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB

Therefore Paul's sequence remains:

DEATH / SLEEP.

↓

RETURN OF CHRIST.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

TRANSFORMATION.

↓

IMMORTALITY.

↓

FOREVER WITH THE LORD.

This provides the wider Pauline context for understanding:

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

QUICK FACT 318 — THE PASSAGE DOES NOT SAY “IMMEDIATELY”

This is a simple point, but an extremely important one.

Philippians 1:23 says:

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

It does NOT say:

TO DEPART AND IMMEDIATELY BE WITH CHRIST.

The word:

“IMMEDIATELY”

is not there.

Nor does Paul say:

AT THE MOMENT OF MY DEATH.

Nor:

BEFORE THE RESURRECTION.

Nor:

AS A DISEMBODIED IMMORTAL SOUL.

Those ideas must be supplied by the interpreter.

Paul tells us:

WHAT HE DESIRES:

TO BE WITH CHRIST.

But Philippians 1:23 does not explain the chronological mechanics of the interval between:

DEATH

and:

BEING WITH CHRIST.

For that, we must compare Paul's clearer resurrection passages.

QUICK FACT 319 — FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE DEAD, NO CONSCIOUS INTERVAL NEED BE EXPERIENCED

This helps explain Paul's language.

If death is:

SLEEP

and the dead experience no conscious passage of time,

then Paul's experience would effectively be:

HE CLOSES HIS EYES IN DEATH.

↓

NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF CENTURIES PASSING.

↓

HE IS RAISED.

↓

HE SEES CHRIST.

↓

HE IS:

WITH THE LORD.

From Paul's subjective perspective:

DEATH

and:

BEING WITH CHRIST

can therefore stand beside one another without requiring:

A CONSCIOUS INTERMEDIATE STATE.

The historical interval might be enormous.

But for someone who is:

UNCONSCIOUS IN DEATH,

there is no experienced passage of that time.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 25 — PART THREE

In Part Three we will examine Paul's own words near the end of his life.

Paul knew that his death was approaching.

He said:

“the time of my departure is come.”

— 2 Timothy 4:6, BLB

This gives us an extraordinary opportunity.

If Paul believed he would receive his reward immediately when he died, this is where we might expect him to say so.

But instead Paul says:

“there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me IN THAT DAY.”

— 2 Timothy 4:8, BLB

What is:

“THAT DAY”?

And why does Paul connect his reward with:

CHRIST'S APPEARING?

We will examine:

2 TIMOTHY 4:6–8.

THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

“THAT DAY.”

THE APPEARING OF CHRIST.

AND:

PHILIPPIANS 1:23.

Then we will bring all of Paul's statements together and answer:

DOES “TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST” PROVE THAT PAUL'S CONSCIOUS SOUL WENT TO HEAVEN IMMEDIATELY WHEN HE DIED?

Or does Paul's wider teaching consistently point toward:

DEATH / SLEEP.

↓

THE APPEARING OF CHRIST.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

IMMORTALITY.

↓

AND:

FOREVER WITH THE LORD?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 25 — “TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”

DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:21–23 TEACH THAT PAUL EXPECTED TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO HEAVEN WHEN HE DIED?

PART THREE

CONTINUED FROM PART TWO

QUICK FACT 320 — PAUL LATER KNEW THAT HIS DEATH WAS APPROACHING

Near the end of Paul's life, he wrote:

“For I am already being poured out, and the time of my departure has come.”

— 2 Timothy 4:6, BLB

This passage is extremely important for our investigation.

In Philippians Paul had said:

“I have the desire to depart and to be with Christ.”

— Philippians 1:23, BLB

Now, later in his life, Paul says:

“THE TIME OF MY DEPARTURE HAS COME.”

So what does Paul expect next?

Does he say:

MY SOUL IS ABOUT TO LEAVE MY BODY.

↓

I WILL IMMEDIATELY ENTER HEAVEN.

↓

I WILL RECEIVE MY REWARD THE MOMENT I DIE?

No.

Instead, Paul directs our attention toward a future:

“DAY.”

QUICK FACT 321 — PAUL SAYS HIS CROWN IS “LAID UP” FOR HIM

Paul continues:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

— 2 Timothy 4:7, BLB

Then he says:

“From now on, the crown of righteousness is laid up for me...”

— 2 Timothy 4:8, BLB

Notice:

THE CROWN IS:

“LAID UP.”

Paul has completed his race.

His death is approaching.

His reward is certain.

But Paul does NOT say:

I WILL RECEIVE MY CROWN THE MOMENT I DIE.

Instead, he tells us when the crown will be given.

QUICK FACT 322 — WHEN DOES PAUL EXPECT TO RECEIVE HIS CROWN?

Paul continues:

“which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me in that day...”

— 2 Timothy 4:8, BLB

Notice:

“IN THAT DAY.”

Paul's reward is:

CERTAIN.

It is:

“LAID UP”

for him.

But the awarding of it is connected with:

“THAT DAY.”

The sequence is therefore:

PAUL'S DEATH:

IS APPROACHING.

↓

HIS CROWN:

IS LAID UP.

↓

THE LORD WILL AWARD IT:

“IN THAT DAY.”

Paul therefore does not describe death itself as the moment when he receives his final reward.

QUICK FACT 323 — PAUL CONNECTS THE REWARD WITH CHRIST'S APPEARING

The remainder of 2 Timothy 4:8 makes the point even stronger.

Paul says that the crown will be awarded not only to him:

“but also to all those loving His appearing.”

— 2 Timothy 4:8, BLB

Notice the connection:

THE CROWN.

↓

“THAT DAY.”

↓

CHRIST'S:

“APPEARING.”

This agrees remarkably well with Paul's other writings.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:

CHRIST DESCENDS.

↓

THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.

↓

BELIEVERS MEET THE LORD.

↓

“SO ALWAYS WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD.”

1 CORINTHIANS 15:

THE LAST TRUMPET.

↓

THE DEAD ARE RAISED.

↓

THE MORTAL IS CHANGED.

↓

IMMORTALITY IS PUT ON.

PHILIPPIANS 3:

WE AWAIT THE SAVIOR FROM HEAVEN.

↓

CHRIST COMES.

↓

HE TRANSFORMS OUR BODY.

2 TIMOTHY 4:

PAUL'S DEATH APPROACHES.

↓

HIS CROWN IS LAID UP.

↓

THE LORD AWARDS IT:

“IN THAT DAY.”

↓

CONNECTED WITH:

CHRIST'S APPEARING.

The pattern is remarkably consistent.

QUICK FACT 324 — PAUL'S “DEPARTURE” DOES NOT CANCEL HIS RESURRECTION HOPE

We can now compare Paul's two statements directly.

PHILIPPIANS 1:23:

“I have the desire to depart and to be with Christ...”

2 TIMOTHY 4:6:

“the time of my departure has come.”

But when Paul actually reaches the time of his:

DEPARTURE,

his expectation remains directed toward:

“THAT DAY”

and:

CHRIST'S APPEARING.

Therefore:

“DEPART”

does not require the interpretation:

MY CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOUL WILL IMMEDIATELY ASCEND TO HEAVEN.

Paul can speak of:

DEPARTURE

while still looking toward:

THE FUTURE APPEARING OF CHRIST

for his reward.

QUICK FACT 325 — PAUL'S PERSONAL HOPE WAS THE RESURRECTION

Paul had already told the Philippians:

“if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection out from the dead.”

— Philippians 3:11, BLB

This statement should be given enormous weight when interpreting Philippians 1:23.

The same letter contains:

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

AND:

“THE RESURRECTION OUT FROM THE DEAD.”

It also contains:

“WE ARE AWAITING A SAVIOR.”

AND:

“WHO WILL TRANSFORM OUR BODY OF HUMILIATION.”

Therefore Paul's theology in Philippians itself points toward:

CHRIST'S RETURN.

RESURRECTION.

AND:

BODILY TRANSFORMATION.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 25 — PART FOUR

In Part Four we will begin with:

QUICK FACT 326 — PAUL'S HOPE WAS NOT PERMANENT DISEMBODIMENT.

We will then examine:

2 CORINTHIANS 5.

WHY PAUL WANTED TO BE “CLOTHED.”

WHY MORTALITY MUST BE “SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE.”

WHY THE WORD “HEAVEN” DOES NOT APPEAR IN PHILIPPIANS 1:23.

PAUL'S REPEATED EXPECTATION OF:

“THAT DAY.”

AND:

HOW PAUL'S OWN WRITINGS INTERPRET HIS DESIRE:

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

Then we will give the final conclusion to Part 25.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 25 — “TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”

DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:21–23 TEACH THAT PAUL EXPECTED TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO HEAVEN WHEN HE DIED?

PART FOUR

CONTINUED FROM PART THREE

QUICK FACT 326 — PAUL'S HOPE WAS NOT PERMANENT DISEMBODIMENT

Paul's teaching in 2 Corinthians 5 is important when interpreting Philippians 1:23.

Paul speaks about our present mortal condition and says:

“For indeed, being in the tent we groan, being burdened, because of which we do not desire to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that the mortal may be swallowed up by life.”

— 2 Corinthians 5:4, BLB

Notice carefully what Paul says.

He does NOT say his great hope is:

TO BECOME DISEMBODIED.

Instead he says:

“WE DO NOT DESIRE TO BE UNCLOTHED.”

His desire is:

“TO BE CLOTHED.”

And why?

“So that the mortal may be swallowed up by life.”

Again Paul's great hope is:

MORTALITY

↓

SWALLOWED UP BY:

LIFE.

This agrees with his teaching in 1 Corinthians 15.

QUICK FACT 327 — PAUL SAYS THE MORTAL MUST “PUT ON IMMORTALITY”

Paul writes:

“For it behooves this perishable to put on imperishable, and this mortal to put on immortality.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

Notice the language:

THIS MORTAL

↓

MUST:

PUT ON IMMORTALITY.

When does this happen?

Paul has just told us:

“at the last trumpet.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:52, BLB

The sequence is:

THE TRUMPET SOUNDS.

↓

THE DEAD ARE RAISED.

↓

THE LIVING ARE CHANGED.

↓

THE PERISHABLE PUTS ON:

IMPERISHABILITY.

↓

THE MORTAL PUTS ON:

IMMORTALITY.

This is Paul's great victory over death.

QUICK FACT 328 — “WITH CHRIST” IS THE DESTINATION, BUT PHILIPPIANS 1:23 DOES NOT DEFINE THE INTERVAL

This distinction helps us understand the passage.

Paul absolutely expects to:

BE WITH CHRIST.

There is no reason to weaken those words.

The question is:

WHEN?

And:

HOW?

Philippians 1:23 itself does not describe what happens during the interval between:

DEATH

and:

BEING WITH CHRIST.

Paul simply joins his:

DEPARTURE

with his ultimate desire:

BEING WITH CHRIST.

But elsewhere Paul provides a much fuller chronology:

DEATH / SLEEP.

↓

THE APPEARING OF CHRIST.

↓

THE RESURRECTION.

↓

TRANSFORMATION.

↓

IMMORTALITY.

↓

FOREVER WITH THE LORD.

Therefore we should not force Philippians 1:23 to describe an intermediate state that Paul does not actually describe there.

QUICK FACT 329 — THE WORD “HEAVEN” DOES NOT APPEAR IN PHILIPPIANS 1:23

This simple observation is worth emphasizing.

Paul says:

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

He does NOT say:

TO DEPART AND GO TO HEAVEN.

He does NOT say:

MY SOUL WILL DEPART FOR HEAVEN.

He does NOT say:

MY SPIRIT WILL REMAIN CONSCIOUS AFTER DEATH.

He does NOT say:

I WILL BE CONSCIOUSLY WITH CHRIST BEFORE THE RESURRECTION.

And he does NOT say:

I WILL GO TO CHRIST IMMEDIATELY WHEN I DIE.

The passage certainly teaches:

PAUL WANTS TO BE WITH CHRIST.

But the doctrine of:

AN IMMORTAL DISEMBODIED SOUL GOING IMMEDIATELY TO HEAVEN

is not explicitly stated in these words.

QUICK FACT 330 — PAUL REPEATEDLY LOOKS FORWARD TO “THAT DAY”

There is another revealing pattern in Paul's writings.

Paul says:

“I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to guard my deposit unto that day.”

— 2 Timothy 1:12, BLB

Again:

“THAT DAY.”

And concerning Onesiphorus Paul says:

“May the Lord grant unto him to find mercy from the Lord in that day.”

— 2 Timothy 1:18, BLB

Then near his approaching death:

“the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me in that day...”

— 2 Timothy 4:8, BLB

Paul repeatedly reaches forward toward:

“THAT DAY.”

His expectation centers upon:

CHRIST.

RESURRECTION.

JUDGMENT.

REWARD.

AND:

THE APPEARING OF JESUS.

QUICK FACT 331 — PAUL'S OWN WRITINGS SHOULD INTERPRET PHILIPPIANS 1:23

We can now bring Paul's statements together.

PHILIPPIANS 1:23:

“I have the desire to depart and to be with Christ.”

PHILIPPIANS 3:11:

Paul seeks:

“THE RESURRECTION OUT FROM THE DEAD.”

PHILIPPIANS 3:20:

“We are awaiting a Savior.”

PHILIPPIANS 3:21:

Christ:

“WILL TRANSFORM OUR BODY.”

1 THESSALONIANS 4:16:

“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”

1 THESSALONIANS 4:17:

“SO ALWAYS WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD.”

1 CORINTHIANS 15:53:

“THIS MORTAL”

must:

“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”

2 TIMOTHY 4:8:

Paul receives his crown:

“IN THAT DAY”

in connection with:

CHRIST'S APPEARING.

These passages provide the wider context for understanding:

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

QUICK FACT 332 — PAUL NEVER SAYS HIS IMMORTAL SOUL WILL GO TO CHRIST

This point deserves to be stated clearly.

In Philippians 1:21–23 Paul never uses the expression:

IMMORTAL SOUL.

He never says:

MY SOUL WILL DEPART.

He never says:

MY SOUL WILL GO TO HEAVEN.

He never says:

MY SOUL CANNOT DIE.

And he never says:

MY CONSCIOUS SOUL WILL LIVE WITH CHRIST UNTIL MY BODY IS RESURRECTED.

Those concepts have to be:

READ INTO

the passage.

What Paul actually says is much simpler:

HE DESIRES TO:

DEPART

AND:

BE WITH CHRIST.

We must interpret those words through Paul's clearer teaching concerning:

DEATH.

RESURRECTION.

IMMORTALITY.

AND:

THE RETURN OF CHRIST.

QUICK FACT 333 — FOR THE DEAD, THE PASSAGE OF TIME NEED NOT BE CONSCIOUSLY EXPERIENCED

This provides a natural explanation for Paul's language.

Suppose Paul dies.

From the standpoint of history:

CENTURIES PASS.

But if Paul is unconscious in death, Paul experiences:

NONE OF THAT PASSING TIME.

His experience would therefore be:

PAUL CLOSES HIS EYES IN DEATH.

↓

NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF TIME.

↓

THE TRUMPET SOUNDS.

↓

PAUL IS RAISED.

↓

PAUL SEES CHRIST.

↓

PAUL IS:

WITH THE LORD.

Therefore Paul's desire:

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”

does not require a conscious intermediate existence.

From Paul's own conscious perspective, there need be no experienced interval between:

DEATH

and:

RESURRECTION.

PART 25 — FINAL CONCLUSION

Does Philippians 1:21–23 prove that Paul's conscious immortal soul would immediately leave his body and go to heaven when he died?

THE PASSAGE DOES NOT SAY THIS.

Paul certainly desired:

TO BE WITH CHRIST.

But Philippians 1:23 does not mention:

AN IMMORTAL SOUL.

A SOUL LEAVING THE BODY.

AN IMMEDIATE ASCENT TO HEAVEN.

A CONSCIOUS INTERMEDIATE STATE.

OR:

CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE BEFORE THE RESURRECTION.

Instead Paul's wider teaching repeatedly points toward:

DEATH / SLEEP.

↓

THE APPEARING OF CHRIST.

↓

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

↓

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE BODY.

↓

THE MORTAL PUTTING ON:

IMMORTALITY.

↓

AND:

“SO ALWAYS WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD.”

Near the end of Paul's life he knew:

“THE TIME OF MY DEPARTURE HAS COME.”

— 2 Timothy 4:6, BLB

Yet his crown remained:

“LAID UP”

for him.

When would he receive it?

“IN THAT DAY.”

— 2 Timothy 4:8, BLB

And Paul connects that day with:

CHRIST'S:

“APPEARING.”

Therefore Philippians 1:23 does not require us to overturn Paul's repeated teaching concerning:

THE RESURRECTION.

Paul's great hope was not:

AN IMMORTAL SOUL ESCAPING FROM THE BODY AT DEATH.

His great hope was:

JESUS CHRIST.

↓

THE APPEARING OF CHRIST.

↓

THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.

↓

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE MORTAL BODY.

↓

IMMORTALITY.

↓

AND:

EVERLASTING LIFE WITH THE LORD.

COMING NEXT:

PART 26 — “THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT GOES UP TO AGES OF AGES”

DOES REVELATION 14:9–11 TEACH ETERNAL CONSCIOUS TORMENT?

Revelation 14:11 is one of the strongest passages used to argue that the unsaved remain:

CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE

AND:

SUFFERING FOREVER.

It says:

“the smoke of their torment goes up to ages of ages...”

— Revelation 14:11, BLB

At first sight this can appear decisive.

But Revelation is a book filled with:

SYMBOLS.

VISIONS.

APOCALYPTIC IMAGERY.

AND:

OLD TESTAMENT LANGUAGE.

And the expression:

“SMOKE... GOES UP”

has a striking Old Testament background.

Isaiah describes God's judgment upon Edom:

“Its smoke will go up forever.”

— Isaiah 34:10

Yet Edom is not literally still burning today.

So what does Revelation mean when it says:

“THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT GOES UP TO AGES OF AGES”?

Does it mean:

THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES MUST REMAIN ALIVE FOREVER?

Or can everlasting ascending smoke symbolize:

A COMPLETE AND IRREVERSIBLE DIVINE JUDGMENT?

That will be our next investigation.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

EXAMINE THE OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 26 — “THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT GOES UP TO AGES OF AGES”

DOES REVELATION 14:9–11 TEACH ETERNAL CONSCIOUS TORMENT?

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

Revelation 14:9–11 is one of the strongest passages used to support the doctrine that the unsaved remain consciously alive and suffering forever.

John writes:

“And another, a third angel, followed them, saying in a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand,

he also will drink of the wine of the anger of God, having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath; and he will be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb.

And the smoke of their torment goes up to ages of ages; and those worshiping the beast and its image have no rest day and night, and if anyone receives the mark of its name.’”

— Revelation 14:9–11, BLB

At first sight, this can sound like:

THE UNSAVED ARE KEPT ALIVE FOREVER.

↓

THEY ARE CONSCIOUSLY TORMENTED FOREVER.

↓

THEIR SUFFERING NEVER ENDS.

But Revelation is an apocalyptic book filled with:

SYMBOLS.

VISIONS.

BEASTS.

HORNS.

MARKS.

CUPS.

FIRE.

BRIMSTONE.

AND:

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETIC IMAGERY.

Therefore the correct question is not:

WHAT DOES THIS VERSE SOUND LIKE WHEN ISOLATED?

The correct question is:

WHAT BIBLICAL LANGUAGE IS JOHN USING?

AND:

WHAT DID THAT LANGUAGE MEAN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?

QUICK FACT 334 — THE PASSAGE IS ABOUT THE WORSHIPERS OF THE BEAST

The immediate context concerns people who:

WORSHIP THE BEAST.

WORSHIP ITS IMAGE.

AND:

RECEIVE ITS MARK.

This is important because Revelation is presenting a specific end-time judgment scene.

The passage is not giving a general philosophical explanation of what every dead unbeliever experiences immediately after death.

It is a prophetic judgment warning.

QUICK FACT 335 — THE “WINE OF THE ANGER OF GOD” IS PROPHETIC JUDGMENT LANGUAGE

Revelation says these people will drink:

“THE WINE OF THE ANGER OF GOD.”

This imagery has deep roots in the Old Testament.

The prophets repeatedly speak of God's wrath as a:

CUP

or:

WINE

that nations are forced to drink.

For example, Jeremiah speaks of:

“THE CUP OF THE WINE OF WRATH”

being given to nations under judgment.

The imagery therefore concerns:

DIVINE JUDGMENT.

It does not automatically tell us that the punished person must remain consciously alive forever.

QUICK FACT 336 — FIRE AND BRIMSTONE ALSO HAVE OLD TESTAMENT JUDGMENT BACKGROUNDS

Revelation says:

“he will be tormented in fire and brimstone...”

This language immediately recalls:

SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

Genesis describes God raining:

“BRIMSTONE AND FIRE”

upon Sodom and Gomorrah.

What happened to those cities?

They were:

DESTROYED.

Jude later calls their judgment:

“ETERNAL FIRE.”

Yet Sodom and Gomorrah are not still visibly burning today.

The fire accomplished a:

COMPLETE

AND:

IRREVERSIBLE

judgment.

Therefore:

FIRE AND BRIMSTONE

do not automatically mean:

CONSCIOUS CREATURES MUST REMAIN ALIVE FOREVER IN THE FIRE.

QUICK FACT 337 — “THE SMOKE GOES UP” HAS A DIRECT OLD TESTAMENT PARALLEL

This is one of the most important facts in the passage.

Revelation says:

“THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT GOES UP TO AGES OF AGES.”

Isaiah uses strikingly similar language concerning the judgment of:

EDOM.

Isaiah describes the land burning and says:

“Its smoke will go up forever.”

— Isaiah 34:10

This is extremely important.

Was Edom literally going to burn without end?

Is smoke still physically rising from Edom today?

No.

The language signifies:

TOTAL.

IRREVERSIBLE.

DIVINELY EXECUTED JUDGMENT.

The smoke remains as a symbolic testimony that the judgment was:

FINAL.

QUICK FACT 338 — THE SUBJECT OF THE EVERLASTING ASCENT IS “SMOKE”

Notice the wording carefully.

Revelation does not say:

THE PEOPLE ASCEND FOREVER.

It says:

“THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT GOES UP...”

That distinction matters.

In biblical judgment imagery, ascending smoke can represent the permanent memory and finality of destruction.

The smoke is the testimony of:

A JUDGMENT COMPLETED.

This is exactly the kind of imagery used concerning Edom in Isaiah 34.

QUICK FACT 339 — “NO REST DAY AND NIGHT” DESCRIBES THE JUDGMENT SCENE

Revelation continues:

“they have no rest day and night...”

This sounds especially strong.

But again we must ask:

IS JOHN DESCRIBING AN ENDLESS POST-DEATH STATE?

OR:

THE EXPERIENCE OF THOSE UNDER GOD'S ACTIVE JUDGMENT?

The passage describes people who:

WORSHIP THE BEAST.

RECEIVE ITS MARK.

DRINK THE CUP OF GOD'S WRATH.

AND:

EXPERIENCE THE JUDGMENT OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE.

The phrase:

“NO REST DAY AND NIGHT”

naturally emphasizes the:

RELENTLESS

and:

UNRELIEVED

nature of the judgment while it is occurring.

It does not by itself prove that the judged remain immortal forever.

QUICK FACT 340 — REVELATION ITSELF LATER CALLS THE FINAL PUNISHMENT “THE SECOND DEATH”

This is extremely important.

Later Revelation describes the lake of fire and says:

“This is the second death.”

— Revelation 20:14

And again:

“the lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

— Revelation 21:8

Notice the biblical label:

DEATH.

Not:

ETERNAL IMMORTAL LIFE IN SUFFERING.

Not:

AN INDESTRUCTIBLE SOUL KEPT ALIVE FOREVER.

Revelation itself calls the final punishment:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

Therefore Revelation 14 must ultimately be interpreted consistently with Revelation's own later explanation of final judgment.

QUICK FACT 341 — THE UNSAVED ARE NOT SAID TO RECEIVE IMMORTALITY

Paul says:

“this mortal must put on immortality.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

Immortality is connected with the resurrection transformation of God's people.

Nowhere does Scripture plainly say:

THE UNSAVED ALSO PUT ON IMMORTALITY SO THEY CAN BE TORMENTED FOREVER.

This is a major question for the doctrine of eternal conscious torment.

If the wicked are to remain consciously alive forever, what sustains that eternal life?

The Bible repeatedly presents:

ETERNAL LIFE

as:

GOD'S GIFT.

And it repeatedly presents the fate of the wicked in terms of:

DEATH.

PERISHING.

DESTRUCTION.

AND:

THE SECOND DEATH.

QUICK FACT 342 — REVELATION'S SYMBOLISM MUST BE INTERPRETED BY SCRIPTURE

This is the same interpretive principle we used with:

THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR.

Revelation contains highly symbolic imagery.

Therefore phrases such as:

SMOKE GOING UP FOREVER.

FIRE AND BRIMSTONE.

NO REST DAY AND NIGHT.

must be interpreted within the Bible's wider prophetic language.

When Isaiah says:

“ITS SMOKE WILL GO UP FOREVER”

concerning Edom,

the result is not:

ETERNAL CONSCIOUS EDOMEAN SUFFERING.

The result is:

IRREVERSIBLE DIVINE DESTRUCTION.

That parallel is too important to ignore.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 26 — PART TWO

In Part Two we will examine:

ISAIAH 34 IN MORE DETAIL.

SODOM AND GOMORRAH AS AN EXAMPLE OF “ETERNAL FIRE.”

WHY “ETERNAL” CAN DESCRIBE AN IRREVERSIBLE RESULT.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN:

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT

AND:

ETERNAL PUNISHING.

THE “SECOND DEATH.”

AND:

WHETHER REVELATION 14 REALLY REQUIRES THE WICKED TO REMAIN ALIVE FOREVER.

We will also compare Revelation 14 with:

MALACHI 4.

where the wicked become:

“ASHES.”

And with:

MATTHEW 10:28,

where Jesus says God can:

“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA.”

Then we can ask:

IS THE FINAL PUNISHMENT OF THE UNSAVED:

ENDLESS CONSCIOUS LIFE IN PAIN?

OR:

A FINAL, IRREVERSIBLE JUDGMENT ENDING IN:

THE SECOND DEATH?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

EXAMINE THE OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 26 — “THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT GOES UP TO AGES OF AGES”

DOES REVELATION 14:9–11 TEACH ETERNAL CONSCIOUS TORMENT?

PART TWO

CONTINUED FROM PART ONE

In Part One we discovered that Revelation 14 uses language deeply rooted in:

OLD TESTAMENT JUDGMENT IMAGERY.

We examined:

FIRE AND BRIMSTONE.

THE CUP OF GOD'S WRATH.

NO REST DAY AND NIGHT.

AND:

“THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT GOES UP TO AGES OF AGES.”

Most importantly, we discovered a striking parallel with:

ISAIAH 34,

where Edom's judgment is described with the words:

“ITS SMOKE WILL GO UP FOREVER.”

Yet Edom is not literally still burning today.

This tells us that prophetic language about:

EVERLASTING SMOKE

can symbolize:

A COMPLETE.

IRREVERSIBLE.

DIVINE JUDGMENT.

Now let us continue.

QUICK FACT 343 — ISAIAH 34 DESCRIBES COMPLETE DEVASTATION, NOT ENDLESS CONSCIOUS TORMENT

Isaiah 34 describes God's judgment upon Edom.

The imagery is severe.

The land is described as burning.

Its streams become pitch.

Its dust becomes brimstone.

And:

“its smoke will go up forever.”

— Isaiah 34:10

But notice the result.

The land becomes:

DESOLATE.

EMPTY.

ABANDONED.

The prophecy does not describe:

IMMORTAL EDOMITES CONSCIOUSLY BURNING FOREVER.

Instead it describes:

TOTAL DEVASTATION.

Therefore the expression:

“SMOKE GOING UP FOREVER”

functions as a symbol of:

FINAL DESTRUCTION.

This is highly relevant to Revelation 14:11.

QUICK FACT 344 — “ETERNAL FIRE” DESTROYED SODOM AND GOMORRAH

Jude provides another important example.

He says:

“Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them... are set forth as an example, undergoing the penalty of eternal fire.”

— Jude 7, BLB

Notice:

“ETERNAL FIRE.”

But are Sodom and Gomorrah still visibly burning?

No.

Peter explains what happened:

God:

“having reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes...”

— 2 Peter 2:6, BLB

Notice:

REDUCED TO:

ASHES.

Therefore:

ETERNAL FIRE

can describe a fire whose:

JUDGMENT IS ETERNAL IN RESULT

without requiring the object of judgment to remain burning forever.

QUICK FACT 345 — “ETERNAL” CAN DESCRIBE THE RESULT OF A DIVINE ACT

This principle appears elsewhere in Scripture.

Consider:

ETERNAL REDEMPTION.

— Hebrews 9:12

Does Christ continue:

REDEEMING

forever and ever without ever completing redemption?

No.

The redemption has:

AN ETERNAL RESULT.

Likewise:

ETERNAL JUDGMENT.

— Hebrews 6:2

The judgment itself does not need to be an endless process of judging.

Its:

RESULT

is permanent.

Therefore when Scripture speaks of:

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT

we should distinguish between:

PUNISHMENT WITH AN ETERNAL RESULT

and:

AN ENDLESS PROCESS OF PUNISHING.

That distinction becomes extremely important.

QUICK FACT 346 — “ETERNAL PUNISHMENT” IS NOT THE SAME PHRASE AS “ETERNAL PUNISHING”

Jesus says:

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

— Matthew 25:46, BLB

The Greek noun translated:

“PUNISHMENT”

is:

κόλασις — KOLASIS.

Jesus says:

ETERNAL:

PUNISHMENT.

He does not use a phrase meaning:

ETERNAL:

PUNISHING.

This matters because a punishment can be:

FINAL.

IRREVERSIBLE.

PERMANENT.

For example:

DEATH

can be an eternal punishment if the person:

NEVER RETURNS TO LIFE.

The result lasts forever.

QUICK FACT 347 — THE CONTRAST IN MATTHEW 25:46 IS BETWEEN PUNISHMENT AND LIFE

Notice the two destinations:

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

VERSUS:

ETERNAL LIFE.

The righteous receive:

LIFE.

This raises an important question.

What do the wicked receive?

Does the text say:

ETERNAL LIFE IN TORMENT?

No.

It says:

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

Elsewhere Scripture identifies the final punishment as:

DEATH.

DESTRUCTION.

PERISHING.

AND:

THE SECOND DEATH.

This gives us important context for Matthew 25:46.

QUICK FACT 348 — MALACHI SAYS THE WICKED BECOME “ASHES”

Malachi gives a striking description of the final judgment:

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff...”

— Malachi 4:1

Then:

“the coming day will set them ablaze...”

And:

“it will leave them neither root nor branch.”

Then Malachi says concerning the righteous:

“And you will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet...”

— Malachi 4:3

Notice:

THE WICKED:

BECOME:

ASHES.

This is very different imagery from:

IMMORTAL BEINGS KEPT ALIVE FOREVER IN FIRE.

The picture is:

DESTRUCTION.

QUICK FACT 349 — JESUS SAYS GOD CAN “DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY”

We have already examined:

Matthew 10:28.

Jesus says:

“fear rather the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”

— Matthew 10:28, BLB

Notice again:

DESTROY.

If the final destiny of the wicked were:

ETERNAL CONSCIOUS LIFE IN TORMENT,

then the language:

“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY”

would require explanation.

Jesus' statement naturally fits:

FINAL DESTRUCTION.

QUICK FACT 350 — PAUL ALSO USES THE LANGUAGE OF DESTRUCTION

Paul writes:

“who will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord...”

— 2 Thessalonians 1:9, BLB

Notice:

“ETERNAL DESTRUCTION.”

Again, the phrase is not:

ETERNAL LIFE IN SUFFERING.

It is:

DESTRUCTION

whose result is:

ETERNAL.

This is another reason to distinguish:

ENDLESS SUFFERING

from:

AN IRREVERSIBLE FINAL JUDGMENT.

QUICK FACT 351 — REVELATION ITSELF CALLS THE FINAL DESTINY “THE SECOND DEATH”

This remains one of the strongest internal clues.

Revelation says:

“this is the second death—the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14

And again:

“the lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

— Revelation 21:8

Notice the inspired definition:

THE LAKE OF FIRE

=

THE SECOND DEATH.

Not:

THE SECOND LIFE.

Not:

IMMORTAL LIFE IN TORMENT.

But:

DEATH.

This must be allowed to interpret the symbolism of Revelation 14.

QUICK FACT 352 — “AGES OF AGES” DOES NOT REQUIRE THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES TO REMAIN ALIVE FOREVER

Revelation 14:11 says:

“the smoke of their torment goes up to ages of ages...”

The Greek phrase is:

εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων

EIS AIŌNAS AIŌNŌN.

It is a very strong expression of duration.

But notice again:

WHAT ASCENDS?

THE:

SMOKE.

The text does not say:

THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES ASCEND FOREVER.

Isaiah provides the prophetic precedent:

EDOM'S:

SMOKE

“GOES UP FOREVER.”

The point is:

THE JUDGMENT IS FINAL.

ITS RESULT CANNOT BE REVERSED.

QUICK FACT 353 — THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER GOD'S JUDGMENT IS ETERNAL

This distinction is crucial.

The biblical alternative to eternal conscious torment is NOT:

TEMPORARY JUDGMENT WITH NO LASTING CONSEQUENCE.

The judgment is absolutely:

FINAL.

SERIOUS.

IRREVERSIBLE.

AND:

ETERNAL IN CONSEQUENCE.

The real question is:

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THAT ETERNAL PUNISHMENT?

Is it:

ETERNAL CONSCIOUS LIFE IN PAIN?

Or:

IRREVERSIBLE DESTRUCTION AND DEATH?

The wider biblical language repeatedly points toward:

DEATH.

DESTRUCTION.

PERISHING.

ASHES.

AND:

THE SECOND DEATH.

PART 26 — FINAL CONCLUSION

Does Revelation 14:9–11 require the doctrine of eternal conscious torment?

The passage certainly describes:

A TERRIBLE DIVINE JUDGMENT.

It uses:

FIRE.

BRIMSTONE.

TORMENT.

NO REST DAY AND NIGHT.

AND:

SMOKE ASCENDING TO AGES OF AGES.

But these expressions must be interpreted within:

REVELATION'S SYMBOLISM

and:

THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETIC BACKGROUND.

Isaiah says concerning Edom:

“ITS SMOKE WILL GO UP FOREVER.”

Yet Edom is not still burning.

Jude speaks of:

“ETERNAL FIRE”

against Sodom and Gomorrah.

Peter says those cities were:

REDUCED TO:

ASHES.

Malachi says the wicked will become:

ASHES.

Jesus says God can:

“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA.”

Paul speaks of:

“ETERNAL DESTRUCTION.”

And Revelation itself calls the lake of fire:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

Therefore the language of Revelation 14 can naturally be understood as describing:

A TERRIBLE.

UNAVOIDABLE.

IRREVERSIBLE.

AND:

FINAL JUDGMENT.

The smoke rises as the everlasting testimony of:

A JUDGMENT THAT CANNOT BE UNDONE.

This does not require the conclusion that God grants the wicked:

IMMORTALITY

so that they can remain consciously alive and suffering forever.

The biblical contrast remains:

ETERNAL LIFE

VERSUS:

FINAL DEATH.

COMING NEXT:

PART 27 — THE GREAT WHITE THRONE, THE LAKE OF FIRE AND THE SECOND DEATH

WHAT IS THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE UNSAVED?

This will bring together:

REVELATION 20:10–15.

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

THE RESURRECTION TO JUDGMENT.

THE BOOK OF LIFE.

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

AND:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

We will ask:

WHY DOES REVELATION CALL THE FINAL PUNISHMENT:

DEATH?

WHAT HAPPENS TO:

DEATH

AND:

HADES?

WHY ARE THEY THEMSELVES THROWN INTO:

THE LAKE OF FIRE?

AND:

DOES THE FINAL JUDGMENT END WITH THE UNSAVED LIVING FOREVER IN PAIN—

OR WITH:

DEATH ITSELF

ULTIMATELY BEING:

DESTROYED?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

EXAMINE THE OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 27 — THE GREAT WHITE THRONE, THE LAKE OF FIRE AND THE SECOND DEATH

WHAT IS THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE UNSAVED?

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

We have now examined many of the most important passages used to support the belief that the dead remain consciously alive after death.

We have also examined the claim that the unsaved will remain consciously alive forever in torment.

Now we come to one of the most important final passages in the entire study:

REVELATION 20:10–15.

This passage contains:

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

THE RESURRECTION TO JUDGMENT.

THE BOOKS.

THE BOOK OF LIFE.

DEATH.

HADES.

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

AND:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

The central question is:

WHAT IS THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE UNSAVED?

Is the lake of fire:

A PLACE WHERE IMMORTAL HUMAN SOULS LIVE FOREVER IN CONSCIOUS TORMENT?

Or does Revelation itself define the final punishment as:

“THE SECOND DEATH”?

We must allow Revelation to explain Revelation.

QUICK FACT 354 — THE DEAD ARE RAISED FOR JUDGMENT

John writes:

“And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled, and no place was found for them.”

— Revelation 20:11, BLB

Then:

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne...”

— Revelation 20:12, BLB

Notice carefully:

THEY ARE CALLED:

“THE DEAD.”

Yet they are now standing before the throne.

This means:

THEY HAVE BEEN RAISED.

This fits the wider biblical teaching that there will be:

A RESURRECTION TO JUDGMENT.

Jesus said:

“all those in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth...”

— John 5:28–29, BLB

Some come forth to:

LIFE.

Others to:

JUDGMENT.

QUICK FACT 355 — THE DEAD ARE JUDGED ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS

John continues:

“And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of the things having been written in the books, according to their works.”

— Revelation 20:12, BLB

Notice:

THE DEAD ARE:

JUDGED.

The judgment is:

ACCOUNTABLE.

INDIVIDUAL.

RIGHTEOUS.

They are judged:

“ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS.”

This is not random destruction.

It is:

DIVINE JUDGMENT.

QUICK FACT 356 — DEATH AND HADES GIVE UP THE DEAD

John then says:

“And the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead in them...”

— Revelation 20:13, BLB

This is extremely important.

Notice the language:

DEATH:

GIVES UP THE DEAD.

HADES:

GIVES UP THE DEAD.

This shows that:

HADES

is not presented here as the final destination of the wicked.

It is a temporary realm associated with:

THE DEAD.

The dead are:

BROUGHT OUT

for:

JUDGMENT.

This is exactly why Hades itself is later:

DESTROYED.

QUICK FACT 357 — HADES IS NOT THE FINAL PUNISHMENT

Some traditions teach:

THE UNSAVED DIE.

↓

THEY GO CONSCIOUSLY TO HADES.

↓

THEN THEY REMAIN THERE FOREVER.

But Revelation 20 says:

HADES:

“GAVE UP THE DEAD.”

Then:

DEATH AND HADES

are themselves:

THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

Therefore:

HADES

cannot be the final eternal destination.

It is:

TEMPORARY.

The final judgment happens:

AFTER HADES GIVES UP THE DEAD.

QUICK FACT 358 — DEATH ITSELF IS THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE

John says:

“And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

This is extraordinary.

Ask:

CAN DEATH ITSELF BE LITERALLY TORTURED?

Can Hades:

FEEL PAIN?

Obviously:

NO.

Therefore the lake of fire contains:

SYMBOLIC JUDGMENT LANGUAGE.

When:

DEATH

is thrown into the lake of fire,

the meaning is:

DEATH IS ABOLISHED.

When:

HADES

is thrown into the lake of fire,

the meaning is:

THE GRAVE / REALM OF THE DEAD IS ABOLISHED.

This is final destruction imagery.

QUICK FACT 359 — REVELATION ITSELF DEFINES THE LAKE OF FIRE

Now comes one of the clearest statements in the chapter:

“This is the second death—the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

Notice:

THE LAKE OF FIRE

=

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

This is Revelation's own definition.

It does not call it:

THE SECOND LIFE.

It does not call it:

ETERNAL IMMORTAL EXISTENCE IN TORMENT.

It calls it:

DEATH.

This must be given enormous weight.

QUICK FACT 360 — WHY CALL IT “THE SECOND DEATH”?

The first death is:

THE DEATH HUMAN BEINGS EXPERIENCE IN THIS PRESENT AGE.

But Scripture teaches that the dead will be:

RAISED.

Therefore the first death is:

NOT FINAL.

The second death is different.

After resurrection.

After judgment.

After the books are opened.

After the final verdict.

Then comes:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

This is:

FINAL.

There is no later resurrection described from:

THE SECOND DEATH.

That is why it is:

IRREVERSIBLE.

QUICK FACT 361 — THE BOOK OF LIFE DETERMINES WHO ESCAPES THE SECOND DEATH

John says:

“And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:15, BLB

Notice the contrast:

WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.

VERSUS:

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

Again the great biblical contrast is:

LIFE

VERSUS:

DEATH.

The saved receive:

LIFE.

The condemned face:

THE SECOND DEATH.

QUICK FACT 362 — THE SECOND DEATH FITS THE WIDER BIBLICAL LANGUAGE

This language agrees with many other passages we have examined.

Jesus says God can:

“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA.”

— Matthew 10:28, BLB

Paul says:

“THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH.”

— Romans 6:23

Paul speaks of:

“ETERNAL DESTRUCTION.”

— 2 Thessalonians 1:9

Malachi says the wicked become:

“ASHES.”

— Malachi 4:3

Revelation says:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

These statements fit together naturally.

QUICK FACT 363 — THE FINAL DESTINY IS NOT PRESENTED AS IMMORTAL LIFE FOR THE WICKED

This question is extremely important.

Where does Scripture say:

THE WICKED RECEIVE IMMORTALITY

so that they can:

LIVE FOREVER

IN:

TORMENT?

Paul says:

“this mortal must put on immortality.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

But this transformation is connected with:

THE RESURRECTION VICTORY OF GOD'S PEOPLE.

Eternal life is:

A GIFT.

Immortality is:

PUT ON.

The wicked are not described as receiving:

ETERNAL LIFE.

Instead their final destiny is called:

DEATH.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 27 — PART TWO

In Part Two we will examine:

WHY “DEATH AND HADES” BEING DESTROYED IS SO IMPORTANT.

THE MEANING OF:

“THE LAST ENEMY TO BE DESTROYED IS DEATH.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:26

WHY THE LAKE OF FIRE CAN SYMBOLIZE FINAL DESTRUCTION.

HOW REVELATION 21 CONTINUES THE STORY.

WHO IS EXCLUDED FROM THE NEW CREATION.

WHY THE WICKED EXPERIENCE:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

AND:

WHY FINAL JUDGMENT ENDS WITH:

LIFE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE

AND:

DEATH FOR THE CONDEMNED.

We will then bring Revelation 20 together with everything we have studied about:

DEATH.

HADES.

RESURRECTION.

JUDGMENT.

IMMORTALITY.

AND:

THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF DEATH ITSELF.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 27 — THE GREAT WHITE THRONE, THE LAKE OF FIRE AND THE SECOND DEATH

WHAT IS THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE UNSAVED?

PART TWO

CONTINUED FROM PART ONE

QUICK FACT 364 — “THE LAST ENEMY TO BE DESTROYED IS DEATH”

Paul gives us an extremely important statement concerning the ultimate purpose of God's plan:

“The last enemy being abolished is death.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:26, BLB

Notice:

DEATH IS:

AN ENEMY.

And what ultimately happens to this enemy?

IT IS:

ABOLISHED.

This fits remarkably well with Revelation 20:

“death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

Paul says:

DEATH WILL BE ABOLISHED.

Revelation pictures:

DEATH BEING THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

These passages complement one another.

QUICK FACT 365 — THE LAKE OF FIRE DESTROYS DEATH ITSELF

This raises an important question.

If the lake of fire necessarily means:

CONSCIOUS TORMENT,

then what does it mean when:

DEATH

is thrown into it?

Death is not:

A CONSCIOUS PERSON.

Death cannot:

FEEL PAIN.

Death cannot:

SCREAM.

Death cannot:

EXPERIENCE TORMENT.

Therefore the imagery of death being cast into the lake of fire naturally represents:

THE DESTRUCTION

or:

ABOLITION

OF DEATH.

The lake of fire therefore functions as imagery of:

FINAL DIVINE JUDGMENT.

QUICK FACT 366 — HADES IS ALSO ABOLISHED

Revelation says:

“death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

Earlier:

“Hades gave up the dead in them.”

— Revelation 20:13, BLB

Notice the sequence:

THE DEAD ARE IN:

HADES.

↓

HADES:

GIVES UP THE DEAD.

↓

THE DEAD ARE:

JUDGED.

↓

HADES ITSELF:

IS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

Therefore Hades cannot be:

THE FINAL ETERNAL DESTINATION OF THE DEAD.

Eventually:

HADES CEASES TO HAVE A FUNCTION.

Why?

Because after the final resurrection and judgment there is no longer any need for:

THE REALM OF THE DEAD.

QUICK FACT 367 — REVELATION 21 SHOWS WHAT COMES AFTER THE FINAL JUDGMENT

Immediately after Revelation 20, John sees:

“a new heaven and a new earth.”

— Revelation 21:1, BLB

Then John hears:

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them...”

— Revelation 21:3, BLB

This is the glorious outcome of God's plan.

God dwells with:

HIS PEOPLE.

Then comes one of the most beautiful promises in Scripture.

QUICK FACT 368 — “DEATH WILL BE NO MORE”

Revelation says:

“And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor pain; they will be no more, because the former things have passed away.”

— Revelation 21:4, BLB

Notice:

“DEATH WILL BE NO MORE.”

This agrees with:

1 CORINTHIANS 15:26:

“THE LAST ENEMY BEING ABOLISHED IS DEATH.”

And:

REVELATION 20:14:

“DEATH AND HADES WERE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.”

The sequence is beautiful:

DEATH EXISTS.

↓

THE DEAD ARE RAISED.

↓

FINAL JUDGMENT TAKES PLACE.

↓

DEATH IS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

↓

DEATH IS ABOLISHED.

↓

“DEATH WILL BE NO MORE.”

QUICK FACT 369 — THE FINAL WORLD IS A WORLD WITHOUT DEATH

Consider what this means.

The final biblical picture is not:

DEATH CONTINUING FOREVER.

It is:

DEATH:

ABOLISHED.

God's people receive:

ETERNAL LIFE.

They inhabit:

THE NEW CREATION.

God dwells with them.

There is no more:

DEATH.

MOURNING.

CRYING.

OR:

PAIN.

This is the final victory of:

LIFE

over:

DEATH.

QUICK FACT 370 — REVELATION 21 AGAIN CALLS THE WICKED'S DESTINY “THE SECOND DEATH”

Immediately after describing the glorious inheritance of God's people, Revelation gives a solemn warning.

It describes those excluded from that inheritance and says:

“their portion is in the lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

— Revelation 21:8, BLB

Again Revelation defines:

THE LAKE OF FIRE

as:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

This definition occurs not merely once, but repeatedly.

REVELATION 20:14:

“THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH, THE LAKE OF FIRE.”

REVELATION 21:8:

“THE LAKE BURNING WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.”

We should allow Revelation's own definition to carry enormous weight.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 27 — PART THREE

In Part Three we will begin with:

QUICK FACT 371 — THE SECOND DEATH IS CONTRASTED WITH ETERNAL LIFE.

We will examine:

JOHN 3:16 — PERISH OR ETERNAL LIFE.

ROMANS 6:23 — DEATH OR THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE.

WHAT THE BIBLE MEANS BY:

PERISH.

DESTROY.

DEATH.

AND:

ETERNAL DESTRUCTION.

We will also answer an important objection:

IF THE SECOND DEATH ENDS LIFE, HOW CAN THE PUNISHMENT BE ETERNAL?

Finally, we will bring together:

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

THE BOOK OF LIFE.

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

THE SECOND DEATH.

THE ABOLITION OF DEATH.

AND:

THE NEW CREATION.

Then we will reach the final conclusion concerning:

THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE UNSAVED.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 27 — THE GREAT WHITE THRONE, THE LAKE OF FIRE AND THE SECOND DEATH

WHAT IS THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE UNSAVED?

PART THREE

CONTINUED FROM PART TWO

QUICK FACT 371 — THE SECOND DEATH IS CONTRASTED WITH ETERNAL LIFE

The final contrast becomes very clear.

THE SAVED:

RECEIVE LIFE.

↓

THEY INHERIT THE NEW CREATION.

↓

GOD DWELLS WITH THEM.

↓

DEATH IS NO MORE.

THE CONDEMNED:

FACE FINAL JUDGMENT.

↓

THEY ARE CAST INTO:

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

↓

THIS IS CALLED:

THE SECOND DEATH.

The contrast is:

LIFE

VERSUS:

DEATH.

Not:

ETERNAL LIFE IN JOY

VERSUS:

ETERNAL LIFE IN PAIN.

This distinction is extremely important.

The Bible repeatedly presents:

ETERNAL LIFE

as something God gives to those who belong to Him.

The final destiny of the condemned, however, is repeatedly described using the language of:

DEATH.

PERISHING.

DESTRUCTION.

AND:

THE SECOND DEATH.

QUICK FACT 372 — JOHN 3:16 CONTRASTS “PERISH” WITH “ETERNAL LIFE”

Jesus says:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life.”

— John 3:16, BLB

Notice the two alternatives:

PERISH.

OR:

HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

Jesus does not say:

EVERY PERSON ALREADY POSSESSES IMMORTAL LIFE.

Nor does He say:

BELIEVERS LIVE FOREVER IN HAPPINESS,

WHILE:

UNBELIEVERS LIVE FOREVER IN TORMENT.

The contrast Jesus gives is:

PERISH

VERSUS:

ETERNAL LIFE.

If:

ETERNAL LIFE

is the gift received through Christ,

then we should not automatically assume that every human being naturally possesses:

ETERNAL CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE.

QUICK FACT 373 — “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”

Paul gives us another remarkably clear contrast:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 6:23, BLB

Again notice:

THE WAGES OF SIN:

DEATH.

THE GIFT OF GOD:

ETERNAL LIFE.

Paul does not say:

THE WAGES OF SIN IS ETERNAL LIFE IN TORMENT.

He says:

DEATH.

And eternal life is described as:

“THE GIFT OF GOD.”

This raises an important question:

IF EVERY HUMAN BEING IS NATURALLY IMMORTAL,

why does Scripture present:

ETERNAL LIFE

as something God:

GIVES?

The biblical contrast makes straightforward sense:

SIN:

LEADS TO DEATH.

↓

GOD:

GIVES ETERNAL LIFE

THROUGH:

JESUS CHRIST.

QUICK FACT 374 — “PERISH,” “DESTROY” AND “DEATH” SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RETAIN THEIR FORCE

Throughout Scripture we repeatedly encounter words such as:

PERISH.

DESTROY.

DEATH.

DESTRUCTION.

Consider the pattern:

JOHN 3:16:

“SHOULD NOT PERISH.”

MATTHEW 10:28:

God can:

“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA.”

ROMANS 6:23:

“THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH.”

2 THESSALONIANS 1:9:

“ETERNAL DESTRUCTION.”

REVELATION 20:14:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

REVELATION 21:8:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

These words should not simply be made to mean:

ENDLESS CONSCIOUS LIFE.

The cumulative biblical language deserves to be taken seriously.

QUICK FACT 375 — FINAL DEATH DOES NOT MEAN TEMPORARY PUNISHMENT

An important objection must now be answered.

Someone might ask:

IF THE WICKED EVENTUALLY DIE, HOW CAN THEIR PUNISHMENT BE ETERNAL?

The answer is found in the:

RESULT.

The second death is not described as:

A TEMPORARY SLEEP

followed by another resurrection.

The first death can be reversed because:

GOD RAISES THE DEAD.

But Scripture describes no:

THIRD RESURRECTION

after:

THE SECOND DEATH.

Therefore the second death is:

FINAL.

IRREVERSIBLE.

PERMANENT.

Its consequence lasts:

FOREVER.

This means that eternal punishment does not necessarily require:

AN ETERNAL PROCESS OF PUNISHING.

The punishment can be eternal because:

ITS RESULT CAN NEVER BE REVERSED.

QUICK FACT 376 — THE SECOND DEATH IS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST DEATH

This distinction helps explain Revelation.

THE FIRST DEATH:

HUMANS DIE.

↓

THEY ENTER THE STATE OF DEATH.

↓

GOD LATER RAISES THEM.

Therefore:

THE FIRST DEATH

is not ultimately irreversible.

But:

THE SECOND DEATH

occurs:

AFTER RESURRECTION.

↓

AFTER JUDGMENT.

↓

AFTER THE BOOKS ARE OPENED.

↓

AFTER THE FINAL VERDICT.

There is no subsequent resurrection described from:

THE SECOND DEATH.

Therefore:

THE SECOND DEATH

is truly:

FINAL.

QUICK FACT 377 — GOD'S FINAL VICTORY INCLUDES THE ABOLITION OF DEATH ITSELF

Paul declares:

“The last enemy being abolished is death.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:26, BLB

This is an extraordinary statement.

DEATH IS:

AN ENEMY.

And God's final purpose is not to preserve death forever.

It is to:

ABOLISH IT.

Revelation gives us the corresponding picture:

“death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

And then:

“death will be no more.”

— Revelation 21:4, BLB

Put these passages together:

DEATH IS:

THE LAST ENEMY.

↓

DEATH IS:

CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

↓

DEATH IS:

ABOLISHED.

↓

DEATH WILL BE:

“NO MORE.”

This is the final triumph of:

LIFE.

QUICK FACT 378 — THE FINAL VICTORY IS “DEATH SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY”

Paul writes:

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:54, BLB

Then:

“Where O death, is your victory? Where O death, is your sting?”

— 1 Corinthians 15:55, BLB

The final victory belongs to:

GOD.

Death does not win.

The grave does not win.

Hades does not win.

Through Jesus Christ:

LIFE WINS.

This is why Paul concludes:

“But thanks be to God, the One giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:57, BLB

QUICK FACT 379 — THE NEW CREATION IS A WORLD WHERE DEATH NO LONGER EXISTS

After the Great White Throne judgment, John sees:

“A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH.”

— Revelation 21:1

God dwells with:

HIS PEOPLE.

Then comes the promise:

“death will be no more.”

— Revelation 21:4, BLB

There will also be no more:

MOURNING.

CRYING.

OR:

PAIN.

The former things have:

PASSED AWAY.

The final biblical picture is therefore not centered upon:

DEATH CONTINUING FOREVER.

It is centered upon:

DEATH BEING DEFEATED.

QUICK FACT 380 — THE GREAT BIBLICAL CONTRAST IS LIFE AND DEATH

We can now bring together the central passages:

JOHN 3:16:

PERISH

VERSUS:

ETERNAL LIFE.

ROMANS 6:23:

DEATH

VERSUS:

ETERNAL LIFE.

MATTHEW 10:28:

DESTROY BOTH:

SOUL AND BODY.

2 THESSALONIANS 1:9:

ETERNAL DESTRUCTION.

REVELATION 20:14:

THE SECOND DEATH.

REVELATION 21:8:

THE SECOND DEATH.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:26:

DEATH:

ABOLISHED.

REVELATION 21:4:

DEATH:

“WILL BE NO MORE.”

This produces a remarkably consistent biblical pattern:

SIN.

↓

DEATH.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

JUDGMENT.

↓

ETERNAL LIFE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE.

OR:

THE SECOND DEATH FOR THE CONDEMNED.

PART 27 — FINAL CONCLUSION

What is the final destiny of the unsaved?

According to Revelation 20:

THE DEAD ARE RAISED.

↓

THEY STAND BEFORE:

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

↓

THE BOOKS ARE OPENED.

↓

THEY ARE JUDGED:

ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS.

↓

DEATH AND HADES:

GIVE UP THEIR DEAD.

↓

DEATH AND HADES ARE:

CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

↓

THE LAKE OF FIRE IS DEFINED AS:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

Those whose names are not found in:

THE BOOK OF LIFE

face:

THE SECOND DEATH.

Then comes:

THE NEW CREATION.

God dwells with:

HIS PEOPLE.

And:

“DEATH WILL BE NO MORE.”

This agrees perfectly with Paul's declaration:

“THE LAST ENEMY BEING ABOLISHED IS DEATH.”

Therefore the biblical picture is:

LIFE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE.

↓

FINAL JUDGMENT FOR THE CONDEMNED.

↓

THE SECOND DEATH.

↓

DEATH ITSELF ABOLISHED.

↓

THE NEW CREATION.

The great biblical hope is not based upon the idea that:

EVERY HUMAN BEING POSSESSES AN INHERENTLY IMMORTAL SOUL.

The hope of Scripture is:

RESURRECTION

and:

ETERNAL LIFE

given by:

GOD

through:

JESUS CHRIST.

COMING NEXT:

PART 28 — FINAL SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THE WHOLE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DEAD?

We have now examined the major passages and objections throughout this study.

In Part 28 we will bring everything together and answer:

WHAT IS A SOUL?

WHAT IS THE SPIRIT?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?

WHERE ARE THE DEAD?

ARE THE DEAD CONSCIOUS?

WHY DOES THE BIBLE CALL DEATH “SLEEP”?

WHEN DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE IMMORTALITY?

WHEN ARE THE DEAD RAISED?

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNSAVED?

WHAT IS THE SECOND DEATH?

AND:

WHAT IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN HOPE?

Finally, we will set out the entire biblical sequence:

LIFE.

↓

DEATH / SLEEP.

↓

THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

JUDGMENT.

↓

IMMORTALITY AND ETERNAL LIFE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE.

↓

THE SECOND DEATH FOR THE CONDEMNED.

↓

THE ABOLITION OF DEATH.

↓

THE NEW CREATION.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 28 — FINAL SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THE WHOLE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DEAD?

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

Throughout this study we have examined one of the most important questions concerning human life, death and resurrection:

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?

Millions of Christians have been taught that every human being possesses an:

IMMORTAL SOUL

that leaves the body at death and immediately continues conscious existence in:

HEAVEN

or:

HELL.

But throughout this study we have asked a different question:

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE ITSELF ACTUALLY SAY?

We have examined:

THE CREATION OF ADAM.

THE HEBREW WORD NEPHESH.

THE HEBREW WORD RUACH.

SHEOL.

HADES.

DEATH AS SLEEP.

THE RESURRECTION.

THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST.

THE LAST TRUMPET.

THE GIFT OF IMMORTALITY.

THE THIEF ON THE CROSS.

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

“ABSENT FROM THE BODY.”

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.

THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR.

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD.”

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

AND:

THE SECOND DEATH.

We have also examined difficult passages that can appear, when read alone, to teach conscious existence after death.

Now we can bring the evidence together.

QUICK FACT 381 — THE BIBLE BEGINS WITH THE CREATION OF A LIVING HUMAN BEING

The biblical understanding of death should begin with:

LIFE.

Genesis describes the creation of Adam:

“And LORD God forms the man of dust from the ground, and breathes into his nostrils breath of life, and the man becomes a living creature.”

— Genesis 2:7

Notice the sequence:

DUST FROM THE GROUND.

↓

GOD'S BREATH OF LIFE.

↓

THE MAN BECOMES:

A LIVING BEING.

Genesis does NOT say:

GOD CREATED A BODY.

↓

GOD CREATED AN IMMORTAL CONSCIOUS SOUL.

↓

GOD PLACED THAT SOUL INSIDE THE BODY.

Instead:

THE MAN HIMSELF

BECAME:

A LIVING BEING.

This provides the foundation for everything that follows.

QUICK FACT 382 — MAN BECAME A NEPHESH

The Hebrew word translated:

“CREATURE”

or:

“LIVING BEING”

in Genesis 2:7 is:

נֶפֶשׁ — NEPHESH.

The man:

BECAME

a:

NEPHESH CHAYYAH

— A LIVING BEING / LIVING CREATURE.

This is fundamentally different from saying:

MAN RECEIVED AN IMMORTAL SOUL.

The biblical statement is:

MAN:

BECAME

A LIVING BEING.

Even more importantly, the same basic Hebrew expression is used concerning:

ANIMALS.

Therefore:

NEPHESH

cannot inherently mean:

AN IMMORTAL DISEMBODIED HUMAN PERSON THAT CANNOT DIE.

QUICK FACT 383 — THE BIBLE CAN SPEAK OF A “SOUL” DYING

This point is extremely important.

Scripture does not consistently use:

SOUL

to mean:

AN INDESTRUCTIBLE IMMORTAL ENTITY.

Ezekiel says:

“The soul who sins, it will die.”

— Ezekiel 18:4

Again:

“THE SOUL WHO SINS”

↓

“WILL DIE.”

Whatever theological meaning later traditions may attach to the word:

SOUL,

the biblical terminology itself does not establish:

THE NATURAL IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL.

QUICK FACT 384 — IMMORTALITY IS NOT PRESENTED AS THE NATURAL POSSESSION OF EVERY HUMAN

The Bible repeatedly describes human beings as:

MORTAL.

Paul says:

“this mortal”

must:

“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

Notice:

IMMORTALITY

is something that must be:

PUT ON.

If human beings already possessed inherent immortality, Paul's language would be very difficult to explain.

The biblical hope is not:

YOU ALREADY HAVE IMMORTALITY INSIDE YOU.

It is:

GOD WILL GIVE IMMORTALITY.

QUICK FACT 385 — WHEN IS IMMORTALITY PUT ON?

Paul gives us the timing.

He says:

“at the last trumpet.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:52, BLB

Then:

“the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:52, BLB

Then:

“this mortal” must:

“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

The sequence is:

THE LAST TRUMPET.

↓

THE DEAD ARE RAISED.

↓

THE LIVING ARE CHANGED.

↓

THE MORTAL PUTS ON:

IMMORTALITY.

Therefore the great moment of immortality is connected with:

RESURRECTION

and:

TRANSFORMATION.

QUICK FACT 386 — DEATH IS REPEATEDLY DESCRIBED AS “SLEEP”

Throughout Scripture we repeatedly encounter the language of:

SLEEP.

Daniel says:

“many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awake...”

— Daniel 12:2

Notice:

SLEEPING.

WHERE?

“IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH.”

And what eventually happens?

THEY:

“AWAKE.”

Jesus uses exactly the same pattern concerning Lazarus.

QUICK FACT 387 — JESUS CALLED LAZARUS' DEATH “SLEEP”

Jesus said:

“Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep...”

— John 11:11, BLB

The disciples misunderstood Him.

Therefore Jesus explained plainly:

“Lazarus has died.”

— John 11:14, BLB

Jesus therefore gives us the interpretation:

SLEEP

=

DEATH.

Then Jesus goes to the tomb and calls:

“Lazarus, come forth!”

— John 11:43

Lazarus comes:

OUT OF THE TOMB.

The emphasis is not:

LAZARUS' IMMORTAL SOUL RETURNING FROM HEAVEN.

The emphasis is:

THE DEAD MAN BEING RESTORED TO LIFE.

QUICK FACT 388 — MARTHA EXPECTED LAZARUS TO RISE “IN THE LAST DAY”

Jesus told Martha:

“Your brother will rise again.”

— John 11:23

Martha answered:

“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last day.”

— John 11:24, BLB

Notice Martha's expectation:

THE RESURRECTION.

WHEN?

“IN THE LAST DAY.”

Jesus does not correct her by saying:

MARTHA, LAZARUS IS ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN.

Instead Jesus declares:

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

— John 11:25

The hope remains:

RESURRECTION.

QUICK FACT 389 — THE DEAD ARE DESCRIBED AS KNOWING NOTHING

Ecclesiastes says:

“the living know that they will die, and the dead cannot know anything...”

— Ecclesiastes 9:5, BLB

This is one of Scripture's clearest descriptions of the dead.

THE LIVING:

KNOW.

THE DEAD:

“CANNOT KNOW ANYTHING.”

Ecclesiastes continues by describing their:

LOVE.

HATRED.

AND:

ENVY

as having:

PERISHED.

And Ecclesiastes 9:10 says that in Sheol there is no:

WORK.

PLANNING.

KNOWLEDGE.

OR:

WISDOM.

This language fits naturally with:

DEATH AS UNCONSCIOUSNESS.

QUICK FACT 390 — AT DEATH, HUMAN THOUGHTS AND PLANS CEASE

Psalm 146 describes what happens when a person dies:

“His spirit goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”

— Psalm 146:4

Notice the sequence:

THE SPIRIT:

GOES FORTH.

↓

THE PERSON:

RETURNS TO THE EARTH.

↓

HIS THOUGHTS / PLANS:

PERISH.

This is extremely important.

The departure of the:

SPIRIT

is not described as:

THE CONSCIOUS PERSON CONTINUING TO THINK IN HEAVEN.

Instead:

THE PERSON RETURNS TO THE EARTH

and:

HIS THOUGHTS / PLANS CEASE.

QUICK FACT 391 — “THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD” DOES NOT SAY THE CONSCIOUS PERSON GOES TO HEAVEN

Ecclesiastes says:

“the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

— Ecclesiastes 12:7

As we examined in Part 24, the Hebrew word:

RUACH

can mean:

SPIRIT.

BREATH.

WIND.

OR:

LIFE-BREATH.

The verse says:

THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO:

GOD WHO GAVE IT.

It does NOT say:

THE CONSCIOUS PERSON GOES TO HEAVEN.

It does NOT say:

THE IMMORTAL SOUL GOES TO HEAVEN.

It does NOT say:

THE SPIRIT CONTINUES THINKING.

The statement fits naturally with:

GOD AS THE SOURCE OF LIFE.

QUICK FACT 392 — THE BIBLICAL HOPE IS NOT ESCAPE FROM DEATH BUT RESURRECTION FROM DEATH

This distinction lies at the heart of the entire study.

If humans naturally possessed an indestructible conscious existence, then death could never truly end conscious life.

But Scripture repeatedly directs our hope toward:

THE DEAD BEING RAISED.

Jesus says:

“an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth...”

— John 5:28–29, BLB

Notice:

THEY ARE:

IN THE TOMBS.

↓

THEY HEAR:

CHRIST'S VOICE.

↓

THEY:

COME FORTH.

The great biblical answer to death is:

RESURRECTION.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 28 — PART TWO

In Part Two we will continue the final summary by examining:

WHEN THE DEAD ARE RAISED.

THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST.

THE LAST TRUMPET.

“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”

WHEN BELIEVERS BECOME:

“WITH THE LORD.”

WHY PAUL'S HOPE WAS:

THE RESURRECTION.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNSAVED.

AND:

WHY REVELATION CALLS THEIR FINAL DESTINY:

“THE SECOND DEATH.”

We will then revisit the difficult passages we have examined throughout this study and ask:

DO ANY OF THEM ACTUALLY REQUIRE THE DOCTRINE OF A CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOUL?

Finally, we will set out the complete biblical timeline from:

LIFE

to:

DEATH

to:

RESURRECTION

to:

ETERNAL LIFE.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 28 — FINAL SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THE WHOLE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DEAD?

PART TWO

CONTINUED FROM PART ONE

QUICK FACT 393 — THE DEAD ARE RAISED AT THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST

Paul gives one of the clearest descriptions of the Christian hope:

“because the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB

Notice the sequence:

JESUS CHRIST:

DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.

↓

THE TRUMPET OF GOD SOUNDS.

↓

THE DEAD IN CHRIST:

RISE.

Paul does not tell grieving Christians:

THE DEAD ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY LIVING WITH CHRIST IN HEAVEN.

Instead he points them toward:

THE RETURN OF CHRIST

and:

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

QUICK FACT 394 — BELIEVERS BECOME “WITH THE LORD” IN CONNECTION WITH THE RESURRECTION

Paul continues:

“Then we the living remaining, together with them, will be caught away in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air, and so always we will be with the Lord.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, BLB

Notice:

THE DEAD IN CHRIST:

RISE.

↓

THE LIVING BELIEVERS:

ARE GATHERED WITH THEM.

↓

THEY MEET:

THE LORD.

↓

“AND SO ALWAYS WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD.”

This is extremely important.

Paul explicitly connects:

BEING FOREVER WITH THE LORD

with:

CHRIST'S RETURN

and:

THE RESURRECTION.

QUICK FACT 395 — THE LAST TRUMPET IS WHEN THE DEAD ARE RAISED

Paul describes the same event in:

1 CORINTHIANS 15.

He says:

“in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:52, BLB

Again the sequence is unmistakable:

THE LAST TRUMPET.

↓

THE DEAD ARE:

RAISED.

↓

THE LIVING ARE:

CHANGED.

This is the great resurrection event.

QUICK FACT 396 — IMMORTALITY IS PUT ON AT THIS RESURRECTION

Paul immediately continues:

“For it behooves this perishable to put on imperishable, and this mortal to put on immortality.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

Notice carefully:

THE MORTAL:

PUTS ON:

IMMORTALITY.

This happens in the context of:

THE LAST TRUMPET.

THE RESURRECTION.

AND:

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE LIVING.

Therefore immortality is not presented here as something every human being naturally possesses from birth.

It is something:

PUT ON

in God's resurrection victory.

QUICK FACT 397 — JESUS REPEATEDLY POINTED TOWARD “THE LAST DAY”

Jesus says concerning the believer:

“I will raise him up in the last day.”

— John 6:40, BLB

Again:

“No one is able to come to Me unless the Father having sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.”

— John 6:44, BLB

Again:

“the one eating My flesh and drinking My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day.”

— John 6:54, BLB

Notice the repeated promise:

“I WILL RAISE HIM UP”

WHEN?

“IN THE LAST DAY.”

Jesus repeatedly directs the believer's hope toward:

RESURRECTION.

QUICK FACT 398 — DANIEL WAS TOLD HE WOULD “ARISE” AT THE END OF THE DAYS

The same pattern appears centuries earlier in Daniel.

Daniel is told:

“But you, go on to the end; for you will rest and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

— Daniel 12:13

Notice:

DANIEL WILL:

REST.

↓

THEN:

ARISE.

↓

WHEN?

“AT THE END OF THE DAYS.”

This is remarkably consistent with the New Testament hope.

DEATH.

↓

REST.

↓

THE END.

↓

RESURRECTION.

QUICK FACT 399 — PAUL'S PERSONAL HOPE WAS THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD

Paul himself says:

“if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection out from the dead.”

— Philippians 3:11, BLB

His great hope is not described here as:

MY IMMORTAL SOUL ESCAPING MY BODY.

It is:

“THE RESURRECTION OUT FROM THE DEAD.”

Later in the same chapter Paul says believers are:

“awaiting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

— Philippians 3:20, BLB

And what will Jesus do?

He:

“will transform our body of humiliation into conformity to His body of glory.”

— Philippians 3:21, BLB

Again:

CHRIST RETURNS.

↓

THE BODY IS:

TRANSFORMED.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 28 — PART THREE

In Part Three we will begin with:

QUICK FACT 400 — “TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST” DOES NOT OVERTURN PAUL'S RESURRECTION TEACHING.

We will then briefly bring together the difficult passages we have already examined:

“ABSENT FROM THE BODY.”

THE THIEF ON THE CROSS.

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR.

THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.

And we will ask:

DO ANY OF THESE PASSAGES ACTUALLY REQUIRE THE BELIEF THAT THE DEAD ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE BEFORE THE RESURRECTION?

Then Part Four will complete the entire State of the Dead study with:

THE UNSAVED.

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

THE SECOND DEATH.

THE ABOLITION OF DEATH.

THE NEW CREATION.

AND:

THE FINAL BIBLICAL TIMELINE.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 28 — FINAL SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THE WHOLE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DEAD?

PART THREE

CONTINUED FROM PART TWO

QUICK FACT 400 — “TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST” DOES NOT OVERTURN PAUL'S RESURRECTION TEACHING

We examined Paul's words:

“I have the desire to depart and to be with Christ...”

— Philippians 1:23, BLB

Paul unquestionably desired:

TO BE WITH CHRIST.

But notice what the verse does NOT say.

It does not say:

MY IMMORTAL SOUL WILL LEAVE MY BODY.

It does not say:

I WILL IMMEDIATELY GO TO HEAVEN WHEN I DIE.

It does not say:

I WILL REMAIN CONSCIOUS BETWEEN DEATH AND THE RESURRECTION.

Paul's clearer teaching repeatedly points toward:

THE RETURN OF CHRIST.

↓

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

↓

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE BODY.

↓

IMMORTALITY.

↓

BEING FOREVER WITH THE LORD.

Therefore Philippians 1:23 should be understood within Paul's wider resurrection teaching.

QUICK FACT 401 — “ABSENT FROM THE BODY” DOES NOT SAY “IMMEDIATELY ALIVE IN HEAVEN”

Another frequently quoted passage is:

2 CORINTHIANS 5.

Paul speaks of being:

“ABSENT FROM THE BODY”

and:

“AT HOME WITH THE LORD.”

But the surrounding passage reveals something extremely important.

Paul says:

“we do not desire to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that the mortal may be swallowed up by life.”

— 2 Corinthians 5:4, BLB

Paul's great hope is not:

PERMANENT DISEMBODIMENT.

He wants mortality to be:

“SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE.”

This agrees with:

1 CORINTHIANS 15,

where:

THE MORTAL

must:

PUT ON IMMORTALITY.

Therefore 2 Corinthians 5 should not be isolated from Paul's resurrection theology.

QUICK FACT 402 — THE THIEF ON THE CROSS DOES NOT SETTLE THE QUESTION BY ITSELF

Jesus told the thief:

“Truly I say to you today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

— Luke 23:43

As we examined earlier, the earliest Greek manuscripts did not contain the modern comma used in our translations.

Therefore the punctuation must be supplied by translators.

The words can be punctuated:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

Or:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY, YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

The second reading makes:

“TODAY”

the time when Jesus gives the promise,

rather than necessarily the time when the promise is fulfilled.

This becomes especially important when we compare Jesus' statement after His resurrection:

“I have not yet ascended to the Father.”

— John 20:17, BLB

Therefore Luke 23:43 cannot simply be treated as unquestionable proof that the thief consciously entered heaven on the day he died.

QUICK FACT 403 — THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS SHOULD NOT OVERRIDE CLEARER PASSAGES ABOUT DEATH

Luke 16:19–31 contains vivid imagery involving:

THE RICH MAN.

LAZARUS.

HADES.

ABRAHAM.

FIRE.

A GREAT CHASM.

AND:

CONVERSATION AFTER DEATH.

But this account must be interpreted within its:

LITERARY

and:

BIBLICAL

context.

The account emphasizes:

REVERSAL OF FORTUNES.

THE DANGER OF HARD-HEARTEDNESS.

MOSES AND THE PROPHETS.

REPENTANCE.

AND:

THE FAILURE TO BELIEVE EVEN IF SOMEONE SHOULD RISE FROM THE DEAD.

It should not automatically be turned into a literal geographical description of:

HEAVEN

and:

HELL.

Especially when numerous clearer passages describe the dead as:

ASLEEP.

KNOWING NOTHING.

AWAITING RESURRECTION.

QUICK FACT 404 — THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR APPEAR IN A SYMBOLIC APOCALYPTIC VISION

Revelation describes:

“the souls of those having been slain because of the word of God...”

— Revelation 6:9, BLB

They appear:

UNDER THE ALTAR

and cry out for:

JUSTICE.

But Revelation is filled with:

SYMBOLIC VISIONS.

The imagery also has a powerful biblical background.

Sacrificial blood was poured:

AT THE BASE OF THE ALTAR.

And after Abel was murdered, God told Cain:

“The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.”

— Genesis 4:10

Abel's literal blood was not:

A CONSCIOUS PERSON SPEAKING FROM THE EARTH.

It was symbolic language showing that:

INNOCENT BLOOD CRIES OUT FOR JUSTICE.

Likewise, the souls under the altar can represent:

MARTYRED LIVES CRYING FOR DIVINE JUSTICE

without requiring all dead believers to be consciously living under a literal altar in heaven.

QUICK FACT 405 — THE “SPIRITS IN PRISON” ARE NOT CALLED DEAD HUMAN SOULS

We also examined one of the most difficult passages:

1 PETER 3:18–20.

Peter says Christ was:

PUT TO DEATH IN THE FLESH.

↓

MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT.

↓

AND THEN:

WENT AND PROCLAIMED TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.

As we examined earlier, the passage does NOT call these spirits:

DEAD HUMAN SOULS.

There is a strong biblical case for understanding them as:

REBELLIOUS SPIRIT BEINGS

associated with:

THE DAYS OF NOAH.

Therefore this passage does not require the interpretation:

JESUS DIED.

↓

HIS CONSCIOUS SOUL DESCENDED INTO HADES.

↓

HE PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO CONSCIOUS DEAD HUMAN SOULS.

That is more than the passage itself says.

QUICK FACT 406 — DIFFICULT PASSAGES SHOULD BE INTERPRETED THROUGH CLEARER PASSAGES

This is one of the most important principles in our entire investigation.

Should we construct our doctrine of death primarily from:

A PARABLE?

A SYMBOLIC APOCALYPTIC VISION?

A VERSE WHOSE PUNCTUATION WAS ADDED LATER?

AN AMBIGUOUS EXPRESSION?

OR:

ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT PASSAGES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?

Or should those passages be interpreted within the Bible's repeated and clearer teaching?

Consider the repeated pattern:

DANIEL 12:

THE DEAD:

SLEEP IN THE DUST.

↓

THEY LATER:

AWAKE.

JOHN 11:

LAZARUS:

SLEEPS.

↓

JESUS EXPLAINS:

LAZARUS IS DEAD.

↓

JESUS:

RAISES HIM.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:

BELIEVERS HAVE:

FALLEN ASLEEP.

↓

CHRIST:

RETURNS.

↓

THE DEAD IN CHRIST:

RISE.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:

THE DEAD:

ARE RAISED.

↓

THE MORTAL:

PUTS ON IMMORTALITY.

The repeated pattern is:

DEATH.

↓

SLEEP.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

LIFE.

QUICK FACT 407 — THE DOCTRINE OF AN IMMORTAL SOUL SHOULD NOT BE ASSUMED BEFORE READING THE TEXT

This is perhaps one of the greatest lessons from the entire study.

If we begin with the assumption:

EVERY HUMAN PERSON POSSESSES AN IMMORTAL SOUL THAT CANNOT DIE,

then many verses will automatically be interpreted through that belief.

But we must ask:

WHERE DOES SCRIPTURE ACTUALLY SAY THAT EVERY HUMAN SOUL IS INHERENTLY IMMORTAL?

Instead we have repeatedly found:

“THE SOUL WHO SINS... WILL DIE.”

— Ezekiel 18:4

“THIS MORTAL” must:

“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53

God:

“ALONE POSSESSING IMMORTALITY.”

— 1 Timothy 6:16, BLB

And eternal life is repeatedly described as:

A GIFT.

Therefore the doctrine of natural human immortality should not simply be assumed and then read back into every difficult passage.

QUICK FACT 408 — RESURRECTION HAS REAL MEANING BECAUSE THE DEAD NEED LIFE RESTORED

The doctrine of resurrection is central throughout Scripture.

Why?

Because:

THE DEAD NEED TO BE RAISED.

Jesus says:

“all those in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth...”

— John 5:28–29, BLB

Paul says:

“the dead in Christ will rise first.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB

Daniel says those:

“SLEEPING IN THE DUST”

will:

“AWAKE.”

The biblical answer to death is therefore not simply:

THE PERSON NEVER REALLY DIED.

The biblical answer is:

GOD WILL RAISE THE DEAD.

That is the magnificent hope of:

THE RESURRECTION.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 28 — PART FOUR

In the final part of our entire study we will examine:

THE RESURRECTION OF THE UNSAVED.

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

THE BOOK OF LIFE.

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

THE SECOND DEATH.

WHY ETERNAL LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT.

WHY DEATH ITSELF IS FINALLY ABOLISHED.

AND:

THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH.

Then we will finish with one complete biblical timeline:

CREATION.

↓

LIFE.

↓

DEATH / SLEEP.

↓

THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

JUDGMENT.

↓

ETERNAL LIFE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE.

OR:

THE SECOND DEATH FOR THE CONDEMNED.

↓

DEATH ITSELF ABOLISHED.

↓

THE NEW CREATION.

And finally we will answer the question that began this entire investigation:

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DEAD?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 28 — FINAL SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THE WHOLE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DEAD?

PART FOUR

CONTINUED FROM PART THREE

QUICK FACT 409 — SCRIPTURE TEACHES A RESURRECTION TO JUDGMENT

The resurrection is not only for believers.

Jesus says:

“an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth—those having done good to the resurrection of life, and those having done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

— John 5:28–29, BLB

Notice:

ALL THOSE IN THE TOMBS:

HEAR HIS VOICE.

↓

THEY:

COME FORTH.

There is:

A RESURRECTION OF LIFE.

AND:

A RESURRECTION OF JUDGMENT.

This agrees with Daniel:

“many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to reproaches and everlasting contempt.”

— Daniel 12:2

Again:

THE DEAD:

SLEEP.

↓

THE DEAD:

AWAKE.

↓

THEN COMES:

LIFE OR JUDGMENT.

QUICK FACT 410 — THE GREAT WHITE THRONE COMES AFTER THE DEAD ARE RAISED

Revelation describes:

“A GREAT WHITE THRONE.”

— Revelation 20:11

Then:

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne...”

— Revelation 20:12, BLB

The books are opened.

The dead are judged:

“according to their works.”

Then:

“the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead in them...”

— Revelation 20:13, BLB

Notice the sequence:

THE DEAD ARE:

GIVEN UP.

↓

THEY STAND BEFORE:

GOD'S JUDGMENT.

↓

THEY ARE:

JUDGED.

This is resurrection followed by judgment.

QUICK FACT 411 — HADES ITSELF IS NOT THE FINAL DESTINATION

This is extremely important.

Revelation says:

HADES:

“GAVE UP THE DEAD.”

Then:

“death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

Therefore Hades cannot be the final everlasting destination of the wicked.

Hades itself ultimately:

ENDS.

The dead are brought out of it.

Then Hades is:

ABOLISHED.

QUICK FACT 412 — REVELATION DEFINES THE LAKE OF FIRE AS “THE SECOND DEATH”

Revelation gives us its own definition:

“This is the second death—the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

Again Revelation says:

“the lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

— Revelation 21:8, BLB

Notice carefully.

The Bible calls the final punishment:

THE SECOND DEATH.

Not:

THE SECOND LIFE.

Not:

ETERNAL HUMAN IMMORTALITY IN SUFFERING.

But:

DEATH.

QUICK FACT 413 — THE SECOND DEATH IS FINAL

The first death is temporary in the sense that:

GOD WILL RAISE THE DEAD.

But the second death occurs:

AFTER RESURRECTION.

↓

AFTER JUDGMENT.

↓

AFTER THE FINAL VERDICT.

Scripture describes no further resurrection from:

THE SECOND DEATH.

Therefore it is:

FINAL.

IRREVERSIBLE.

PERMANENT.

This is why the punishment can have:

ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES

without requiring:

ETERNAL CONSCIOUS LIFE IN TORMENT.

QUICK FACT 414 — THE WAGES OF SIN ARE DEATH, WHILE ETERNAL LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT

Paul summarizes the contrast:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 6:23, BLB

Notice:

SIN:

↓

DEATH.

But:

GOD'S GIFT:

↓

ETERNAL LIFE.

Likewise Jesus says:

“everyone believing in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life.”

— John 3:16, BLB

Again:

PERISH.

VERSUS:

ETERNAL LIFE.

The biblical contrast repeatedly remains:

DEATH

VERSUS:

LIFE.

QUICK FACT 415 — THE WICKED ARE NEVER SAID TO “PUT ON IMMORTALITY”

This is an important question.

Where does Scripture say:

THE WICKED ARE GIVEN IMMORTALITY

so that they can:

LIVE FOREVER IN TORMENT?

Paul says:

“this mortal”

must:

“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB

This occurs in the resurrection victory of God's people.

Eternal life is:

GOD'S GIFT.

The final fate of the condemned is instead described as:

PERISHING.

DESTRUCTION.

DEATH.

AND:

THE SECOND DEATH.

QUICK FACT 416 — DEATH ITSELF WILL FINALLY BE ABOLISHED

Paul says:

“The last enemy being abolished is death.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:26, BLB

Revelation then pictures:

DEATH AND HADES

being thrown into:

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

And afterward God declares:

“death will be no more.”

— Revelation 21:4, BLB

Notice the magnificent sequence:

DEATH:

IS AN ENEMY.

↓

DEATH:

IS ABOLISHED.

↓

DEATH:

“WILL BE NO MORE.”

God's final creation is therefore a world in which:

DEATH HAS BEEN DEFEATED.

QUICK FACT 417 — THE FINAL HOPE OF SCRIPTURE IS LIFE WITH GOD

John sees:

“A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH.”

— Revelation 21:1

Then:

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them...”

— Revelation 21:3, BLB

Then:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more...”

— Revelation 21:4, BLB

This is the final hope.

Not:

ESCAPING EARTH AS DISEMBODIED SOULS.

But:

RESURRECTION.

IMMORTALITY.

THE NEW CREATION.

GOD DWELLING WITH HIS PEOPLE.

AND:

DEATH FOREVER ABOLISHED.

QUICK FACT 418 — THE COMPLETE BIBLICAL PATTERN

We can now summarize the evidence examined throughout this entire study.

CREATION:

GOD FORMS MAN FROM:

DUST.

↓

GOD GIVES:

THE BREATH OF LIFE.

↓

MAN BECOMES:

A LIVING BEING.

LIFE:

HUMAN BEINGS LIVE THROUGH:

THE LIFE GOD GIVES.

DEATH:

THE PERSON DIES.

↓

THE BODY RETURNS TO:

DUST.

↓

THE SPIRIT / LIFE-BREATH RETURNS TO:

GOD WHO GAVE IT.

↓

THE DEAD ARE DESCRIBED AS:

ASLEEP.

THE STATE OF THE DEAD:

THE DEAD:

KNOW NOTHING.

↓

THEIR THOUGHTS AND PLANS:

CEASE.

↓

THEY AWAIT:

RESURRECTION.

THE RETURN OF JESUS:

THE LORD:

DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.

↓

THE TRUMPET:

SOUNDS.

↓

THE DEAD IN CHRIST:

RISE.

THE RESURRECTION:

THE DEAD:

AWAKE.

↓

THE MORTAL:

PUTS ON IMMORTALITY.

↓

GOD'S PEOPLE:

ARE WITH THE LORD.

THE UNSAVED:

ARE RAISED TO:

JUDGMENT.

↓

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

↓

THE FINAL VERDICT.

↓

THE SECOND DEATH.

THE FINAL VICTORY:

DEATH:

IS ABOLISHED.

↓

DEATH:

WILL BE NO MORE.

↓

THE NEW CREATION.

↓

GOD DWELLS WITH:

HIS PEOPLE.

QUICK FACT 419 — THE CHRISTIAN HOPE IS RESURRECTION

This is perhaps the most important conclusion of our entire investigation.

The hope proclaimed throughout Scripture is:

NOT:

AN IMMORTAL SOUL ESCAPING FROM THE BODY.

It is:

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

Jesus declared:

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

— John 11:25

Paul looked forward to:

“the resurrection out from the dead.”

— Philippians 3:11, BLB

And Jesus repeatedly promised:

“I will raise him up in the last day.”

— John 6

The biblical hope is:

GOD WILL RESTORE LIFE TO THE DEAD.

QUICK FACT 420 — THE FINAL ANSWER

We began this entire investigation with a simple question:

ARE THE DEAD ALIVE—

OR:

ARE THEY DEAD?

After examining the evidence throughout Scripture, the repeated biblical pattern is:

THE DEAD:

ARE DEAD.

They are repeatedly described as:

ASLEEP.

They await:

RESURRECTION.

They do not naturally possess:

IMMORTALITY.

Immortality is something that:

GOD GIVES.

The believer's hope is therefore not:

DEATH.

It is:

RESURRECTION.

Not:

AN IMMORTAL SOUL ESCAPING THE BODY.

But:

THE MORTAL PUTTING ON IMMORTALITY.

Not:

GOING TO LIVE FOREVER BECAUSE HUMAN BEINGS CANNOT DIE.

But:

RECEIVING ETERNAL LIFE

AS:

THE GIFT OF GOD.

FINAL CONCLUSION

Throughout this study we have examined the passages commonly used to argue that human beings remain consciously alive after death.

We have not ignored the difficult passages.

We have examined them.

THE THIEF ON THE CROSS.

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

“ABSENT FROM THE BODY.”

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR.

THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD.”

THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT.

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

But no difficult or symbolic passage should be allowed to erase the repeated biblical pattern:

THE DEAD:

SLEEP.

THE DEAD:

AWAIT RESURRECTION.

JESUS:

RETURNS.

THE DEAD:

RISE.

THE MORTAL:

PUTS ON IMMORTALITY.

THE SAVED:

RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE.

THE CONDEMNED:

FACE THE SECOND DEATH.

AND FINALLY:

DEATH ITSELF:

IS ABOLISHED.

This is why the resurrection is such magnificent news.

Death does not have the final word.

The grave does not have the final word.

Hades does not have the final word.

GOD HAS THE FINAL WORD.

And through Jesus Christ:

THE DEAD WILL RISE.

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:54, BLB

“Where O death, is your victory? Where O death, is your sting?”

— 1 Corinthians 15:55, BLB

“But thanks be to God, the One giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:57, BLB

THE BIBLICAL HOPE:

DEATH.

↓

SLEEP.

↓

THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST.

↓

THE RESURRECTION.

↓

IMMORTALITY.

↓

ETERNAL LIFE.

↓

DEATH ABOLISHED.

↓

GOD DWELLING WITH HIS PEOPLE FOREVER.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

AND:

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 29 — IF THE DEAD ARE ASLEEP, WHERE ARE THEY UNTIL THE RESURRECTION?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN BY SHEOL, HADES AND THE GRAVE?

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

Throughout this study we have found a remarkably consistent biblical pattern:

LIFE.

↓

DEATH.

↓

SLEEP.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

IMMORTALITY AND ETERNAL LIFE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE.

But this naturally raises another important question:

IF THE DEAD ARE ASLEEP, WHERE ARE THEY?

When a person dies, does the Bible teach that the person immediately travels consciously to:

HEAVEN?

HELL?

PURGATORY?

OR SOME OTHER CONSCIOUS SPIRIT REALM?

Or does Scripture describe the dead as being in:

SHEOL

and:

HADES

while awaiting:

THE RESURRECTION?

This question is extremely important because the words:

SHEOL.

HADES.

HELL.

GRAVE.

PIT.

have sometimes been translated in ways that can obscure important distinctions in the original biblical languages.

So we must return to:

THE HEBREW.

THE GREEK.

AND:

THE BIBLICAL CONTEXT.

---

QUICK FACT 421 — THE OLD TESTAMENT WORD SHEOL DOES NOT SIMPLY MEAN “A PLACE OF ETERNAL TORMENT”

The Hebrew word is:

שְׁאוֹל — SHEOL.

It occurs repeatedly throughout the Old Testament.

Depending upon the translation and context, it has been rendered:

GRAVE.

PIT.

HELL.

OR:

THE REALM OF THE DEAD.

But simply translating:

SHEOL

as:

HELL

can create a theological impression that the Hebrew word itself does not necessarily contain.

SHEOL is fundamentally associated with:

DEATH

and:

THE DEAD.

---

QUICK FACT 422 — JACOB EXPECTED TO GO TO SHEOL

When Jacob believed that his son Joseph had been killed, he said:

“For I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol.”

— Genesis 37:35

This is extremely important.

Jacob was:

A SERVANT OF GOD.

Yet Jacob expected eventually to go to:

SHEOL.

Did Jacob therefore believe he would go to a place of:

ETERNAL FIERY TORMENT?

Obviously that conclusion does not naturally follow.

Instead, Sheol is associated here with:

DEATH

and:

THE GRAVE / REALM OF THE DEAD.

---

QUICK FACT 423 — JOB EXPECTED TO GO TO SHEOL

Job also speaks about:

SHEOL.

He says:

“Oh that You would hide me in Sheol, that You would conceal me until Your wrath has passed...”

— Job 14:13

Notice something remarkable.

Job does not describe Sheol as:

A PLACE WHERE HE WOULD BE TORTURED.

Instead he speaks of being:

HIDDEN

there.

And then Job asks:

“If a man dies, will he live again?”

— Job 14:14

His hope is connected with a future:

CHANGE.

The context therefore points toward:

DEATH.

↓

WAITING.

↓

RESTORATION.

Rather than:

IMMEDIATE CONSCIOUS LIFE IN HEAVEN OR HELL.

---

QUICK FACT 424 — SHEOL IS ASSOCIATED WITH SILENCE

The Psalms repeatedly associate death with:

SILENCE.

Psalm 115 says:

“The dead do not praise Yah, nor any going down into silence.”

— Psalm 115:17

Notice:

THE DEAD:

DO NOT PRAISE.

And those who descend into death are described as going into:

SILENCE.

This would be very strange language if all the righteous dead were actually:

CONSCIOUSLY PRAISING GOD IN HEAVEN.

The passage instead fits naturally with:

DEATH AS AN UNCONSCIOUS STATE.

---

QUICK FACT 425 — HEZEKIAH SAID SHEOL DOES NOT PRAISE GOD

After recovering from a life-threatening illness, King Hezekiah says:

“For Sheol cannot thank You; death cannot praise You; those descending to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.”

— Isaiah 38:18

Notice the parallel expressions:

SHEOL.

DEATH.

THE PIT.

And what happens there?

SHEOL:

DOES NOT THANK GOD.

DEATH:

DOES NOT PRAISE GOD.

This is powerful evidence concerning how the Old Testament writers understood the condition of the dead.

If the righteous dead were consciously worshipping God in heaven, why would Hezekiah say:

“SHEOL CANNOT THANK YOU; DEATH CANNOT PRAISE YOU”?

---

QUICK FACT 426 — DAVID ALSO CONNECTED DEATH WITH SILENCE

David asks:

“For in death there is no remembrance of You; in Sheol who will give thanks to You?”

— Psalm 6:5

Again:

DEATH.

↓

NO REMEMBRANCE.

SHEOL.

↓

NO GIVING THANKS.

This agrees remarkably well with:

ECCLESIASTES 9:5:

“THE DEAD CANNOT KNOW ANYTHING.”

And:

PSALM 146:4:

THE PERSON RETURNS TO THE EARTH AND HIS THOUGHTS / PLANS:

PERISH.

The pattern is consistent.

---

QUICK FACT 427 — SHEOL RECEIVES BOTH RIGHTEOUS AND UNRIGHTEOUS PEOPLE

This point is essential.

The Old Testament does not simply use:

SHEOL

as another word for:

THE FINAL FIERY PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED.

Jacob expected to go there.

Job expected to go there.

David spoke about going there.

The wicked are also described as going there.

Therefore:

SHEOL

is fundamentally connected with:

THE STATE / REALM OF THE DEAD

rather than being identical to:

THE FINAL LAKE OF FIRE.

This distinction becomes extremely important when we move into the New Testament word:

HADES.

---

QUICK FACT 428 — THE GREEK OLD TESTAMENT OFTEN TRANSLATES SHEOL AS HADES

This gives us an important bridge between:

THE OLD TESTAMENT

and:

THE NEW TESTAMENT.

In the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Septuagint, Hebrew:

SHEOL

is frequently translated with the Greek word:

ᾅδης — HADES.

This helps explain why the New Testament uses:

HADES

in passages concerning:

DEATH

and:

THE DEAD.

Therefore we must be very careful not to automatically interpret:

HADES

as:

THE FINAL PLACE OF ETERNAL FIERY PUNISHMENT.

The biblical relationship is broadly:

HEBREW:

SHEOL

↓

GREEK:

HADES

↓

THE REALM / STATE ASSOCIATED WITH:

THE DEAD.

---

QUICK FACT 429 — JESUS WAS IN HADES, BUT WAS NOT ABANDONED THERE

This becomes extremely important in:

ACTS 2.

Peter quotes the Psalm concerning the Messiah:

“because You will not abandon my soul into Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see decay.”

— Acts 2:27

Peter then explains that David was speaking prophetically about:

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

Acts 2:31 says that Christ was not:

ABANDONED TO HADES

and His flesh did not:

SEE DECAY.

Then Peter declares:

“This Jesus God has raised up...”

— Acts 2:32

Notice the sequence:

JESUS DIES.

↓

HE IS IN:

HADES.

↓

HE IS NOT LEFT THERE.

↓

GOD:

RAISES HIM FROM THE DEAD.

This provides an enormously important biblical definition.

Hades is connected with:

DEATH

from which Jesus was:

RESURRECTED.

---

QUICK FACT 430 — HADES ITSELF WILL EVENTUALLY BE DESTROYED

This confirms what we discovered in Part 27.

Revelation says:

“death and Hades gave up the dead in them...”

— Revelation 20:13, BLB

Then:

“death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

Notice:

HADES:

CONTAINS / HOLDS THE DEAD.

↓

HADES:

GIVES UP THE DEAD.

↓

THEN HADES ITSELF:

IS ABOLISHED.

Therefore Hades cannot be:

THE FINAL ETERNAL DESTINATION.

It is temporary.

Its function ends when:

THE DEAD HAVE BEEN RAISED.

---

CONTINUED IN:

PART 29 — PART TWO

In Part Two we will examine an extremely important distinction that has caused enormous confusion:

HADES IS NOT THE SAME WORD AS GEHENNA.

We will examine:

HADES.

SHEOL.

GEHENNA.

THE GRAVE.

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

And why translating several different biblical words simply as:

“HELL”

can hide important distinctions in the original text.

We will also examine:

ACTS 2:27–32.

PSALM 16:10.

MATTHEW 16:18.

REVELATION 1:18.

REVELATION 20:13–14.

And ask:

WHAT EXACTLY ARE “THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES”?

Then we can establish a clear biblical distinction:

SHEOL / HADES

↓

THE DEAD AWAIT:

RESURRECTION.

VERSUS:

GEHENNA / THE LAKE OF FIRE

↓

FINAL:

JUDGMENT.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 29 — IF THE DEAD ARE ASLEEP, WHERE ARE THEY UNTIL THE RESURRECTION?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN BY SHEOL, HADES AND THE GRAVE?

PART TWO

CONTINUED FROM PART ONE

In Part One we established an important biblical connection:

SHEOL

in the Hebrew Scriptures

and:

HADES

in the Greek Scriptures

are both associated with:

DEATH

and:

THE DEAD.

We also discovered that Hades itself is not the final punishment.

Revelation says:

HADES GIVES UP:

THE DEAD.

↓

THEN:

HADES ITSELF IS:

CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

Therefore Hades and the lake of fire cannot simply be identical.

Now we need to examine one of the greatest sources of confusion surrounding the biblical teaching about death:

HADES IS NOT THE SAME GREEK WORD AS GEHENNA.

---

QUICK FACT 431 — THE NEW TESTAMENT USES DIFFERENT WORDS THAT HAVE SOMETIMES BEEN TRANSLATED “HELL”

This distinction is extremely important.

English Bible translations have sometimes used the single word:

HELL

for different words in the biblical languages.

Among the most important are:

SHEOL

Hebrew:

שְׁאוֹל — SHEOL

and:

HADES

Greek:

ᾅδης — HADĒS

and:

GEHENNA

Greek:

γέεννα — GEENNA.

These words should not simply be treated as though they all mean exactly the same thing.

When studying what happens after death, we must ask:

WHICH ORIGINAL WORD DOES THE BIBLICAL WRITER ACTUALLY USE?

---

QUICK FACT 432 — HADES IS CONNECTED WITH THE DEAD AWAITING RESURRECTION

We saw this clearly in Revelation:

“death and Hades gave up the dead in them...”

— Revelation 20:13, BLB

Notice:

HADES:

GIVES UP THE DEAD.

This means Hades is:

NOT FINAL.

The dead do not remain there forever.

They are brought forth for:

RESURRECTION

and:

JUDGMENT.

Then Hades itself is:

ABOLISHED.

---

QUICK FACT 433 — GEHENNA HAS A DIFFERENT BIBLICAL BACKGROUND

The Greek word:

GEHENNA

comes from the Hebrew expression associated with:

THE VALLEY OF HINNOM

outside Jerusalem.

This valley had a dark history in the Old Testament.

It became associated with:

IDOLATRY.

ABOMINABLE PRACTICES.

DIVINE JUDGMENT.

AND:

DESTRUCTION.

Therefore when Jesus warns about:

GEHENNA,

He is drawing upon powerful prophetic imagery of:

GOD'S JUDGMENT.

This is different from simply referring to:

HADES

as the realm associated with:

THE DEAD.

---

QUICK FACT 434 — JESUS SAYS GOD CAN DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA

Jesus says:

“And do not fear those killing the body, but not being able to kill the soul. But fear rather the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”

— Matthew 10:28, BLB

Notice the word:

DESTROY.

Jesus does not say:

GOD WILL PRESERVE BOTH SOUL AND BODY ALIVE FOREVER IN GEHENNA.

He says God is able to:

DESTROY

both:

SOUL

and:

BODY

in Gehenna.

This is extremely important when considering the final destiny of the condemned.

---

QUICK FACT 435 — HADES AND GEHENNA SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED

We can therefore make an important distinction:

HADES:

ASSOCIATED WITH:

DEATH.

↓

THE DEAD ARE THERE.

↓

THE DEAD ARE LATER:

GIVEN UP.

↓

HADES ITSELF:

IS ABOLISHED.

But:

GEHENNA:

IS USED IN WARNINGS CONCERNING:

DIVINE JUDGMENT.

↓

DESTRUCTION.

↓

FINAL CONSEQUENCES.

Therefore simply translating both ideas with the English word:

HELL

can conceal an important distinction.

---

QUICK FACT 436 — JESUS POSSESSES “THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES”

In Revelation Jesus declares:

“I am the Living One, and I was dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of the ages, and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.”

— Revelation 1:18, BLB

This is a magnificent statement.

Jesus says:

“I WAS DEAD.”

↓

NOW:

“I AM LIVING.”

And He possesses:

THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES.

What does a key represent?

AUTHORITY TO OPEN.

Jesus has authority over:

DEATH

and:

HADES.

This fits perfectly with:

RESURRECTION.

---

QUICK FACT 437 — JESUS CAN OPEN THE REALM OF DEATH

Consider the imagery:

THE DEAD ARE HELD BY:

DEATH.

↓

HADES HOLDS:

THE DEAD.

↓

JESUS POSSESSES:

THE KEYS.

↓

JESUS CALLS:

THE DEAD FORTH.

This agrees beautifully with Jesus' words:

“an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth...”

— John 5:28–29, BLB

The great Christian hope is not:

THE DEAD ESCAPING DEATH BY THEMSELVES.

It is:

JESUS CHRIST RAISING THE DEAD.

---

QUICK FACT 438 — “THE GATES OF HADES” WILL NOT DEFEAT CHRIST'S ASSEMBLY

Jesus says:

“I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

— Matthew 16:18, BLB

The imagery of:

GATES

is important.

Hades is pictured as possessing:

GATES.

But Jesus possesses:

THE KEYS OF HADES.

Therefore:

DEATH

cannot ultimately imprison God's people.

The grave cannot permanently hold those whom Christ will:

RAISE.

---

QUICK FACT 439 — PETER CONNECTS HADES DIRECTLY WITH CHRIST'S RESURRECTION

Acts 2 gives us one of the clearest examples.

Peter quotes:

“You will not abandon my soul into Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see decay.”

— Acts 2:27, BLB

Then Peter explains that David:

“spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was He abandoned into Hades, nor did His flesh see decay.”

— Acts 2:31, BLB

Then:

“This Jesus God has raised up...”

— Acts 2:32, BLB

Notice the interpretation Peter himself gives:

CHRIST:

DIED.

↓

HE WAS NOT:

ABANDONED TO HADES.

↓

HIS BODY DID NOT:

SEE DECAY.

↓

GOD:

RAISED HIM.

Peter explicitly connects the passage with:

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

---

QUICK FACT 440 — CHRIST'S VICTORY OVER HADES IS A RESURRECTION VICTORY

This gives us an important biblical pattern.

Jesus does not remain:

DEAD.

He does not remain in:

HADES.

God:

RAISES HIM FROM THE DEAD.

Jesus therefore becomes the great guarantee that:

DEATH

and:

HADES

will not have the final victory.

Paul says:

“Christ has been raised out from the dead, the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:20, BLB

Notice again:

THE DEAD ARE:

“FALLEN ASLEEP.”

Christ is:

RAISED.

And His resurrection guarantees the future resurrection of:

HIS PEOPLE.

---

QUICK FACT 441 — THE BIBLE'S FINAL ANSWER TO HADES IS NOT ENDLESS OCCUPATION, BUT EMPTYING AND DESTRUCTION

Revelation gives us the final outcome:

HADES:

GIVES UP:

THE DEAD.

— Revelation 20:13

Then:

DEATH AND HADES:

ARE CAST INTO:

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

— Revelation 20:14

Therefore Hades eventually becomes:

EMPTY.

And then:

HADES ITSELF IS ABOLISHED.

This makes perfect sense if Hades is associated with:

THE DEAD AWAITING RESURRECTION.

Once the dead have all been:

RAISED,

Hades no longer has any purpose.

---

CONTINUED IN:

PART 29 — PART THREE

In Part Three we will examine another extremely important question:

DO SHEOL AND HADES MEAN A LITERAL PLACE UNDER THE EARTH?

When Scripture speaks of:

GOING DOWN TO SHEOL.

THE DEPTHS.

THE PIT.

THE GRAVE.

THE GATES OF HADES.

should these expressions be understood as describing:

A LITERAL UNDERGROUND WORLD FILLED WITH CONSCIOUS DEAD PEOPLE?

Or are they biblical ways of describing:

DEATH AND THE GRAVE?

We will examine:

NUMBERS 16.

JOB.

THE PSALMS.

ISAIAH.

ACTS 2.

AND:

THE LANGUAGE OF GOING:

“DOWN”

TO SHEOL.

Then we will bring together:

SHEOL.

HADES.

GEHENNA.

THE GRAVE.

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

RESURRECTION.

AND:

THE SECOND DEATH.

This will allow us to answer clearly:

WHERE ARE THE DEAD UNTIL THE RESURRECTION?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 29 — IF THE DEAD ARE ASLEEP, WHERE ARE THEY UNTIL THE RESURRECTION?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN BY SHEOL, HADES AND THE GRAVE?

PART THREE

CONTINUED FROM PART TWO

We have established an important distinction:

SHEOL / HADES

is associated with:

DEATH.

THE DEAD.

THE GRAVE / REALM OF THE DEAD.

AND:

THE DEAD AWAITING RESURRECTION.

While:

GEHENNA

is used in warnings concerning:

DIVINE JUDGMENT.

And Revelation ultimately describes:

THE LAKE OF FIRE

as:

THE SECOND DEATH.

But another question now arises:

When the Bible says that someone goes:

“DOWN TO SHEOL,”

does this mean that a conscious soul literally travels into an underground world beneath the earth?

Let us examine the biblical language carefully.

---

QUICK FACT 442 — THE BIBLE FREQUENTLY SPEAKS OF GOING “DOWN” TO SHEOL

The Old Testament repeatedly uses expressions such as:

GO DOWN TO SHEOL.

At first sight, someone might conclude:

SHEOL MUST BE A LITERAL UNDERGROUND WORLD WHERE CONSCIOUS DEAD PEOPLE LIVE.

But biblical language often describes burial and death as:

GOING DOWN.

Why?

Because the dead are placed:

IN THE EARTH.

The grave is:

BELOW THE LIVING.

Therefore language about descending does not automatically establish:

A CONSCIOUS UNDERGROUND AFTERLIFE.

---

QUICK FACT 443 — JACOB SPOKE OF GOING “DOWN” TO SHEOL

When Jacob believed Joseph was dead, he said:

“For I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol.”

— Genesis 37:35

Notice:

Jacob expects to:

GO DOWN

to:

SHEOL.

But Jacob was not expecting:

ETERNAL FIERY TORMENT.

The natural connection is:

JACOB WILL DIE.

↓

HE WILL JOIN THE DEAD.

↓

HE WILL GO TO:

SHEOL.

The expression:

“GO DOWN”

therefore fits naturally with:

DEATH

and:

THE GRAVE.

---

QUICK FACT 444 — KORAH'S JUDGMENT SHOWS WHY “DOWN” LANGUAGE MUST BE READ IN CONTEXT

Numbers 16 describes the extraordinary judgment involving Korah and those associated with his rebellion.

The earth opens.

They go down alive into:

SHEOL.

Then:

“the earth closed over them...”

— Numbers 16:33

Notice what physically happens:

THE GROUND:

OPENS.

↓

THEY DESCEND.

↓

THE EARTH:

CLOSES OVER THEM.

The language of:

GOING DOWN

therefore has an obvious connection with:

THE EARTH SWALLOWING THEM.

This passage should not automatically be turned into a description of immortal souls travelling into a conscious subterranean world.

---

QUICK FACT 445 — THE “PIT” IS FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH

Scripture also repeatedly uses the word:

PIT

in connection with:

DEATH.

THE GRAVE.

DESTRUCTION.

AND:

DESCENDING.

For example, Hezekiah says:

“those descending to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.”

— Isaiah 38:18

Notice the parallel:

SHEOL CANNOT:

THANK GOD.

↓

DEATH CANNOT:

PRAISE GOD.

↓

THOSE DESCENDING TO THE PIT:

CANNOT HOPE FOR GOD'S FAITHFULNESS.

These expressions describe the condition of:

THE DEAD.

---

QUICK FACT 446 — THE PSALMS CONNECT SHEOL WITH THE PIT

The Psalms frequently use Hebrew poetic parallelism.

One expression explains or reinforces another.

For example:

“For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You permit Your Holy One to see decay.”

— Psalm 16:10

Notice the relationship:

SHEOL

and:

DECAY.

Peter later explains this passage in Acts 2 as a prophecy concerning:

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.

Christ was not left:

IN HADES.

And His flesh did not:

SEE DECAY.

The context therefore concerns:

DEATH AND RESURRECTION.

---

QUICK FACT 447 — JESUS' BODY WAS IN THE TOMB UNTIL GOD RAISED HIM

After Jesus died, His body was placed in:

A TOMB.

The Gospel accounts repeatedly emphasize:

THE TOMB.

THE STONE.

THE BURIAL.

AND:

THE EMPTY TOMB AFTER THE RESURRECTION.

Peter later says:

“This Jesus God has raised up...”

— Acts 2:32, BLB

The great apostolic proclamation is:

JESUS:

DIED.

↓

JESUS WAS:

BURIED.

↓

GOD:

RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.

This is the central resurrection message.

---

QUICK FACT 448 — “HADES” IN ACTS 2 IS CONNECTED WITH DEATH, DECAY AND RESURRECTION

Peter explains Psalm 16:

“he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was He abandoned into Hades, nor did His flesh see decay.”

— Acts 2:31, BLB

Notice Peter's own interpretation:

THE SUBJECT IS:

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

Hades is contrasted with:

BEING RAISED.

And remaining dead is associated with:

DECAY.

Therefore Acts 2 does not require us to understand Hades as:

A PLACE WHERE IMMORTAL HUMAN SOULS CONTINUE THEIR NORMAL CONSCIOUS LIVES.

The emphasis is:

CHRIST WAS DEAD.

↓

CHRIST WAS NOT LEFT IN DEATH.

↓

GOD:

RAISED HIM.

---

QUICK FACT 449 — “THE GATES OF HADES” ARE AN IMAGE OF THE POWER OF DEATH

Jesus says:

“the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

— Matthew 16:18, BLB

In ancient imagery, gates represent:

A CITY.

A STRONGHOLD.

A POWER THAT HOLDS SOMETHING INSIDE.

This fits beautifully with Revelation 1:18, where Jesus says He possesses:

“THE KEYS OF DEATH AND OF HADES.”

Put the images together:

HADES HAS:

GATES.

↓

JESUS HAS:

THE KEYS.

↓

THEREFORE:

DEATH CANNOT PERMANENTLY HOLD GOD'S PEOPLE.

The final answer is:

RESURRECTION.

---

QUICK FACT 450 — THE DEAD ARE DESCRIBED AS BEING IN THEIR GRAVES

Jesus gives us particularly clear language:

“an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth...”

— John 5:28–29, BLB

Notice where Jesus says the dead are:

“IN THE TOMBS.”

Then:

THEY HEAR HIS VOICE.

↓

THEY:

COME FORTH.

Again the picture is:

DEATH.

↓

THE GRAVE.

↓

CHRIST'S VOICE.

↓

RESURRECTION.

---

QUICK FACT 451 — DANIEL SAYS THE DEAD ARE “SLEEPING IN THE DUST”

Daniel gives us another remarkably clear description:

“many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awake...”

— Daniel 12:2

Notice:

WHERE ARE THEY?

“IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH.”

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

“SLEEPING.”

WHAT EVENTUALLY HAPPENS?

THEY:

“AWAKE.”

This language is difficult to reconcile with the claim that the same people are already:

FULLY CONSCIOUS.

ACTIVE.

THINKING.

SPEAKING.

AND:

LIVING ELSEWHERE.

Daniel's picture is:

SLEEP.

↓

IN THE DUST.

↓

AWAKENING.

That is:

RESURRECTION.

---

QUICK FACT 452 — JOB ALSO CONNECTS DEATH WITH LYING DOWN UNTIL A FUTURE AWAKENING

Job asks:

“But a man dies and is powerless; and man expires, and where is he?”

— Job 14:10

Then he says:

“So man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be aroused out of their sleep.”

— Job 14:12

Notice again:

MAN:

DIES.

↓

MAN:

LIES DOWN.

↓

HE DOES NOT:

RISE.

↓

HE DOES NOT:

AWAKE

until a future time.

Again death is described as:

SLEEP AWAITING AWAKENING.

---

QUICK FACT 453 — SHEOL IS NOT PRESENTED AS THE BELIEVER'S FINAL HOME

This is extremely important.

Even though righteous people can be described as going to:

SHEOL,

Scripture never presents Sheol as their:

FINAL DESTINY.

Why?

Because God will:

RAISE THE DEAD.

David's prophetic words concerning the Messiah say:

“You will not abandon my soul to Sheol...”

— Psalm 16:10

Peter explains:

Christ was not:

ABANDONED TO HADES.

Instead:

GOD:

RAISED HIM.

Likewise, God's people will not remain under the power of:

DEATH

forever.

Their hope is:

RESURRECTION.

---

QUICK FACT 454 — THE BIBLE'S EMPHASIS IS NOT WHERE AN IMMORTAL SOUL TRAVELS, BUT WHEN THE DEAD WILL RISE

This may be one of the most important observations in the entire discussion.

Again and again Scripture directs attention toward:

WHEN WILL THE DEAD RISE?

Daniel:

AT THE END.

Jesus:

AT THE LAST DAY.

Paul:

AT THE LAST TRUMPET.

1 Thessalonians:

WHEN THE LORD DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.

The biblical emphasis is therefore:

NOT:

WHERE DOES MY IMMORTAL SOUL TRAVEL THE SECOND I DIE?

But:

WHEN WILL GOD RAISE THE DEAD?

And the answer repeatedly points toward:

THE RESURRECTION.

---

CONTINUED IN:

PART 29 — PART FOUR

In Part Four we will bring this entire investigation of:

SHEOL, HADES AND THE GRAVE

to its conclusion.

We will answer directly:

WHERE ARE THE DEAD UNTIL THE RESURRECTION?

We will bring together:

SHEOL.

HADES.

THE GRAVE.

THE DUST.

SLEEP.

SILENCE.

THE TOMB.

THE RESURRECTION.

GEHENNA.

AND:

THE SECOND DEATH.

We will also create a simple comparison:

SHEOL / HADES

VERSUS:

GEHENNA / THE LAKE OF FIRE.

And we will answer one final important question:

IF THE DEAD ARE UNCONSCIOUS, DOES IT MATTER WHETHER THOUSANDS OF YEARS PASS BEFORE THEIR RESURRECTION?

This will show why, from the perspective of the dead person:

DEATH.

↓

NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF PASSING TIME.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

AWAKENING.

can appear as:

THE VERY NEXT CONSCIOUS MOMENT.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 29 — IF THE DEAD ARE ASLEEP, WHERE ARE THEY UNTIL THE RESURRECTION?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN BY SHEOL, HADES AND THE GRAVE?

PART FOUR

CONTINUED FROM PART THREE

We can now bring the evidence together and answer the central question:

IF THE DEAD ARE ASLEEP, WHERE ARE THEY UNTIL THE RESURRECTION?

Throughout Scripture we have repeatedly encountered the language of:

SHEOL.

HADES.

THE GRAVE.

THE TOMB.

THE PIT.

THE DUST.

SLEEP.

SILENCE.

AND:

DEATH.

But the biblical hope does not end with any of these.

It ends with:

RESURRECTION.

---

QUICK FACT 455 — THE DEAD RETURN TO THE DUST

The biblical pattern begins in Genesis.

God told Adam:

“until you return to the ground, because out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return.”

— Genesis 3:19

Notice:

ADAM CAME FROM:

THE DUST.

↓

AT DEATH:

ADAM RETURNS TO:

THE DUST.

This same pattern appears throughout Scripture.

Daniel describes the dead as:

“SLEEPING IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH.”

— Daniel 12:2

Therefore the Bible repeatedly associates death with:

RETURNING TO THE EARTH.

---

QUICK FACT 456 — THE DEAD ARE DESCRIBED AS SLEEPING UNTIL THEY AWAKE

Daniel says:

“many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awake...”

— Daniel 12:2

This gives us three important elements:

WHERE ARE THEY?

IN:

THE DUST OF THE EARTH.

WHAT IS THEIR CONDITION?

SLEEPING.

WHAT EVENTUALLY HAPPENS?

THEY:

AWAKE.

The biblical pattern is:

DEATH.

↓

SLEEP.

↓

AWAKENING.

And that awakening is:

RESURRECTION.

---

QUICK FACT 457 — SHEOL IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH, NOT THE FINAL DESTINY

Throughout the Old Testament:

SHEOL

receives the dead.

Jacob expected to go there.

Job expected to go there.

David spoke about it.

The wicked are also described as going there.

Therefore Sheol cannot simply mean:

THE FINAL PLACE OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT FOR THE WICKED.

Instead it is associated broadly with:

DEATH

and:

THE REALM OF THE DEAD.

Most importantly:

SHEOL DOES NOT HAVE THE FINAL WORD.

God can:

RAISE THE DEAD.

---

QUICK FACT 458 — HADES LIKEWISE DOES NOT HAVE THE FINAL WORD

The New Testament gives us the same basic pattern with:

HADES.

Jesus says:

“I have the keys of Death and of Hades.”

— Revelation 1:18, BLB

Then Revelation 20 says:

“death and Hades gave up the dead in them...”

— Revelation 20:13, BLB

Therefore:

HADES:

HOLDS / CONTAINS THE DEAD.

↓

HADES:

GIVES UP THE DEAD.

↓

THE DEAD ARE:

RAISED FOR JUDGMENT.

↓

THEN:

HADES ITSELF IS ABOLISHED.

Hades is therefore:

TEMPORARY.

---

QUICK FACT 459 — SHEOL / HADES AND THE LAKE OF FIRE CANNOT BE THE SAME THING

This distinction is decisive.

Revelation says:

“death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

Think carefully about what this means.

If:

HADES

were exactly the same thing as:

THE LAKE OF FIRE,

then the passage would effectively say:

THE LAKE OF FIRE WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

But that is not what John describes.

Instead:

DEATH AND HADES

are cast:

INTO

the lake of fire.

Therefore they are:

DISTINCT.

---

QUICK FACT 460 — THE LAKE OF FIRE IS DEFINED AS “THE SECOND DEATH”

John immediately explains:

“This is the second death—the lake of fire.”

— Revelation 20:14, BLB

Again:

“the lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

— Revelation 21:8, BLB

Therefore the biblical distinction can be summarized:

SHEOL / HADES

↓

ASSOCIATED WITH:

THE FIRST DEATH.

↓

THE DEAD AWAIT:

RESURRECTION.

But:

THE LAKE OF FIRE

↓

FOLLOWS:

RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT.

↓

IT IS CALLED:

THE SECOND DEATH.

This distinction is extremely important.

---

QUICK FACT 461 — GEHENNA IS ASSOCIATED WITH FINAL DIVINE JUDGMENT

Jesus repeatedly warns about:

GEHENNA.

As we saw earlier, Gehenna is not the Greek word:

HADES.

Jesus says God is able to:

“destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”

— Matthew 10:28, BLB

Therefore we should not simply combine:

SHEOL.

HADES.

GEHENNA.

AND:

THE LAKE OF FIRE

under one English word:

HELL

and assume that they all describe exactly the same thing.

The original biblical terminology contains important distinctions.

---

QUICK FACT 462 — THE SIMPLE BIBLICAL COMPARISON

We can summarize the distinction like this:

SHEOL / HADES

ASSOCIATED WITH:

DEATH.

THE DEAD.

THE GRAVE / REALM OF THE DEAD.

A TEMPORARY CONDITION.

THE DEAD BEING RAISED.

HADES EVENTUALLY BEING ABOLISHED.

VERSUS:

GEHENNA / FINAL JUDGMENT

ASSOCIATED WITH:

DIVINE JUDGMENT.

DESTRUCTION.

THE FINAL CONSEQUENCES OF SIN.

And Revelation describes the final lake of fire as:

THE SECOND DEATH.

Therefore:

THE FIRST DEATH

is followed by:

RESURRECTION.

But:

THE SECOND DEATH

is:

FINAL.

---

QUICK FACT 463 — WHAT ABOUT THE PASSAGE OF TIME WHILE SOMEONE IS DEAD?

Now we come to a fascinating question.

Suppose someone died:

100 YEARS AGO.

500 YEARS AGO.

2,000 YEARS AGO.

OR EVEN LONGER.

Would that person consciously experience all those centuries passing while awaiting resurrection?

If the dead are truly:

UNCONSCIOUS,

then:

NO.

There would be no conscious awareness of:

MINUTES.

HOURS.

YEARS.

CENTURIES.

OR:

MILLENNIA

passing.

Why?

Because conscious awareness has:

CEASED.

---

QUICK FACT 464 — FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE DEAD, THE NEXT CONSCIOUS MOMENT WOULD BE AWAKENING

This helps explain why biblical death imagery is so often:

SLEEP.

Imagine falling into a deep dreamless sleep.

You close your eyes.

Hours pass.

But you are not consciously counting:

ONE MINUTE.

TWO MINUTES.

THREE HOURS.

Instead, from your conscious perspective:

YOU FALL ASLEEP.

↓

THEN:

YOU WAKE UP.

Likewise, if death is unconscious:

A PERSON DIES.

↓

NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF PASSING TIME.

↓

GOD RAISES THE PERSON.

↓

THE PERSON:

AWAKES.

Therefore even if thousands of years have passed objectively, from the dead person's subjective perspective there would be:

NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THAT INTERVAL.

---

QUICK FACT 465 — THIS HELPS EXPLAIN PAUL'S DESIRE TO “DEPART AND BE WITH CHRIST”

This observation can also help us understand Paul's words:

“I have the desire to depart and to be with Christ...”

— Philippians 1:23, BLB

Paul did not need to describe or consciously experience a long interval between:

DEATH

and:

BEING WITH CHRIST

for those two events to be subjectively adjacent.

If death is unconscious, then from Paul's personal experience:

DEATH.

↓

NO CONSCIOUS AWARENESS OF PASSING TIME.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

BEING WITH:

CHRIST.

The objective interval could be long.

But to the unconscious dead person, there is no experienced passage of time.

This reading allows Philippians 1:23 to remain fully compatible with Paul's repeated teaching that believers are raised and gathered to Christ at:

HIS RETURN.

---

QUICK FACT 466 — THIS ALSO EXPLAINS WHY RESURRECTION IS DESCRIBED AS AWAKENING

The Bible repeatedly uses:

AWAKE

language.

Daniel says:

“many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awake...”

— Daniel 12:2

Jesus says concerning Lazarus:

“Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am going that I may awaken him.”

— John 11:11, BLB

Paul describes deceased believers as:

THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.

Then Christ returns and:

THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.

The imagery is remarkably consistent:

SLEEP.

↓

AWAKENING.

DEATH.

↓

RESURRECTION.

---

QUICK FACT 467 — JESUS CHRIST HOLDS THE KEY TO THE GRAVE

This is where the biblical teaching becomes not merely theological, but:

HOPEFUL.

Jesus declares:

“I was dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of the ages, and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.”

— Revelation 1:18, BLB

Jesus himself:

DIED.

But God:

RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.

Now death cannot ultimately imprison those who belong to Christ.

He has:

THE KEYS.

The grave can close.

The tomb can be sealed.

The body can return to dust.

Centuries can pass.

But when Christ calls:

THE DEAD WILL RISE.

---

PART 29 — FINAL CONCLUSION

So where are the dead until the resurrection?

The Bible repeatedly describes them as:

DEAD.

ASLEEP.

IN THE DUST.

IN THEIR TOMBS.

IN SHEOL / HADES.

And:

AWAITING RESURRECTION.

The Bible does not require us to believe that every dead human being is presently:

CONSCIOUS.

THINKING.

SPEAKING.

WATCHING THE LIVING.

OR:

EXPERIENCING HEAVEN OR FIERY TORMENT.

Instead the repeated biblical pattern is:

LIFE.

↓

DEATH.

↓

SHEOL / HADES.

↓

SLEEP.

↓

NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF PASSING TIME.

↓

THE VOICE OF JESUS CHRIST.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

AWAKENING.

For God's people:

RESURRECTION.

↓

IMMORTALITY.

↓

ETERNAL LIFE.

↓

FOREVER WITH THE LORD.

For those raised to judgment:

RESURRECTION.

↓

JUDGMENT.

↓

THE FINAL VERDICT.

↓

THE SECOND DEATH.

Then ultimately:

DEATH AND HADES:

ARE ABOLISHED.

And:

“DEATH WILL BE NO MORE.”

— Revelation 21:4, BLB

Therefore the biblical hope is not:

AN IMMORTAL SOUL ESCAPING FROM DEATH.

It is something far greater:

GOD DEFEATING DEATH ITSELF THROUGH RESURRECTION.

COMING NEXT:

PART 30 — “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”

DOES LUKE 23:43 REALLY TEACH THAT THE THIEF WENT CONSCIOUSLY TO HEAVEN ON THE DAY HE DIED?

Although we examined this passage earlier, it deserves a much deeper word-by-word investigation because it is probably one of the most frequently quoted verses used to argue for immediate conscious life after death.

We will examine:

THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

THE ABSENCE OF PUNCTUATION IN THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS.

THE POSITION OF:

“TODAY.”

JESUS' WORDS:

“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”

WHAT:

PARADISE

MEANS IN SCRIPTURE.

AND:

WHETHER THE THIEF COULD HAVE ENTERED PARADISE THAT VERY DAY IF JESUS HIMSELF HAD NOT YET ASCENDED TO HIS FATHER.

The question will be:

WHERE DOES THE COMMA REALLY BELONG?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 30 — “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”

DOES LUKE 23:43 REALLY TEACH THAT THE THIEF WENT CONSCIOUSLY TO PARADISE ON THE DAY HE DIED?

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

Luke 23:43 is probably one of the most frequently quoted verses used to support the belief that a person remains consciously alive immediately after death.

While Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the criminals beside Him said:

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

— Luke 23:42, BLB

Jesus answered:

“Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

— Luke 23:43, commonly punctuated

This is often understood to mean:

THE THIEF DIED.

↓

HIS CONSCIOUS SOUL LEFT HIS BODY.

↓

JESUS' CONSCIOUS SOUL ALSO LEFT HIS BODY.

↓

THAT SAME DAY:

JESUS AND THE THIEF WENT TO PARADISE.

But is that necessarily what Jesus said?

There is a major issue that must be examined:

THE ORIGINAL GREEK MANUSCRIPTS DID NOT CONTAIN THE MODERN COMMA THAT DETERMINES HOW THIS SENTENCE IS READ.

Therefore the question is not whether the Greek word:

“TODAY”

is present.

It certainly is.

The question is:

WHAT DOES “TODAY” MODIFY?

Does Jesus mean:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”?

Or:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY, YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”?

That single punctuation decision significantly affects how the verse is understood.

---

QUICK FACT 468 — THE GREEK TEXT CONTAINS NO INSPIRED COMMA AFTER “YOU”

The important Greek words are:

Ἀμήν σοι λέγω σήμερον μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ

Transliterated:

AMĒN SOI LEGŌ SĒMERON MET’ EMOU ESĒ EN TŌ PARADEISŌ.

The basic words are:

AMĒN

TRULY.

SOI

TO YOU.

LEGŌ

I SAY.

SĒMERON

TODAY.

MET’ EMOU

WITH ME.

ESĒ

YOU WILL BE.

EN TŌ PARADEISŌ

IN PARADISE.

The Greek words themselves therefore read essentially:

TRULY TO YOU I SAY TODAY WITH ME YOU WILL BE IN PARADISE.

Modern punctuation must determine whether:

TODAY

belongs with:

“I SAY”

or:

“YOU WILL BE.”

---

QUICK FACT 469 — PUNCTUATION WAS ADDED BY LATER EDITORS

The earliest New Testament manuscripts were not written with the complete modern punctuation system found in today's printed Bibles.

Therefore:

THE COMMA IN LUKE 23:43

is:

NOT A GREEK WORD.

It is:

AN EDITORIAL PUNCTUATION DECISION.

This does not automatically prove that modern translations have placed the comma incorrectly.

But it does mean something very important:

THE DOCTRINE CANNOT BE SETTLED BY POINTING TO THE COMMA AS THOUGH LUKE HIMSELF WROTE IT.

The syntax and wider biblical context must determine the meaning.

---

QUICK FACT 470 — TWO PUNCTUATIONS ARE GRAMMATICALLY POSSIBLE

The traditional punctuation reads:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

This makes:

TODAY

describe when the thief would be:

WITH JESUS IN PARADISE.

But another possible punctuation is:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY, YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

This makes:

TODAY

emphasize when Jesus was making:

THE PROMISE.

The Greek words remain:

EXACTLY THE SAME.

Only the punctuation changes.

Therefore we must ask:

WHICH READING BEST FITS THE CONTEXT AND THE REST OF SCRIPTURE?

---

QUICK FACT 471 — THE THIEF ASKED ABOUT CHRIST'S FUTURE KINGDOM

The thief's own request is extremely important.

He says:

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

— Luke 23:42, BLB

Notice:

THE THIEF DID NOT ASK:

TAKE MY SOUL TO HEAVEN TODAY.

He asked:

“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”

His request therefore looks toward:

A FUTURE EVENT.

Jesus' answer assures him:

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.

The question is whether Jesus promises that this will happen:

THAT VERY DAY

or whether He gives the promise:

THAT VERY DAY.

---

QUICK FACT 472 — “TODAY” CAN BE USED TO EMPHASIZE THE TIME A DECLARATION IS MADE

The expression:

“I SAY TO YOU TODAY”

is not meaningless.

In biblical language, “today” can emphasize the solemnity or importance of a declaration.

We repeatedly encounter expressions in the Hebrew Scriptures such as:

“I COMMAND YOU TODAY.”

“I DECLARE TO YOU TODAY.”

“I TESTIFY AGAINST YOU TODAY.”

For example:

“I testify against you today...”

— Deuteronomy 30:18

The emphasis is:

ON THIS VERY DAY I AM DECLARING THIS TO YOU.

Therefore:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY...”

is linguistically possible.

---

QUICK FACT 473 — THE CIRCUMSTANCES MAKE “TODAY” ESPECIALLY POWERFUL

Consider the scene.

Jesus appears to be:

DEFEATED.

REJECTED.

MOCKED.

CRUCIFIED.

DYING LIKE A CRIMINAL.

There is no visible:

THRONE.

KINGDOM.

ROYAL GLORY.

OR:

VICTORY.

Yet the thief believes Jesus has:

A KINGDOM.

Therefore Jesus' answer can carry extraordinary force:

TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY—

ON THIS DAY WHEN I APPEAR DEFEATED...

ON THIS DAY WHEN I AM HANGING BESIDE YOU...

ON THIS DAY WHEN MY ENEMIES ARE MOCKING ME...

ON THIS DAY WHEN THERE IS NO VISIBLE KINGDOM...

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.

The promise is certain despite everything the thief sees around him.

---

QUICK FACT 474 — JESUS DID NOT ASCEND TO HIS FATHER ON THE DAY OF HIS DEATH

Now we come to an extremely important comparison.

After Jesus had been raised from the dead, He told Mary:

“Do not touch Me, for not yet have I ascended to the Father.”

— John 20:17, BLB

Think carefully about the chronology:

FRIDAY:

JESUS DIES.

↓

JESUS IS BURIED.

↓

THEN:

JESUS IS RAISED.

↓

AFTER HIS RESURRECTION:

JESUS SAYS:

“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”

This raises an obvious question:

If Jesus went to heavenly Paradise immediately upon His death, why does He say after His resurrection:

“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER”?

This does not by itself settle every possible meaning of:

PARADISE.

But it is important evidence that must be included.

---

QUICK FACT 475 — JESUS HIMSELF WAS DEAD

The New Testament does not merely say:

JESUS' BODY DIED WHILE JESUS HIMSELF CONTINUED LIVING AS A CONSCIOUS DISEMBODIED PERSON.

Jesus says:

“I was dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of the ages.”

— Revelation 1:18, BLB

Notice:

“I WAS DEAD.”

Then:

“I AM LIVING.”

The apostolic message repeatedly declares:

CHRIST:

DIED.

↓

CHRIST WAS:

BURIED.

↓

GOD:

RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.

This is the resurrection message.

---

QUICK FACT 476 — JESUS' RESURRECTION OCCURRED ON THE THIRD DAY

Paul summarizes the gospel:

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, BLB

Notice:

CHRIST:

DIED.

↓

WAS:

BURIED.

↓

THEN:

WAS RAISED.

WHEN?

ON THE THIRD DAY.

Therefore any interpretation of Luke 23:43 should be tested against this clear death-burial-resurrection sequence.

---

QUICK FACT 477 — PETER SAYS CHRIST WAS NOT ABANDONED TO HADES

As we examined in Part 29, Peter explains the resurrection of Jesus:

“neither was He abandoned into Hades, nor did His flesh see decay.”

— Acts 2:31, BLB

Then:

“This Jesus God has raised up...”

— Acts 2:32, BLB

Again the emphasis is:

DEATH.

↓

HADES.

↓

RESURRECTION.

The great victory does not occur because Jesus avoided death.

It occurs because:

GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD.

---

CONTINUED IN:

PART 30 — PART TWO

In Part Two we will examine:

WHAT EXACTLY IS “PARADISE”?

We will study the Greek word:

ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΣΟΣ — PARADEISOS.

We will examine its use in:

LUKE 23:43.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:4.

REVELATION 2:7.

And its relationship to:

THE TREE OF LIFE.

We will ask:

IS PARADISE SIMPLY ANOTHER NAME FOR THE PRESENT HEAVEN?

OR:

DOES REVELATION CONNECT PARADISE WITH THE FUTURE RESTORED CREATION AND THE TREE OF LIFE?

We will also examine whether Jesus' promise to the thief can naturally point toward:

THE FUTURE KINGDOM AND RESURRECTION

that the thief himself had just asked about.

Then we can return to the central question:

WHERE DOES THE COMMA IN LUKE 23:43 BEST BELONG?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

DO NOT BUILD A DOCTRINE UPON PUNCTUATION THAT WAS NOT PRESENT IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 30 — “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”

DOES LUKE 23:43 REALLY TEACH THAT THE THIEF WENT CONSCIOUSLY TO PARADISE ON THE DAY HE DIED?

PART TWO

CONTINUED FROM PART ONE

QUICK FACT 478 — WHAT DOES THE WORD “PARADISE” ACTUALLY MEAN?

The Greek word translated:

“PARADISE”

is:

ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΣΟΣ — PARADEISOS.

The word can refer to:

A GARDEN.

A PARK.

OR:

A PARADISE.

But the important question is not merely:

WHAT CAN THE WORD MEAN?

We must ask:

HOW IS “PARADISE” USED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?

The Greek word occurs only three times:

LUKE 23:43.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:4.

REVELATION 2:7.

These passages deserve careful comparison.

QUICK FACT 479 — REVELATION CONNECTS PARADISE WITH THE TREE OF LIFE

Jesus says:

“To the one overcoming, I will give to him to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

— Revelation 2:7, BLB

Notice the connection:

PARADISE OF GOD.

↓

THE TREE OF LIFE.

This is extremely important because the:

TREE OF LIFE

first appears in:

THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

Genesis says:

“And out of the ground LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life was in the midst of the garden...”

— Genesis 2:9

Therefore the biblical imagery of:

PARADISE

is strongly connected with:

EDEN.

THE TREE OF LIFE.

AND:

LIFE GIVEN BY GOD.

QUICK FACT 480 — THE TREE OF LIFE APPEARS AGAIN IN THE FINAL RESTORED CREATION

The tree of life does not disappear from the biblical story.

It appears again at the end of Revelation.

John sees:

“a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

— Revelation 22:1, BLB

Then:

“in the middle of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that side, was the tree of life...”

— Revelation 22:2, BLB

Notice:

THE TREE OF LIFE

appears in the final glorious picture of:

GOD'S RESTORED CREATION.

This creates a remarkable biblical pattern:

EDEN.

↓

THE TREE OF LIFE.

↓

HUMANITY LOSES ACCESS THROUGH SIN.

↓

GOD'S REDEMPTIVE PLAN.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

THE NEW CREATION.

↓

THE TREE OF LIFE APPEARS AGAIN.

QUICK FACT 481 — REVELATION 2:7 POINTS TOWARD A FUTURE REWARD

Jesus says:

“To the one overcoming, I will give to him to eat of the tree of life...”

— Revelation 2:7, BLB

Notice the future language:

“I WILL GIVE.”

This is a:

PROMISE

to those who:

OVERCOME.

It naturally points toward:

THE FUTURE REWARD OF GOD'S PEOPLE.

Therefore the New Testament's own use of:

PARADISE

does not force us to interpret Luke 23:43 as:

A PLACE WHERE THE THIEF'S CONSCIOUS SOUL HAD TO GO ON THE VERY DAY HE DIED.

QUICK FACT 482 — THE THIEF ASKED TO BE REMEMBERED IN CHRIST'S KINGDOM

We must return to the actual conversation.

The thief says:

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

— Luke 23:42, BLB

Notice the direction of his hope:

“WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”

The thief is looking toward:

CHRIST'S KINGDOM.

Jesus answers with the assurance:

“YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

Therefore a natural connection exists between:

THE THIEF'S REQUEST:

REMEMBER ME IN YOUR KINGDOM.

AND:

JESUS' PROMISE:

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.

The thief asks about:

THE FUTURE KINGDOM.

Jesus assures him of:

A PLACE IN THE FUTURE PARADISE.

QUICK FACT 483 — THE THIEF DID NOT ASK TO GO TO HEAVEN THAT DAY

This simple observation deserves emphasis.

The thief does NOT say:

JESUS, TAKE MY IMMORTAL SOUL TO HEAVEN WHEN I DIE TODAY.

He does NOT say:

JESUS, LET ME GO WITH YOU INTO HEAVEN THIS AFTERNOON.

He says:

“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”

His request concerns:

THE KINGDOM.

Therefore Jesus' answer should first be understood in relation to:

THE REQUEST THE THIEF ACTUALLY MADE.

QUICK FACT 484 — JESUS HAD ALREADY TAUGHT ABOUT A FUTURE KINGDOM

Throughout His ministry Jesus repeatedly taught His disciples to look toward:

THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

He also spoke of a future time when He would come in:

GLORY.

Therefore the thief's words:

“WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM”

fit naturally with the wider biblical expectation of:

THE MESSIAH'S FUTURE REIGN.

This makes it unnecessary to assume that the thief was asking about:

AN IMMEDIATE DISEMBODIED EXISTENCE AFTER DEATH.

QUICK FACT 485 — 2 CORINTHIANS 12 ALSO USES THE WORD “PARADISE”

Paul writes about a remarkable experience involving:

“the third heaven.”

— 2 Corinthians 12:2

Then he says that the man:

“was caught up into Paradise...”

— 2 Corinthians 12:4, BLB

This passage shows that:

PARADISE

can certainly be associated with a:

HEAVENLY REALITY.

We should acknowledge this evidence clearly.

But notice something equally important:

Paul is describing:

A VISIONARY / REVELATORY EXPERIENCE.

He explicitly says:

“whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows.”

— 2 Corinthians 12:2

Therefore this passage does not establish:

WHAT HAPPENS TO EVERY HUMAN BEING AT DEATH.

It does not say:

THE DEAD GO CONSCIOUSLY TO PARADISE.

QUICK FACT 486 — JOHN 20:17 REMAINS IMPORTANT

After Jesus was raised from the dead, He told Mary:

“I have not yet ascended to the Father.”

— John 20:17, BLB

Whatever interpretation we adopt must take this statement seriously.

The traditional punctuation of Luke 23:43 is:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

Yet after His resurrection Jesus says:

“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”

This raises an important question:

IF PARADISE IN LUKE 23:43 MEANS THE HEAVENLY PRESENCE OF THE FATHER,

HOW COULD JESUS HAVE GONE THERE ON FRIDAY

if He says after His resurrection that He had:

“NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER”?

At the very least, John 20:17 shows that the traditional interpretation is not as simple as it is sometimes presented.

QUICK FACT 487 — WE MUST DISTINGUISH “PARADISE” FROM “ASCENDING TO THE FATHER”

We must also be careful not to claim more than the evidence proves.

John 20:17 says Jesus had not yet:

ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.

Luke 23:43 uses the word:

PARADISE.

Those are not automatically identical expressions.

Therefore John 20:17 alone does not mathematically prove where the comma must go.

However, when combined with:

THE THIEF'S REQUEST ABOUT THE FUTURE KINGDOM.

THE RESURRECTION TEACHING OF JESUS.

THE FUTURE TREE OF LIFE.

THE LAST DAY.

AND:

THE ABSENCE OF ORIGINAL PUNCTUATION,

there is substantial reason to question whether Luke 23:43 requires:

IMMEDIATE CONSCIOUS LIFE AFTER DEATH.

QUICK FACT 488 — THE GREEK WORD ORDER DOES NOT SETTLE THE COMMA

The Greek contains:

λέγω σοι σήμερον

LEGŌ SOI SĒMERON

“I SAY TO YOU TODAY...”

But Greek word order alone does not place an inspired comma for us.

Therefore two readings must be considered:

READING ONE:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU,

TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

READING TWO:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY,

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

The words are the same.

The theological difference comes from:

HOW THE SENTENCE IS PUNCTUATED.

QUICK FACT 489 — “I SAY TO YOU TODAY” FITS A BIBLICAL SPEECH PATTERN

The expression:

“I SAY TO YOU TODAY”

has parallels in biblical language.

For example:

“I declare to you today...”

and:

“I testify against you today...”

Such expressions emphasize:

THE DAY UPON WHICH A SOLEMN DECLARATION IS BEING MADE.

Therefore the alternative punctuation is not meaningless:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY—

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

Jesus could be emphasizing the certainty of His promise:

TODAY—

EVEN WHILE WE ARE BOTH DYING—

I GIVE YOU THIS PROMISE.

YOU WILL:

BE WITH ME

IN:

PARADISE.

QUICK FACT 490 — THE PROMISE DOES NOT NEED TO BE FULFILLED ON THE DAY IT IS GIVEN

This distinction is simple but important.

A promise can be:

MADE TODAY

and:

FULFILLED LATER.

For example:

“I PROMISE YOU TODAY THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR INHERITANCE.”

The word:

TODAY

describes:

WHEN THE PROMISE IS MADE.

It does not necessarily describe:

WHEN THE INHERITANCE WILL BE RECEIVED.

Likewise:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY,

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”

can naturally mean:

THE PROMISE IS MADE:

TODAY.

THE FULFILMENT OCCURS:

IN THE FUTURE.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 30 — PART THREE

In Part Three we will bring the evidence together and ask:

WHERE DOES THE COMMA BEST BELONG?

We will examine the two readings side by side.

We will compare Luke 23:43 with:

LUKE 23:42.

JOHN 20:17.

JOHN 6:40.

JOHN 11:23–25.

1 CORINTHIANS 15.

1 THESSALONIANS 4.

AND:

REVELATION 2:7.

We will also ask an extremely important question:

WHEN WOULD THE THIEF ACTUALLY RECEIVE THE LIFE JESUS PROMISED?

AT DEATH?

OR:

AT THE RESURRECTION?

Finally, we will answer:

DOES LUKE 23:43 PROVE THAT HUMAN BEINGS POSSESS AN IMMORTAL CONSCIOUS SOUL THAT LEAVES THE BODY AT DEATH?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

DISTINGUISH THE INSPIRED WORDS FROM LATER PUNCTUATION.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 30 — “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”

DOES LUKE 23:43 REALLY TEACH THAT THE THIEF WENT CONSCIOUSLY TO PARADISE ON THE DAY HE DIED?

PART THREE

CONTINUED FROM PART TWO

QUICK FACT 491 — THE TWO READINGS SHOULD BE COMPARED SIDE BY SIDE

We can now compare the two possible punctuations of Luke 23:43.

TRADITIONAL READING:

“Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

This means:

TODAY:

THE THIEF WILL BE WITH JESUS IN PARADISE.

ALTERNATIVE READING:

“Truly I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”

This means:

TODAY:

JESUS IS MAKING THE PROMISE.

And:

THE THIEF WILL BE WITH JESUS IN PARADISE

at the future fulfillment of that promise.

The Greek words themselves do not contain the modern comma that decides between these two readings.

Therefore we must examine:

THE CONTEXT.

THE THIEF'S QUESTION.

JESUS' OTHER TEACHING.

AND:

THE WIDER BIBLICAL TEACHING ABOUT RESURRECTION.

QUICK FACT 492 — THE THIEF'S OWN QUESTION POINTS TOWARD THE FUTURE

The thief says:

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

— Luke 23:42, BLB

Notice again:

“WHEN YOU COME...”

The thief does not ask:

WHERE WILL MY SOUL GO WHEN I DIE TODAY?

His concern is:

CHRIST'S KINGDOM.

His request looks toward:

A FUTURE EVENT.

Therefore Jesus' response can naturally be understood as assuring the thief that he will indeed participate in:

THE FUTURE PARADISE OF GOD.

QUICK FACT 493 — JESUS REPEATEDLY CONNECTED LIFE WITH RESURRECTION AT THE LAST DAY

Jesus says:

“I will raise him up in the last day.”

— John 6:40, BLB

Again:

“I will raise him up in the last day.”

— John 6:44, BLB

Again:

“I will raise him up in the last day.”

— John 6:54, BLB

This repetition is significant.

Jesus continually directs attention toward:

THE LAST DAY.

AND:

THE RESURRECTION.

Therefore when considering the thief's future life with Christ, we should not ignore Jesus' repeated teaching concerning:

WHEN THE DEAD ARE RAISED.

QUICK FACT 494 — MARTHA ALSO EXPECTED THE DEAD TO RISE AT THE LAST DAY

When Lazarus died, Jesus told Martha:

“Your brother will rise again.”

— John 11:23, BLB

Martha answered:

“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last day.”

— John 11:24, BLB

Jesus does not correct her expectation of:

A FUTURE RESURRECTION.

Instead He says:

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

— John 11:25, BLB

Again the hope is centered upon:

RESURRECTION.

QUICK FACT 495 — PAUL ALSO PLACES THE RESURRECTION AT CHRIST'S COMING

Paul says:

“Christ the firstfruit, then those of Christ at His coming.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:23, BLB

Notice:

CHRIST:

WAS RAISED FIRST.

THEN:

“THOSE OF CHRIST”

WHEN?

“AT HIS COMING.”

This is extremely important.

The resurrection hope of believers is connected with:

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

QUICK FACT 496 — THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE WHEN THE LORD DESCENDS

Paul says:

“the Lord Himself will descend from heaven... and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB

Then:

“and so always we will be with the Lord.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, BLB

Notice the sequence:

CHRIST:

RETURNS.

↓

THE DEAD IN CHRIST:

RISE.

↓

THE LIVING ARE GATHERED WITH THEM.

↓

THEN:

“WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”

This provides a clear biblical framework for understanding the promise:

“YOU WILL BE WITH ME.”

QUICK FACT 497 — THE THIEF'S HOPE CAN FIT THIS SAME RESURRECTION PATTERN

Consider the conversation again:

THE THIEF:

“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”

JESUS:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY, YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

Under this reading:

THE THIEF DIES.

↓

HE RESTS IN DEATH.

↓

NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF PASSING TIME.

↓

CHRIST RETURNS.

↓

THE DEAD ARE RAISED.

↓

THE THIEF AWAKES.

↓

THE PROMISE OF JESUS IS FULFILLED.

From the thief's subjective experience:

DEATH

would be followed by:

AWAKENING.

Whether days, centuries or millennia had passed would not be consciously experienced by him.

CONTINUED IN:

PART 30 — PART FOUR

In Part Four we will continue with:

QUICK FACT 498 — JESUS' WORDS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION MUST REMAIN PART OF THE EVIDENCE.

We will examine:

“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”

— John 20:17

We will also examine:

THE FACT THAT JESUS DIED BEFORE THE TWO CRIMINALS.

WHY LUKE 23:43 NEVER MENTIONS AN IMMORTAL SOUL.

WHY THE COMMA CANNOT ITSELF PROVE A DOCTRINE.

WHY THE ALTERNATIVE PUNCTUATION FITS THE RESURRECTION PATTERN.

AND:

THE BEAUTIFUL PROMISE JESUS ACTUALLY GAVE TO THE THIEF.

Then we will give the:

FINAL CONCLUSION

to Part 30 and answer:

DOES LUKE 23:43 REALLY PROVE THAT THE THIEF WENT CONSCIOUSLY TO PARADISE ON THE DAY HE DIED?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

DISTINGUISH THE INSPIRED WORDS FROM LATER PUNCTUATION.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

PART 30 — “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”

DOES LUKE 23:43 REALLY TEACH THAT THE THIEF WENT CONSCIOUSLY TO PARADISE ON THE DAY HE DIED?

PART FOUR

CONTINUED FROM PART THREE

QUICK FACT 498 — JESUS' WORDS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION MUST REMAIN PART OF THE EVIDENCE

After Jesus was raised from the dead, He told Mary:

“I have not yet ascended to the Father.”

— John 20:17, BLB

This statement must be considered when interpreting Luke 23:43.

The traditional punctuation reads:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

This is commonly understood to mean:

JESUS DIED.

↓

THAT SAME DAY JESUS WENT TO PARADISE.

↓

THE THIEF WENT WITH HIM.

But after His resurrection Jesus says:

“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”

We must be precise.

John 20:17 does not itself prove that:

PARADISE

and:

ASCENDING TO THE FATHER

are necessarily identical expressions.

However, it does create an important difficulty for the claim that Luke 23:43 unquestionably teaches that Jesus and the thief went into the heavenly presence of the Father on the day of the crucifixion.

QUICK FACT 499 — JESUS DIED BEFORE THE TWO CRIMINALS

John records an interesting detail concerning the crucifixion.

The soldiers came to the crucified men and:

“broke the legs of the first, and of the other having been crucified with Him.”

— John 19:32, BLB

But when they came to Jesus:

“they saw He was already dead.”

— John 19:33, BLB

Therefore:

JESUS:

WAS ALREADY DEAD.

↓

THE TWO CRIMINALS:

WERE APPARENTLY STILL ALIVE.

This does not determine where the comma belongs in Luke 23:43.

But it does show that Scripture does not describe Jesus and the thief:

DYING TOGETHER

and then:

IMMEDIATELY TRAVELLING TO PARADISE TOGETHER.

That picture is an:

INTERPRETATION

of the passage.

QUICK FACT 500 — LUKE 23:43 NEVER MENTIONS AN IMMORTAL SOUL

This is extremely important.

Jesus says:

“YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

But where does the verse say:

THE THIEF POSSESSED AN IMMORTAL SOUL?

Where does it say:

THE THIEF'S SOUL WOULD LEAVE HIS BODY?

Where does it say:

THE THIEF WOULD REMAIN CONSCIOUS AFTER DEATH?

Where does it say:

HIS DISEMBODIED SOUL WOULD TRAVEL TO HEAVEN?

It says:

NONE OF THESE THINGS.

Therefore Luke 23:43 cannot by itself establish the doctrine of:

THE NATURAL IMMORTALITY OF THE HUMAN SOUL.

That doctrine must first be assumed and then:

READ INTO THE PASSAGE.

QUICK FACT 501 — JESUS PROMISED THE THIEF PARADISE, NOT ESCAPE FROM DEATH

The promise Jesus gives is magnificent:

“YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

But Jesus does not say:

YOU WILL NOT REALLY DIE.

Both men were facing:

DEATH.

The biblical hope we have repeatedly discovered is not:

ESCAPING DEATH THROUGH AN IMMORTAL SOUL.

It is:

VICTORY OVER DEATH THROUGH RESURRECTION.

The thief could truly:

DIE.

↓

REST IN DEATH.

↓

BE RAISED.

↓

AND:

BE WITH CHRIST IN PARADISE.

Nothing in Jesus' promise requires an intermediate conscious existence.

QUICK FACT 502 — THE COMMA CANNOT ITSELF PROVE A DOCTRINE

This is perhaps the most important textual point in this entire passage.

The Greek contains:

σήμερον

SĒMERON

— TODAY.

But the modern comma determining how:

TODAY

relates to the sentence was not part of Luke's original wording.

Therefore we cannot argue:

“THE BIBLE DEFINITELY SAYS THE THIEF WENT TO PARADISE THAT DAY BECAUSE THERE IS A COMMA BEFORE ‘TODAY.’”

The comma represents:

AN EDITORIAL INTERPRETATION

of the Greek sentence.

The inspired words must be distinguished from:

LATER PUNCTUATION.

QUICK FACT 503 — THE ALTERNATIVE PUNCTUATION FITS THE RESURRECTION PATTERN

Now consider:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY,

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

Under this reading:

THE PROMISE:

IS GIVEN TODAY.

THE FULFILMENT:

IS FUTURE.

This fits naturally with the thief's own request:

“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”

It also fits with Jesus' repeated promise:

“I WILL RAISE HIM UP IN THE LAST DAY.”

And Paul's teaching:

“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE”

when:

THE LORD DESCENDS.

Therefore the alternative punctuation allows Luke 23:43 to fit naturally within the wider biblical pattern:

DEATH.

↓

SLEEP.

↓

THE RETURN OF CHRIST.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

LIFE WITH CHRIST.

QUICK FACT 504 — THE CENTRAL MESSAGE IS THE CERTAINTY OF JESUS' PROMISE

We should not allow the punctuation debate to hide the extraordinary beauty of this passage.

Consider the scene.

Jesus is:

REJECTED.

MOCKED.

CRUCIFIED.

AND:

DYING.

To human eyes there appears to be:

NO THRONE.

NO KINGDOM.

NO VICTORY.

Yet the thief recognizes Jesus as:

THE COMING KING.

He says:

“JESUS, REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”

And Jesus gives him assurance.

In effect:

TODAY—

WHILE I AM HANGING BESIDE YOU...

WHILE I APPEAR DEFEATED...

WHILE DEATH IS BEFORE US...

I GIVE YOU THIS PROMISE:

YOU WILL:

BE WITH ME

IN:

PARADISE.

Death would not have:

THE FINAL WORD.

QUICK FACT 505 — LUKE 23:43 DOES NOT OVERTURN THE CLEAR RESURRECTION PASSAGES

Throughout this study we have found repeated statements such as:

“THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING.”

— Ecclesiastes 9:5

“THE DEAD DO NOT PRAISE.”

— Psalm 115:17

Those sleeping in the dust will:

“AWAKE.”

— Daniel 12:2

Jesus says:

“I WILL RAISE HIM UP IN THE LAST DAY.”

— John 6:40

Paul says:

“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16

And:

“THIS MORTAL”

must:

“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53

Therefore one verse whose punctuation must be supplied should not automatically be interpreted in a way that overturns this repeated resurrection pattern.

QUICK FACT 506 — THE THIEF'S HOPE WAS ULTIMATELY THE SAME HOPE OFFERED TO EVERY BELIEVER

The thief's circumstances were unusual.

But his ultimate hope was not fundamentally different from the hope proclaimed throughout the New Testament:

LIFE THROUGH:

JESUS CHRIST.

VICTORY OVER:

DEATH.

AND:

LIFE WITH CHRIST IN:

GOD'S KINGDOM.

The thief could do nothing to save himself from physical death.

But Jesus could promise him something death could not permanently take away:

LIFE.

PARADISE.

AND:

A FUTURE WITH THE MESSIAH.

PART 30 — FINAL CONCLUSION

Does Luke 23:43 prove that the thief consciously went to Paradise immediately after death?

NO.

The verse certainly contains:

“TODAY.”

But the question is:

WHERE DOES “TODAY” BELONG IN THE SENTENCE?

TRADITIONAL PUNCTUATION:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU,

TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

ALTERNATIVE PUNCTUATION:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY,

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

The original Greek words do not contain the modern comma that settles this question for the reader.

Therefore the punctuation must be determined by:

GRAMMAR.

CONTEXT.

AND:

THE WIDER BIBLICAL EVIDENCE.

The thief himself asks:

“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”

His hope looks toward:

CHRIST'S KINGDOM.

Jesus gives him the assurance:

“YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

Nothing in the passage explicitly says:

THE THIEF POSSESSED AN IMMORTAL SOUL.

THE THIEF'S SOUL LEFT HIS BODY.

THE THIEF REMAINED CONSCIOUS AFTER DEATH.

OR:

THE THIEF'S DISEMBODIED SOUL WENT TO HEAVEN THAT DAY.

Therefore Luke 23:43 cannot be used as unquestionable proof of:

CONSCIOUS LIFE IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH.

A coherent reading is:

“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY,

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

The promise was:

MADE THAT DAY.

The fulfillment would come:

WHEN GOD RESTORES LIFE.

For the thief:

DEATH.

↓

NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF PASSING TIME.

↓

RESURRECTION.

↓

AWAKENING.

↓

THE PROMISE OF JESUS FULFILLED.

And so the real message of Luke 23:43 is not:

THE IMMORTALITY OF THE HUMAN SOUL.

It is:

THE CERTAINTY OF CHRIST'S PROMISE.

DEATH WOULD NOT HAVE THE FINAL WORD.

THE THIEF WOULD:

LIVE AGAIN.

AND:

HE WOULD BE WITH:

JESUS CHRIST

IN:

PARADISE.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

DISTINGUISH THE INSPIRED WORDS FROM LATER PUNCTUATION.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

COMING NEXT:

PART 31 — “ABSENT FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD”

DOES 2 CORINTHIANS 5:8 REALLY TEACH THAT BELIEVERS GO CONSCIOUSLY TO HEAVEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH?

We will examine:

2 CORINTHIANS 4 AND 5.

THE “EARTHLY TENT.”

THE “BUILDING FROM GOD.”

WHAT PAUL MEANS BY:

“UNCLOTHED.”

WHAT HE MEANS BY:

“CLOTHED.”

WHY PAUL SPECIFICALLY SAYS HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE:

“UNCLOTHED.”

AND:

WHAT HE MEANS WHEN HE says:

“SO THAT THE MORTAL MAY BE SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE.”

The central question will be:

WAS PAUL REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO EXISTING AS A DISEMBODIED IMMORTAL SOUL—

OR:

WAS HE LOOKING FORWARD TO RESURRECTION, IMMORTALITY AND LIFE WITH CHRIST?

FINAL CONCLUSION TO OUR STATE OF THE DEAD STUDY

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH ABOUT DEATH, RESURRECTION AND ETERNAL LIFE?

We have now reached the end of this very extensive investigation.

Throughout this study we have examined the most important biblical passages concerning:

DEATH.

THE SOUL.

THE SPIRIT.

SHEOL.

HADES.

THE GRAVE.

HEAVEN.

HELL.

GEHENNA.

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

THE SECOND DEATH.

THE RESURRECTION.

IMMORTALITY.

AND:

ETERNAL LIFE.

We have also carefully examined many of the passages most frequently used to teach that human beings remain consciously alive after death.

WE HAVE EXAMINED:

“THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING.”

— Ecclesiastes 9:5

“THE DEAD DO NOT PRAISE.”

— Psalm 115:17

“IN THAT VERY DAY HIS THOUGHTS / PLANS PERISH.”

— Psalm 146:4

THOSE:

“SLEEPING IN THE DUST”

WHO WILL:

“AWAKE.”

— Daniel 12:2

LAZARUS:

“HAS FALLEN ASLEEP.”

— John 11:11

THE RESURRECTION:

“IN THE LAST DAY.”

— John 6:40

“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE.”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16

“THIS MORTAL”

PUTTING ON:

“IMMORTALITY.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:53

We have examined the difficult passages as well.

“ABSENT FROM THE BODY.”

— 2 Corinthians 5

“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”

— Philippians 1:23

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

— Luke 16

THE THIEF ON THE CROSS.

— Luke 23:43

THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR.

— Revelation 6

THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.

— 1 Peter 3

“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”

— Ecclesiastes 12:7

We have examined:

SHEOL.

HADES.

GEHENNA.

PARADISE.

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

THE LAKE OF FIRE.

AND:

THE SECOND DEATH.

We have also examined the Hebrew and Greek terminology behind many of these passages rather than relying entirely upon traditional English expressions.

AFTER ALL OF THIS EVIDENCE, WHAT IS THE REPEATED BIBLICAL PATTERN?

CREATION:

GOD GIVES:

LIFE.

↓

MAN BECOMES:

A LIVING BEING.

DEATH:

THE PERSON:

DIES.

↓

THE BODY RETURNS TO:

DUST.

↓

THE DEAD ARE DESCRIBED AS:

ASLEEP.

THE DEAD AWAIT:

RESURRECTION.

THEN:

JESUS CHRIST RETURNS.

↓

THE TRUMPET SOUNDS.

↓

THE DEAD ARE:

RAISED.

↓

THE MORTAL PUTS ON:

IMMORTALITY.

FOR GOD'S PEOPLE:

RESURRECTION.

↓

IMMORTALITY.

↓

ETERNAL LIFE.

↓

LIFE WITH CHRIST.

FOR THOSE FINALLY CONDEMNED:

RESURRECTION.

↓

JUDGMENT.

↓

THE SECOND DEATH.

AND FINALLY:

DEATH ITSELF:

IS ABOLISHED.

“THE LAST ENEMY BEING ABOLISHED IS DEATH.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:26, BLB

AND:

“DEATH WILL BE NO MORE.”

— Revelation 21:4, BLB

THE GREAT HOPE OF THE BIBLE IS RESURRECTION

This is perhaps the greatest conclusion of our entire study.

The biblical hope is not ultimately:

THAT HUMAN BEINGS CANNOT REALLY DIE.

The biblical hope is:

THAT GOD CAN RAISE THE DEAD.

It is not:

NATURAL HUMAN IMMORTALITY.

It is:

IMMORTALITY GIVEN BY GOD.

It is not:

DEATH BEING AN ILLUSION.

It is:

DEATH BEING AN ENEMY THAT GOD WILL DEFEAT.

Jesus said:

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

— John 11:25, BLB

That is the Christian hope.

THE GRAVE DOES NOT HAVE THE FINAL WORD.

DEATH DOES NOT HAVE THE FINAL WORD.

HADES DOES NOT HAVE THE FINAL WORD.

GOD HAS THE FINAL WORD.

AND GOD:

RAISES THE DEAD.

A FINAL WORD TO THE READER

If you have followed this investigation from beginning to end, you have examined an enormous amount of biblical evidence.

We have attempted to cover the major passages necessary to understand this subject, including the principal verses commonly raised on both sides of the debate.

There will always be additional verses, historical arguments and theological interpretations that could be discussed.

But continuing indefinitely would begin to repeat evidence we have already examined.

Therefore this is where our investigation ends.

Do not accept this conclusion simply because:

I HAVE WRITTEN IT.

Do not reject it simply because:

IT DIFFERS FROM SOMETHING YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN TAUGHT.

Instead:

OPEN YOUR BIBLE.

READ THE PASSAGES FOR YOURSELF.

COMPARE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK WHERE NECESSARY.

READ THE CONTEXT.

COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.

PRAY FOR UNDERSTANDING.

AND:

DECIDE FROM THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

Our responsibility is not to defend:

TRADITION.

A DENOMINATION.

A CREED.

OR:

A PRECONCEIVED DOCTRINE.

Our responsibility is to seek:

TRUTH.

And whatever conclusion we reach, the magnificent promise of Scripture remains:

DEATH WILL NOT LAST FOREVER.

THE DEAD WILL RISE.

AND ONE DAY:

“DEATH WILL BE NO MORE.”

— Revelation 21:4, BLB

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES.

TEST EVERY TRADITION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.

END OF STUDY

For Chapter 1: Quick Facts: Are the Dead Alive or Dead? What the Bible Really Teaches and FULL article click here:

The Bible's Truth About Eternity, Hell & the Human Soul

The Human Soul — Does the Bible Teach an Immortal Soul?

Revelation 14:11 — Does "Forever and Ever" Really Mean Forever?

Revelation 20:10 — Does the Devil Burn Forever?

Mark 9:44 — What Did Jesus Mean by "Their Worm Does Not Die"?

Matthew 25:46 — What Did Jesus Mean by "Eternal Punishment"?

Scriptures Proving the Unsaved Will Not Have Eternal Life

The Rich Man and Lazarus — What Did Jesus Really Mean? Luke 16:19–31

Scriptures Proving the Unsaved Will Not Have Eternal Life Roasting in Hell Fire Forever and Ever.The FALSE Christian Teachings of Luke 23:43 Going To Heaven!