What happens after I die

1. What happens after you die? – 9th
April 2016
“Whoeverbelieves inthe Sonhas eternal life,but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, forGod’s
wrath remainson them” (John3:36).
Withinthe Christianfaith,there isasignificantamountof confusionregardingwhathappensafter
death.Some holdthatafterdeath,everyone “sleeps”until the final judgment,afterwhicheveryonewill
be sentto heavenorhell.Othersbelievethatatthe momentof death,people are instantlyjudgedand
sentto theireternal destinations.Still othersclaimthatwhenpeople die,theirsouls/spiritsare senttoa
“temporary”heavenorhell,toawaitthe final resurrection,the finaljudgment,andthenthe finalityof
theireternal destination.So, asChristianswe wouldliketoknow whatexactlydoesthe Bible say
happensafterdeath?
First,for the believerinJesusChrist,the Bible tellsusthatafterdeathbelievers’souls/spiritsare taken
to heaven, because theirsinsare forgivenbyhavingreceivedChristasSavior,We can learnfrom John 3:
36,” Whoever believesin the Son has eternal life,but whoever rejects the Son will notsee life,for
God’swrath remainson them”. We can alsolearnthat for believers,deathistobe “awayfromthe body
and at home withthe Lord: “Therefore we are alwaysconfidentandknow that as longas we are at
home inthe bodywe are away fromthe Lord. 7
For we live by faith,not bysight. 8
Weare confident,I
say, andwouldprefer to be away fromthe bodyand at home withthe Lord. (2 Corinthians5:6-8).
However,passagessuchas 1 Corinthians15:50-54 and1 Thessalonians4:13-17 describe believersbeing
resurrectedandgivenglorifiedbodies.If believersgotobe withChristimmediatelyafterdeath, whatis
the purpose of thisresurrection?Itseemsthatwhile the souls/spiritsof believersgotobe withChrist
immediatelyafterdeath,the physical bodyremainsinthe grave “sleeping.”Atthe resurrectionof
believers,the physical bodyisresurrected,glorified,andthenreunitedwiththe soul/spirit.Thisreunited
and glorifiedbody-soul-spiritwillbe the possessionof believersforeternityinthe new heavensandnew
earth(Revelation21-22).
Second,forthose whodo notreceive JesusChristasSavior,deathmeanseverlastingpunishment.
However,similartothe destinyof believers,unbelieversalsoseemtobe sentimmediatelytoa
temporaryholdingplace,toawaittheirfinal resurrection,judgment,andeternal destiny. Thispassage
describesarich manbeingtormentedimmediatelyafterdeath. “Thetimecame when the beggar died
and the angelscarried himto Abraham’sside.The rich man alsodied andwas buried. 23
In Hades,
where he was intorment, he looked up andsaw Abrahamfar away,with Lazarus by hisside”(Luke
16:22-23). In Revelation20:11-15 itdescribesall the unbelievingdeadbeingresurrected,judgedatthe
great white throne,andthenbeingcastintothe lake of fire.Unbelievers,then,are notsenttohell (the
lake of fire) immediatelyafterdeath,butratherare ina temporaryrealmof judgmentand
condemnation.However,eventhoughunbelieversare notinstantlysenttothe lake of fire,their
immediate fate afterdeathisnotapleasantone. We can learnthisin Luke 16:24, “Sohe called to him,
‘Father Abraham,have pityon me and send Lazarusto dip the tip of hisfingerin water andcool my
tongue,because I am in agonyin thisfire.”
Therefore,afterdeath,apersonresidesina“temporary”heavenorhell.Afterthistemporaryrealm,at
the final resurrection,aperson’seternaldestinywill notchange.The precise “location”of thateternal
destinyiswhatchanges.Believerswill ultimatelybe grantedentrance intothe new heavensandnew

2. earthas we can learnfrom Revelation21:1, “Then I saw “anew heaven and a new earth,” for the first
heaven andthe firstearth had passedaway, andthere was no longerany sea”.
Unbelieverswill ultimatelybe senttothe lake of fire.We can learnof the Judgmentof the Dead when
we read Revelation20:11-15, “ Then I saw a great white throne andhim whowas seated on it. The
earth and the heavens fledfrom hispresence, andthere was noplace for them. 12
AndI sawthe dead,
great and small,standingbeforethe throne, and bookswere opened.Another book was opened,
whichis the book of life.The deadwere judgedaccordingto what they had done as recorded in the
books.13
The sea gave up the dead that were in it, anddeath andHades gaveup the deadthat were in
them, andeach personwas judgedaccordingto what they had done. 14
Thendeath and Hades were
thrown intothe lakeof fire. The lakeof fire is the second death. 15
Anyone whosename was not found
written in the book oflife was throwninto the lake of fire”.
These are the final,eternal destinationsof all people—basedentirelyonwhetherornottheyhad
trustedJesusChristforsalvation.We canlearnfrom Matthew25:46, “Then they will go away to
eternal punishment,butthe righteous to eternal life.” We can alsolearnof an importantteachingin
John3:36, “Whoeverbelievesin the Son has eternal life,but whoever rejects the Sonwill not see life,
for God’swrath remainson them”.
“Whoeverbelievesinthe Son haseternallife, but whoeverrejects the Son
will not see life, for God’swrath remainson them” (John3:36).