On Death

“Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.” People the world over recognize this phrase describing death. Images of a burial ceremony immediately come to mind. We understand that, given time, everything which has physical life will come to an end. 

When Adam was created, Jehovah formed man from the dust of the ground (Gen 2:7). After sin entered the world, God declared that man would work until he returns to the ground (Gen 3:19). But mankind is more than just a physical body (2 Cor 5:1-4). We have been given a soul. The body is short-lived (Job 14:1; Jam 4:14), only providing a temporary dwelling place for the spirit. Our bodies return to the dust of the earth (Ecc 12:7), but our spirits continue on after death. 

The Bible tells us about the location of those who have died. In the Old Testament, death and the grave are described with the word, Sheol (Psa 16:10; Isa 28:15). In the New Testament, this place of the unseen is called Hades (Acts 2:31; Luke 16:23). Hades is sometimes translated as Hell, but this is not the place of final punishment (for that see Gehenna, Mark 9:43-44). No matter what terminology is used, the Bible portrays the realm of the dead as an intermediate place where the deceased await the resurrection and judgment. Contrary to what many believe, men and women do not immediately go to Heaven or Hell when they die. 

This intermediate place, the realm of the dead, is divided into two parts. The righteous are in Paradise, also called Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22; 23:43). The wicked are in torments, also referred to as Tartarus (Luke 16:23; 2 Pet 2:4). Those on one side in Hades cannot pass over into the other side (Luke 16:26). This shows that our eternal destinies cannot be changed after death, we will merely await judgement day (2 Cor 5:10; 2 Tim 4:1; Heb 9:27). The souls in Paradise know they will be delivered to Heaven and the souls in Tartarus know they will be cast into Hell. 

At the return of Jesus, we have a promise that the dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thess 4:16). At the Judgment day, all who are in the grave will be resurrected, judged, and sentenced along with those still living (John 5:28-29; 2 Thess 1:7-9). No one will be “snuffed out” of existence; all will be prepared for their eternal abode. 

In summary, God gives people this life on Earth to prepare their souls for life after death. When a person dies, his or her body goes into the grave, while the conscious spirit enters the realm of Hades to await the final judgment. At Christ’s return, all the dead will be raised, and all will face God in judgment, receiving their eternal sentence. The faithful will be delivered to Heaven and the disobedient will be sent to Hell for eternity (Matt 25:34, 41; 2 Pet 3:17-18).