I believe, from my studies, that there have been different places where the spirit goes when we die. The different places are divided by the cross of Christ, and by what is made possible by His blood. Further, I think we have to realize that spirit beings may not be spatially limited to the extent that we are. Finally, God has revealed everything that we are capable of understanding about the afterlife.

MISCONCEPTIONS

Let’s start with the apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, where the Holy Spirit inspires him to write: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.” 2 Cor 12:2-4. We see here that there are at least 3 heavens, and that there is Paradise. Modern day commentators take this to mean the atmosphere, space, and the spiritual realm.

The Jews believed in 7 heavens: The Curtain (Isa 40:22 (Sky); The Firmament (Gen 1:17 (Space); The Clouds (Ps 78:23 (Prob Sky); The Habitation (1 Ki. 8:13 (Heaven: Isa 63:15: “Look down from HEAVEN and behold from the HABITATION of thy holiness.”)); The Dwelling Place (Ps 42:8 (Prob synonymous with the Habitation)); the Fixed Residence (1 Ki 8:39, 49 (Prob synonymous with the Habitation); The Araboth (Ps 89:14; Isa 59:17 (“Where are justice, judgment, mercy, the treasures of life; peace and blessedness; the souls of the righteous; the souls and spirits which are reserved for the bodies yet to be formed, and the dew by which God is to vivify the dead”–Clarke (i.e. the habitation))) Likewise Islam takes its 7 heavens from Judaism. I think we can plainly see that these seven divisions are basically three: Sky, Space, and the Spirit Realm (Habitation).

All that to say this: don’t confuse Hell, Abraham’s Bosom, and Paradise with three different types of heaven. Although this is partially true, it is not what Paul is referring to in 2 Cor 12.

Another misinterpretation is from John 3:1-13 where Jesus tells Nicodemus that “no man hath ascended up to Heaven.” Here, Jesus is saying that you must be born again to get into the kingdom of God. He is saying that you cannot earn righteousness and work your way to heaven. Jesus identified himself as Jacob’s ladder (Gen 28:10-19; John 1:51). He is saying that He is the only way to heaven. We know from our studies that not one of us chooses Jesus, He chooses us. Not one of us loved Him first, He loved us first. Not one of us can earn heaven; the Father calls all who are saved. Jesus is not here saying that there are no men in heaven. He is saying that no man has gotten into heaven of his own accord.

OK. So we know what the basic misunderstandings are, what is the truth?

OLD TESTAMENT

Luke 16 tells the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Many say this is a parable, not a real story. The Bible doesn’t distinguish this as a parable, but then again the Bible says that Jesus always spoke through parables (Matthew 13:34). He also spoke of Adam, Jonah, Abraham, and other real people of the Bible. So we must not insist that this story is or is not about real people. I will say 2 things about this: First of all, none of the other parables of Christ used a specific name of a person; Secondly and most importantly, Jesus never gave an example in a parable of something that did not exist in reality.

In this story, Jesus is teaching about loving money more than loving God. But in the course of his story He reveals that there are two places: Hell and Abraham’s bosom.

Abraham said that when he died, he was going to be gathered to his people (Gen 25:8). David and Jacob shared this belief (2 Sam 12:23; Gen 49:29). This is the place where all the righteous people went to wait for their redemption. These people had sins that were covered by animal sacrifices, but their sins were not removed. It was not until Jesus died on the cross that their sins were forgiven, since Jesus was the only Savior and the only sacrifice that matters.

It was here that Samuel was waiting when God allowed him to visit Saul and the witch at Endor in 1 Sam 28. This was not a normal occurrence. The souls in Abraham’s bosom are not given freedom to visit earth and speak to the living whenever they wanted. That this instance was unusual (even unique at this point in time) can be seen that the witch “cried out” when she saw Samuel (v. 12), even saying that he looked like a god (v. 14) coming to her. This is not the reaction of one who summons dead people on a regular basis. The original language is she cried (H2199 shriek from anguish or danger) with a loud (H1419 exceedingly great) voice (H6963 bleating, cry). God allowed this to happen in order to deliver His message to Saul in such a way that Saul would truly believe what he was hearing.

In the New Testament, when Christ was transfigured, Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus discussing the future. Here is another instance of the dead coming back to the earth. What do we learn from this? God is in control of the afterlife, and the dead are conscious.

Two other anomalies can be seen in Enoch (Gen 5:24) who God took from the earth (most likely to avoid the death experience) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-11). The second scripture clearly says that Elijah was taken into heaven, but we know that there was no sacrifice for Elijah’s sins. Therefore, like the other OT saints, he had to wait in Abraham’s bosom. This is in heaven, but not completely in the presence of God.

SHEOL = Abraham’s Bosom + Hell?

These two men avoided Sheol, which is the grave. Shedd (Endless Punishment, page 34) suggests that “Sheol signifies the ‘grave,’ to which all men, the good and evil alike, go down. That Sheol should have the two significations of hell and the grave, is explained by the connection between physical death and eternal retribution”

All men (except Elijah and Enoch) go to the grave. It is what happens after that that shows a difference. Pentecost (Things To Come, page 556) makes the following note: “The first is Sheol, which is used sixty-five times in the Old Testament, translated “hell” thirty-one times (cf. Deut. 232:22; Ps. 9:17; 18:5; Isa 14:9), “grave” thirty-one times (cf. 1 Sam 2:6; Job 7:9; 14:13), and “pit,” three times (cf. Num. 16:30, 33; Job 17:16). This was the Old Testament word for the abode of the dead. It was presented, not just as a state of existence, but as a place of conscious existence (Deut 18:11; 1 Sam 28:11-15; Isa 14:9). God was sovereign over it (Deut 32:22; Job 26:6). It was regarded as temporary and the righteous anticipated the resurrection out of it into the millennial age (Job 14:13-14; 19:25, 27; Ps 16:9-11; 17:15; 49:15; 73:24).”

So it seems that Hell and Abraham’s Bosom are both a part of Sheol, the place where all men go. Even though Enoch and Elijah avoided the grave itself, they were undoubtedly in Abraham’s bosom.

JESUS

Returning to the parable in Luke, Jesus says that Abraham’s Bosom and Hell are separated by a great distance, and yet you can speak across that distance. Is this a form of poetic license? Is this like the prophets trying to make pictures of heaven understandable to men?

Eph 4:28 says that “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men. [But He ascended?] Now what can this, He ascended, mean but that He had previously descended from [the heights of] heaven into [the depths], the lower parts of the earth? He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest).” AMP.

Matthew 12:40 says that “as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

John 20: 1-2 tell us that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb for three days. So Jesus took his body with him into the heart of the earth, just like Matthew 12 says. Some will say that his soul was in hell and his body was not, but this is dis-proven by the fact that the tomb was empty immediately following the Sabbath.

Acts 2:31 tells us that “his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.” To some, this implies that his soul was not placed in hell, but this is not clearly supported by the text (compare G2641). Further, 1 Peter 3:18-19 as well as 1 Pet 4:6 state that Jesus preached the gospel to the dead, to the spirits in prison.

The reason I belabor this point is this: some are offended at the idea of Jesus in hell. He was not, however, sent to hell. He triumphantly went on a mission trip there to preach to the souls in hell. Some would say that, since Jesus said that Lazarus was able to converse with the rich man across the great chasm, Jesus too could have preached to those in hell from Abraham’s bosom. While this is a possibility, it is impossible to make a solid case for it without resorting to speculation.

The fact of the matter is this: Jesus died, took His body to Hell, or Abraham’s bosom, or both, and then came back to earth before going to be with the Father in heaven. Because Jesus came to die for the sins of men, his death signified a change for those who are “in Christ” when they die. No longer do men have to wait in Abraham’s bosom for their sins to be paid for. It has been accomplished by His sacrifice.

MODERN DAY SAINTS

The modern day believer has two possibilities: if he is alive when Jesus returns, Jesus will glorify his body, and he will be with Jesus forever. This is referred to as “being clothed” (2 Cor. 5:3-4).

The second option is to die before Christ returns, at which point we are immediately with Christ in spirit. You may have heard the phrase, “absent from the body, present with the Lord,” (2 Cor 5:8). This is what has happened when we attend a believer’s funeral. This is referred to as being “unclothed” or “naked.”

1 Cor 4:16 – 5:10 discuss this matter. Earthly bodies are tents, but heavenly bodies are buildings. We feel uncomfortable when we do not have a body, therefore we would prefer option 1, so that “what is mortal my be swallowed up by life” (2 Cor 5:4).

1 Thes 4:15 says “We who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.” Those who have died are already with Jesus, (absent from the body, present with the Lord). They got there (heaven, with Jesus) by leaving their bodies on earth. I believe that when Christ returns is when those believers who are with Jesus get their glorified bodies. At that point, the living believers will join Christ in heaven and their bodies will also be glorified. Phil 3:20-21 says that we “await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body….” 1 Cor 15:50-58 says that corruption is changed into incorruptibility. That is to say our dying bodies are glorified. Compare Jude 24; Eph 5:27; Col 1:22; Rom 8:18, 21, 29-30; 1 Jn 3:2; 4:2.

Revelation 20:7-13 shows how that even the souls in Hades (Hell) are put back into their bodies (which have been resurrected) and then they are judged for their works. John 5:25-29 confirms this: “….and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

CONCLUSION:

Hell is a place designed for the Devil and his followers, angelic or human. It is a prison. All men deserve to go there for their failure to live a perfect life.

There have always been those who have faith, and in faith these saints follow God. God has been merciful and gracious enough to prepare a place for them to await their redemption by the blood of Jesus Christ. This place is known as Abraham’s bosom.

After sin had been paid for by Jesus’ blood, the saints were now able to be with Jesus in spirit. When Jesus returns to earth, these spirits will regain their physical bodies in a glorified state, and the believers on earth will immediately go to Jesus, their bodies being glorified in the process.

The dead in hell will also receive their bodies, and will await judgment.

These seem to be the basic way God deals with the souls of men.

Pastor Brian Cox