When you die, what really happens? We know that as Christians, we have no fear about hell or suffering after death, but what will really happen to you? Do the righteous go straight to heaven and be with God? Do the unrighteous go straight to hell? Do they all remain in the grave or in an intermediate realm while they wait?
These are some questions that people may have. Do we go to the place we deserve immediately, or there’s a place of waiting in unconsciousness?
Here are some things the bible teaches us, some answers to some of our questions:
- Believers in the form of our spirits go to be in God’s presence immediately, and the unrighteous to hell, a place of suffering
The spirit of the departed saint will go back to its creator:
“Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” – Ecclesiastes 12:7 NKJV
Also, in the book of Hebrews:
“and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.” – Hebrews 12:23 ESV
Again, from the story of the thief on the cross, who now believed in Jesus:
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” – Luke 23:43 NKJV
Paul then says:
“… We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” – 2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV
While this happens to the believer, the unbeliever will be in hell, a place of torment:
“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.” – Luke 16:22, 23 NKJV
- We will be conscious while waiting for the final reward
When Jesus told the people about Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man who was in hell, we see that there was a conversation between them. They could see and hear what was happening around them, in hell and even on earth:
“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.” – Luke 16:22, 23 NKJV
Jesus also made clear to the religious leaders and the people, that God was the God of the living and not of the dead. So, the believers are living and not in an intermediate state of unconsciousness or such:
“’I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob?’. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” – Matthew 22:32 NKJV
As we have seen, even those in hell are conscious as well, seeing and hearing, and able to feel the pain of torment before the final judgment, just as the rich man did.
So much is revealed to us concerning the time between the transition of the believer from this earth, to the waiting period before the final judgment and reward of all men. In hell, men will also be conscious of all that is happening. That was why the rich man in the story with Lazarus, could beg that a message be sent to his brothers who were still on earth; he could see them living their lives on this side.
While men wait, whether in heaven or in hell, this is however not the final judgment, but is just a waiting place before the final judgment and rewards that will be given to both believers and unbelievers who will experience the second death. [Revelation 20:11-15]