WHAT HAPPENS AFTER DEATH? #2
By David J. Riggs
Intro.
A. Since the beginning of time, men have sought the answer to the
question, "What happens after death?"
1. Job said, "If a man die, will he live again?" Job 14:14
B. Jesus Christ brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel. 2 Tim. 1:10
1. Thus, through Christ we can fully comprehend what will occur
after men die.
C. In a previous lesson, we learned:
1. When a righteous man dies, his soul is carried by the angels
to Abraham's bosom in hades, a place of comfort.
2. When a wicked person dies, his spirit is placed in prison in
hades, a place of torment.
3. The spirits will abide in their respective places until the
second coming of Christ.
a. At the second coming the righteous will come back with
the Lord and their bodies will be raised incorruptible.
b. The wicked will receive the resurrection of damnation.
D. The next event which is to occur is the great judgment.
I. THE JUDGMENT.
A. The Scriptures plainly reveal that there will be a great
judgment day which will occur at the second coming of Christ.
2 Tim. 4:1; Matt. 25:31-32
1. Thus, not only is it clear that there will a great judgment
day, but it is plain that the judgment will take place at
the second coming of Christ.
a. We have already seen that the second coming of Christ
marks the end of all things on earth. 2 Pet. 3:10
b. On that day, all men will stand before the Lord to be
judged. Acts 17:30-31; 2 Cor. 5:10
B. Some have asked, "Why does God want a judgment if man's destiny
is already set when he dies?"
1. They reason that if men are already in torment before the
judgment, there is no need for a judgment.
a. They argue that if men will not be convicted of their
sins by being in torment, they'll not be convicted.
b. Thus, they question whether or not the place of torment
before the judgement actually exists.
2. Let me state plainly that just because one doesn't
understand God's purpose for the judgment, it does not mean
the place of hades does not exist.
a. The place hades most certainly does exist and for one to
say otherwise is to deny all those plain passage we have
already considered--Luke 16:19-31; Luke 24:43; Acts
2:25-32; 2 Pet. 2:9.
C. God has a definite purpose for having a judgment; He wants a
great day of reckoning.
1. It will be a day of "revelation of the righteous judgment of
God." Rom. 2:5
2. At that day, all men will receive the things done in the
body. 2 Cor. 5:10; Eccl. 12:14
a. Christians do not keep a record of all their good works.
(1) They endeavor to do good as they have opportunity and
strive to not be weary in well doing. Gal. 6:9-11
(2) They lay up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19) and
store for themselves a good foundation against the
time to come (1 Tim. 6:18-19)
(3) Through the years they often forget the works of
obedience they have done.
(4) At the judgment they will be reminded of their good
deeds. Matt. 25:34-36
b. At the judgment the wicked will be convinced of their
unrighteousness. Jude 14-15
(1) Today many refuse to listen to the plain teaching of
God's word.
(a) They will not submit to it, rebel against it, and
even blaspheme it.
(2) However, in that great day the Lord will convince
them.
(a) They might not be convicted here, and they might
not in hades, but they will be in the judgment.
(b) In that day "every knew shall bow" and "ever
tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."
Rom. 14:10-12; Phil. 2:9-11
D. So then, "What happens after death?"
1. The judgment! Heb. 9:27
a. On that day, the righteous will be reminded of their good
works and will be told to enter into the joy of their
Lord.
b. The wicked will be convicted of their ungodliness and
will be told to depart into everlasting fire prepared for
the devil and his angels.
II. HEAVEN AND HELL.
A. After the judgment there will be two final states that will
last throughout eternity--heaven and hell.
1. Rev. 20:11-15 gives a comprehensive view of what we have
studied up to this point.
a. In verses 11 and 12 John sees a vision of the great
judgment.
b. Verse 13 shows that all the dead came forth to be judged.
The bodies of men come forth. The spirits of men come
forth.
c. Verse 14. After the judgment men will no longer be
subject to death, and hades will not longer be needed;
hence, they are destroyed. 1 Cor 15:56
(1) This again confirms that there is a temporary place
where the spirits are retained until the judgment.
B. The lake of fire or the second death is the eternal place of
torment.
1. The term "hell" for this place in the Greek is always
"gehenna" and never "hades."
2. Some of the descriptions of this terrible place are given
in the following passages: Matt. 5:22; 13:43,50; 22:13;
25:30,41,46; Mark 9:45; 16:16; 2 Thess. 2:12; John 5:29; 2
Thess. 1:9.
C. After the judgment the righteous go into a place of eternal
bliss.
1. John's vision in Revelation continues by depicting the
church in its glorified state.
a. His vision encompasses all of chapter 21 and the first
five verses of chapter 22.
b. He uses many descriptive terms and figures all of which
refer to the same, the eternal abode or the glorified
state of the righteous.
c. It is both a marvelous place and a glorified condition.
2. Some of the descriptions of this wonderful place are given
in the following passages: Matt. 25:34,46; John 5:29; John
14:2; 1 Cor. 15:52-53; 2 Cor. 5:1; Col. 3:4; Heb. 11:10; 1
Pet. 1:4; 2 Pet. 1:11; 3:13.
3. Many of the above passages again sustain the place hades.
a. Some try to claim that men go directly into heaven or
hell when they die and they question whether or not the
place hades is imaginary like Purgatory.
b. However, the above passages show that the resurrection of
the body, everlasting life, eternal glory, and heaven are
all equivalent.
(1) One does not receive the resurrection of the body,
everlasting life and glory, until the second coming
of the Lord in judgment. John 5:28-29; 1 Cor.
15:53-54; Col. 3:4; 2 Tim. 4:1
(2) Therefore, one does not receive heaven until that
time.
c. Purgatory is imaginary because it is not revealed in
God's Word, but hades is plainly revealed in His Word.
Concl.
A. We now have the complete picture of what happens after death.
B. When a righteous person dies, his soul or spirit is carried by
the angels to Abraham's bosom, a place of comfort, paradise, in
hades.
1. His body is buried back here on earth.
2. In hades he awaits the second coming of Christ at which time
he will come back with the Lord and his body will be raised
incorruptible and he will stand before the Lord to be
judged.
3. The righteous who are alive when the Lord comes will also be
changed and will stand before the Lord to be judged.
C. When a wicked person dies, he goes into a place of torment
where he is kept under punishment in prison in hades.
1. His body is buried here on earth.
2. In hades he awaits the second coming of Christ at which time
he will have the resurrection of damnation.
3. The wicked who are living when the Lord comes will also
receive everlasting punishment.
D. At the second coming of Christ all men will stand before the
Lord to be judged.
1. The righteous will be reminded of their obedience and will
be told to enter into the eternal kingdom, which is eternal
life, heaven.
2. The wicked will be convicted of their disobedience and will
be told to depart into everlasting fire, which is the second
death, hell.
3. At that time hades will be cast into the lake of fire,
destroyed, for it will no longer be needed.
4. The second coming and the judgment will have been completed,
and the only thing left to remain throughout all eternity is
"heaven" the final abode of the righteous and "hell" the
final abode of the wicked.
E. In view of this, in the words of apostle Peter, "...What manner
of persons ought ye to be in holy conduct and godliness...?" 2
Pet. 3:11