Where Do We Go When We Die? Part 2 of 3

Let's review where these two men are now. These are two men who lived on earth before Jesus died on the cross and ascended to heaven, so these are Old Testament individuals. Lazarus and the rich man, have changed places after death. The rich man is now in Hades, a place of torment and flames, where he remembers life in the flesh and mourns at his choices. Lazarus, a beggar in the flesh, was carried to Paradise by the angels when he died and is now comfort and companionship.

Each of them is now in a temporary place: Lazarus in Abraham's bosom (Paradise) and the rich man in Hades.

Hades is an intermediate place of hell. The unrighteous dead continue in Hades (those who died before the cross and Christ's ascension) until a particular time in the future, God's judgment of the Great White Throne. At this time Hades 'gives up the dead' and they are judged and passed into the lake of fire. This is in Revelation 20:

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." This is the permanent hell. For all eternity.

Now let's look at the case of Lazarus in the intermediate heaven, Abraham's bosom (or Paradise). Remember that we are talking in this story about the righteous believers who died before the cross and the ascension of Jesus Christ. There was no change in their abode until Jesus ascended to the Father.

Watch what happens now. When Lazarus (a believer before Christ's ascension) dies, his body went to the grave, and his soul and spirit went to Paradise...but when Jesus died on the cross, was buried and he rose again, on the day of his ascension something changed. (Note: Some believe that believers stay in Paradise until a later resurrection; the essential difference is timing. We will proceed on this first thesis in this blog, however.)

Look at Ephesians 4:8-10: "Therefore He says: 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.' (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)"

Here is what happened according to the Bible. When Jesus ascended after death he went into the earth and he led captivity captive. (Note: Both Hades and Paradise are considered to be located in separate places somewhere in the inner earth.)He went to Paradise, and he took all the people who were in Paradise, and he took them with him up to the third heaven. Paradise is no longer an intermediate place; Paradise is now with God in heaven. Jesus took all those who were in Paradise - all the Old Testament saints - all who had died and believed God before the ascension, and he took them to heaven. The New American Standard Bible frames it this way:

"Therefore it says, 'WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.' (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)"

He took them to the third heaven. How do we know? Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Also, Paul speaks of his own experience in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." Paul, a New Testament saint, and after Christ's ascension, went to Paradise in the third heaven, in soul and spirit; he wasn't sure whether he was there in the flesh.

So if a New Testament Christian's body goes into the grave, but his soul and spirit go to Paradise, there's another problem...in what form is he in Paradise without his body? Well, let's look at 2 Corinthians 5:1-5: "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent [our body], is destroyed, we have a building from God [a heavenly body], a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee."

The spirit desires to be clothed. A body from heaven awaits us when we die. When we die as Christians God gives us a 'clothing' that's not our resurrection body yet, but an intermediate body. We recognize and fellowship with each other. When our fleshy body is resurrected from the grave we get our permanent heavenly body (I'll address that in another blog.)

To be continued in Part 3 tomorrow.

Royal Heir