Death
The Intermediate State
Resurrection
Hell
Heaven
What happens when one dies? The answer to this question is related to personal eschatology. Since the Bible teaches about the important destinies for both unbelievers and believers, this part looks at personal eschatology from the standpoint of these two groups.
Death
Death is an unpleasant topic, but Scripture teaches what most intuitively know—death is the destiny of human beings. While all recognize the blunt reality of death, the Bible alone reveals its origin, its significance, and what must happen for it to be defeated. Death is not nonexistence. The primary meaning of death is separation. Thus Genesis 35:18 says of Rachel, “Her soul was departing (for she was dying).” After death, her soul went on living, though it was separated from her body.
The Bible speaks of three types of death. First, physical death involves the cessation of bodily life. When key organs such as the brain and heart cease to function, physical death occurs. At this point, a separation transpires between a person’s body and his soul/spirit. James declared, “The body apart from the spirit is dead” (James 2:26). In regard to physical death, Ecclesiastes 12:7 explains, “The dust [body] returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Second, spiritual death involves alienation from God. A person can be physically alive yet spiritually dead. In fact, all people are conceived and born into a state of spiritual separation from God (Ps. 51:5). This occurs because of imputed sin from Adam and an inherited sin nature from our ancestors. Paul addressed spiritual death when he told the Ephesians, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1 NASB). Speaking of their previous condition before Christ, Paul noted that the Ephesians were physically alive but spiritually separated from God.
Third, eternal death is punishment and banishment from God for eternity. This happens to those who physically die while spiritually dead. The unrepentant will experience eternal, conscious separation from God’s presence to bless (2 Thess. 1:9). The lake of fire is their destiny (Rev. 21:8). Not everyone, though, will experience eternal death; those who believe in Jesus will evade it.
Scripture teaches other important truths about death. First, sin is the cause of death. Contrary to the secular worldview, death is not the result of natural processes stemming from a random and chance universe. Death happens because the first man, Adam, sinned against the Creator. Adam was told that he would die if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:15–17), and Romans 5:12 explains that “sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin.” At its core, death is a spiritual matter with wide-ranging and far-reaching consequences.
Second, death is real, not an illusion. There is an actual separation of the body from the soul. Although Christians recognize this truth, some cults and quasi-Christian sects have denied the reality of sickness and death.
Third, death is unnatural. God did not create man to die, and death was not an original part of the creation (Genesis 1–2). That is why mourning and tears are often associated with death in the Bible (Gen. 50:1, 3). Jesus wept for Lazarus with real tears (John 11:35). Death is a disruption to life. It should never be glamorized or downplayed. In this fallen world, death may seem natural since it is all around us. But God did not create man to die, and a day is coming when death will be defeated. Death will not be present in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21–22; esp. 21:4). Death, therefore, is an intrusion in God’s universe, an enemy that needs to be conquered. In regard to Jesus’s coming kingdom reign, Paul thus declared, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:26). The apostle John likewise revealed that “death” will be “thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14). Death is headed for defeat because of Jesus. The believer can rejoice with Paul in saying,
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:54–55)
Fourth, in this age death is an inescapable reality that ushers one into accountability before the Creator. Hebrews 9:27 declares, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Death is not a guaranteed transition to a peaceful nonexistence or nirvana. Nor is heaven the default destiny for all who die. For unbelievers, death is a fearsome thing, and its proximity should cause all to repent. In the parable of the rich fool, Jesus told of a rich man who greedily kept acquiring barns, grain, and goods with no thought of using his wealth for God. Then one day, “God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ” (Luke 12:20). Unexpectedly, the rich fool would be facing God.
Fifth, death is a transition from one state of existence to another. It is not a transfer from existence to nonexistence. Believers will transition to the intermediate heaven where God, the resurrected Jesus, angels, and previously deceased believers reside (Rev. 6:9–11). The nonbeliever will transition to hades, a temporary place of punishment for the wicked (Luke 16:19–31). What the intermediate heaven and hades are like will be further discussed below.
DEATH AND THE UNBELIEVER
Death is a source of fear only for those who do not know God. For the unbeliever, death not only brings an end to one’s current, physical life, but it also takes a person into direct accountability with God for a life lived apart from him (Heb. 9:27). Jesus warned that people should fear God “who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).
While alive, all people, including nonbelievers, experience God’s common grace in blessings such as food, air, sunshine, and relationships. Paul alludes to this when he asks, “Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4 NASB). Yet Paul also warns of rejecting God’s kindness: “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5 NASB). Experiencing God’s blessings without giving him honor increases wrath for a person. Also, those who die in unbelief will experience eternal death with no chance of reprieve or escape. While sentencing to the lake of fire will not come until the final judgment, the destiny of the unsaved is sealed at the point of death. There is no postmortem second chance. Proverbs 11:7 sums up what death means for the wicked: “When the wicked dies, his hope will perish.”
DEATH AND THE BELIEVER
Believers in Christ are not spared from the consequences of physical death. Even for the Christian, death may be sudden, the result of a tragic accident, or the end of a long painful illness. On the one hand, Christians are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and have experienced inner renewal through the work of the Holy Spirit, but on the other hand, their physical bodies still decay. As Paul stated, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). For reasons known only to him, God has determined that the removal of death awaits the future (Isa. 25:8). So how does death relate to the believer in Christ?
Death is a result of sin, but the Christian is forgiven of all sins: “There is … no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Therefore, death is not a punishment for the Christian like it is for the nonbeliever. Instead, physical death occurs because we live in a fallen world still awaiting the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). The process of decay and death reminds Christians of their frailty and total reliance on God. Suffering and death also help Christians identify with and grow closer to Jesus, which is why Paul said that he desired to “know him [Jesus] and the power of his resurrection” and to “share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil. 3:10).
While on the road to physical death, the Christian does not have to fear death, for Christ has conquered it (Rev. 1:18). Jesus, through his sacrificial death, is able to “deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Heb. 2:14–15). Paul said, “For I am sure that neither death nor life … will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39). In fact, Paul viewed the options of continuing his present ministry on earth or departing to be with Christ as a difficult choice: “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account” (Phil. 1:22–24). Paul knew God wanted him to remain on earth and serve others, yet he desired to be present with Christ in heaven. He did not loathe death because it meant being immediately with Jesus.
Paul told the Corinthians, “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). Again, Paul viewed departure from the body (physical death) as preferable since he would be with Jesus. In addition to being an encouragement for the believer, these verses refute the unbiblical concept of soul sleep, in which physical death means nonexistence until the resurrection. The believer is never separated from Christ.
Death is indeed a fearful enemy that needs to be conquered. Yet because of Jesus’s death, the power of sin and death are broken for the Christian. The final removal of death awaits the return of Jesus, yet Christians in this fallen world know that physical death is not the end. It ushers the Christian immediately and eternally into the presence of Jesus. The stark contrast between death for unbelievers and believers is summarized in Proverbs 14:32: “The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.”
The Intermediate State
The intermediate state refers to the conscious existence of people between physical death and the resurrection of the body. It applies to both believers and unbelievers, although the destinies of these two groups are different. Since the focus of the New Testament is on the imminent return of Jesus and the kingdom of God on earth (Isaiah 11; 65:17–25; Revelation 20–22), scriptural data concerning the intermediate state is brief. Yet enough information exists for one to have real knowledge on this topic.
THE INTERMEDIATE STATE OF THE UNBELIEVER
The intermediate state of unbelievers involves conscious torment in a place called hades, from hadēs, the Greek term for the abode of the dead. In the Septuagint, it was used to translate the Hebrew word sheol, which referred to the realm of the dead in general, without necessarily distinguishing between righteous and unrighteous souls. But in the New Testament, hades refers to the place of the wicked prior to the final judgment in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:13). Hades, therefore, serves to describe a temporary place of conscious torment for the wicked.
The most explicit discussion of hades is found in Luke 16:19–31, the account of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man, who was clothed in luxury, had little concern for the poor beggar Lazarus. When the rich man died, his body was buried (16:22); yet his immaterial part was relocated to hades, where he was “in torment” (16:23). He called out to Abraham for mercy, saying, “I am in anguish in this flame” (16:24). The rich man was in agony. He also had memory, not only recalling Abraham and Lazarus but also desiring to help his five living brothers. He was aware that his presence in hades was deserved. Abraham also appealed to the rich man’s memory: “Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus … bad things” (16:25). All these details reveal a place of torment with self-consciousness and memory.
How literally should this account be understood, and what truths about the intermediate state can be gleaned from it? Is this parable describing a real or fictional account? The mention of names (Lazarus and Abraham) cannot be made to indicate an actual account of real people. Although it is a parable, the Lord designed it to explain actual postdeath circumstances.
THE INTERMEDIATE STATE OF THE BELIEVER
The intermediate destiny of the believer differs drastically from that of the unbeliever. It involves a conscious, peaceful existence in heaven with Jesus between physical death and the resurrection of the body. The believer’s soul is translated immediately to the presence of Jesus in heaven upon physical death (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:22–24). As Stephen was being stoned, he cried out to Jesus, whom he saw in heaven, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). To the repentant thief on the cross, Jesus promised, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
When death occurs, the body is buried while the soul is taken immediately to heaven. Paul said that being with the Lord Jesus in this state is “far better” (Phil. 1:23) than physical life in a fallen world (2 Cor. 5:8). Yet he also stated that the intermediate condition is comparable to being “naked” (2 Cor. 5:3), since humans were not created to be disembodied. Humans are most whole when clothed with a physical body. It is the glorification of the resurrected body for which Paul longs most (2 Cor. 5:1–2). For the Christian, resurrection is better than the intermediate state, which is better than life in this fallen world.
The intermediate state also means rest from the toils of this life. In Revelation 14:13, John states, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’ ” Revelation 6:9–11 offers the most detailed information concerning the intermediate state. The apostle John witnesses a scene where souls appear in heaven under an altar. These are those “who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne” (6:9). They are Christian martyrs whose souls now appear in heaven. Verses 10–11 state,
They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
Several truths about the intermediate state of believers can be gleaned here. First, while in heaven, these saints have keen self-awareness and knowledge of others and of world circumstances. They know they were killed for their testimony for Jesus, and they want judgment on earth for their murderers. These saints remember past experiences and have hope for the future. Second, they are mindful of the distinction between heaven and earth. Even after arriving in heaven, they do not forget about earth altogether or act as if heaven is all that matters. Third, heaven is not their final destiny. Even in heaven, the saints long for justice on the earth, a justice that will come with the return of Jesus and the saints in Revelation 19:11–21. The intermediate heaven is not their final home. The truth of Revelation 5:10 applies to these saints: “They shall reign on the earth.”
Fourth, the martyred saints in heaven appear to have some body-like form. They can be seen by John (“I saw … the souls,” Rev. 6:9). They have an audible element in that they can speak and be heard (“They cried out with a loud voice,” 6:10). Also, they can wear clothing (“They were each given a white robe,” 6:11). And they operate within the confines of time (“They were … told to rest a little longer,” 6:11). It is plain, then, that intermediate-state saints in heaven have a real existence. However, this is not bodily existence; physical death has occurred, and their bodies remain in the ground awaiting resurrection. Plus, the resurrection of the body is still future. Yet a real and localized presence of believers in heaven appears to be the reality.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INTERMEDIATE STATE
What role does the intermediate state play in God’s broader cosmic plans? The souls of unbelievers are in hades. The souls of departed saints and the resurrected Jesus are in heaven. So the intermediate state is vitally important in God’s plans. Yet one should avoid extremes concerning the intermediate state’s significance.
One extreme downplays the significance or even existence of the intermediate state. Some teach that there is no intermediate-state existence for believers or unbelievers, opting for what is called soul sleep. In this view, when a person dies, he or she ceases to exist until Jesus returns and his or her body is resurrected. Then the person is brought to life. But multiple passages, including those discussed above, describe conscious existence for people between physical death and the resurrection of the body.
On the other extreme, the intermediate state can be overemphasized in two ways. The first occurs when the intermediate heaven is viewed as the final state of believers. When Christians think that their eternal destiny is the present heaven, not the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1), they are overemphasizing the present heaven. Some popular hymns such as “I’ll Fly Away”—with lyrics like “to a land where joy will never end, I’ll fly away”—might give the impression that the destiny of the Christian is “out there” forever, and that the “land” God promises is heaven. But the intermediate heaven is not the ultimate destiny of believers—the new earth is. So Peter declared, “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13).
A second erroneous perspective is viewing the intermediate state as the millennial reign of Jesus and the saints in heaven in this era. This is held by some amillennialists. But the Bible does not present the millennial reign of Jesus and the saints as occurring in heaven. Instead, it will be fulfilled on earth, from and over the realm where God originally tasked man to rule (Gen. 1:26–28). The reign of Jesus and the saints is needed on earth, not in heaven, which already possesses the universal kingdom reign of God. The martyred saints who appear in heaven in Revelation 6:9–11 are pictured as longing for justice on the earth. They are not reigning yet but are waiting to reign, a waiting that will be satisfied with the resurrection and reign of the saints after the return of Jesus (Rev. 20:4). In sum, the millennial reign of Jesus and the saints is not a hidden reign from heaven but a visible, tangible reign in the realm where God created mankind to rule—the earth.
The intermediate state is for deceased believers in heaven or unbelievers in hades during this age before the second coming of Jesus and the resurrection of the body. But it is not the final state or destiny for human beings.
Resurrection
God created human beings as a complex unity of body and soul. In this age physical death results in the separation of a person’s body from his or her soul. But this state does not last forever. Everyone is destined for a resurrection of the body fitted for his or her eternal destiny.
Since most people die physically before the return of Jesus, the resurrection is often referred to as a coming out of the grave. For instance, Daniel stated that after a specific “time of trouble,” “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:1–2). Those who have died and been buried will one day be “awake.” This is a physical resurrection of the body. This same truth is affirmed by Jesus in John 5:28–29:
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
In a later section, we will discuss the timing and stages of God’s resurrection program, but here the focus is on what resurrection means for both believers and unbelievers. Resurrection occurs for both groups, but not all awake to the same destiny. Since Scripture gives more details on the resurrection of believers, we will begin our discussion there.
RESURRECTION OF THE BELIEVER
Believers in God are destined for the resurrection of the body. One of the earliest biblical figures, Job, expressed confidence in resurrection:
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God. (Job 19:25–26)
Job knew his “skin” would be “destroyed” (physical death) but that this was not the end. His “Redeemer” would stand on the earth, and in the end Job would, in his “flesh,” “see God.” Physical resurrection is real and occurs because of the Redeemer. Isaiah also declared the resurrection of the body for the saved:
Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the earth will give birth to the dead. (Isa. 26:19)
The most extended discussion of the nature of the resurrection body for believers is found in 1 Corinthians 15:35–49. Paul addressed the questions “How are the dead raised?” and “With what kind of body do they come?” (15:35). He then contrasted the flawed, mortal bodies we now have with the glorified bodies we will receive in the coming age. Glorified bodies will be imperishable. They do not decay or die like our present perishable bodies (15:42). Our future bodies will not be tainted with the shame of sin. They will be powerful, not weak (15:43). They will be spiritual bodies, not natural bodies (15:44). Jesus is the prototype of glorified bodies, while our natural bodies take after Adam (15:45–46).
The mention of “spiritual” bodies does not mean immaterial or ghostlike. They are spiritual because their source is God, by means of resurrection and glorification. Paul taught that glorified bodies were physical bodies when he said, “We wait eagerly for … the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:23). He also stated that when Jesus comes, he “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Phil. 3:21). Just as Jesus had a tangible, physical existence when he rose from the dead, so too will Jesus’s followers. After all, Jesus is the “firstfruits” of those who die in him (1 Cor. 15:20). Glorified bodies are required to enter God’s eternal kingdom (1 Cor. 15:50).
Resurrection involves the body coming to life and reuniting with the soul. When discussing the rapture of the church in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Paul said, “God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thess. 4:14), referring to the souls of deceased Christians in heaven. So at the rapture God will bring the souls of departed Christians and join them with their resurrected bodies (1 Thess. 4:16).
Since the final destiny of believers is the new earth, resurrected bodies are suited perfectly for everlasting life on the new earth. The new earth will no longer experience curse, decay, or death. And those alive on it will not experience these either. The believer has much to look forward to.
RESURRECTION OF THE UNBELIEVER
Scripture gives fewer details concerning the nature of the resurrection body of the lost, but some conclusions are possible. Daniel 12:2 says that the unsaved “awake” to “shame and everlasting contempt.” Unbelievers experience a tangible bodily resurrection. As we saw in Daniel 12:2 and John 5:28–29, they come out of the grave. So the body that died and was buried is the body that comes out of the grave. It is resurrected, but the person is the same. So there is a one-to-one correspondence.
Second, the resurrection body of the unsaved is suited to experience the lake of fire. Just as believers will receive a body to live on the new earth (Rev. 21:1–22:5), which is a real place, nonbelievers will receive a body fit to experience the lake of fire, which also is an actual place. Revelation 20:15 states, “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Such a parallel between believers and unbelievers is explained in Isaiah 66:22–24, which first describes conditions of the new earth for believers (66:22–23) and then describes conditions for the unsaved (66:24): “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” This indicates a tangible existence for the lost.
Both Revelation 20:15 and Isaiah 66:24 reveal the awful destiny of the unrepentant. These texts depict unending fiery judgment. The apostle John revealed that unbelievers “will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night” (Rev. 14:10–11). This reveals a miserable existence: eternal conscious torment characterized by no rest for those who abide there.
Hell
The Bible presents the eternal reality of hell. Hell is a real place of fiery torment for the unrepentant that lasts forever. Of the twelve references to “hell” in the Bible, the vast majority come from Jesus’s own mouth. The following is a sample of Jesus’s words on this topic.
And whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire. (Matt. 5:22)
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt. 10:28)
You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? (Matt. 23:33)
And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9:43)
The Greek term translated “hell” in the above passages is gehenna, which occurs twelve times in the New Testament and relates to the Valley of Hinnom on the south and east sides of Jerusalem. In this place children were sacrificed in fire to the god Molech (2 Kings 23:10; Jer. 7:31–32). Some hold that the Valley of Hinnom was also the place where dead bodies of criminals and animals were burned. This awful place of fiery doom was used by Jesus and New Testament writers to symbolize the future place of punishment for the wicked. These references show that hell is real. People should strive to avoid this dreadful place. Other passages, while not using the term “hell,” further describe the eternal fire awaiting the wicked:
Then he [Jesus] will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:41)
If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night. (Rev. 14:9–11)
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:15)
The fiery torment of hell is unending. Also, hell is not merely a “state of mind” or some sort of spiritual existence. The language used cannot be attributed to metaphor alone.
Hell is associated with three everlasting negative consequences: (1) punishment, (2) destruction, and (3) banishment. Not one of these concepts explains all of what hell is, but together they offer a multidimensional understanding of why hell is so terrible. First, the wicked are punished and receive retribution for their deeds (Luke 12:47–48). God’s punishment is not a vindictive but a righteous retribution for wrongs committed. Second, hell involves destruction (2 Thess. 1:9), which entails the concepts of ruin and waste. Those who die in unbelief have squandered opportunities to live a life that mattered for God. They are enemies of God, and loss and ruin are their fate (Matt. 7:19). Third, hell includes banishment. Not only are the wicked punished and not only do they suffer ruin, but they are also banished from the blessings of the kingdom of God and are denied access to the glories of the new earth. God as King has removed them with no hope of entering his presence (Rev. 22:14–15).
SHEOL
Other terms in the Bible are connected with hell. The Hebrew term sheol is found sixty-five times in the Old Testament. Depending on the context, the term is translated as “grave,” “pit,” or “hell.” In general, sheol refers to the abode of the dead. Psalm 88:3 states, “For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.” Being in sheol means one is cut off from the living with no access to matters on earth. Yet sheol does not mean escape from God’s presence. As Psalm 139:8 declares, “If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”
TARTARUS
Another reference to hell is found in 2 Peter 2:4: “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment …” The Greek term for “cast them into hell” here is not gehenna or hadēs. It is tartaroō, from which we get tartarus, the only time this term is used in the New Testament. In Greek mythology, tartarus was a subterranean realm, even lower than hades, where the wicked were punished. According to Roman mythology, tartarus was the place where the enemies of the gods were banished. The Jews eventually came to use this term to describe the place where fallen angels were sent. It was the lowest hell, the deepest pit, and the most terrible place of torture. According to 2 Peter 2:4, angels were sent to tartarus when they sinned. This could refer to the angels (“sons of God”) in Genesis who sinned by trying to pervert the human race by cohabitating with the daughters of men (Gen. 6:2).
ABYSS
While not identified as “hell,” another term used for confinement in the Bible is Abyss (Gk. abyssos). The Abyss is a prison for fallen angels that halts them from having any access to or influence on the earth. As Jesus was about to cast out many demons from a man, Luke 8:31 reports that the demons “begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.” The demons feared the Abyss since it would mean the total cessation of their activities on earth. In Revelation 9, demon-like creatures are released from the Abyss to inflict damage on the people of the earth (Rev. 9:1–2). It is their release from the Abyss that allows these creatures to harm people, since they cannot touch people on the earth while in the Abyss.
The Abyss is mentioned again in Revelation 20:1–3. It is a “pit” into which Satan will be thrown after the second coming of Jesus. Once Satan is incarcerated, the Abyss will be “shut” and “sealed … over him” so that Satan cannot deceive the nations for a thousand years (Rev. 20:3). The Abyss functions as a prison to hold the person of Satan. As a result, Satan himself and his deceiving activities will totally cease on the earth, since captivity in the Abyss absolutely removes his influence on the earth. Once the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from the Abyss to deceive the nations one more time, but he will immediately be destroyed and sent to the lake of fire forever (Rev. 20:7–10).
DEVIANT VIEWS OF HELL
A real, torturous, and unending hell for the lost is so horrible to contemplate that many refuse to believe it. Some have offered alternatives to the biblical doctrine of hell. The following are distortions of this reality.
Universalism. Increasingly popular is the notion that all people will end up in heaven and that no one will be lost in hell forever. This view is called universalism since it affirms that all people will be saved. Universalism can take several forms. First, some believe that the atoning work of Christ will be applied to all people whether they believe or not. So all people will enter the presence of God. Second, others hold that people who die in unbelief or having never heard of Jesus will be given a postmortem opportunity to believe in Jesus, to which all will respond positively. A third form of universalism asserts that people will be punished for a while in hell but will eventually be welcomed into heaven.
Universalism is contradicted by multiple statements in Scripture that not all are saved and that some will experience eternal punishment (Matt. 25:41, 46; Rev. 20:11–15). When discussing the glories of the new earth (Rev. 21:1–7), John made it clear that not all would experience this place: “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). Contrary to universalism, the story does not end well for everyone. Belief in Christ is a prerequisite for those who will enter glory (John 3:36). Those who do not believe are set to face judgment for their sins forever.
Annihilationism. Another distortion of the doctrine of hell is annihilationism, the idea that the wicked will cease to exist. This could occur at physical death, in a coming judgment, or after a finite period of punishment in hell. Allegedly, the wicked will reach a point when they no longer exist. How do annihilationists respond to the Bible’s descriptions of hell being “forever” or “eternal”? For them, it is not that a person exists in hell forever but that the consequence of being eliminated lasts forever. Eternal ruin refers to being taken out of existence as a perpetual punishment. Annihilationism is sometimes linked with belief in conditional immortality.
From this perspective, humanity does not possess inherent immortality. Death means a person no longer exists. Only those who believe in Jesus are granted immortality as a gift from God, while the wicked are not allowed to continue their existence. But biblical language such as “eternal fire” (Matt. 25:41), “smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (Rev. 14:11), and “they have no rest, day or night” (Rev. 14:11), reveals unending torment rather than cessation. Having no rest indicates self-consciousness. Plus, eternal life and eternal punishment parallel each other. Jesus stated, “And these [the wicked] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt. 25:46). Just as eternal life for the believer is unending, so too is eternal punishment for the unbeliever. Annihilationism also fails to do justice to how serious sin is, since sin is an infinite offense against an infinitely holy God, thus demanding an infinite punishment. It is an eternal matter that cannot be overcome by a temporary penalty. If it could, sin against God would be a finite matter. Yet a finite punishment for sin would indicate finitude in the holiness of God. It is precisely because God is infinitely holy that even a single offense against his holiness requires infinite punishment. The eternality of hell therefore cannot be rejected without undermining the holiness of God.
Spiritual Punishment. Some hold that the lost will experience eternal, conscious punishment but that this punishment is not a physical punishment in a literal place of fire. For them, fire is not literal but rather represents alienation from God. Hell is primarily about spiritual separation from God, not physical anguish in a tangible lake of fire.
This view, however, does not adequately account for the reality that both the righteous and the wicked rise bodily from the dead and are granted bodies suited to their eternal destinies. If the lake of fire is just metaphorical for a nonliteral state of existence, does this mean the new earth is only metaphorical and just a spiritual state of existence for believers? It is best to understand that both the righteous and the wicked receive bodies that fit them for their eternal destinies—whether on a tangible new earth or in a real lake of fire.
Negative Conditions in This Life. Some relegate hell to a figure of speech or metaphor for difficulties in this life. Statements such as “My life is a living hell” reflect this thinking. Such a perspective trivializes what hell really is and can lead people to think that this life is the worst that things can be. While many dreadful things can occur in this fallen world, our experiences are mixed with God’s common goodness such as love, personal relationships, food, rain, and sunshine. In hell, though, God’s common goodness and grace are removed, and the lost must face the undiluted wrath of God. Hell is exceedingly more than a metaphor for tough times in this life, so to confuse the two is dangerous.
Heaven
The term “heaven” is used approximately six hundred times in the Bible. The Hebrew term often translated “heaven” (shamayim) literally means “the heights.” The Greek term (ouranos) refers to that which is raised up or lofty. The Bible uses these terms to refer to three different places—the atmospheric heaven, the planetary heaven, and the third heaven.
THE ATMOSPHERIC HEAVEN
The atmospheric, or first, heaven is the sky or troposphere—the region of the breathable atmosphere that covers the earth. Genesis 7:11–12 refers to this: “And the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” Here “heavens” refers to the blanket of atmosphere around the world, which is where the hydrological cycle occurs. Psalm 147:8 declares that God “covers the heavens with clouds.” God uses the atmospheric heaven to provide good things to all people: “He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17).
THE PLANETARY HEAVEN
The planetary, or second, heaven is where the sun, moon, planets, and stars exist. This understanding of heaven is referred to in Genesis 1:14–17:
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.
The planetary or stellar heaven serves several purposes. The lights in this heaven separate day and night and exist for signs and seasons. The feasts of Israel would later be tied to the planetary heaven (Num. 10:10; 28:14). The planetary heaven also reveals the glory of God (Ps. 19:1–4). In addition, the cosmic bodies of the planetary heaven testify to the enduring commitment of God to the nation of Israel. Thus, immediately after mentioning the sun, moon, and stars in Jeremiah 31:35, God declares, “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord” (31:37). The planetary heaven will play a major role in the coming tribulation period, as Matthew 24:29 states, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” The shaking of the planetary heaven during the tribulation period reveals that God’s wrath has come on the unbelieving world of that time (Rev. 6:12–17).
THE THIRD HEAVEN
The third heaven is the dwelling place of God, the holy angels, and deceased saints. Paul referred to this third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2–4:
I know a man in Christ [Paul] 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.
To affirm that God dwells in the third heaven does not mean God is contained there. First Kings 8:27 declares, “Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you.” God is omnipresent, and his presence extends to every realm. But the third heaven is uniquely God’s home. It is the command post and center of operation for his universal kingdom, from which he rules over everything in the universe (Ps. 103:19). God’s throne resides in heaven, and it is there that he is worshiped (Revelation 4). This third heaven is also the place from which the New Jerusalem will descend to earth after the millennium. In his vision, the apostle John saw “the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:10; cf. 3:12).
Concerning its inhabitants, God the Father is the center of the third heaven. Jesus said that we should pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matt. 6:9). He also instructed his people to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it currently is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). In Revelation 4:2, John saw that “a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne,” and with those around the throne continually saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty” (Rev. 4:8). Psalm 2:4 states that God the Father “sits in the heavens” and “laughs” at the rebellious nations on earth who challenge his authority.
The resurrected Jesus is also in the third heaven. At Jesus’s ascension, two angels declared, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). While being stoned, Stephen cried out, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). Jesus’s presence in heaven is linked with Psalm 110:1–2 and its prediction that the Messiah would have a time at God’s right hand before reigning from Jerusalem (cf. Heb. 8:1). Hebrews 9:24 states that Christ with his priestly ministry has entered into heaven on our behalf.
Deceased brothers and sisters in Christ are also in the third heaven. Hebrews 12:23 speaks of “the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (NASB). As for living saints, their “names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20), and their “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). Also, their reward is in heaven (Matt. 5:12).
As glorious as the present third heaven is, it is not the final domain of God and his saints. Second Peter 3:13 declares, “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” Revelation 21:1–2 reveals that the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven upon the new earth. There God will dwell with his people (Rev. 21:3). He will wipe away their tears and remove all negative remnants of the previously cursed world (Rev. 21:3–7). Thus, in the fullest way heaven will come to earth. There will be no sickness, no hunger, no trouble, and no tragedy, just absolute joy and eternal blessings.[1]
[1] MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (pp. 835–850). Crossway.
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