Actor/director Woody Allen once said, “It’s not that I’m afraid to die; I just don’t need to be there when it happens.” Though intended to be humorous, Allen captures the human spirit quite well. Thoughts about death, eternity, and God linger throughout everyone’s life.
Let’s face it: No one likes to take into consideration dying. Though all of us realize it’s going to occur, we are inclined to remove the thought as distant as possible.
What Is the Afterlife?
The afterlife has captivated humanity’s minds throughout history. Every culture has faced death and developed burial rituals based on its thoughts of the afterlife. The Egyptians would often bury people surrounded by their personal belongings. They believed the dead could carry their belongings to the afterlife. They also thought that the soul couldn’t exist without the body. They developed mummification to preserve the body so their dignitaries and kings could proceed to rule within the afterlife. It was central to Egyptian burial customs.
Hindus often burn the deceased and scatter their ashes in a river. Their worldview teaches that just because the river carries the ashes into the ocean, the soul flows into Brahman (the very best unchanging reality in Hinduism) to be kept or recycled right into a recent life. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed a monument must be constructed to make sure a correct send-off into the afterlife. This practice is considered where the standard tombstone originated.
In parts of China, people believed that the dead lived on as spirits able to interfering with the actual world. They felt that in the event that they worshipped those ancestors, the interactions can be more positive than negative, and thus, they incorporated ancestor worship into their death rituals. Ultimately, no culture is exempt from considering the afterlife and responding to certain burials or other rituals for the dead.
What Happens after We Die?
Internet searches regarding what happens after death have spiked in recent times. It is straightforward to see why there may be a growing desire for solid answers about death and eternity, given the impacts of COVID-19, wars throughout the world, public shootings, depression, and an increase in suicides — not to say the instability we see throughout us.
The Bible describes two destinations within the afterlife: what is usually called “heaven” and what is usually called “hell.” The Bible also uses heaven to seek advice from God’s dwelling place. Psalm 115:3 proclaims,
“Our God is within the heavens; He does all that He pleases.”
Jesus also often referred to the Father as being in heaven:
“In the identical way, let your light shine before others, in order that they might even see your good works and provides glory to your Father who’s in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
What Is Heaven?
Jesus described heaven in basic, straightforward terms. He taught that heaven is where the Godhead dwells. Throughout history, cultures have demonstrated a seemingly intuitive understanding that “heaven” is where Almighty God is. Perhaps that’s partly what Ecclesiastes 3:11 alluded to when it notes that,
“God has set eternity within the human heart.”
The Bible assures us that each one believers in Jesus will inhabit heaven after passing from this world. Paul writes that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).
This verse gives hope that believers immediately go to be with the Lord after they die. Some people consider that Christians will probably be in some kind of spiritual sleep until the return of Christ, however the Bible teaches that we go to be with God immediately upon death.
The Bible also teaches that when Jesus Christ returns to earth at some point (which can occur sooner fairly than later), He will resurrect the bodies of all believers. Of that moment, when believers will probably be immediately in God’s presence and present in an immortal, perfected body, Paul writes, “Death will probably be swallowed up in victory.” What a tremendous day that will probably be! (c.f., 1 Corinthians 15:51-56).
What Does the Bible Say about Hell?
As wonderful as heaven is, hell is equally terrible. Hell, unlike heaven, shouldn’t be as popular of a subject. Even when an unsaved person dies, you rarely hear anyone mention that person’s final destiny. I actually have never been to a funeral where the officiant suggests the person is now in hell. Even if the officiant believed that to be true (based on the deceased’s rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior), he would most definitely avoid such emotion-laden, uncomfortable speculation.
Hell shouldn’t be a snug topic, yet it’s just as needed to study as heaven, as hell can often provide great motivation for Christians to get out and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By its simplest definition, hell is separation from God. Hell is death everlasting, and death, in its simplest explanation, means separation from life.
Thus, hell is an everlasting separation from God. And hell, based on the Bible, is everlasting.
Many love to think about heaven as being everlasting, but not hell. No one wants hell to last endlessly, yet the Scriptures make it clear that it has no end (c.f. Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46; II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:10, 15).
Just as heaven is everlasting for the redeemed, hell is just as everlasting for individuals who reject Jesus as Savior. This is why it’s so necessary to share the excellent news with as many individuals as possible while there remains to be time.
The Bible teaches that there are only two places that individuals go within the afterlife. The first is wonderful beyond explanation; the second is horrific beyond imagination. Thoughts of heaven should cause believers to rejoice and have hope, knowing that death is barely the start of everlasting bliss. The considered hell should motivate us to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to all we all know.
If you might be reading this and usually are not a Christian, I implore you to give up to Christ now. Jesus is as close by as a prayer. Call out to Him for salvation; He will respond and receive you.
Click to read “Is There a Prayer for Salvation? How Is One Saved?”
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