With the interest in books such as “Heaven is for Real”, “90 Minutes in Heaven”, “23 Minutes in Hell”, “Heaven”, “The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven”, “Glimpses of Heaven”, Nine Days in Heaven”, “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” “One Minute After You Die” and “Secrets Beyond the Grave”. I would have to say there is a great deal of attention being paid to the afterlife.
Due to this new interest I have been asked numerous questions about the afterlife recently.
Due to the questions I have been led to redo a message from mid-2007 that I first delivered in January of 2006. It’s titled “Where Are They Now?”
I pray this will help answer many afterlife questions with Scripture.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
At the end of the “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” the final chapter in the trilogy. Frodo is speaking when he says, “Bilbo once told me his part in this tale would end, but each of us must come and go in the telling. Bilbo’s story was now over. There would be no more journeys for him say one.”
You may not know this but life is fatal. Everyone who enters into life is going to die. We don’t know the day or the hour but by now we should have figured out the final result.
Since everyone is going to pass from this life, there is a question about what happens after life. Since this question is on the hearts of people, God has placed eternity upon the hearts of humans and we need to find out all we can about what happens after life.
Some people would tell you that there is nothing after this life. We die and then we no longer exist. Everything comes to an end. This does not match up with the fact that eternity has been placed upon our hearts. It also doesn’t match up with the many accounts of an existence after life that comes through the Scriptures and all the near death experience that are written about and told to us.
The Scriptures tell us in Hebrews 9:27, “And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment”. In this passage reincarnation is eliminated so we get one chance at life and when we die there will be a determination made as to what happens with us.
2 Corinthians 5:8-10
8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies.
Paul makes a mighty statement here that can only be made by one who trusts in the Lord for their salvation. To appear before Christ to be judged when you have never accepted what He has done for you may not be a place you would rather be. We have all done evil. Has the Lord forgiven your evil doings?
There is also the human response to death. Have you ever noticed that people at funerals try to comfort themselves by saying, “He or she is in a better place now.” or “My, my, doesn’t he or she look good?” Most people don’t have a clue as to what happens to a person when they die. Most people wonder where are they now and how are things going with them.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
This passage is a very comforting passage for the person who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. What about the people who do not believe, who do not acknowledge the Lord. What about the masses of people who have no concern for eternal things. Are they just taken away to a better place because they have died?
It would be better said that heaven is where those who don’t go to hell reside. Most people believe only the worst of people go to hell. Reality says everyone deserves hell and some are saved into heaven.
I heard a lady on television talking about one of the soldiers who was recently killed in Afghanistan. She said, “I know he’s in heaven because he was doing what he wanted to do. He was serving his country and I’m glad he was protecting us.”
Is this what qualifies a person for heaven? Is doing what you want to do the escape route from hell?
I don’t know the soldier’s beliefs. I can’t judge the soldier since I don’t know. But I know what the Scriptures teach.
John 3:18
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Romans 8:9
9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)
The following message is going to be very difficult for anyone who has the thought that everyone goes to a wonderful place when they die. This message is going to cut to the core of what you believe about life after death. This message is going to answer the question, “Where Are They Now?” and “Why Are They There?”
When the earthly body dies, we are told by the Scriptures that, the soul of man does not die but it is separated from the body and delivered to another place. Man’s soul is an eternal creation. The body dies due to sin but the soul lives on after death in one of two places. There is no such thing as soul sleep in the Scriptures. There is no such thing as purgatory in the Scriptures. Your eternal destination will be decided while living in your body and the reality of your belief will determine your eternal future.
Jesus used a story about afterlife to make this point clear. This is a true story signified by the way Jesus uses a real person by name in the story.
Luke 16:19-31
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
First we have to understand that this is an Old Testament story. Jesus has not yet died on the cross and resurrected back from the dead.
With this information let’s look at the passage.
There are two places in which those who have passed from the body go. One is the place of the dead or Hades. The other is Abraham’s bosom or paradise. Between these two places is a great chasm that cannot be crossed.
I need to add something else here. Lazarus and the rich man’s bodies were still in their graves. It was their souls, their mind, will, emotions and personality that had went to the afterlife. Their persons were separated from the body. This is what constitutes death. The living soul is no longer in the bodily container.
Now, don’t think that the rich man is in Hades because he was rich and Lazarus was in paradise because he was poor. Abraham explains that faith and belief in the revelation of God that these two men had available determines their destiny. How much more responsibility are those on this side of the resurrection going to be held to?
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
As we see from this illustration there are no second chances. What you read in the Scriptures and hear from the prophets, and then believe in your heart, determines your eternal destiny. At death your eternal destiny is sealed. There are no second chances.
The picture is not pretty. The rich man is in a place of torment. It is a place of flames. It is a place of remembrance. He is thirsty. And the most difficult part is he can see the other side and realizes that he would rather be on the other side but there is no way to cross over. He also realizes that his family that was left behind is still living in sin and needs to be warned about the reality of this horrible afterlife.
Could you imagine living for all eternity in a place like this with all that is pictured here? The thought of annihilation or nothingness after death sounds better than eternity separated across an un-crossable chasm with all your memories.
Let me tell you that this is just the start of the torment. Hades is a place of waiting. This is not the final destiny of those who die in their sin without believing in the truth of the Scriptures.
Revelation 20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
By the way, the names of the people who are in Hades will not be in the book of life. Remember the angels carried Lazarus to be with Abraham. The rich man was buried and his soul went to the place of the dead.
The rich man was never born again. He never received spiritual life. According to God’s Holy Scriptures he was dead in the body and will suffer the second death.
I firmly believe by what we have been told through the Scriptures that Hades is still in the business of holding the dead until the final judgment. Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, His atonement for their sin, His resurrection to life, His ascension to the eternal throne of God, His way of salvation, are DEAD! They have no hope of anything but torment in Hades and the reality of the second death in the Lake of Fire.
Why is it so important for me to make sure you hear this message? There is no chance for salvation after you pass from the body and into eternity. What you believe right now will determine your eternal destiny and time is running out on all of us. Your last breath could be breathed today.
So what happens to all those who have been carried off to Abraham’s side or paradise?
I’m so glad you asked.
Paradise was a pre-ascension holding place for the saints who had faith in the revelation of God that they had available in their day. It was a place for those who had placed their faith in God, the Scriptures, Moses and the prophets.
Jesus had not yet died on the cross, He had not yet ascended into heaven where He is now preparing a place for those who believe. But on the day Jesus died there were some mighty things that happened.
Luke 23:40-43
40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The thief on the cross came to believe in Jesus and Jesus assured the thief that he would be with Jesus in paradise. Jesus is headed for paradise after He dies on the cross.
Ephesians 4:7-8
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.”
Now we are about to see something else that is pretty spectacular. Jesus is about ready to take those who have been waiting in paradise to heaven.
Matthew 27:51-53
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Where do you think all these holy people went? These are the captives that Jesus took to heaven in his train.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.
Paradise is now in the third heaven. We’ve discussed this before. The first heaven is earth’s atmosphere. The second heaven is outer space or the universe. The third heaven is where God resides.
With all the information that is being put forth about heaven, hell and the afterlife of late, I wanted to use the Scriptures to explain to the best of my understanding what I believe to be true about the afterlife.
There may be disagreements and different understandings of some of the Scripture I have chosen here this morning. I may not be perfect in my interpretation of these passages. These passages are, though, the reason I now do what I do. These passages are why I live the life I now live. These passages have changed my life and the destination of my soul into the afterlife. This is what I believe.
There is one thing I know for sure, if you have not come to Christ and accepted His work on the cross and placed your faith and trust in him for the salvation of your soul, you will be condemned to hell. You cannot come into God’s paradise aside from Jesus’ atoning work.
Romans 8:9-11
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
You must come to Christ for true life. You must have the Spirit of Christ or you do not belong to Christ. If you refuse Christ you do not have life in the Spirit, you do not have life in the mortal body and you will not receive eternal life.
Revelation 2:7
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
The tree of eternal life.
Genesis 3:22
22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
So the tree of life was taken into the paradise of God which is in heaven. The only people who can eat from the tree of life are those who overcome this world and its ways. These are the people who fear God and come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation.
For those who do not believe eternal doom awaits them in Hades and then the second death in the Lake of Fire.
By the way, when the earthly body dies we will be given spiritual bodies in which we will live and experience all these things.
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
The Christian judgment takes place at the moment we agree with God that we are sinners and need salvation, forgiveness and redemption. This is the point called Justification. The Christian is justified right with God in this earthly realm when he believes in God and His Word. The non-Christian is never justified right with God because he never agrees with or believes what God says about his condition before God.
Salvation is by God’s grace through our faith in all that He has said. What we believe determines our justification before God. Our justification seals us with God’s Spirit. God’s Spirit then begins to make our souls ready for our eternal destiny.
Revelation 7:9-14
9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
I hope this message has answered the question, “Where Are They Now?”
I hope this message has opened your eyes, ears, minds, and hearts to the importance of making sure you are believing in the Scriptures and what they have to teach about God, Jesus, and eternal destiny, RIGHT NOW!
You do not want to pass from this earth and into eternity without knowing the Lord. I don’t believe you want people who are close to you to pass from this life without knowing Jesus Christ.
The stakes are high.
The rich man had gained everything he desired in the world but after his life was over he became the beggar. He desired much and had no ability to change his destiny. He desired water, he desired the other side of the chasm, he desired that his family could be warned.
All the rich man was left with was the reality of the Word of God. Time is short and even if you gain the whole world, is it worth losing your soul?
This is the question you must answer.
The Scriptures are real and true. You may not believe them but that doesn’t change their reality.
John 14:1-6
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Jesus said, He is the Truth, He is the Way, and He is the Life, there is no way to the Father, no way to resurrection, no way to paradise, and no way to an eternal destiny in heaven outside of Him.
Do you believe this? I hope so. I hate hearing people say at funerals, “There in a better place now,” especially when they have no understanding or knowledge of God’s truth.
Where Are They Now? It all depends upon what they believe in their heart about the Word of God.
One last thing before we go. With all the books on the shelf about the reality of Heaven and Hell, With all the interest in the afterlife, with all the stories of near death experiences, have you ever wondered why we are not seeing more people repenting of their sin, turning back to God and calling upon Jesus Christ as their Savior?
Our main text answers this question for us.
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Jesus rose and very few are willing to believe in Him or the written Word. These books are a blessing to the believer but are they changing hearts and bringing people to the Lord?
What do you believe today?
Are you willing to commit your life to Christ today?
Revenator's Revelations 