What Happens When People Die?

Today a friend asked me a good question. “Gene, do you believe that humans that do not have Jesus as Lord will suffer eternally in flames?” That is a common belief among some Christians.

So much of our concept of “hell” with eternal flaming torment comes from ancient Roman religion which was later popularized in Western culture by Dante in his Inferno. In the Bible, the words for “hell” and “grave” refer to the state of death, after a person’s body breathes its last breath. The Bible promises that all who make Jesus Lord and believe God raised him from the dead are “saved” [Romans 10:9,10]. They have eternal life and are no longer “judged” [Romans 8:1] by their own works for salvation, but by Christ’s completed work for them. They will be forever with the Lord. However, there is also future judgment for those who do not accept Christ.

I. Born-again believers

1 Thessalonians 4:17:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them [those asleep in Christ] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we EVER BE WITH THE LORD.

1 Corinthians 15:12,22,23:
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD?
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall ALL BE MADE ALIVE.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s AT HIS COMING.

There is a future resurrection of the dead, and just as every person faces death because of Adam’s transgression, so everyone “in Christ” will be made alive. Jesus is the firstfruits from death. He is the only one now alive at God’s right hand. AFTERWARD, AT HIS COMING, the dead in Christ and those alive at his return will have new bodies.

So why should a Christian do any good works if eternal salvation is guaranteed in Christ? One reason is that God will faithfully reward us for the good we do in this life.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15:
For other foundation [for eternal life] can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones [good, lasting works done in love], wood, hay, stubble [worthless actions];
Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
If any man’s work SHALL BE BURNED, he shall suffer loss: but he himself SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as BY FIRE.

Fire in the Bible and other cultures represents a cleansing and purifying, and is often used of “proving” metals. Here, fire is used to show that those works we do which are not based on God’s love and truth will be burned up in the future. Those in Christ will be “saved” and have a new spiritual body like Christ’s spiritual body [Philippians 3:21], but only their good works will last after the proving fire and be rewarded. We will appear before the reward stand of Christ.

Romans 14:9-12:
For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the JUDGMENT SEAT [bēma, reward stand] of Christ.
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat [bēma, reward stand] of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

The Greek word bēma originally meant a step, pace, the space which a foot covers, or a foot-breath. Then it came to mean a raised place mounted by steps such as the platform of a Roman tribune or the official seat of a judge or king. The above scripture says we will be rewarded for the good deeds we have done. Those that are worthless will be unrewarded.

II. Those who are not born again

Many people looked forward to Christ’s first coming, as recorded in the Old Testament. Adam and Eve looked for the “promised seed” of the woman. Abraham looked forward to all nations being blessed in “his seed.” David knew that from his genealogy would come the Messiah. These were “believers” but did not receive the fullness of the promise that came on Pentecost.

Hebrews 11:39,40:
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, RECEIVED NOT THE PROMISE:
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect [completion of God’s plan of salvation].

Every person who has not believed on Christ and dies will be raised and judged in the future. It is appointed that people die only once, and are later judged. There is no reincarnation in the Bible. Those who accept Christ’s work will have salvation when he comes back. Others will be judged.

Hebrews 9:27:
And as it is appointed unto men ONCE TO DIE, but AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT:
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Jesus often spoke of “the judgment” [Matthew 5:21,22; 12:42; Luke 10:14; 11:31,32]. Those who reject Christ will be judged because they rejected the true King and greatest prophet of all time. The Queen of Sheba and the people of Nineveh will be judged as “just” for believing God’s representatives [Solomon and Jonah]. But those of Jesus’ time rejected God’s own Son.

Luke 11:31:
The queen of the south shall rise up in THE JUDGMENT with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
The men of Nineve shall rise up in THE JUDGMENT with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Paul anticipated these future judgments. Both the just who believed on a coming Messiah and the unjust who rejected God’s promise will be resurrected.

Acts 24:15:
And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, BOTH OF THE JUST AND UNJUST.

This is what Jesus promised. He will judge the dead based on their believing in him. He is the “chief Shepherd” [1 Peter 5:4] and the “great shepherd” [Hebrews 13:20] who will separate those who believed and those who did not.

Matthew 25:32,33,46:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his SHEEP FROM THE GOATS:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the GOATS ON THE LEFT.
And these [those on his left hand] shall go away into EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT [Greek, kolasis]: but the righteous into life eternal.

Just as a shepherd can tell sheep from goats, so Jesus will judge those at the resurrection. The just have eternal life. This is the “better resurrection.”

Hebrews 11:35:
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a BETTER RESURRECTION.

The unjust will face everlasting “punishment.” This Greek word, kolasis, means “the dread of upcoming judgment from shirking one’s duty.” It here means that those who did not believe and “shirked their duty” will not be with the Lord throughout eternity.

Those who do not believe on Jesus and reject God’s forgiveness will NOT have eternal life, which is called “destruction,” because there is no lasting spiritual existence. They will not be “with the Lord” [1 Thessalonians 4:17] but will be “away from the presence of the Lord” throughout eternity.

2 Thessalonians 1:9:
Who shall be punished with EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION FROM [GREEK APO, AWAY FROM] THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, and from the glory of his power.

This is also called the second death. The “lake of fire” is similar to the use of fire in 1 Corinthians 3. It refers to a future time where all will be “cleansed” and “proved” the way a fire does. Death itself and the power of the grave will be ended for all time. They will be extinguished.

Revelation 20:14:
And death and hell were cast into the LAKE OF FIRE. This is the SECOND DEATH.

Revelation 21:8:
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE and brimstone: which is the SECOND DEATH.

The Hebrew word gof-reeth’ and the Greek word theion are used in the Bible of “brimstone.” It is the biblical name for sulfur, which is often found near hot springs and volcanic fissures on the Earth’s surface. That ties in with fiery destruction.

Luke 17:29:
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Jesus is speaking of what happened in the time of Abraham.

Genesis 19:24:
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven.

At times, the King James Version indicates this destruction includes on-going torment for eternity. But this is a poor translation. The Greek work basanizō refers to proving metals and has to do with determining an outcome. People will not suffer forever, but they will have been tried and proved so that their demise is eternal.

Revelation 14:9-11:
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be TORMENTED [basanizō] WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
And the smoke of their torment ASCENDETH UP FOR EVER AND EVER: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Revelation 20:10:
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be TORMENTED [basanizō] DAY AND NIGHT FOR EVER AND EVER.

The term in Greek for torment is basanizō. Originally it meant to test, to investigate, to examine, and to put to the test. A dark touchstone [basanos] was used to determine the purity or impurity of a precious metal like gold or silver. Basalt was often used as a durable touchstone. The Babylonians developed the practice of the testing of gold and silver as a unit of commercial exchange. The Greek philosopher Plato wrote in his Republic that “Testing [basanizō] them more carefully than men do of gold in the fire.” Those who reject God and His Son will face the second death and be away from the presence of the Lord.

There is so much more in the Bible, but that covers some of the basics about what happens when people die.