Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser
The question of what happens after death has intrigued humanity for centuries, and the Scriptures provide us with a clear and comforting understanding of the journey that awaits us beyond this life. The Bible teaches that death is not the end but rather the beginning of a new chapter. And it provides both hope and solemn warnings, painting a vivid picture of life beyond death.
For those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the Bible assures a place in heaven, a realm of eternal joy and peace in the presence of God. Conversely, the scriptures also speak of the reality of hell, a place of separation from God, reserved for those who reject His grace. This duality emphasises the importance of one’s choices and faith in the present life, shaping the eternal destiny that follows. This article reflects on God’s eternal plan for life beyond death. Be blessed as you read.
What happens after we die? Discussing death is a topic that many people prefer to avoid, but it’s something that can’t be ignored. It’s something that’s happening and it’s coming at every one of us, so I’m I will be sharing some things that will encourage people and help them make the right decisions now. These things I’m sharing are a blessing to me and I think they’ll be a blessing to you too. I know some of you might not be excited about this, but it’s something you need to address.
Let’s look at the story Jesus told in Luke 16 about what happens after we die. Remember that the word of God is true. Jesus said in John 17:17 “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” Jesus is the Word, the truth, the way, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). The word of God also says in the book of Romans that ‘let God be true and everyone else a liar.’ Therefore, let’s listen to and believe what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying in His word about death.
Luke 16, starting from verse 19:
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side (bosom). The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
This story makes us understand that when people die, they don’t cease to exist, they still live. Death is an exit from this life. You don’t cease to exist, you just exit this life and you either step immediately into the presence of God where there is joy, comfort, and no more sorrow, or you step into hell, a place of torment, weeping and gnashing of teeth. So, what determines whether we step immediately into the presence of God or into hell after we die?
" When people die, they don’t cease to exist, they still live. They just exit this life and either go to heaven or hell. "
There isn’t a single person on this earth who deserves anything good from God. And there is absolutely nothing people can do to gain His favour. In comparison to God’s standards, man’s righteousness is no better than filthy rags. The Bible says in Isaiah 64:6 that “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away”. But God loves man so much that He sent Jesus, a Lamb without a spot, to be a sacrifice for sin.
If Jesus died for past, present, and future sins – which He did – then what determines whether we spend eternity with Him or in hell? The Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit convicts us of one sin, and it’s the only sin that will cause people to go to hell. That is the sin of rejecting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. “And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin [singular], and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me” (John 16:8-9, brackets mine).
In the story, the rich man spoke to Abraham from hell, the place of torment. The story makes it clear that in hell, those who were in torment could see those across the gulf. They could hear, thirst, feel pain and sorrow, and even communicate with those in paradise. But the one thing that the people in hell will never be able to do is die. My friend, people don’t cease to exist when they die and that’s the truth about death.
The rich man’s body was in the grave, and yet this scripture speaks of him lifting up his eyes and seeing Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom. “So, he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” This text of scripture speaks of his tongue and his thirst and physical torment in the flame. This man had his physical features and senses although he was without his physical body. Revelation 6:9 talks about John seeing the “souls of them that were slain for the word of God.”
John said, “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. There was no way that this rich man could have recognised Abraham from his personal experience. This was, rather, an imparted knowledge that all of us will receive as we enter eternity (1 Corinthians 13:12).
After the Resurrection, things concerning hell changed. Jesus went to hell, took the keys of hell and death (Rev. 1:18), and set the captives free – those who were in Abraham’s bosom. Ephesians 4: 9-10 says, “Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.”
After defeating the devil and setting the captives free, Jesus took those in Abraham’s bosom to heaven with Him, where all believers go now. But we will not live in heaven forever. We only live in heaven until the end of the age. Then God is going to make a new heaven and a new earth, and all the believers will live there with Jesus in the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:1-4). After that, hell will no longer be in the centre of the earth, but it will be cast into a place that the Bible calls the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14), a place that was prepared for Satan and his angels (Matt. 25:41).
