Fear and Hope (2) - What happens when someone dies?

We are studying our way through 1 Peter, in a series I am calling the Gospel for REAL Life. Peter was addressing believers who were facing trials in life-trials in their marriages, their workplace, their civil setting, their social settings, and with their own personal desires for sinful things. This is just like us today. Peter wanted to share Grace, Hope and Peace with those believers. Good news! That is the same good news we need today as we face those same settings.

First, Peter focused on the Hope of the Gospel

1 Peter 1:2 NIV

who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

1 Peter 1:2 - chosen according to the foreknowledge of the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood. Grace and Peace!

1 Peter 1:3 NIV

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:3 - New Birth! Living Hope! Inheritance! Shielded! Faith being proven to be genuine! Praise, glory and honor to be yours when Jesus is revealed!

After focusing on the Hope of the Gospel, Peter focuses on the Call of the Gospel. The good news of what God has done for us is not just for some future hope. It is for the here and now. It should have ramifications in our lives now.

1 Peter 1:13 NIV

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

So Peter tells them, 1 Peter 1:13 - Preparing your minds for action and being self-controlled, set your Hope fully on the grace to be given you! Keep looking at the read goal for life!

1 Peter 1:15–16 NIV

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

And, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Be Holy! Be like your father! You were given new birth as His children, so be like your Father!

Then, in 1 Peter 1:17, Peter tells them something else...

1 Peter 1:17 NIV

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

He has been so encouraging so far, telling them how glorious their Father is, and all He has in store for them. But now, after telling them to Prepare their Minds and to be Holy, He tells them, ‘Remember, your Father is impartial! He will judge you correctly, not being partial just because you are His child. So live your time here as strangers in this world in reverent fear.’

When we started this verse a couple weeks ago, I tried to emphasize that we do need to read this and take it to heart. God is our Father. However, He will not be partial to us. He will judge us. This should cause us to pause. This is meant to cause us to consider what we are doing. It is meant to give us a reverent fear.

But what is reverent fear? I believe this passage, as we continue it will help us understand exactly what that fear is supposed to be. Before moving on, however, I first want to look at what two things that people sometimes mistake as the basis of this fear. We will cover one this Sunday, and the other next week.

Pray

Fear of death, i.e. punishment after death.

The first thing some people think of when reading this verse about living in reverent fear is to Fear Death, or more specifically Fear of Punishment after death.

Is that why we should live in fear? Fear of what comes after we die? Fear of God punishing us for things we have done wrong after we die?

I want to take some time to look at it together this morning, both to understand the passage we are working through about living in reverent fear, and to clear up confusion about what happens when we die.

What happens when someone dies?

What is death? Death is Separation.

Remember that God created man in His image. He made man to live, not to die.

Genesis 2:7 NIV

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

God created man as a material (physical) and immaterial (spiritual) being. Genesis 2:7. He gave man a body, this material shell to house us, but that shell was not living until God breathed into him and he became a living soul. We, mankind, are both physical, or material beings, and immaterial. We have this immaterial part to us, referenced in scripture as the soul, the spirit, the mind, the self, the heart, etc.

God warned Adam that if he sinned he would ‘die’.

Genesis 2:17 NIV

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

You may remember, Adam disobeyed God and ate the fruit from that tree. He did not drop dead physically.

What happened?

Death is separation.

Spiritual Death is Separation from God

Physical Death is Separation of the Soul from the Body

Adam died spiritually. He was separated from God. And every one of his descendents have since been dead spiritually, separated from God.

Eventually, Adam also died physically. Death in the scriptures is not cessation of existence. It is Separation. Physical Death is separation of the material and immaterial parts of man. Or, separation of the spiritual person from the physical shell in which they reside while here on earth.

Where does the Soul go?

So, what happens when someone dies? What happens when their spiritual person separates from their physical body? They live on. But not here on earth.

There are three terms in the scripture with which we need to become familiar.

Three Terms

Sheol (Hebrew)

Hades (Greek)

Gehenna (Greek)

First, let’s deal with Sheol and Hades. These two words refer to the “Place of the Dead”. This is where everyone’s spirit would go when they would die.

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew. The Hebrew word for the place of the dead is Sheol.

Sheol is where everyone who would die would go, at least their immaterial part. In our English translations, it is often referred to as ‘the Grave’, or ‘the depths’.

Genesis 37:35 NIV

All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him.

Other translations bring out the literal, I will go down to Sheol. Like the New American Standard.

Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will ago down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.

Notice the direction. What direction is Sheol?

Sheol is always referred to as down, or in the depths of the earth. For example, Psalm 139:8.

Psalm 139:8 NIV

If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Other key verses are Numbers 16:30, 33.

Numbers 16:30 NIV

But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”

Numbers 16:33 NIV

They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.

From this, we gather that Sheol, or the place of the dead is in the down, in the depths of the earth.

I would picture it this way.

When the Old Testament was translated into Greek by Hebrew scholars, the Greek word they used for Sheol was Hades.

We also see this in the New Testament when Peter is quoting from the Psalm 16. Look at Acts 2:27.

Acts 2:27 NIV

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay.

Acts, a part of the New Testament was written in Greek, so Hades is the word used for the place of the dead.

It occurs 4 times in the gospels, two times in Acts, and 4 times in Revelation.

One of the most revealing uses is in Luke 16:19-31, when Jesus tells the story of Lazarus and the Rich man. I believe this is a true story rather than a parable. Parables were told as general word pictures, and are often referred to as parables. This is not referred to as a parable, and it is very specific, with specific names given, unlike any parable. But regardless, even if it was a parable, Jesus used real life situations as the settings of parables to make a point. So, let’s look at the real life setting described by Jesus in Luke 16.

Luke 16:19–31 NIV

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 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.’ “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. 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.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “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.’ ”

Paradise and Hades

Here we find Jesus relating what was commonly believed by the Jews. Sheol or Hades was the place of all of the dead. However, there were two parts to this place of the dead.

Notice that the rich man looked up to see Lazarus. The upper part for those who were ‘righteous’, and the lower for those who were ‘unrighteous’. We know that righteousness has always come by faith. Hebrews 11:6.

Notice the words ‘he looked up’ and ‘gulf’. I picture it this way.

I picture it this way.

Lazarus was with Abraham above, in peace receiving good things. The rich man was in torment, which Christ referred to as Hades.

So, that is where people went when they died. The Sheol, or Hades, the place of the dead. The righteous by faith went to the upper part in peace, the unrighteous to torment and flame, in Hades Proper.

So, why do we say people go to heaven when they die?

Let’s keep going.

Remember what Christ said the the thief on the cross when He was dying?

Luke 23:43 NIV

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus died on the cross, and went to paradise. However, he rose again, and in victory he took those who were in paradise awaiting His Atonement for their sins with him to heaven.

Ephesians 4:8–10 NIV

This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

Jesus ascended

Jesus took the captives, Paradise, to heaven. What was the difference? Why did they not go ‘up’ to heaven before?

He has finally made atonement for sin, making it possible for men to be with God.

Here is the updated visual.

Present

So now, Paradise is in heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. This is why Paul mentions being caught up to Paradise in 2 Corinthians 12:4.

2 Corinthians 12:4 NIV

was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

It is also why Philippians 1:23 refers to departing and being with Christ, who we know is seated in heaven at the right hand of God.

Philippians 1:23 NIV

I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;

So, now, those who die in faith still go to Paradise, however Paradise is now with God in Heaven.

Okay. Let’s sum up.

We started by asking, “What happens when someone dies?

We said the first thing that we need to understand is the nature of death. What is Death?

Death is Separation. Spiritual Death is Separation from God. Physical Death is Separation of the Soul from teh Body.

Where does the Soul go when Physical Death takes place? One of Two Places:

Paradise - for those who die in faith.

Hades/Fire/Torment - for those who die without faith.

So why do some scriptures refer to going down to the grave? Because before Christ made the actual atonement for sin through His one death on the cross, people were still separated from God. Once He made the atonement that cleanses us from sin, Christ took Paradise to be with Him in Heaven. Which is why now Paradise is referred to as ‘up’.

This is also why, in Thessalonians, Paul refers to the souls of those who die in Christ coming back with him in the air.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 NIV

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Notice in verse 14 that He brings those who died with him. Their bodies are resurrected, and then those of us who are still alive will also be resurrected.

So, when there is Physical Death, the Separation of the Soul from the Body, the Soul goes to Paradise, which is now in heaven with Christ if the person died in faith. The Soul goes down to Hades, Torment, if the person did not believe.

So, is living in reverent fear living in fear of punishment after death?

No, because there is no punishment after death for those who believe in Jesus. There is no further purification needed, because as Peter said in Acts 10:43:

Acts 10:43 NIV

All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Forgiveness for sins is found in Jesus’ name. There is no other sacrifice that can be made for sin.

Hebrews 10:10 NIV

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:14 NIV

For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

There is no need for God to punish you after death when you believe in Jesus as your Savior.

The concept of a purification process by entering a place of punishment after death started over 150 years after Christ and the Bible was written. It was started by men who chose to not stick with what God says in the Bible, but rather said God’s word is to be interpreted as allegory to arrive at a spiritual meaning. They came up with purgatory and other ideas which God never said, and in the 1200’s it became part of church teaching. However, it is not found in God’s Word.

Let’s study God’s Word for what it says, and know the truth that can set us free! Let’s be sure that, as Peter says in 1 Peter 1:21.

1 Peter 1:21 NIV

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Our faith and hope are in God, not in what a man has said. Then, we will know what living in reverent fear really is all about. It is not about fear of death, or fear of punishment after death… it IS...

We’ll get to that when we study together again.

The most important thing I hope you will get from today is, where is your hope and faith?

Have you believed in Jesus? Have you realized that you were Spiritually Dead because you sin separated you from God who is Holy?

Have you believed that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for sin, and that He rose again to justify everyone who believes in Him? If you do, you have received eternal life. You have crossed over from death, being separated from God, to life, being with God as His child. And now,

Romans 8:31–39 NIV

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Do you believe this? If you do believe, this is true for you. And this is why we do NOT fear death. Nothing can separate us from Him! No one can bring any charge against us who have been made perfect forever by Jesus’ one death for us!

Praise the Lord!