So what happens after we die? Sometimes we wish that God would have just given us a timeline as to how things will exactly unfold concerning the afterlife. But, scripture can be frustratingly ambiguous when it comes to things of the next world. God is not always crystal clear on the question of “How?” and because of this Christians have historically disagreed on this one.
So right now you have a choice. Option 1: You are interested in all of this stuff and want to read my best explanation of the competing theories. Good! Read “Oh boy, here we go!”
Option 2: Skip all of this confusing mess and just jump down to the section labeled “I don’t care! I just trust God!” (In honor of my incredible wife. Love you Sara!)
Oh boy, here we go!
Here are a few Christian theories on what will happen once we die based on scripture that I’m borrowing from Theology for the Community of God by Stan Grenz.
It might be helpful to narrow down what we are discussing here… the true speculation on this topic has to do with something called the “intermediate state.” That is, the time after death and before judgment (which precedes either heaven or hell). Here is a small diagram that will help…
Death -----> intermediate state -----> judgment ------> resurrection (heaven or hell)
Theory #1 – Intermediate state: None – Here death occurs and the person immediately experiences elevation into eternal life, where they are immediately judged by God as sinful or righteous… either way they gain the final state right after death.
Critics of this theory point out the highly individualistic nature of this theory. When the Bible speaks of the Day of Judgment or Day of the Lord, this seems to be a communal event… so does that mean there are two judgments? One for the individual and one for all of mankind together?
These people would (probably… I can’t speak for all of them) argue that there is one judgment regarding if someone is righteous or sinful… basically “in” or “out” of heaven which occurs right after they die. Then there is this final judgment (Revelation 20) which concerns how we lived our lives, handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities. For those who receive God’s gracious gift of salvation (those who go to heaven) still have an obligation towards faithful obedience and service.
Theory #2 – Intermediate state: Unconscious – Some theologians have called this “soul sleep.” Here the person “wakes up,” on the Day of Judgment (Rev 20) as if they had just gone through a long nap. The material part of the body disintegrates in the grave while the immaterial part either rests with God. Others do not believe in a soul… but believe that the immaterial part of a person remains in God’s memory until the final resurrection.
Problems with this theory are passages like the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), in which the rich man and Lazarus die… and then are immediately judged as sinful or holy. But if this is a parable, how literal can it be taken? Was Jesus hammering out a blueprint of how things work or was he trying to make a point about the finality of God’s judgment? If this is literal, why can the damned man still talk to Abraham? Theory #2 people certainly see value in this story of Jesus, but they do not think he was making definitive statements about how the final judgment will actually occur.
Theory #3 - Intermediate state: Conscious – This is a disembodied, personal, conscious existence of the soul between death and the return of Christ. Roman Catholics have called this purgatory but Protestants are quick to point out the problems with such an idea. Purgatory is found no where in scripture. Also Hebrews 9:27 says:
“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,”
To me, this really rules out theory #3. Why would the author fail to mention an extended period of consciousness, if it really existed? It is because of this verse that I also don’t believe in ghosts or reincarnation. We all die once and are judged thereafter. Is there a lapse in time here that the person is not aware of? Well, that’s the difference between theory #1 and theory #2.
Just being honest here… I probably lean towards theory #2. It could all change tomorrow but as of this moment in time, this seems to make the most sense to me.
I know there are instances in this discussion where I have over simplified and not done justice to all competing theories…feel free to correct me or research this on your own to prove me wrong! My hope in this is that I have helped shed some light on a truly confusing subject.
“I don’t care! I just trust God!”
Good for you! You are going to sleep a whole lot easier at night. If you already trust God… you know that he is going to take care of you. If you have placed your faith in Christ and live your life in devotion to him… making the most of the gifts he has given you, then you should be encouraged because you will spend the rest of eternity with God! Who cares “how” it happens? You will receive a new, resurrected body after you die just like Jesus! Be glad that God is in full control! Amen!