The Spiritual World Around Us

Life After Death

And

The Spiritual World Around Us

D.P. Weary

March 2009

What Happens When Someone Dies?

The Bible teaches that when anyone dies, their physical body returns to the “dust” from which they are made (physical elements or material). Their spirit, however, continues on and their spirit is sent to a spiritual place (into the spiritual world). Most of us only know this spiritual place as either Heaven or Hell. But the Bible speaks of many spiritual places: there is Sheol, Hades, Paradise, Abraham’s Bosom, Heaven, Mount Zion, the Heavenly Jerusalem, the New Jerusalem, Hell, Gehenna, Tartarus, the Pit of Darkness, the Bottomless Pit, the Abyss, Waterless Places, the wilderness, Earth, the Second Death, and the Lake of Fire. Some of these terms are just different names for the same place. Others are very different places within the spiritual world. In this study we will attempt to discover 1) to which of these places people go when they die, 2) what determines the place to which they go, and 3) just who or what resides in these places.

An Overview from Scofield's Study Notes

Before Christ’s death and resurrection, a person would die and go into Sheol (Old Testament name equivalent of New Testament name Hades), either to the place of the virtuous - Abraham’s Bosom or Paradise - or to the lower regions called Gehenna (the place of the wicked). In the Greek, these are called Elysium, the abode of the virtuous, and Tartarus, the abode of the wicked. Within the spiritual world, Sheol (Hades) could be likened to a kingdom divided into two lands, the land of the wicked (Gehenna) and the land of the righteous (Paradise also called Abraham’s Bosom). Sheol is but a temporary abode, previous to Jesus’ resurrection.

The passages in which the word Sheol occurs make it clear that Sheol (or Hades) was formerly in two divisions, or “lands”, the abodes respectively of the saved (Paradise or Abraham's Bosom) and of the lost (Gehenna). Both designations are found in the Talmud (ancient records of Jewish law), but adopted by Christ in Luke 16:22 and Luke 23:43. The blessed dead were with Abraham, they were conscious, and were "comforted", Luke 16:25. Recall that the believing thief of the cross beside Jesus was to be, that day, with Christ in "Paradise." The lost were separated from the saved by a "great chasm ", Luke 16:26. A representative man of the lost who abide in Hades is the rich man of Luke 16:19-31. He was alive, conscious, in the full exercise of his faculties, memory, senses, etc., and yet in torment in the division (or “land”) called Gehenna in the “kingdom” of Hades/Sheol.

After Christ’s resurrection and ascension, things changed. So far as the unsaved dead are concerned, no change of their place or condition is revealed in scripture until the Great White Throne Judgment, 1000 years after Christ’s return to earth as King of kings. At the judgment of the Great White Throne, Hades will give them up, they will be judged, and they will pass into the Lake of Fire, Revelation 20:13, 14.

But a change has taken place since Christ’s ascension, which does, affect paradise. Paul was "caught up to the third Heaven. . .into Paradise", 2Corinthians 12:1-4. Paradise, therefore, is now in the immediate presence of God in Heaven. Note that the phrase “the third heaven” appears only in 2 Corinthians 12:2. The implication is that there is a first and a second heaven but the Bible is silent about them. For our purposes, we will consider the “third heaven” simple the immediate presence of God or just Heaven (the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of God).

It is believed that Ephesians 4:8-10 indicates the time of the change. "When He ascended up on high He led a multitude of captives." It is immediately added that He had previously "descended first into the lower parts of the earth," i.e. the Paradise division of Hades/Sheol. What happened here is Christ lead the righteous dead that were in Paradise in Hades into the immediate presence of God in Heaven. This effectively transferred the land of Paradise from the kingdom of Hades/Sheol to Heaven. Now Paradise and Heaven are considered to be the same place, the place of the immediate presence of God. During the present Church-Age, the righteous who died before Christ’s ascension and those that die during the Church-Age are "absent from the body, yet at home with the Lord." The wicked dead are in Hades.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these places in the spiritual world.

Hades is the New Testament word for the realm (or land) of the dead (both the righteous and the unrighteous before Christ’s resurrection). To the Greeks, Hades is Orcus, the nether world (the realm of the dead). Later, the words grave, death, and hell are sometimes used for the word Hades. It is the invisible land, the realm of shadow. Hades is the place to which all who depart this life descend, without reference to their moral character. In it are Elysium (Greek), the abode of the virtuous, and Tartarus (Greek), the abode of the wicked. To the Jew, the abode of the wicked is a place within Hades called Gehenna and Tartarus is the lowest, darkest part of Gehenna (the land or abode of the very wicked and fallen angels). In these particulars, Hades corresponds substantially with Sheol (from the Old Testament); both the godly and the wicked are represented as gathered into Sheol. See Genesis 42:38; Psalms 9:17; 139:8; Isaiah 14:9; 57:2; Ezekiel 32:27; Hosea 13:14.

Some of the scriptures that use the word Hades are:

Luke 16:23 NASB - "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

The rich man is in Hades (New Testament equivalent of Old Testament Sheol) in torment. Lazarus is in Abraham’s Bosom/Paradise. They can see each other.

Acts 2:31 NASB - he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.

After Jesus’ death, He went into Hades and led those in the part called Abraham’s Bosom, into Heaven (into His presence in the Kingdom of God). It seems that Jesus transferred Abraham’s Bosom/Paradise from the part of the spiritual kingdom called Hades/Sheol to Heaven (the Kingdom of God, the part of the spiritual world where God resides [His presence]).

Revelation 20:13 NASB - And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds.

Dead sinners (the unrighteous) are found in the sea (dead bodies), death (dead bodies), and Hades (spirits of the dead). All of these are judged at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). John saw these standing before the Great White Throne of God to be judged. It is seems these spirits that had been in Hades are united with some kind of a body that is called forth from the sea and death. Their works judge them. Those whose names are not found in the Book of Life are then thrown into the Lake of Fire.

Revelation 20:14 NASB - Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

1000 years after Christ physically returns to Earth, death and the part of the spiritual world called Hades are destroyed in the Lake of Fire (another part of the spiritual world).

Sheol is the Old Testament word for the abode (or spiritual land) of the dead (both righteous and unrighteous). Sheol is also called the underworld, the grave, hell, and the pit. To the Hebrews, Sheol was a temporary condition. Hence the patriarchs are described as looking for a better, heavenly country, and the martyrs as enduring in hope of "a better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:16). Prophecy declared that the dead should arise and sing, when Sheol itself would be destroyed and its inMatthewes brought forth, some to everlasting life and others to everlasting shame and contempt (Isaiah 26:19; Hosea 13:14; Daniel 12:2).

Some of the scriptures that use the word Sheol are:

Psalms 86:13 NASB - For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Isaiah 14:9 NASB - Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

Speaking of Satan

Isaiah 14:11 NASB - Your pomp {and} the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out {as your bed} beneath you And worms are your covering.

Speaking of Satan.

Isaiah 14:15 NASB - Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

Ezekiel 31:17 NASB - They also went down with it to Sheol to those who were slain by the sword; and those who were its strength lived under its shade among the nations.

Hosea 13:14 NASB - Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight.

Paradise (also called Abraham’s Bosom) is the abode (or the spiritual land) of the righteous dead. It was a part of Sheol before Christ’s ascension. After Christ’s ascension, it becomes a part of Heaven, a place in the immediate presence of God.

Some of the scriptures that use the word Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom are:

Luke 13:27-29 and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from me, all you evildoers.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the righteous from pre-resurrection days are now in Paradise or Heaven, called here, the Kingdom of God.

And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline {at the table} in the kingdom of God.

Luke 16:22-24 Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

The rich man was in Hades in torment. The place of torment in Hades is called Gehenna. The rich man sees Abraham, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.'

The rich man is in agony in flames (Gehenna is a place of fire).

Luke 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and {that} none may cross over from there to us.

In Hades, there is a great chasm that prevents spirits from crossing from one land to the other (between Gehenna and Abraham’s Bosom).

Heaven (also called the third Heaven, the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God) is the place of the immediate presence of God. Paradise/ Abraham’s Bosom becomes a part of Heaven after Christ’s ascension.

Some of the scriptures that use the word Heaven are:

Matthew 3:2 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

Matthew 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Acts 1:2 until the day when He was taken up {to heaven,} after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.

Acts 7:49 'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE?

Revelation 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door {standing} open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like {the sound} of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things."

Revelation 4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

Revelation 19:14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white {and} clean, were following Him on white horses.

Heaven is the Kingdom of Heaven (the Kingdom of God). Father God is in Heaven sitting on a Throne that is located in Heaven. The Temple of God is in Heaven. Jesus came down from Heaven and later ascended up into Heaven. The angels of God are in Heaven, as are the armies of God clothed in fine linen (which is the righteousness of God). Heaven is the abode of God.

Mount Zion is a mountain in Israel. But this mountain is simply an earthly symbol of the true Mount Zion in Heaven. The real Mount Zion is the city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem where there are myriads of angels, the general assembly of the Heavenly hosts, the Church of the firstborn, and Jesus. It is the Kingdom of God.

Hebrews 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,

to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of {the} righteous made perfect

and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than {the blood} of Abel.

The wilderness is a term generally used for places like the desert where the Hebrews wandered after coming out of Egypt. It was where John the Baptist came from, and where Jesus went to be tempted by the devil. But in the book of Revelation it is used in a slightly different way. John was carried away in the spirit into a “wilderness” where he was shown Mystery Babylon sitting on Satan’s back. In this spiritual state or “place”, John was symbolically being shown that Satan’s kingdom is built on the “back” or foundation of Satan himself. The implication is that this “wilderness” was a term used for a spiritual place where God was revealing truths to John. John was also shown that true Israel (the 144,000 Jewish witnesses) is to be taken to the “wilderness” on the “wings of the great eagle” (probably a reference to Jesus Himself) where she is to be protected from Satan for 3 ½ years (the second half of the 7 years of tribulation). Note that the next time the 144,000 are seen in scripture, they are with Jesus on “Mount Zion”. Since this scene occurs before the second coming of Jesus to earth, this “Mount Zion” is the Heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the Great King (Hebrews 12:22, Psalm 48:1-2). What we can conclude then is that “the wilderness” as used in the book of the Revelation is a spiritual realm where God is present (Heaven).

Revelation 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she *had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Revelation 12:14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she *was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

Revelation 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

Gehenna is the part of Sheol/Hades that is the place of the confinement and punishment for the spirits of the wicked. It is also called Tartarus (the lowest, darkest part of Gehenna), the Bottomless Pit, and the Abyss.

Some of the scriptures that use the word Gehenna are:

Matthew 10:28 NASB - Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).

Matthew 18:9 NASB - If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell (Gehenna),

This place of torment is called the fiery Hell, or fiery Gehenna.

Luke 12:5 NASB - But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell (Gehenna); yes, I tell you, fear Him!

The Bottomless Pit is another name for Gehenna. To the Greeks it is Orcus, a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth used as the common receptacle of the dead and especially as the abode of demons.

Some of the scriptures that use the words Bottomless Pit are:

Revelation 9:1 NASB - Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.

Revelation 9:2 NASB - He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.

Demons come out of this place called the Bottomless pit. It is a holding place for demons. A “key”, God’s permission is required for things to come up out of the Bottomless Pit.

The Abyss is Greek for the Bottomless Pit. It is Gehenna, the abode and holding place for demons. Satan himself is shut up for a thousand years in the "Abyss", the preparatory prison to the "Lake of Fire," his final doom (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary).

Some of the scriptures that use the word Abyss are:

Luke 8:31 NASB - They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.

The demons that Jesus cast out of a man at Gerasene, which is opposite Galilee, did not want to be sent into the Abyss.

Revelation 9:11 NASB - They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

The demons in the Abyss have a demon king over them called Abaddon (Destruction or Destroyer).

Revelation 11:7 NASB - When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.

Revelation 17:8 NASB - The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.

The Beast (Antichrist) comes up out of the Abyss when he is brought back to life after being killed at the mid-point of the 7 years of tribulation. Satan indwells the Antichrist at this point and becomes incarnate in the body of the Antichrist.

Revelation 20:1 NASB - Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.

Revelation 20:3 NASB - and he threw him into the abyss, and shut {it} and sealed {it} over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

Satan is thrown into the Abyss at Christ’s return to earth.

Tartarus is from the Greek. It is the name of the subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds. It is the lowest part of Gehenna. It is the place of imprisonment of fallen angels. The word Tartarus is use only in 2 Peter 2:4.

2Peter 2:4 NASB - For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell (Tartarus) and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;

The angels that left their place in Heaven (fallen angels) and produced children (the Nephilim) with female humans were thrown into Tartarus, the deepest, darkest part of Gehenna (Geneses 6:1-8).

Revelation 9:14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."

Revelation 9:15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.

In these verses we see four fallen, evil angels who are bound at the Euphrates River. This has interesting implications. Not all fallen angels are in Tartarus. We also can assume that there are still evil or fallen angels in Heaven with Satan, as both are cast down to earth at the mid-point of the 7 years of tribulation. Presently Satan and his angels are free to roam the earth seeking those to torment and destroy. What this means for us is that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.}” Ephesians. 6:12. These demonic foes are both demons (disembodied spirits) and evil angels (who have bodies). If fallen angels once produced hybrid humans (the extremely evil Nephilim, Genesis. 6:1-9) could they once again? Could this explain why the Lord told us that the days of His return would be “as in the days of Noah”? This could explain the extremely evil nature of some of our past world leaders, even current world leaders, and the Antichrist himself.

Luke 17:26 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:

Waterless places (the spiritual environment on Earth for demons) are places where unclean spirits (disembodied spirits or demons) are found. These are spirits that are not imprisoned in Gehenna, but a place where they are free to roam. In this state the demons “find no rest”, therefore they seek people to indwell. This implies that these “places” are the earth (where people dwell). These are the demons that we generally deal with today as they torment people who give them permission or invitations to do so. We can conclude then that while there are demons confined in Gehenna, there are also demons that roam the earth, looking for people to torment.

Matthew 12:43-45 Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find {it.} Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds {it} unoccupied, swept, and put in order Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."

Death is the miserable state of the wicked dead in Sheol/Hadesl. In the widest sense, death comprises all the miseries arising from sin, as well physical death. It is the loss of life to be followed by wretchedness in Sheol/Hades. In a simple sense, it refers to the state of bodies once the spirit has departed. For the righteous, death is to be “asleep in God or Jesus”.

Some of the scriptures that use the word Death in context of dead bodies include:

Revelation 6:8 NASB - I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Revelation 20:13-14 NASB - And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds.Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

The sea and death give up the remains of the physical bodies of the sinners that are in them. Hades gives up the spirits of the dead sinners. This is the second resurrection. It is a resurrection of the sinners of all ages in order for them to stand before God for judgment. These unrighteous dead are judged according to their works. All whose names are not found written in the Book of Life are cast into the Lake of Fire (the Second Death).

The Second Death is the Lake of Fire and is the eternal destiny of all unrepentant sinners (the unrighteous), demons, fallen angels, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and Satan.

Some of the scriptures that use the phrases the “Second Death” or the “Lake of Fire” include:

Revelation 2:11 NASB - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.

Revelation 20:6 NASB - Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:10-15 (NKJV) ¹⁰ The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. ¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8 NASB - But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part {will be} in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

What happens to true Christians after death is something much different that what happens to those that do not believe in and have not made Jesus their Lord and Savior.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV)¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

Note that for believers, death is only “sleep in Jesus”. Their spirits are “at home with the Lord”, but they are absent from their bodies (“asleep” with respect to their bodies).

¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The dead in Christ (asleep in Jesus) will be given their new bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:53 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

2 Tim 2:12 (NKJV) ¹² If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.

Revelation 3:21 (NKJV) ²¹ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Revelation 5:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰ And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."

Revelation 11:15 (NKJV) ¹⁵ Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever!"

Revelation 20:5-6 (NKJV) ⁶ Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Revelation 21:1-2 (NKJV) ¹ Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. ² Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 22:4-5 (NKJV) ⁵ There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign for ever and ever.

For the true Christian, life after death is the great blessing! It is our Hope of Glory! The dead in Christ are even now with the Lord in Paradise, but as spirits ("absent from the body, yet at home with the Lord."). Before Jesus returns to earth at the Second Coming, during what we refer to as the Rapture, the dead in Christ are resurrected and given new bodies. Then we who are alive and are “living in Christ” at that time, are given new bodies as we are caught up to be with Christ in the air. This occurs at the breaking of the 6^th seal of the great scroll. We are taken to Heaven (Paradise, the Third Heaven, Heavenly Jerusalem) for the Wedding of Christ and His Bride. There is a “honeymoon” in Heaven for 7 years of earth’s time. During this time there are 7 years of tribulation on earth. Then the Bride returns to Earth with Jesus at His Second Coming. Jesus and His Bride (the Church) then rule together on Earth from Jerusalem for 1000 years.

Revelation 5:9-10 And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood {men} from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and have made them {to be} a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

At the Second Coming, the martyrs of the 7 years of tribulation come to life and also reign with Christ and His Bride for 1000 years.

Revelation. 20:4 (YLT) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, and the souls of those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and who did not bow before the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand, and they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years;

After this God makes and New Heaven and a New Earth and Christ and His Bride rule and reign together from the New Jerusalem for all eternity.

Revelation 21:1-5 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Summary

Where have all the people gone? That is the question.

Let’s begin with pre-resurrection people. The spirits of all who died before Christ’s resurrection were sent to a spiritual place or kingdom called Sheol (called Hades in the New Testament). Within the kingdom of Sheol/Hades is the land of the tormented or unrighteous (unrepentant sinners) called Gehenna. It is a place of fire. All of those deemed unrighteous by God are found here. In the darkest recesses of Gehenna is a place called Tartarus. It is the place where God sent the angels that left their place in Heaven (fallen angels) to go to Earth and have sex with human women producing the Nephilim (Genesis 6:1-8, 2 Peter 2:4). Satan and his angels (those that are not imprisoned in Tartarus) are in Heaven, busy “accusing the brethren” and “roaming the earth seeking those to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:12). The Bible warns us, “don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (Hebrews 13:2). But remember, these can be fallen or evil angels as well as God’s angels. This is a part of our spiritual warfare!

The abode or holding place of demons is in the Abyss (also called Gehenna and the Bottomless Pit). Remember, the demons pleaded with Jesus to not send them to the Abyss when He drove them out of the man at Gadarene. Obviously not all demons are imprisoned in the Abyss. Some are on Earth tormenting people. When God does imprison them, He sends them to the Abyss. Considering that Satan does have angels that follow him (fallen angels, some still with him in Heaven and some in Tartarus), we need to ask ourselves, ‘What then are demons?’ Demons seem to be different from the fallen angels. Angels are portrayed as having bodies that can physically interact with humans. Demons are portrayed as disembodied spirits. Perhaps demons are the evil spirits of the dead hybrid offspring of the fallen angels (the Nephilim and the ancestors of the Nephilim). We really do not know for sure. What we do know is that some demons are roaming the earth seeking to torment people, and others are imprisoned in the Abyss.

Before Jesus’ resurrection, people that were deemed righteous (who found grace in the eyes of the Lord) were taken to Paradise (also called Abraham’s Bosom, and Elysium). Noah (Genesis 6:8) and Abraham (Romans 4:9) are examples. Those in Gehenna and those in Abraham’s Bosom can see each other but there is a “great chasm” between them. These is no crossing over the chasm (Luke 16:22-26).

After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, things changed. At His death the Lord went to Abraham’s Bosom/Paradise in Sheol/Hades and “led those captive” with Him as He ascended into Heaven (also called the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven, the place of God’s immediate presence). What seems to have happened is that Abraham’s Bosom/Paradise was moved from Sheol to Heaven. Remember what the Lord told the thief on the cross beside Him the day He was crucified, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Thus we see the saints (those God deems worthy or righteous) from before the Lord’s ascension, now residing in Heaven with the Lord (Mark 9:2-4, Revelation 4:4).

As a side note, I believe that some of the righteous ones taken to Heaven by the Lord at His ascension are 12 of the 24 elders sitting on thrones in Revelation 4:4. 12 of these 24 are the 12 disciples. The other 12 are Old Testament saints including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Elijah, Moses, and King David (Matthew 8:11, 19:28, Luke 22:30, Mark 9:4, Ezekiel 34:24, 37:25, and Revelation. 11:16).

After the Lord rose from the dead, returned to Heaven, and “sat upon His throne at the right hand of the Father”, a new dimension was added to Heaven. Jesus rose in a new, immortal body. So we find that in our day, in Heaven reside God in His fullness (God the Father, Jesus in His resurrection body, and the Holy Spirit), the angels of God, the four living beings, the 24 elders, and all of the spirits of those deemed righteous by God from the times before Christ’s ascension. Also with Jesus in Heaven are all those from earth that died “ in Christ Jesus” (those saved by the blood of the Lamb) after His resurrection. These are the people of the true Church, the Bride of Christ who have died. They are “absent from the body, but present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6-8).

The next major change in the spiritual world occurs when, with a shout and the blast of the Last Trump, Jesus comes to get His Bride at what we call the rapture. First, the bodies of the dead in Christ are resurrected and the dead in Christ are given new and imperishable bodies. Then in the blink of an eye, we who are alive are transformed. Our perishable, earthly bodies are replaced with new and imperishable bodies, just like Jesus’ new body. Then we are caught up with the dead in Christ to meet Jesus in the clouds in the air (1 Thessalonians . 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:50-54). We have been called to the Wedding of the Lamb in Heaven. It is the wedding between Jesus and His Bride, the true Church. It is our Wedding.

After the true Church is taken from the earth at the Rapture, there begins 7 years of tribulation and judgment on the Earth. The Times of the Gentiles have come to a close. All gentiles that are to be saved have been saved (Rom. 11:25). Now God turns His attention back to the Jews to complete His covenant promises to them and to judge the people of the earth for their sin. During these 7 years, there are those that are saved. They are saved by the blood of the Lamb, their testimony, and by giving their lives for the Lord (Revelation 12:11). These martyrs appear under the altar in Heaven (Revelation 6:9-11). Whether or not there are gentiles included in those saved during the tribulation years is problematical. Paul in Romans 11:25 seems to indicate that at the Rapture, the full number of gentiles has already come in. This would imply that there will be no more gentiles saved once God turns His attention back to save Israel and the Jews and complete His covenant promises to them. God’s grace and His love may be greater than this though and many gentiles may be saved during the 7 years of tribulation, though it will cost them their lives.

It is also interesting to note that up until the middle of the seven years of tribulation, Satan and his angels have been allow into the presence of God where they accuse the brethren day and night (Revelation 12:10). But 3 ½ years into the 7 years of tribulation, there is war in Heaven and Satan and his angels are cast out of Heaven and down to the Earth. They come down with great fury and wrath knowing that their time on earth is very short (1260 days to be exact) (Revelation 12:6-12). Also, during these tribulation years, 4 evil or fallen angels that have been imprisoned at the Euphrates River are released, and some demons are released from the Abyss to torment men on Earth.

At this mid point of the 7 years of tribulation another interesting event occurs. The 144, 000 Jewish witnesses - who have been representing the Lord on Earth during the first 1260 days (3 ½ years) of the tribulation - suddenly disappear. Two prophets who represent the Lord on Eearth for the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation replace them. The 144,000, called the first fruits of the sons of Israel, are taken to the “wilderness” where they are protected for 1260 days (the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation). They are seen before Christ’s return with the Lord on “Mount Zion” (the Heavenly Jerusalem, the City of our Great God – Psalm 48:2, Hebrews 12:22). The “wilderness” where the 144,000 are taken is a spiritual place in Heaven.

At the end of the 7 years of tribulation, Christ Jesus returns to the earth with His Bride and the armies of Heaven. Jesus and His Bride (the Church) then rule together on Earth from Jerusalem for 1000 years.

Those martyred during the 7 years of tribulation now come to life (are resurrected) and are seated on thrones of judgment (are given authority and responsibility) in Heaven (Revelation 20:4). They will reign on Earth with Christ and the Church for the next 1000 years.

Also at this time, the Antichrist and the False Prophet are captured and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire, which is the Second Death (a place in Gehenna). Satan is taken captive and bound in the Abyss (the Bottomless Pit, Gehenna) for 1000 years. All the people who took the mark of the Beast (Satan) and served Satan, are killed at the Lord’s coming. Their spirits are sent to Gehenna in Hades/Sheol with the demons and Satan.

After 1000 years, Satan will be released for a “little while”. He will cause another rebellion against God. But God will destroy him and his rebellious hordes with fire from Heaven. Then Satan, his angels, and his demons will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

At this time all the dead from all the ages, whose spirits are in Gehenna in Sheol/Hades and whose bodies are in the sea and in Death, will be resurrected. They will stand before God (who is sitting on a Great White Throne) to be judged (Revelation 20:11-13). Books will be opened and they will be judged by their works as written in the books. All whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, which is the Second Death (Revelation 20:7-15).

After this, God creates a New Heaven and a New Earth and the New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven to be the light for the New Earth (Revelation 21:23-27). The tabernacle of God is now among men, and God will dwell among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them (Revelation 21:1-5). From New Jerusalem, Jesus and His Bride (all of His “bond servants” marked with His name on their foreheads) will rule over the New Heaven and the New Earth for all eternity (Revelation 22:3-5).

Addendum

From the Topical Textbook for Hell

The place of disembodied spirits

• Acts 2:31
  Which Christ visited
• Luke 23:43
• Acts 2:31
• 1Peter 3:19

Contains, a place of rest, Abraham's bosom

• Luke 16:23

Paradise

• Luke 23:43

And a place of torment

• Luke 16:23

The place of future punishment

Destruction from the presence of God

• 2Thess 1:9

Described as

Everlasting punishment

• Matthewt 25:46

Everlasting fire

• Matthewt 25:41

Everlasting burnings

• Isaiah 33:14

A furnace of fire

• Matthewt 13:42
• Matthewt 13:50

A lake of fire

• Revelation 20:15

Fire and brimstone

• Revelation 14:10

Unquenchable fire

• Matthewt 3:12

Devouring fire

• Isaiah 33:14

Prepared for the devil, &c

• Matthewt 25:41

Devils are confined in, until the judgment day

• 2Peter 2:4
• Jude 1:6

Punishment of, is eternal

• Isaiah 33:14
• Revelation 20:10

The wicked shall be turned into

• Psalms 9:17

Human power cannot preserve from

• Ezek 32:27

The body suffers in

• Matthewt 5:29
• Matthewt 10:28

The soul suffers in

• Matthewt 10:28

The wise avoid

• Prov 15:24

Endeavour to keep others from

• Prov 23:14
• Jude 1:23

The society of the wicked leads to

• Prov 5:5
• Prov 9:18

The beast, false prophets, and the devil shall be cast into

• Revelation 19:20
• Revelation 20:10

The powers of, cannot pRevelationail against the Church

• Matthewt 16:18

Illustrated

• Isaiah 30:33