Luke 16:19-31; Hebrews 9:27

Introduction:

1. This question grows out of seemingly divergent passages in the NT.

2. How do we reconcile this difficulty?

Discussion:

I. The Spirit Goes Back to God, Or Does It?

A. Ecclesiastes 12:7 clearly states that our bodies return to the earth while our spirits return to God.

B. Paul spoke of being absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:22-23).

C. Hebrews 9:27 says we die and then go to judgment.

D. However, John 5:28-29, Acts 17:31, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 speak of a set day when the dead will be raised and judged.

E. Which is it?

II. The Hadean Realm

A. Hades (OT Sheol): lit. unseen; the place (state) of departed souls (Strong); the realm of the dead (Thayer).

B. Jesus gave the most complete picture of this in Luke 16:19-31.

1. Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s side (vv. 22-23).

2. The rich man died, was buried, and was in torments (vv. 22-25).

3. The text indicates Hades is one realm with two compartments separated by an impassible gulf (vv. 24-26).

4. The conversation between the rich man and Lazarus gives several clues to the conditions in the Hadean realm (vv. 24-31):

a. They were conscious (vv. 23-26).

b. They recognized one another (vv. 24-26).

c. At least the rich man remembered life on earth (vv. 27-31).

d. The state of each was irreversible (vv. 25-26).

e. We determine our final condition in this life (vv. 27-31).

C. This still leaves our specific question unanswered.

III. The Resurrection and Final Judgment

A. Scripture plainly teaches a final day of resurrection and judgment (John 5:28-29; Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 15:5-54; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

B. The resurrection body is clearly of a different essence than our earthly bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 50-53; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3).

C. It is also clear that the resurrection body is to be received at the resurrection of the last day (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

D. How then do we explain those passages that seemingly conflict?

1. God’s omnipresence must be considered (Psalms 139:7-10).

a. The return of the spirit to God in Ecclesiastes 12:7 does not demand that this be in heaven, the final place of reward.

b. Neither do Paul’s statements concerning our departure from the body and entering the presence of the Lord.

c. Could it not be so that the faithful in Hades/Sheol are in the Lord’s presence more than on earth yet less than in heaven?

2. Hebrews 9:27 does not necessitate that the judgment immediately follows death; it may simply be a statement of two inescapable realities for all humanity: death and judgment.

IV. Summing It All Up

A. It seems clear that at death, our bodies return to the dust while our spirits return to God (cf. Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 12:7).

B. It seems equally clear that our presence with the Lord is greater than on earth yet lesser than in heaven, our final reward (Revelation 21).

C. What matters most is how this shapes our lives in these bodies (Acts 17:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:6-11; Philippians 3:20-21; 2 Peter 3:9-10; 1 John 3:1-3).

Conclusion:

1. Though this discussion does not satisfy all our curiosity surrounding the afterlife, it should offer great hope and motivation.

2. This assurance of resurrection and eternal life serves both to comfort and motivate us in our service to God.

3. Due to this, we know our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).