What Happens to Me When I Die?

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Many believe there are two destinations after death: heaven and hell. The common assumption is that followers of Jesus go to heaven, while those who do not follow Him go to hell. However, Jesus never explicitly states that heaven is where people go upon death. One of the closest references is found in Luke 23:43, where Jesus tells the thief on the cross, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Additionally, three Greek words are translated as "hell" in the Bible: Gehenna, Tartarus, and Hades. Understanding these terms is key to answering questions about the afterlife.

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God’s Ultimate Plan

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Revelation 21 reveals the culmination of God's purpose:

Revelation 21:1-4 – "Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away... Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them... He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

God’s goal is renewal, not escape. Heaven and earth will unite, and God will dwell with His people on a restored earth.

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Jesus’ Resurrection and Our Future

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Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of this renewal:

• Colossians 1:18 – Jesus is "the firstborn from among the dead."

• Unlike others raised in Scripture (e.g., Lazarus in John 11), Jesus' resurrected body was changed:

  • Tangible but transformed (John 20-21)

  • Able to appear/disappear suddenly (Luke 24:31; John 20:19, 26)

  • Imperishable (Romans 6:9)

Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15 that believers will inherit similar transformed bodies. The Christian hope is not floating in heaven but living in renewed bodies on a renewed earth.

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What Happens Until Then?

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Jesus tells the thief, "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Paul also writes:

Philippians 1:21-23 – "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain... I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far."

This suggests that while our bodies die, our spirits remain with Jesus until the resurrection.

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What About Those Who Reject Jesus?

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Views on the fate of the unrighteous vary widely. To understand the different interpretations, we must first examine biblical language about hell.

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Hell in the Bible and Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) Culture

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Old Testament Words for Hell

• Abaddon – A place/state of destruction (Job 26:6, Psalm 88:11, Proverbs 15:11)

• Sheol – A shadowy underworld where all spirits go, not necessarily a place of punishment (1 Sam 2:6, Job 7:9, Psalm 6:5)

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Greek Thought on the Afterlife

• Hades – The Greek underworld where all souls go. Plato believed in judgment within Hades.

• Tartarus – A place of punishment for the wicked
   

New Testament Words for Hell

• Hades – Used 10 times, translated as "hell" in English Bibles.

• Tartarus – Used once in 2 Peter 2:4.

• Gehenna – Used 11 times by Jesus, once by James (3:6).

  • Originally, the Valley of Hinnom, where child sacrifice occurred (2 Kings 23).

  • By Jesus’ time, it was a garbage dump, associated with fire and decay.

  • Matthew 18:9 – "Better to enter life with one eye than to be thrown into the fire of Gehenna."
     

Some scholars, like N.T. Wright, suggest Gehenna refers to the judgment of Israel in AD 70. However, Jesus often uses it metaphorically for separation from God.
 

Jesus’ Teaching on Judgment
 

Matthew 25:34-46 – "Then the King will say... ‘Come, inherit the kingdom.’ But to others, ‘Depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’"
 

This passage shows the righteous inheriting the kingdom, while others are sent to eternal punishment.

Five views of Hell
 

1. Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT)

 

This is the traditional view in much of Christian history, especially in Roman Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism. It holds that after death, the righteous enjoy eternal bliss in heaven, while the wicked suffer eternal conscious torment in hell.

 

Key passages:

 

• Matthew 25:41, 46: Jesus describes eternal fire and punishment for the unrighteous.

• Mark 9:48: Refers to gehenna, "where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."

• Revelation 14:11: Speaks of the smoke of torment rising forever and ever.

• Revelation 20:10: Describes the devil, beast, and false prophet being tormented day and night forever.

• 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9: Declares that those who do not obey the gospel will suffer eternal destruction.

 

Key proponents of this view include — Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards

 

Objections 

 

Whilst we can arrive easily at this position through a plain reading of the biblical passages, there issues those holding to this position must consider.  

 

Firstly, given the mixing of metaphors regarding the description of this place of punishment.  For example, Jesus refers to gehenna as a place of ‘fire’ (Matt 5:22, 18:9) whilst also referring to a place of ‘outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’ (Matt. 8:12). However,  these two images are incompatible, Fire does not bring darkness, but light. Furthermore, fire consumes it does not go on in perpetuity. 

 

Secondly, ECT seems to contradict the justice of God. Is eternal conscious torment and pain a just place to send someone who was kind to others but who didn’t know Jesus?

 

2. Christian Universalism

 

In complete contrast to ECT, Christian Universalists believe that eventually, all people will be reconciled to God and enjoy eternal life, even if they experience temporary purification or correction after death. 

Key scriptural references include:

• Colossians 1:20: God reconciles all things to himself through Christ.

• 1 Timothy 2:4: God desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

• Romans 5:18: Through Christ’s act of righteousness, justification and life come to all people.

• 1 Corinthians 15:22: As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Key proponents — Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, and some contemporary theologians like David Bentley Hart, Robin Parry and Rob Bell. 

 

Objections 

 

Objections to Universalism include several difficult issues. Firstly, the New Testament clearly teaches about a place for those who reject Jesus (Matt. 25, Rev. 20). Secondly, while 1 Timothy 2:4 reveals God’s desire for all to be saved, other passages, such as 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12, show that some willingly reject God. Thirdly, the imposition of God’s will on everyone undermines human free will.

Some Christian Universalists include a form of purgatory to allow post-mortem repentance. Robin Parry, for example, views hell as a temporary punishment before individuals are released back into God's kingdom. They cite Revelation 21:25, interpreting the open gates as a symbol of perpetual invitation. However, the immediate context (verse 8) contradicts this, stating that those in rebellion face the "second death," not post-mortem repentance. Revelation consistently portrays final, irreversible outcomes for the redeemed and the unrepentant.

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Another major issue is the use of the word eternal (Greek aiónion), which is frequently applied to both the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt. 18:8, 19:6, 29, 25:41, John 3:16). Universalists argue that aiónion refers to an age rather than eternity, but this interpretation is weak. In Revelation, the phrase forever and ever (aiónas tón aiónón) is used to describe both God's eternal nature and the fate of the unrighteous (Rev. 1:6, 19:3), suggesting that aiónion retains its meaning of eternity in these contexts.

 

3. Purgatory / Post-mortem repentance

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The doctrine of purgatory emerged over several centuries within Catholic theology. Purgatory is understood as a temporary state where souls undergo purification before entering heaven. The length of a soul’s stay in purgatory is believed to depend on the degree of righteousness (or lack thereof) in their life on earth. While the concept of purgatory is not explicitly stated in Scripture, Catholic theologians often refer to several passages to support it:

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• 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 – This passage discusses the purification of a person's works by fire, which some interpret as a metaphor for post-death purification.

• 1 Peter 3:18-20 – This passage is sometimes understood as referring to Christ's preaching to spirits in prison, potentially supporting the idea of posthumous opportunity for salvation.

• 2 Maccabees 12:39-46 – Though this is found in the Apocrypha (books not included in the Protestant canon), Catholics regard it as Scripture and use it to support prayers for the dead and the concept of purification after death.
   

In the 1500s, the Roman Catholic Church began to sell indulgences as a means of reducing the time a soul would spend in purgatory. This practice, seen as a way to raise funds for church projects, became controversial. The sale of indulgences allowed individuals to pay for the release of their deceased loved ones from purgatory or to reduce their own time in purgatory. This practice, along with other perceived abuses within the church, was one of the key factors that drove Martin Luther to challenge the Roman Catholic Church. 

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Objections to the doctrine of purgatory primarily focus on its lack of clear scriptural support. Critics argue that the Bible does not explicitly mention a distinct post-mortem purification process. Additionally, some argue that the doctrine undermines the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement, as it suggests that further purification is needed after death. Others question the practice of indulgences historically tied to purgatory, viewing it as a commercialised distortion of the doctrine.

 

4. Conditionalism (annihilationalism)

 

Conditionalism, also known as annihilationism, is the belief that immortality and eternal life are conditional upon a person's faith in Jesus Christ. According to this view, those who do not receive eternal life through faith in Christ will not suffer eternal conscious torment but will instead face ultimate destruction, ceasing to exist after judgment. Conditionalists argue that the traditional belief in the soul’s immortality, which is often assumed to support eternal torment, was influenced by Greek philosophy, particularly Plato’s view that the soul is inherently immortal. They contend that this Greek idea has been unnecessarily adopted by Christian theology, leading to the notion of eternal conscious punishment. Instead, Conditionalists emphasise that eternal life is a gift granted only to the saved, while the fate of the unsaved is final and irreversible destruction, not ongoing suffering.

Conditionalists point to several scriptures to support their view, focusing particularly on the concept of "perishing," which denotes a complete end rather than ongoing existence in torment:

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1. Matthew 10:28 – Jesus says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” This passage is often cited to show that hell leads to total destruction, not eternal suffering. The idea of being "destroyed" aligns with the understanding of perishing as a final end.

2. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Here, "perish" is understood as a complete and irreversible end of existence, contrasting with eternal life, which is a lasting and purposeful

3. Revelation 20:14-15 – "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death." Conditionalists argue that the "second death" refers to a final, irreversible end, not ongoing torment. The concept of "perishing" is closely tied to this second death, as it represents the complete destruction of those who are opposed to God.eful existence with God.
    

Conditionalism has been held by some early church fathers, such as Arnobius and Theodore of Mopsuestia, and has gained more traction in modern times among scholars like Edward Fudge and John Stott.

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Objections 

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Critics argue that conditionalism downplays the severity of sin and the nature of God’s justice. The primary challenge to conditionalism is the use of the word "eternal" (Greek: αἰώνιος) in the New Testament, particularly when describing the fate of the wicked (e.g., Matthew 25:46). Critics argue that eternal life and eternal punishment must both be understood as unending.

Despite these challenges, conditionalists maintain that a God of love would not subject people to eternal conscious suffering, and that annihilation best preserves God's justice and mercy, with perishing as the final and irreversible fate of the unrepentant.

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5. Eternal Separation

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The concept of eternal separation argues that hell is a state of definitive exclusion from God’s presence. Advocates, such as C.S. Lewis and N.T. Wright, suggest that this exclusion is self-imposed, as individuals choose to reject God’s kingdom. Lewis, in The Great Divorce, likens hell to a place where individuals isolate themselves by their own refusal to surrender to God’s will. N.T. Wright compares this state to the imagery in Homer’s Iliad, where the dead exist in a shadowy, diminished state, emphasizing the loss of purpose and humanity when one rejects the life found in God.

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Key scriptural references include:

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• Matthew 25:41: Jesus warns the unrighteous to "depart from me."

• 2 Thessalonians 1:9: Speaks of eternal separation from the Lord's presence.

• Revelation 22:15: Describes those who remain outside the New Jerusalem, excluded from the life and joy of the kingdom.
   

Eternal separation is not merely punitive but reflects God’s respect for human free will. Theologians like Karl Barth describe this as ‘God’s abandonment of those who abandon him’, where rejection of God results in a ‘perishing’ from the divine imprint, leading to a diminished and dehumanized state.
 

Objections 

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Objections to eternal separation focus on free will, God's omnipresence, and scriptural ambiguity. Critics argue that no one would choose separation from God if they fully understood his love, challenging C.S. Lewis’ idea of self-imposed exile. They also question whether true separation is possible, as Psalm 139:7-8 affirms God’s omnipresence, suggesting his presence in hell may be felt as wrath. Additionally, passages like Colossians 1:20, which emphasize restoration, raise doubts about whether exclusion truly reflects the final destiny of those who reject God.

This view appeals to those who seek to balance God's love and justice, presenting hell as the natural consequence of rejecting God while maintaining the integrity of human choice.