Where Do We Go From Here?

A Biblical Discussion Of The Afterlife

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is.”
[1John 3:2]

Where does a person’s body and soul go after death?

First of all, there are two classes of people we need to address in each case, that is, the saved and the unsaved.  So we will show from scripture where each of the two classes of people will go.

The Saved:

Those who die with their sins paid for by the blood of Christ and who have been “born again” by the Spirit of the living God with be in Paradise (heaven) with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  They will be the only people fit for a place as holy as heaven and they will be the only ones capable of being full of joy to be able to fellowship with a holy God for all eternity.

2Corinthians 5:8 – “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

 

Luke 23:43 – “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

 

Psalm 49:15 – “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.”

 

1Corinthians 15:42 – “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

The Unsaved:

Those who die “in their sins” will only be fit for hell.  They will have no desire to be in a place as holy as heaven and no desire to fellowship with a God whose commandments they zealously violated every day of their lives.  The glory of heaven is that it is a place of eternal fellowship with a holy God – something that unsaved sinners will want no part of. And since the unsaved will only continue to sin in hell, their punishment can never end… their separation from God and all that is truly good and holy will therefore be eternal.

Matthew 13:40 – “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

 

Matthew 25:41 – “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”

 

Daniel 12:2 – “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

 

2Thessalonians 1:7 – “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

 

Revelation 14:11 – “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

 

Revelation 20:15 – “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

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