Life After Death: Part 3/C

Part 3/C:

I would propose that nothing else has changed from Part 1 and Part B. We die and, in the grave, we wait for the End.

(I realize that some of the following sounds rather dualistic, and as I have stated before, I don’t really believe that we have a separate body and soul. I think that idea is firmly rooted in Plato and not the Bible. I think we are holistic beings. So while I don’t understand how it all works when speaking of the afterlife, please note that I am not a dualist and I certainly don’t have all of this figured out. You can label most of my theological ideas as being “under construction.”)

Psychopannychism, better know as the idea of soul sleep, would probably most accurately describe our post mortem state. As said before, we are still in the presence of Christ even when dead. However, unlike traditional soul sleep ideas, I think the New Testament is clear (re: Luke 16 parable) that WE ARE still conscious in our intermediate state; we aren’t just unaware and numb to it all. Paul specifically uses the term “to fall asleep” as a common euphemism for the act of dying. MJ Harris says that of the nine times Paul uses the verb, it is punctiliar (i.e., to fall asleep) rather than linear (i.e., to be asleep). So when people fall asleep in death, they are no longer aware of time and space as a human on earth would be—but they are fully aware of their past and their current environment.

So we die, we are in the presence of God (whatever that’s like and where that is), and we wait for the End.

What’s the End?

Paul’s words in 1st Thessalonians 4 have more meaning than what they say on the surface. In verses 14-17 Paul discusses how the dead in Christ will rise first, those alive on earth will rise second, and we’ll all meet Jesus in the air. He ends with the words “and so we will be with the Lord forever.” It sounds nice, right? The story ends on such a pretty note: we all get to be with Jesus. But the translation makes it sound misleading. You see, the imagery and language Paul uses here is of an important figure coming to a town. All of the people go outside the city gates to greet this important dignitary, welcomes them by starting the party, and then they all parade together back into the city. So based on what Paul is saying: all of the followers of Jesus would rise (somehow) to meet Jesus in the air/clouds/sky/atmosphere/etc then we’d return to the earth with him.

We do not, at any point in Scripture, go off to some magical place and leave the rest of the planet behind to its own demise. This is called Christian Escapism or Dispensationalism and has been very popular in America since the late 1800’s, particularly since the Great Awakenings and the World Wars. People saw the world going up in flames all around them and thought that the End must be near; ergo, they decided to put all of their hope in a future state rather than caring about their lives and the present state of this world. Somehow, this theology has rapidly developed and shifted much of Christian thought. People quickly forgot the importance of taking care of the earth and saving people from the torment they are caught in now—all significance was placed on “saving souls” (i.e., getting people to “heaven”). But, once again, this seems to wander off the central theme of Christian Scriptures. Nowhere in the Bible is the idea of a Rapture or a “leaving behind” of this planet ever taught.

If there is a heaven now, it’s the dwelling place of God—if such a place even exists. (I’m not saying God doesn’t exist or dwell somewhere, I’m simply questioning whether or not you can refer to it as having a physical location.) The pictures we get in Revelation of “heaven” have either taken place already or are taking place now. The only picture we get in Revelation of a heaven that humans will see is in chapter 21—the New Jerusalem. Wiping away tears, streets of gold, pearly gates… all that is in the New Jerusalem. The crazy thing is: the New Jerusalem is a future place that God will create here on earth. To condense the story of God: there was the Creation, then Fall, then Redemption, and there will be Restoration. In 2 Peter 3:10, it talks about the earth being cleansed by fire. (Possibly it could mean that God is wiping the slate clean before he rebuilds.) I don’t understand how it all works, I don’t understand the process or the order thereof, but I do know that Heaven/New Jerusalem will be here, on earth… eventually.

{As an aside: I think it would be really odd if I died, was judged by God, sent to heaven, then was taken out again at the End to be re-judged and sent back to heaven. That makes no sense. I believe in one Judgment. I believe that it will happen at one point for all people. But until then, if dead, we wait.}

When discussing immortality, I think our thoughts have shifted off base as well. Three Greek terms are used in the New Testament that come from two root words: athanasia (meaning “deathlessness” [example: 1st Cor. 15:53-54]) and aphtharsia (meaning “incorruptibility” [example: Romans 2:7] or “incorruptible” [example: Romans 1:23]). (Note: Murray J Harris says that its significant these terms are never used in association with the word “psyche” [which we translate as “soul”].) In the New Testament, all ten uses of these terms are Pauline and are not intrinsic attributes of every living soul. Immortality is something we attain at the End, at the final resurrection. So, in that vein, immortality is conditional in that there is no eternal life except in Jesus Christ. I would go so far as to say, that at this point, no human has been granted eternal life; God alone has eternal life—we will share in that later on.

I’m not saying that all humans won’t survive beyond death. I think all humanity (all those in the past, all those currently living, and all those to come) will persist to the End. All humanity will be present and accounted for at the return of Jesus to the earth. Then comes separation…

Once again, I don’t know what this judgment looks like. In Matthew 25, Jesus banishes people from his presence based on whether or not they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited those in prison, gave medicine to the sick, etc. So I think some type of judgment obviously exists. I would go so far as to say that I think a lot of God’s judgment has to do with what we’ve done with our lives. (see Rev 20: 12-13) But who really knows?

So there we all are, at the End, standing before God, being judged. Seems like a lot of people get to return to earth with Jesus for that whole New Jerusalem thing. To me, this is Eden restored. This is the re-creation of what God intended for this world to be like. This is Heaven. There are no more tears, streets of gold, no more death… all that jazz. These people inherit eternal life—the life of the ages. But what about the other people? What about those who aren’t allowed into the New Jerusalem/Heaven? The New Testament says that these people, along with death and the grave itself, are thrown into the “lake of fire.” This is Hell. If Heaven and Hell haven’t been in existence up to this point, they certainly are up and running now.

So because there is no more need for death or a place of waiting (i.e., Hades/Sheol/the grave), they are thrown into the lake of fire. There is no more death, there is no more grave. They are done away with. Those who are forced to depart from the presence of God are also thrown into this lake of fire, this Hell. If death and the grave are done away with, are these people done away with as well? What I’m asking is: do people who choose not to follow in the way of Jesus cease to exist? Are they destroyed here? No more waiting, no more torment or ambiguity—are they simply finished?

I would answer that question with a resounding: yes. (This view, by the way, is called “annihilationism.”) I don’t think the New Testament is absolutely clear, so keep in mind that this is one person’s opinion, but I think this view of Christian Scripture is much more in line with the Bible and what we know of God and his character. I believe this view of Scripture weeds out a lot of Platonic thought and Greek philosophy that has infected much of the modern church. I believe this view of Scripture reconciles Jewish and Christian thought on the afterlife (or the “life after life after death” as NT Wright calls it). To say that there is a Hell, a place of torment, where people spend all of eternity seems totally incongruent with an all loving and merciful God. Sure, the New Testament is clear that a Hell will exist. Sure, the New Testament seems clear that some people will go there. But the New Testament says that once they get there it’s called the “second death.” Why is it referred to as the “second death” if they hang around in fire and agony forever? If they die again, wouldn’t some type of transition be involved?

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Well, there you have it. I’ve done a lot of reading, writing, thinking and stressing over this. I’ve talked to a lot of people and had a lot of discussion and this is where I am right now. I’m not saying this is it—that this is the absolute final word on life after death. I’m just saying that this view of things seems much more in line with the Bible as a whole than anything else out there. I don’t believe in heaven or hell as they are traditionally taught. I believe the typical evangelical Christian theology on these subjects to be unorthodox views. I would venture to say that my views expressed here are much more historically orthodox and compatible with Christian Scriptures as a whole.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. I really appreciate you reading along. You deserve some sort of reward. Perhaps if you’d like to get a cup of tea and talk about it all, I’ll buy that cup of tea as a present. Anyway, let’s chat.