What to expect in hell

[Bethel]

Thousand died and went to hell today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

They all have exactly 2 things in common.

1.) None believed in Jesus before they died.
2.) Now they all do.

There is no 2nd Chance in Hell, because there is no CROSS of Christ offered in Hell.
Its offered to you HERE, while you are breathing.

If you die as this....... John 3:36, ............then 5 mins later you will truly believe in Jesus and it wont help you at all., then.
Believe it.

 

[ecumeni]

I don't think there is anything but fire in hell.

 

[Beetow]

I don't think there is anything but fire in hell.

Were Hell a normal penal colony like San Quentin or Riker's Island; then I think
most folks would eventually settle down and accept it as a way of life. But the
element of fire makes adjustment very difficult. If only there was at least some
water to help folks beat the heat, that would be very helpful.

And maybe recreation and/or something to occupy their minds like reading, writing,
art, and construction projects. I really don't know how people keep from running
mad with insanity from mental atrophy down there. And where do they sit down:
on top of each other?
_

 

[complete]

Were Hell a normal penal colony like San Quentin or Riker's Island; then I think
most folks would eventually settle down and accept it as a way of life. But the
element of fire makes adjustment very difficult. If only there was at least some
water to help folks beat the heat, that would be very helpful.

And maybe recreation and/or something to occupy their minds like reading, writing,
art, and construction projects. I really don't know how people keep from running
mad with insanity from mental atrophy down there. And where do they sit down:
on top of each other?
_

Hello @Beetow,

Hell is the grave, or the place of the dead. There is no consciousness in death, and no means of awareness of either heat or pain for the brain is dead.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Garee]

Hello @Beetow,

Hell is the grave, or the place of the dead. There is no consciousness in death, and no means of awareness of either heat or pain for the brain is dead.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Yes, Hell is the suffering we experience in these bodies of death. The appointment all make die in dying once. Yoked with Christ the daily burden is made lighter with a hope beyond one's last breath.

 

[B-A-C]

Thousand died and went to hell today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

They all have exactly 2 things in common.

1.) None believed in Jesus before they died.
2.) Now they all do.

I would argue. Some who believe will go to hell anyway.

Jas 2:19; You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Luke 8:13; "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

Matt 7:21; "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Matt 7:22; "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Matt 7:23; "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

 

[complete]

Yes, Hell is the suffering we experience in these bodies of death. The appointment all make die in dying once. Yoked with Christ the daily burden is made lighter with a hope beyond one's last breath.

Hello @Garee,

You are using the word hell here, in the way that many do today, as descriptive of a life experience, and not as it is used Scripturally as a place. I understand what you mean when you say that, (quote) 'Hell, is the suffering we experience in these bodies of death': when using it to describe the life experiences some have: for this earthly body of ours is not called, 'a body of humiliation', for nothing.

Yet you are also aware that the 'Hell' that is being discussed here is not an experience but a place, a place that the Bible informs us is 'the place of the dead', 'the grave' or 'the fires of Gehenna' (in judgment), according to it's context.

I am grateful that you are not letting your imagination take the place of truth, as many appear to do in regard to this subject. The tradition of man, and 'the doctrine of the Pharisees,' that our Lord warned against with the word, 'Beware' in Matthew 26:12, and showed so graphically in the story of 'the rich man and Lazarus', has been adopted as fact: helped on by the input of Greek philosophy and the general misuse and abuse of the term, 'Hell'. The Pharisees believed that the dead could communicate with the living for example, which has led many into years of useless endeavour and investigation. Leading them away from pursuing the knowledge of God and His truth, by occupying their minds with vain imaginings.

I wish people would actually read the way the word, 'Hell', is used in Scripture, in the knowledge that it's root meaning is 'to hide away', and referring to, 'the place of the dead', and thereby rid themselves of this traditionally held concept of what Hell is, and of the doctrine of eternal conscious punishment for the ungodly which they hold.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[complete]

I would argue. Some who believe will go to hell anyway.

Jas 2:19; You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Luke 8:13; "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

Matt 7:21; "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Matt 7:22; "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Matt 7:23; "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

' For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God,
fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:'
(Act 13:36)

Hello @B-A-C,

We all go to the same place: we all, at death, go to 'the place of the dead', which is what the middle English word means, as the usage of it's root meaning, 'to hide away'. We go back to dust. We do not have an immortal soul. So that apart from resurrection there is no prospect of life after death. It is only the resurrection power of God which can raise a man from the grave and give him life. That has yet to take place.

For the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, their life is hid with Christ in God.

Praise God!

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[complete]

Your interpretation is denied by Ps. 82:7, and again, incoherent with other mentions of "sons of God" in the bible. In Ex. 22:9 and 22:28 those judges were men, how come that they shal die LIKE men? And fall LIKE one of those princes? The "god" in "You are gods" simply means those "sons of God" were not suppose to perish in that way, they were supposed to last forever like God, but it was hereby announced that they would die as well. And Yeshua was quoting Ps. 82:7 in John 10:34-36 to rebuke the Pharisees who falsely accused him of blasphemy.


Yes you do, as long as you insist that those "sons of God" are human rulers instead of spiritual beings - and our enemy in the battlefield of spiritual warfare. My interpretation is solidly based on from Deut. 32:8-9 instead of any earthly rulers.

Hello @Jonathan_Gale,

I owe you an apology my friend. For I now see that you are indeed correct, in regard to the term, 'sons of God' in the verse under discussion.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

Hello @Jonathan_Gale,

I owe you an apology my friend. For I now see that you are indeed correct, in regard to the term, 'sons of God' in the verse under discussion.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Hey, it's cool, no hard feelings. Actually I didn't know Moses was called a "son of God" as well until I checked out the verse. I learned something new as well.

 

[B-A-C]

We all go to the same place: we all, at death, go to 'the place of the dead', which is what the middle English word means, as the usage of it's root meaning, 'to hide away'. We go back to dust. We do not have an immortal soul. So that apart from resurrection there is no prospect of life after death.

Everyone is resurrected. The righteous and unrighteous.

John 5:28; "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
John 5:29; and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

Acts 24:15; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

Rev 20:13 ; 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.

It is only the resurrection power of God which can raise a man from the grave and give him life. That has yet to take place.

Agreed.

2Tim 2:18; men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.

We do not have an immortal soul.

That would be an interesting debate given how some words are used interchangeably. But whether it's soul, body, or spirit in the after-life... you have a conscientiousness, and the ability to feel pain.

1Cor 15:12; Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Cor 15:13; But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;
1Cor 15:14; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
1Cor 15:15; Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
1Cor 15:16; For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;
1Cor 15:17; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

1Cor 15:35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?"
1Cor 15:36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;
1Cor 15:37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.
1Cor 15:38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.
1Cor 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
1Cor 15:40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.
1Cor 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
1Cor 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;
1Cor 15:43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
1Cor 15:44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
1Cor 15:45 So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1Cor 15:46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
1Cor 15:47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
1Cor 15:48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
1Cor 15:49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

1Cor 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
1Cor 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
1Cor 15:52 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.
1Cor 15:53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Cor 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
1Cor 15:55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

 

[B-A-C]

We do not have an immortal soul.

Matt 10:28; "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.

It seems the soul is different from the body in that verse.

Matt 16:26; "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mark 8:36; "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
Mark 8:37; "For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Psa 26:9 Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

Luke 12:20; "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'
Rom 2:9; There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,

It seems that in all these verses up until this point, your "soul" is something that can be lost, forfeited, given up, exchanged, and even destroyed in hell.

The "flip side" of losing your soul, or getting is destroyed would be...
Acts 2:27; BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. ( see Psa 16:10; )

1Thes 5:23; Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heb 10:39; But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

Jas 5:20; let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Prov 19:16; He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die.

It seems the soul can be preserved and saved.

Psa 11:5; The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.

It seems God hates the soul of some people.

 

[Beetow]

• Heb 12:29 . . For our God is a consuming fire.

That's a quote from Deut 4:24 which, in context, doesn't describe God's physical
characteristics, rather, it's a figure of speech illustrating rage: defined by Webster's
as violent and uncontrolled anger. It's hard to imagine Christianity's divine patron
ticked off to that extent, but there it is.

* A consuming fire is one that cannot be extinguished, i.e. once it gets going,
there's no stopping till all that's aflame is utterly destroyed beyond recognition, viz:
a conflagration.
_

 

[complete]

We do not have an immortal soul.

@B-A-C (reply #291)
That would be an interesting debate given how some words are used interchangeably. But whether it's soul, body, or spirit in the after-life... you have a conscientiousness, and the ability to feel pain.

1Cor 15:12; Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Cor 15:13; But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;
1Cor 15:14; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
1Cor 15:15; Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
1Cor 15:16; For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;
1Cor 15:17; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

1Cor 15:35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?"
1Cor 15:36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;
1Cor 15:37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.
1Cor 15:38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.
1Cor 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
1Cor 15:40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.
1Cor 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
1Cor 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;
1Cor 15:43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
1Cor 15:44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
1Cor 15:45 So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1Cor 15:46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
1Cor 15:47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
1Cor 15:48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
1Cor 15:49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

1Cor 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishableI.
1Cor 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
1Cor 15:52 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.
1Cor 15:53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Cor 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
1Cor 15:55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

' So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory:
it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.'
(1Cor 15:42-44)

Hello @B-A-C,

You obviously believe in the necessity for the resurrection, out from among the dead of the believer, which will take place at that time of God's choosing. It is then that, 'this mortal will have put on immortality', as the text you quote from 1 Corinthians confirms.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[complete]

Matt 10:28; "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.

It seems the soul is different from the body in that verse.

Hello again, @B-A-C,

The soul is the whole man energised by life: the body is the part that is capable of being killed by man. It goes down into the dust from whence it came, but the 'breath of life' (or spirit) of that once living soul goes back to God who gave it, to be returned to it at the resurrection out from among the dead, that will take place at the time of God's choosing.

Matt 16:26; "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mark 8:36; "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
Mark 8:37; "For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

* Here the word soul (psuche) refers to the life of the man, which can be lost, destroyed, saved or laid down.

Psa 26:9 Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

* KJV, = 'Gather not my soul with sinners'', means, 'destroy not me with sinners''. The soul being the whole living person.

Luke 12:20; "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'

* The words, 'your soul' refer to the man's life.

Rom 2:9; There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,
It seems that in all these verses up until this point, your "soul" is something that can be lost, forfeited, given up, exchanged, and even destroyed in hell.

* In this case it refers to the person who does evil, the 'soul' is the living man. The whole person is capable of doing evil, of sinning, and we are told in Ezekiel that, 'the soul (or person) that sinneth, it shall die'(Ezekiel 18:4).The Life of the person (ie., the soul) can be lost, forfeited, given up, exchanged, or destroyed in the grave (i.e., hell) as you say.

The "flip side" of losing your soul, or getting is destroyed would be...
Acts 2:27; BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. ( see Psa 16:10; )

* Acts 2:31, 'He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell (ie., the grave), neither His flesh did see corruption.'

The Lord Jesus Christ was placed in a grave (ie., the place of the dead, or hell) but it was not left there, and His flesh saw no 'corruption', it was quickened into life, and became a living person (ie., soul) again, and rose up from the grave. Praise God!

1Thes 5:23; Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

* This refers to the whole person, the prayer being that he would live to see the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The spirit of life remaining, enabling the person to be preserved whole, body and spirit combining, making a living soul.

Heb 10:39; But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

* KJV = 'the saving of the soul'. The saving of the person.

Jas 5:20; let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Prov 19:16; He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die.

It seems the soul can be preserved and saved.

* Yes the life (or soul) of a person can be preserved.

Psa 11:5; The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.

It seems God hates the soul of some people.

* God hates wickedness, doesn't He? and by extension those that perpetrate it. The words, 'His soul' (ie., Him), is merely referring to 'He Himself' (God):- * 'His soul hates', or, 'He hates': This is a figure of speech (anthropopatheia) whereby God is likened to man, in this case his 'person', his 'psuche' or 'his soul': which feels emotion so is capable of feeling hatred.

Thank you,
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Beetow]

If there is such a thing as soul sleep, I won't know it, here's why:

I've been under anesthesia once for appendicitis, twice for hernias, one for a scalp
lump, once for a kidney stone, twice for total knee replacements, once for a
colonoscopy, once for lung cancer, and once for an endoscopy.

In none of those procedures was I aware of the passage of time. The very moment
I went under was simultaneous with awakening. So if soul sleep is like that, I'll be
in Heaven as if I went from here to there in less than a second of time on the clock,
i.e. instantaneously. The same can be said for folks on track to face justice, i.e.
there will be no delay.
_

 

[B-A-C]

If there is such a thing as soul sleep, I won't know it, here's why:

This is yet another touchy subject that separates churches.

When does the resurrection happen? Here are some scripture to think about.

John 5:28; "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
John 5:29; and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

John 11:23; Jesus *said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
John 11:24; Martha *said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."

Acts 24:15; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

Rev 20:4; Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev 20:5; The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6; 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.

John 6:40; "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

John 6:44; "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:54; "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

1 Thes 4:14; For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1 Thes 4:15; 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thes 4:16; For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thes 4:17; Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Rev 20:11; Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
Rev 20:12; And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
Rev 20:13; 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.

After Samuel died, Saul had a witch bring him back to life.

1 Sam 28:15; Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you awakened me by bringing me up?" And Saul answered, "I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do."

John 11:11; This He said, and after that He *said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep."
John 11:12; The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."
John 11:13; Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.

Matt 27:52; The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

Acts 7:60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 13:36 "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay;
1Cor 15:6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
1Cor 15:18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
1Cor 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
1Thes 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
1Thes 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1Thes 4:15 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1Thes 5:10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
2Pet 3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."

In every one of these verses, the word "asleep" means "dead". Now there is one passage in the Bible that could be problematic...

2Cor 5:6; Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—
2Cor 5:7; for we walk by faith, not by sight—
2Cor 5:8; we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Some people take this to mean, we are instantly with God when we die.

Job 14:12; So man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no longer, He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.

John 3:13; "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

Acts 2:34; "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

But the Bible says no one has gone to heaven yet. ( well, Jesus of course.. and possibly Enoch and Elijah, who technically never died )
So then, it is possible the spirit stays with the body until the resurrection?

Some argue the spirit goes to God immediately...

Eccl 12:7; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Eccl 3:20; All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.

.. and that only the body gets resurrected. But the verse above says the dust ( our body ) returns back to the earth.

Psa 22:29; All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.

Everyone will bow before God one day. Every one!! Maybe they didn't believe in God before this day, but there will be no denying Him on that day, but that day
will be too late for many.

Rom 14:11; For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."
Php 2:10; so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

This is yet another touchy subject that separates churches.

When does the resurrection happen? Here are some scripture to think about.

Honestly I don't know what's the purpose of all these long debates and lectures. Or to what end. You know what to expect in hell? ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD, eternal union with Satan, zero chance of redemption, period.

 

[Beetow]

God has a passion for mercy and generosity; but they're not His only
passions.

• Rom 11:22 . . Behold then the kindness and severity of God

The human condition is so bad, so corrupt, and so hopeless that only the
death of God's sole descendant is adequate to rescue everybody from the
lake of fire depicted at Rev 20:10-15 where numbers of folks will be
terminated with extreme prejudice by a mode of death akin to a foundry
worker falling into a kettle of molten iron.

Now, who in their right might mind can look at that scene and not come
away with the opinion that it depicts a very cruel and unusual punishment?
Why not just put folks down with an injection so that they softly and gently
fall asleep never to wake up? Wouldn't that be nicer, more humane? Yes that
would be nicer and more humane; but would it satisfy God?

Adam started out in the image of God. So at first, his sense of right and
wrong was in agreement with his creator's sense of right and wrong. Then
came the forbidden fruit incident when Adam's original sense of right was
lost and his conscience became that of a tin god.

Well; that's why many of us cannot appreciate our maker's justice. If we did,
we wouldn't be criticizing Him for the way He intends to punish folks.
Instead, we'd be cheering Him on; like this:

• Rev 16:5-7 . .Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: You are
just in these judgments: You who are, and who were; the Holy one, because
you have so judged . . .Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your
judgments.

* The "Holy one" is none other than God's descendant, i.e. the sweet little
babe away in a manger will be presiding at the great white throne event.

• John 5:22-23 . . Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all
judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the
Father.

• Acts 17:31 . . He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice
by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by
raising him from the dead.
_

 

[Beetow]

● Ps 115:17 . .The dead do not praise The Lord, nor do any who go down into
silence.

"any who go down into silence" tells us that certain folks might just as well be mute
in the afterlife because The Lord no longer lends them His ear; they're permanently
cut off from His benevolence, viz: God has no interest whatsoever in either their
worship or their prayers, i.e. they are dead to Him; and as far as He's concerned
they're like old documents disposed in the shredder because they no longer matter.

* It's possible that the outer darkness spoken of in the 8th and 22nd chapters of
Matthew is a sort of reiteration of Ps 115:17. In other words: although folks
alienated from God are in a darkness of sorts already; He hasn't totally abandoned
them yet.

● Matt 5:44-45 . . I say, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. In
that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives
his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the
unjust, too.

Illustrations for Dante's Inferno by the artist Gustave Doré may not be entirely
true, but they sure do a good job of impressing the total and complete absence of
God's benevolence in the netherworld.
_