Tag: Afterlife

Will We Really See Our Loved Ones In Heaven?

Published on by nickcady2 Comments

When someone is sick or dying, or when a loved one has passed away, it’s common for people to comfort each other by telling them that they will be reunited with that person in Heaven.

But does the Bible actually teach this, or do we just say it because it is a “sweet little lie” that makes us feel better?

Clearly the Bible does teach about Heaven and eternal life for those who believe, but does the Bible actually teach that we will be reunited with people we knew on Earth? Are there any passages in the Bible that teach that we will recognize each other and hang out in Heaven?

Reunited and It Feels So Good

In 2 Samuel 12, when David’s infant son was sick, David fasted and prayed. When his son then died, David’s servants were afraid to break the news to him, thinking that if he was so distraught over his son being sick, surely the news of his son’s death would send him over the edge…

When David saw his servants whispering, he realized his son had died. Rather than being distraught, David was at peace – much to the surprise of his servants.

David explained his response by pointing out that since his son was dead, there was now no more he could do; praying for his son’s recovery wouldn’t help at this point. Instead, David went to the house of the Lord and worshiped, explaining to his servants that he was at peace, since, he said, “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:23)

David clearly took comfort in the knowledge that he would be reunited with his son in the life to come.

But this begs a question: When David would see his son, who died in infancy, would that child be an infant perpetually, for all of eternity? That question finds answers in some other passages in the New Testament, which we will consider next.

Recognizing…But Not Right Away

The gospel accounts in Luke 24 and John 20 tell us that when Jesus resurrected, three days after his crucifixion, some of his disciples met with him, but they did not immediately recognize him. After they realized it was him, however, they did recognize him.

This is an important detail for several reasons. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul the Apostle explains that Jesus was the “first fruits” of those resurrected from the dead to eternal life. Other people had been raised back to life, but those people all subsequently died again, that time for good. Jesus was the first to raise to never die again – the fate which awaits those who believe in Him.

As the “first fruits” of those raised from the dead to eternal life, Jesus’ resurrection body is a prototype of what our resurrection bodies will be like. So what was Jesus’ resurrection body like?

We know from John 20 and Luke 24, that Jesus’ body was physical, for he ate food and people touched him. Yet, his physical body also had properties which were different than our moral bodies; he entered a locked room without using a door, for example.

Furthermore, Jesus’ appearance was, on the one hand, recognizable, and on the other hand, different enough that his closest friends didn’t recognize him – until they did.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul the Apostle mentions that over 500 people saw Jesus at one point after his resurrection, and those people all recognized that it was Jesus. When Jesus appeared to Thomas, who doubted that he had actually risen from the dead, Thomas recognized him, touched him, talked with him, and believed.

For these reasons, we can conclude that our bodies, in the resurrection and eternal life will be:

  • Physical, yet with unique properties that our mortal bodies do not possess.
  • Recognizable, yet somewhat different than the way you look now. (It seems reasonable to assume that infants will not be infants forever, and that these new bodies will be free of infirmity or other limitations related to age). It will truly be you, and will be recognizable as you, but will not be identical to your current appearance.

For more on the resurrection body, check out this message on 1 Corinthians 15:35-58.

The Transfiguration

In Luke 9, we read about Jesus’ transfiguration, when his closest disciples were allowed to see a glimpse of his divine glory. During the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus before their eyes, and it says that the disciples recognized them.

This is interesting, because the disciples had never seen Moses nor Elijah, since they died long before the disciples were born. The disciples were able to recognize them somehow, possibly by interacting or speaking with them, or though their personalities.

Either way, it’s an example of long-deceased people being recognized as who they were. The implication is that in the life to come, people will be recognizable, and interact with those who have passed away before them.

That Weird Story about the Prophet Samuel and the Witch of Endor

Another story in which we see an instance of a deceased person interacting with and being recognized by someone they previously knew in this life, is found in 1 Samuel 28:8-17, where King Saul asked a necromancer to summon Samuel the Prophet, so Samuel could give him advice.

In this story, it seems that the necromancer is genuinely surprised that Samuel actually appeared. Her usual practice, in other words, didn’t produce that result. It can be assumed she was a charlatan, and that the deceased do not usually interact with the living, yet on this occasion, God allowed an exception, in order to teach King Saul an important lesson.

Reunited in the Sky

In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul encourages the Thessalonians, and us, regarding the fate of those believers who have died prior to the return of Jesus. For the first Christians, who expected Jesus to return in their lifetime, they were genuinely surprised by and confused about the death of other Christians who had died Jesus had returned.

Paul encourages them by telling them that when Jesus returns, those who died in faith will be resurrected, and we who are alive will be caught up and we will meet Jesus and those who passed away before us in the sky. Paul then tells us to encourage each other with these words.

The Rich Man, Lazarus, and Abraham

In Luke 16, Jesus tells a story about two men who died, and what happened to them after they died. One was an unnamed rich man, the other was a poor man named Lazarus.

The irony of the the reversal is poignant: a man who had “a name” on Earth, and a “nameless” beggar – yet in eternity, the beggar has a name and the rich man is nameless.

These men find themselves in Sheol, a place of waiting, which is divided into two parts, with an impassable chasm between them: Abraham’s Bosom – a place of waiting for the redemption promised in the Messiah, and Hades – a place of waiting for the ultimate judgment.

For more on Sheol, Abraham’s Bosom, and Hades, see: Did People Go to Heaven Before Jesus’ Death & Resurrection?

Interestingly, these two men not only recognize and interact with each other, but they recognize and interact with Abraham – yet another example of people in the afterlife interacting with and recognizing each other.

Eden Restored (and then some)

The Bible begins with God placing the man and woman he created in a garden paradise in Eden, and charging them to be fruitful and multiple. Sin, however, comes into the good creation, leading to death and destruction. God immediately announces his plan of redemption through a savior, but the effects of sin are pervasive.

In Revelation 21, we see that after God has redeemed the world and defeated evil, Satan, and death, that there will be a new Earth. In this new Earth, we see a scene strikingly similar to Eden; people dwell with God, and there is a special tree: the Tree of Life, which hasn’t been seen since the garden paradise of Eden back in the Book of Genesis.

There is a difference, however: whereas Eden was a garden, this new place is a garden city. This place, in other words, isn’t just Eden restored, it is Eden fulfilled: it is what Eden would have become if sin and death hadn’t entered into the world.

The reason this is important for our discussion, is because it shows that Heaven will not be an ethereal place where we will float on clouds, or live in mansions. (The word “mansions” in some English translations of John 14:2 is a poor translation. The word monai should rightly be translated “rooms.”) Heaven will be a physical place, similar to the world we currently live in, but – just like our resurrection bodies – with important differences, and free from entropy and decay.

Conclusion

With all these thoughts together, we can be fairly confident that for those who are “in Christ,” who have put their faith and trust in him, we will indeed be reunited with our loved ones in eternity.

For further reading, I recommend Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven.

Did People Go to Heaven Before Jesus’ Death & Resurrection?

Published on by nickcady13 Comments

Nick Cady Podcast

A reader recently sent in this question:

In John 3:13, Jesus says, “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-the Son of Man,”

  • Is this saying that people didn’t go to Heaven before Jesus’ death and resurrection?
  • Where had everyone who died gone before Jesus died and rose?
  • Did this change after his death and resurrection?
  • What verses can you share with me about this?

Let me answer each of those questions in order:

Is this saying that people didn’t go to Heaven before Jesus’ death and resurrection?

Yes, I believe so.

Where had everyone who died gone before Jesus died and rose?

The Old Testament talks a lot about “Sheol” which is the dwelling place of the dead. Psalm 139:7-8, for example, says: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”

Is this saying that God is present in Hell? No. It’s saying He is present in Sheol. 

It would seem (I’ll give Scriptural justification for this below) that Sheol was divided into two sections: Abraham’s Bosom and Hades.

Abraham’s Bosom was a place of comfort for those who died in faith. Since they had not yet been redeemed through the death and resurrection of Jesus, they could not go to Heaven, so this was a sort of holding place, or waiting room for the souls of the Old Testament believers who died in faith, trusting not in their own works or performance to garner them favor before God, but casting themselves on God’s mercy and grace to save them through the Messiah who was to come.

Hades, on the other hand, was a place of torment for those who died apart from awareness of their shortcomings and apart from faith and trust in God’s mercy and grace. Hades, like Abraham’s Bosom, was/is a holding place or waiting room for the souls of those who have died apart from faith, and though those in Hades suffer torment presently, one day Hades will be emptied into the Lake of Fire, meaning that Hades is not the final destination for those who have died apart from faith.

Did this change after Jesus’ death and resurrection?

It seems that in the time between Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus descended into Sheol and released those from Abraham’s Bosom and led them to Heaven. Those who die now in faith in Jesus go to Heaven, i.e. the presence of God.

Hades, on the other hand, remains in tact, and those who die apart from faith still go there.

What verses can you share with me about this?

Luke 16:19-31: The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31 gives us insight to this through the story of the rich man and Lazarus: Lazarus, a poor man who died in faith, is taken to Abraham’s bosom, whereas the rich man who died apart from faith is taken to Hades. Between the two parts of Sheol, the story tells us, is an uncrossable chasm, and there is no escape.

The rich man desperately wants someone to go and speak to his family members, and plead with them lest they end up in Hades as well, but the man is told that his family members have been given Moses and the Prophets (i.e. the Scriptures), and they should listen to them.

Ephesians 4:8-10: He Led Captives in His Train

In Ephesians 4:8-10 we read this: Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives (in his train), and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

The Apostles Creed, one of the oldest Christian creeds, includes this phrase:

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.

Going back to Jesus’ apostles, who spoke with him after his resurrection, there seems to have been an understanding that Jesus descended into Sheol, and did two things:

  1. Released those “captives” from Abraham’s Bosom and led them to the immediate presence of God (Heaven). (Ephesians 4:8)
  2. Preached to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19-20)

The latter of these was not evangelism, but a pronouncement of judgment upon those spirits in Hades. We know this because of the qualifying text in 1 Peter 3:20.

“Today you will be with me in Paradise”

2 Corinthians 5:8, Luke 23:43  & Philippians 1:23 tell us that when a believer dies today, they are taken to the direct presence of God, AKA “paradise”.

Hades will be cast into the Lake of Fire

Revelation 20:11-15 describes how, after the judgement of the living and the dead at the end of all things, Hades will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  (Revelation 20:13-15)

A New Heavens and a New Earth

Heaven, as it is now experienced, is different than what will be after the final judgment, where Revelation 21 tells us that there will be a new heavens and a new Earth, for the first heaven and the first Earth will have passed away, and will be no more. (Revelation 21:1)

Jesus said in Matthew 24:35 that Heaven and Earth will pass away, but his words never will.

2 Peter 3:7 says, But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 

And 2 Peter 3:10 says, But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Thus, after the final judgment, there will be a new heavens and a new Earth, which will be not only the restoration of Eden, but the fulfillment of what Eden would have been had sin not entered in.

In the New Jerusalem, once again, we see humankind together with God, with no sin nor shame, nor any of the destructive effects of sin (i.e. sickness, pain), and that the Tree of Life is there. Whereas Eden was a garden, the New Jerusalem will be a garden city.

Submit Your Questions!

Thanks for these great questions! Keep studying the Word, and feel free to send more questions to me by filling out this form.

Is Christianity Just Another Form of Self-Seeking?

Published on by nickcadyLeave a comment
I received this question from a reader recently:
What would you say to someone who claims that “all people watch out for themselves first, even Christians come to their faith in order to selfishly serve themselves and to secure a positive afterlife.”?
I would respond to this claim by pointing out that the Christian ethic is acutely opposed to selfishness. This is exemplified by our God who self-sacrificially gave himself for us; forfeiting glory in exchange for shame, dishonor, discomfort, and death in order to save us. We are then encouraged throughout the New Testament to follow that example in how we relate to others: to lay down our lives for the sake of God’s mission, which is to rescue people out of darkness and death. Christians are encouraged to not seek our own good first, but to sacrifice for the good of others.
A great scripture on this is Philippians 2:3-8:
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
When it comes to salvation, it is too simplistic to claim that Christianity is only about obtaining a “get out of hell free card.” Jesus said in John 17:3 that the essence of eternal life is knowing God; this means that for Christians, salvation is more than just being saved in the afterlife, it is being saved in the here and now, essentially giving up your life here on Earth for God’s plans and purposes, and this life of salvation continues on beyond death – which is what humans were originally created for to begin with, but which was ruined by sin (and the curse of sin, which is death).
This person would not be wrong in saying that many people turn to Christianity for purely selfish reasons. This is nothing new. A lot of people look to God as useful to them, but when you understand the Gospel, that changes: you begin to no longer see God as useful, you begin to see Him as beautiful, and that becomes your motivation in worshiping and serving him.
Do you see God primarily as useful or as beautiful?
Just because some people “do it wrong” doesn’t mean that the flaw is with Christianity. In fact, Jesus himself criticized such people harshly – particularly the Pharisees, who sought to use religion for selfish gain rather than giving up their lives to serve God and serve others. Jesus said that anyone who tries to hold onto their life will lose it, but only the person who gives up their life for the sake of the gospel will find it. The gospel he is referring to is the mission of God to rescue people – thus what he’s describing is a life of sacrificial love and service to others, which helps work out God’s plan for their life (that they would know God and be rescued from sin and death both now and for eternity).
One last thing: this person seems to be making a common assumption: that selflessness is the highest virtue. Consider this quote from CS Lewis on this topic:
If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness.  But if you had asked almost any of the great Christians of old, he would have replied, Love.  You see what has happened?  A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philological importance.  The negative idea of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point.  I do not thik this is the Christian virtue of Love.  The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself.  We are told to deny ourselves and to take up our crosses in order that we may follow Christ; and nearly every description of what we shall ultimately find if we do so contains an appeal to desire.  If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith.  Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.  We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea.  We are far too easily pleased.
– CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory 
For more on this, check out this article from the CS Lewis foundation, which goes into more depth on the topic of ethics and virtues.

Christians Who Don’t Believe – Part 1

Published on by nickcady1 Comment

20120507-incredulity_of_saint_thomas_by_caravaggio

What does it mean to be a Christian? Most people would say that it means that you are a follower of Jesus or that you believe a certain set of doctrines.

The BBC published an article this past Sunday about the beliefs of people in England regarding the resurrection of Jesus and life after death. The report corresponded with some comments I made this past Sunday about how there is a correlation between rising standards of living and a decrease in religious adherence in many societies of the world, and what some of the reasons for this are. You can listen to the audio of that message here.

Here are some of the statistics listed in the article:

  • 25% of people who call themselves Christians in Great Britain do not believe that Jesus resurrected from the dead.
  • Only 17% of the general public in Britain believe word-for-word the account of Jesus’ resurrection.
  • 10% of non-religious people in Britain believe that the Easter story is true.
  • 21% of non-religious people believe in life after death.
    • Of these, 65% said they believe that their soul would go to heaven or hell, and 32% believe they will be reincarnated.

And here’s the one that I find most shocking:

  • 31% of British Christians surveyed said they do not believe in life after death.

This brings up a very important question: What do you actually have to believe in order to be a Christian?

Or to put it another way: Are there any things which, if you don’t believe them, you can no longer legitimately call yourself a Christian?

When I was 16 years old, one of my Christian friends from school told me I wasn’t a Christian. I was offended – because, you see: I grew up going to Lutheran school. I was catechized and confirmed in the Lutheran church, and I sincerely believed in God’s existence. In fact, I believed that Jesus was God the Son and the Son of God and that he literally died and rose from the dead just as the Bible describes.

So how dare she say that I was not a Christian, right?

But she was right. I wasn’t a Christian.
And I knew it.

Here’s the text she turned me to if you’re interested: Matthew 7:21-23

But here’s why, in spite of believing the biblical doctrines were true, I was not a Christian: because that is not the kind of belief by which a person is saved and becomes a child of God.

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, (John 1:12)

Because here’s the thing: the Bible says that the devil also believes all of those things about God: in God’s existence, in the fact that Jesus was God and that he lives, died and resurrected on the third day. (James 2:19)

The word “to believe” in Greek is the word πιστεύω (pisteuo).
It doesn’t mean less than believing in something’s existence or acknowledging that something happened, but it does mean more than that. It means: to trust in, to cling to, to rely on, to adhere to, to commit to.

This is the kind of belief that the Bible is talking about when it says:

  • But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, (John 1:12)
  • these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)
  • Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29)
  • For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

I have a few more thoughts to share about this, but I’ll save them for tomorrow.
Stay tuned for Part 2.