Where Are They Now

The question of “Where are they now?” regarding the deceased is an age-old concern, one that the Apostle Paul addressed with the Thessalonian church to prevent sorrow among believers who had lost loved ones. When discussing the afterlife, human speculation is considered useless; only the Word of God can provide solid answers about the future existence of the soul and spirit.

The Bible uses the term “sleep” metaphorically for the death of Christians, assuring believers that just as physical sleep implies waking, their bodies will be awakened upon the Lord’s return.

Based on Jesus’s teachings in Luke chapter 16, this exploration of death and eternity examines two people, two places, and two principles that govern the destination of the dead.

The Intermediate State: Before Christ’s Ascension

Before Jesus’s resurrection and ascension, the Bible teaches that the souls of the dead went to an intermediate place. This location had two distinct divisions separated by a great, uncrossable chasm, or “great gulf fixed”.

1. Paradise (Abraham’s Bosom): This was a temporary heaven, serving as the destination for the righteous dead in the Old Testament. It was described as a place of comfort, love, and companionship.
2. Hades: This was the intermediate hell, designated for the unrighteous dead until the end of time. It was a place of torment.

A Tale of Two Destinies: The Rich Man and Lazarus

Jesus provided a detailed look into the immediate afterlife through the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16). This account contrasts two men in life, in death, and finally, in eternity.

Contrast in Life

The rich man lived a lavish life, clothed in purple and fine linen and “fared sumptuously every day”. In contrast, the beggar, Lazarus, was covered with sores and laid at the rich man’s gate, desperately desiring to be fed with the crumbs from the rich man’s table. Lazarus’s only attendants were the dogs that came and licked his sores.

Contrast in Death

Lazarus died first. There is no reference to his burial, suggesting he may have been cast away, perhaps thrown on the dump outside the city, as he was considered unworthy.

The rich man also died “and was buried”. It is easy to imagine the lavish funeral and the many eulogies that honored his wealth.

Contrast in Eternity

The curtain closes on their earthly lives and opens onto eternity, showing two completely different destinies.

1. Lazarus in Paradise: When Lazarus died, God sent His angels to care for him, carrying him to Abraham’s bosom (Paradise). This illustrates God’s love and care for believers.
2. The Rich Man in Hades: The rich man went to Hades, the place of torment for the unrighteous dead.

In eternity, the men’s roles were dramatically reversed. The once-proud man became the beggar, tormented in the flame and desperate for just one drop of water, which the beggar Lazarus was now in a position to deny.

The Nature of Intermediate Hell

The story reveals critical details about Hades:

• Misery and Torment: The rich man was “tormented in this flame”.
• Memory: Hades is a place of memory. Abraham told the rich man, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things”. The unbeliever is constantly reminded of what they missed due to their rejection of God. The memory of rejecting the gospel, even after attending services, is one of the tortures.
• Mourning and Futility: The rich man pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his five brothers. Abraham denied the request, stating they already had “Moses and the prophets” (God’s Word). The sobering truth is that if they refuse to hear Moses and the prophets, they “will not be persuaded though one rise from the dead”. Hardness of heart, not a lack of evidence, is the problem. Miracles catch attention, but only faith in God’s Word brings salvation.

The rich man represents the lost who are now in Hades; he was alive, conscious, and in the full exercise of his faculties and memory, yet in torment.

Christ’s Victory and the Transfer of Paradise

The destiny of the saved was dramatically altered by Jesus Christ’s work on the cross and His subsequent actions in the grave.

Believers who died in the Old Testament went to paradise, a place of comfort and peace, but it was not yet heaven.

On the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, often called Holy Saturday, Jesus’s body rested in the grave, but His spirit was active. He went to this intermediate place, not to suffer, but to declare victory as the eternal Son of God. He announced the triumph of the cross.

Jesus confirmed His imminent destination to the repentant thief on the cross, promising, “Today you will be with me in paradise”.

• Authority Over Death: Jesus descended into the “lower parts of the earth” and declared, “I have the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18).
• Preaching Victory: He proclaimed to the spirits in prison (fallen angels) and preached to the Old Testament saints who had long awaited the Messiah.
• The Relocation: In triumph, Jesus “led captivity captive,” meaning He took paradise out of that intermediate place and transferred it to heaven.

Today, paradise is located in the third heaven. Paul confirmed this transfer when he wrote of being “caught up into paradise” and described it as being in the third heaven.