Where do you go when you die?
Where did people go when they died?
OT – Sheol – Numbers 16:31-33
Description – Psalm 49:15
NT – Hades – Matthew 12:40
Description – Luke 16:19-31
Where did Jesus go when he died?
Acts 2:31
Luke 23:43
Luke 9:31
Luke 24:45
Where did Jesus not go when he died?
1 Peter 3:18b-20a
2 Peter 2:5
Hebrews 9:27
Where did Jesus go after Hades?
Matthew 16:21
Acts 1:3
Acts 1:9
Hebrews 9:12
John 14:1-3
John 3:13
Ephesians 4:8
Hebrews 11:39-40
Hebrews 12:22-24
Where did christians go when they died?
2 Corinthians 12:1-4
Philippians 1:23
2 Corinthians 5:8
Revelation 4:4
Revelation 7:9-17
1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:14
Where will you go when you die?
Matthew 10:32
Luke 12:18
Revelation 3:5
Old Testament – we are told of a place called Sheol, Numbers 16:31-33 It is in the heart of the earth, all who die go there.
New Testament – Sheol is Hebrew and Hades is Greek for same place, Luke 16:19-31 Here Jesus gives our first insights to Sheol / Hades, wicked are in torment, The righteous in Abraham’s bosom and there is no crossing over between the two. So once you die God judges and assigns you to eternity with wicked or righteous.
Matthew 12:40; Jesus says He is going to the heart of the earth, 3 days, 3 nights.
Luke 9:31; Jesus is talking with Moses and Elijah, who came up from Hades and they were talking about His exodus, He was on His way to Hades to join them.
Luke 23:43; Jesus to the thief – “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Ephesians 4:9; Jesus descended into the lower parts of the earth (Hades)
1 Peter 3:18-20; Jesus preached to those now in torment, via Noah while they were still alive on earth. 2 Peter 2:5; As He preaches to people today through us.
Matthew 16:21; Jesus often said He would be killed and raised on the third day.
Luke 24:6,7; The angels told the women He has risen.
Acts 1:3-11; Jesus was on earth for 40 days then ascended on high.
Hebrews 9:12; He entered heaven with His own blood, preparing a place, John 14:1-3
Ephesians 4:8; When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive. Jesus took all the Old Testament righteous ones in Abraham’s bosom/Paradise into heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:1-4; Paul knew a man caught up to 3rd heaven, into Paradise, which means Paradise is no longer in Hades but now in heaven.
Hebrews 12:22-24; here we see the church of the firstborn, Christians in heaven and the Old Testament righteous made perfect, Hebrews 11:39-40
Revelation 7:9-17; John sees a great multitude in heaven of people who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Not in future but in the present.
John 3:13; No man had ascended into heaven – because the way was not made known and the place was not prepared. But by dying for our sins, His blood is the way and His blood has prepared a place for us, for without His blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:11-14
The righteous Old Testament people could not go to heaven because the blood hadn’t been shed but once Jesus died and entered heaven the way was open for all. We don’t go to Hades when we die as Jesus taught the Jews in Luke 16: because He hadn’t changed what He came to change, to set us free. When the faithful Christian dies he enters into heaven awaiting the judgment day when he shall return with Christ to witness the judgment of those alive on judgement day 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:14
The minute you die as a faithful Christian is when you will hear Jesus confess your name before His Father, the angels, in heaven, Matthew 10:32; Luke 12:8; Revelation 3:5; Hades is a place only for the wicked today.
Jesus taught us there is no deep sleep because in Luke 16:24-28; the rich man wanted someone sent to his brothers who were still alive, to warn them. This would also refute waiting in the grave until judgment day, God is the God of the living not God of the dead. Moses and Elijah were very much alive when talking with Christ on the Mt. of Transfiguration.
Looking forward to seeing all my brothers and sisters in heaven the day I die, I pray I have the courage to remain a faithful servant until that day and the prayer is for all of us to be there united in a song of praise to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!