TEACHING NOTES ‌ Introduction In this session we are going to discuss the common views of eternity. Many modern Christians assume that when a person dies they enter eternity in either heaven or hell. However, this topic is far more complex than the popular understanding. The goal of this session is not to end all the debates about eternity, but to survey several views and evaluate them with Scripture. ‌ Resources for Further Study: - “The Fire that Consumes” by Edward William Fudge - “All You Want to Know about Hell” by Steve Gregg - “Battle for the Keys” by Justin W. Bass ‌ The Modern Problem Modern believers often think that there are three “spaces” of existence—heaven, earth, and hell. This is oversimplified and inaccurate. The Bible teaches a more complex worldview or cosmology that includes more than three “spaces.” ‌ Outline: ‌1. Biblical Terms ‌2. Doctrinal Terms ‌3. Historical Survey ‌4. Relevant Passages ‌ Biblical Terms ‌ Heaven(s): While modern Christians often think that “heaven” is where God is, the Bible uses the term in different ways. In Genesis 1:1, God created the “heavens” (plural) and the earth. In the ancient mind, the heavens were understood in layers or levels with God residing in the highest heaven. ‌ Sheol/Hades: Sheol and Hades are the same. Sheol is the Hebrew word and Hades is the Greek word for the place of all the dead. All human souls go to Sheol/Hades after death except for Enoch, Moses, Elijah. Sheol/Hades is NOT hell. It is a kind of waiting area for the dead until the final resurrection. In Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Sheol/Hades has two sections—one for the righteous and one for the wicked. Both the righteous and wicked experience a preview in Sheol/Hades of their final destination. ‌ Note: The reason that many have wrongly thought that Sheol/Hades is hell is because older English translations (like the King James Version) translated Sheol and Hades as “hell.” ‌ Gehenna: This Greek word is used 12x in the New Testament, eleven times by Jesus and once by James. Gehenna is the Greek translation of the Hebrew phrase “Valley of Hinnom” which is a valley on the east side of Jerusalem. This is the same valley in which ancient Israelites sacrificed their children in worship to Molech. As a result, God allowed Babylon to conquer Israel and multitudes of Israelites were thrown into this valley and burned. Therefore, Gehenna was associated with Divine punishment and a metaphor for the lake of fire. ‌ Lake of Fire: The phrase “lake of fire” only appears in Revelation. However, the same imagery is found in Jewish texts from the intertestamental period. Ancient Christians believed that Gehenna and the lake of fire refer to the same reality—the final destination of the wicked. ‌ Tartarus: This word appears only in the Greek of 2 Peter 2:4 and is often mistranslated as “hell.” Peter says that “…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into Tartarus and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” Peter is referring to the rebellious spirits (often called “sons of God” in the Old Testament) who defiled humans by teaching them how to be violent and destructive (Gen. 6:1-6; 11:1-9). In Greek literature, Tartarus was the place where evil spirits were bound in chains. Peter uses a familiar term so that his audience would understand what he means. The same idea is seen in Revelation where we see the “abyss” or “bottomless pit” being opened and evil spirits come out (Rev. 9:1-2, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1-3). ‌ Doctrinal Terms ‌ Intermediate State The intermediate state refers to the period between our death and the final resurrection. There have been differing views on the nature of the intermediate state. There are three main views: ‌ 1. Eastern Orthodox View: All of the souls of the dead await the resurrection in Sheol/Hades, except for those whom Christ released at His resurrection. The righteous dead are in a blessed state, while the wicked dead experience some kind of suffering. The intermediate state corresponds to the way a person lived on earth and is a preview of their eternity. ‌ 2. Catholic View: After a person dies, their soul goes to purgatory where their unconfessed sins must be “paid off” or purged. ‌ 3. Protestant View: Because Protestants are extremely divided and fractured into multiple denominations, there is a variety of views on the intermediate state. ‌ Universalism: refers to the idea that all people will be saved in the end. While there are variations of views on how this occurs, the end goal is the same. All people, both good and evil, will be reconciled to God in the end. Some early church writers considered this view, a few even adopted it (Origin), but the ancient church has always understood universalism to be heresy. However, several church fathers wrote that we should hope and pray for all to be saved. ‌ Restorationism: This view holds that hell is not eternal but is a temporary punishment to purify souls for heaven. The ancient church argued against this view and taught that the suffering in our earthly life is what purifies us for eternity. ‌ Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT): This is probably the most popular view in western Christianity. This view holds that all souls who end up in hell will be tormented with fire for eternity. This means that those in hell are eternally alive, but will suffer forever. ‌ Conditional Immortality: This view holds that the soul is not immortal unless God gives it eternal life. Those who are condemned to hell simply burn up and are destroyed forever. This view is also called “annihilationism.” Only souls who have eternal life will exist forever. The wicked souls will die in hell. ‌ Historical Survey ‌ The First Century (AD 1-100) The Sadducees: There is no afterlife, no soul, no spirits. The Pharisees: There is an afterlife and resurrection. ‌ Jesus’ teaching on Hades/Abraham’s Side in Luke 16 describes what the early Christians continued to believe for about 1500 years. ‌ The Church Fathers (AD 100-1000) All the dead go to Hades first. Those who have done good in their earthly life are rewarded with a preview of eternal life in Paradise. Those who have done evil will be punished with a preview of the lake of fire. ‌ There seems to be no confessing/repenting in Hades, but we should pray for God to give grace/mercy. Prayers for the departed was a common practice in the ancient church and continues today in Orthodox and Catholic churches. ‌ “They [faithful martyrs] are in their due place in the presence of the Lord, with whom they also suffered.” — Polycarp (c. 135), 1.35 ‌ “After we have departed from the world, no further power of confessing or repenting will belong to us.” — Second Clement (c. 150), 7.519 ‌ “The souls of the godly remain in a better place, while those of the unjust and wicked are in a worse place, waiting for the time of judgment.” — Justin Martyr (c. 160), 1.197 ‌ “You may have fallen in with some [Gnostics] who are called Christians. However, they do not admit this [intermediate state], and they venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham.… They say there is no resurrection of the dead. Rather, they say that when they die, their souls are taken to heaven. Do not imagine that they are Christians.” — Justin Martyr (c. 160), 1.239 ‌ “The Lord ‘went away in the midst of the shadow of death,’ where the souls of the dead were. However, afterwards, He arose in the body. And after the resurrection, He was taken up [into heaven]. From this, it is clear that the souls of His disciples also (upon whose account the Lord underwent these things) will go away into the invisible place allotted to them by God. And they will remain there until the resurrection, awaiting that event. Then receiving their bodies, and rising in their entirety (that is, bodily), just as the Lord arose, they will come in that manner into the presence of God.” — Irenaeus (c. 180), 1.560 ‌ The Middle Ages The Western Church (Latin, Catholic) begin to define their doctrine of Purgatory. By the 1200s the Catholic Church is affirming Purgatory at their church councils. ‌ By the 1500s, the details of the doctrine of Purgatory are further developed (length of time, physical or spiritual, how the living can help the dead, etc.). ‌ The foundational idea behind Purgatory is the Latin view that God’s wrath for sin must be satisfied. So, all unconfessed sins must be punished with a fire that purifies and satisfies God’s justice. ‌ In this view, God cannot leave any sin unpunished. ‌The Eastern Church rejected these ideas. ‌ The Protestant Reformation (1500s) Reformers rejected Purgatory and the Eastern view. They added “immediately” to passages that spoke of departing this life to be with Christ. Upon death people are immediately either with Christ in heaven or with the wicked in hell. ‌ Relevant Passages ‌ Luke 16:19–26 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’” ‌ Matthew 3:11–12 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”” ‌ Note: The chaff (wicked) are burned up, not kept alive. ‌ Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” ‌ Destroy = Grk. apollymi - perish, total destruction Hell = Grk. Gehenna ‌ Matthew 13:41–43 “41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” ‌ Matthew 25:31–34, 41, 46 “31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” ‌ Revelation 19:20–21 “20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” ‌ Revelation 20:10 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” ‌ Revelation 20:11–15 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 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. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” ‌ Note: The devil, the beast, and the false prophet are said to be tormented day and night forever and ever. The Bible does not say that human souls are tormented forever. From the entirety of passages in the Bible, it seems that human souls are kept alive in Hades. After the final resurrection and judgment, it seems that wicked humans are destroyed in the lake of fire. ‌ Conclusion The intermediate state seems to be a preview of our eternal destination. We should be careful not to be too dogmatic in our views about what we will experience in the intermediate state. ‌ We can be sure that our eternal home is not in heaven, but in a new creation that will be a perfect paradise. ‌ We can be sure that the enemies of God, both spiritual and human, will end up in the lake of fire. Whatever punishment experienced there will fit the crime. ‌ No matter what our views of the afterlife, the Bible is clear that remaining faithful to Christ is the highest priority.