Where do we go when we die?

An intriguing question indeed! Where exactly do we go when we die?

Where do saved, born-again Christians go and where do the lost, unsaved people go when they die?

Let’s examine together what the Bible says!

Right, now there are three parts to this question that we need to look at because God created us in three parts, body, soul and spirit. For more information on how we were created, please read my blog published on 9 May 2021. https://rayskilton.blogspot.com/2021/05/how-did-god-create-us-spirit-soul-and.html

What happens to man’s spirit?

Our spirit returns to God, the Father of spirits, who gave it to us. The Bible doesn’t say anything more about man’s spirit after death other than this.

Ecclesiastes 12:7b (NIV)

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

There are some schools of thought that believe that the human spirit and the soul are one and the same thing but in my opinion I don't see how this is possible. In Gen 2:7 we are told that God breathed life into man and he became a living soul. The Hebrew words for 'breath of God or Spirit of God' and 'living soul' are two completely different words. Please read the explanation below in the section 'What happens to our soul?'

Also the unsaved human soul does not go to heaven on Judgement Day but to Hell.

When we are born, God places of His Spirit in us which is what gives us life. God's spirit within us is our connection to Him but as God gives us freewill to chose salvation through Jesus or not, it is only the saved person who's spirit is energised and becomes born again and is able to have relationship with God through Jesus or Saviour - we become new creations. 

The unsaved person's spirit is not energised by the process of salvation and remains dormant, but the soul becomes more and more corrupt as it continues to deny Christ and live a life of sin. It is the soul that is corrupt not the spirit as the spirit is incorruptible as it belongs to God and returns to Him when we die. God does not consign the human spirit to Hell as it is part of him and is not sinful only the corrupt soul and the body that houses it is consigned to Hell!

Matthew 10:28 (NIV)

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

What happens to the body?

Well, our bodies are perishable, so they decay and return to the ground from which they were made once we are buried or cremated.

Genesis 2:7a (AMP)

then the Lord God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground,

Ecclesiastes 12:7a (AMP)

then the dust [out of which God made man’s body] will return to the earth as it was,

It is only our resurrected bodies that will be imperishable.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NIV)

42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 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.

Everyone will answer to God on Judgement Day! Those who are born-again will receive eternal life in heaven. Those who are not (those who deny Christ) will go to eternal death (eternal separation from God) in Hell! If you deny Christ – be afraid, be very afraid!

Matthew 10:28 (NIV)

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

From the scripture above we can safely say that it is both an unsaved person’s resurrected body and soul that will be consigned to Hell. The human spirit will return to God as mentioned in Ecc 12:7b. The Bible doesn’t say anything further about our spirit after it goes back to God!

On Judgement Day everyone will answer to God for what they have done in their life, whether good or bad. Nobody will escape this judgement, both the dead who will be resurrected and those that are still alive will be judged!

Romans 14:10-12 (AMP)

10 But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you again, why do you look down on your [believing] brother or regard him with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God [who alone is judge]. 11 For it is written [in Scripture],

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,

And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

So, when we die our bodies return to the earth, but on judgement day we will receive a resurrected body, by God through the power of the Holy Spirit and stand before God to give an account of ourselves. The believer (those who have received Jesus as Lord and Saviour and believe in Him) will go to Heaven, the unbeliever (those who deny Jesus and do not believe in Him) will go to Hell.

What happens to our Soul?

Our bodies return to the earth from whence they came but our souls, which are imperishable and came into being when God breathed His spirit into us during the miracle of conception, go to a place the Bible calls Hades or Sheol.

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

So, let’s now examine the verse above (Gen 2:7) where three distinct and separate things happened.

1. God formed our bodies from the earth!

2. He breathed His Spirit (Hebrew word ruach, meaning ‘Spirit or breath of God’) into us, it is His spirit that He places in each one of us that gives us life!

3. And we become a living being or soul.

The Hebrew word for a ‘living being’ is ‘nephesh’, pronounced ‘neh-fesh’ and its full Hebrew meaning is: a soul, a living being, a life, a self, a person, with desires, passions, appetites and emotions and capable of thinking (Strong’s 5315). From this we can see that the ‘soul’ and the ‘spirit’ are two separate entities although they are very closely aligned whilst in the body but only once a person is born-again.

Hebrews 4:12 (AMP)

For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

It is a man’s spirit that becomes awakened, renewed, to a spiritual life in fellowship with God – the primary purpose for which man was created - when he accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of his life and becomes born-again, a new creation! It is then man’s responsibility to work out his salvation with fear and trembling and bring his soul into submission to the spirit which we can only be done by the power of the Holy Spirit – living life in the Spirit (read Romans 8).

Philippians 2:12-13 (AMP)

12 So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. 13 For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.

As already mentioned, the souls of the dead go to a place called Sheol or Hades. Sheol is a Hebrew word meaning ‘the place of the dead’ or ‘place of departed souls’ and the word Hades is the Greek word for the same place.

Now, in Sheol or Hades there are two places, one for the souls of those who are saved and on for the souls of those who are not saved, the lost! Our souls remain there until judgement day when the dead are resurrected.

The souls of those who are saved will be in paradise (some Bible versions refer to this place as Abraham’s bosom) as Jesus said to the repentant thief on the cross next to Him.

Luke 23:43 (NIV)

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Greek word for paradise used in this scripture is ‘paradeisos’ (pron: par-ad-i-sos, Strong’s 3857) and its full meaning is: a park, a garden, a paradise.

The same root word is used in 2 Cor 12:4 and Rev 2:7.

2 Corinthians 12:3-4 (NIV)

3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

Revelation 2:7 (AMP)

He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege] to eat [the fruit] from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’

We will learn many great and wondrous things in paradise!

The souls of those who are unsaved will await judgement in a far different setting than those who are saved. It is a place of torment, anguish and fire as told in Luke 16.

Luke 16:23-26 (NIV)

23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

John 15:1-8 (NIV)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!