At one time or another, most people wonder what will happen when they die. Death feels frightening and mysterious, and perspectives on what happens and what it means vary significantly.
Yet, the Bible teaches that God has set eternity in the hearts of humans (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This is one of the main reasons why death makes us sad; we were not created to die. That is why there are many passages in the Bible that make it clear we do not cease to exist when our earthly bodies die. Here are five questions the Bible answers about death:
Where Do People Spend Eternity?
Heaven or Hell. The Bible teaches that there are only two choices: eternity with God or eternity separated from God, often referred to as heaven and hell. From an eternal standpoint, to be present in one is to be absent from the other. The choice of where you will reside in eternity is the greatest question you will face in this life.
"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" (Mark 8:36)
"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." (Matthew 10:28)
"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
What Did Jesus Actually Teach about Hell?
We can summarize it like this: hell is the place of conscious, eternal torment where people experience God's punishment for their sin. Yes, hell is "the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt 25:41), but also for those who join them in their rebellion against God (Matt 11:20–24). The horror of hell is such that Jesus says, "if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire" (Mark 9:43). For those who do not enter the narrow door of faith and repentance in Jesus (Luke 13:24) a place of weeping and gnashing teeth awaits them (Luke 13:28).
What Did Jesus Teach About Heaven?
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
"In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." (John 14:2-3)
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent Me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life” (John 11:25).
What Happens Immediately After Death?
First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins are forgiven by having received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36). For believers, death is to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection?
The Bible teaches that while the souls/spirits of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and then reunited with the soul/spirit. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the possession of believers for eternity in the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21-22).
The following passage of scripture is a clear declaration from Jesus on what happens when our bodies die:
"When Jesus hung on the cross where He was being executed, there were two criminals being crucified on either side of Him. “Then one of the criminals said, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’” (Luke 23: 42-43)
Therefore, after death, a person resides in a “temporary” heaven or hell. After this temporary realm, at the final resurrection, a person’s eternal destiny will not change. The precise “location” of that eternal destiny is what changes. Believers will ultimately be granted entrance into the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1). Unbelievers will ultimately be sent to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). These are the final, eternal destinations of all people—based entirely on whether or not they had trusted Jesus Christ alone for salvation (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).
What Kind Of Body Will We Have In Eternity?
It is natural to wonder what people will be like in eternity. The Bible makes it clear that eternal bodies will be different from earthly bodies. Paul, an early follower of Jesus who wrote much of the New Testament, wrote about this in his first letter to the church in the city of Corinth:
"Someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it does not grow into a plant unless it dies first. And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. ... Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies." (1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 43-44)
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul explains further that our new bodies will be better, stronger, and not subject to disease or death like our earthly bodies.
"We know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life." (2 Corinthians 5:1-4)
Unlike the cartoon version of heaven, where people become spirits with wings that float around on clouds and play harps, people in heaven will have real bodies. People will not become ghosts or disembodied spirits. Life in heaven will be beyond our comprehension on this planet to even imagine what it will be like!
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)
While the Bible doesn't answer all our questions about Heaven, I have no doubt we will recognize each other there. In fact, the Bible indicates we will know each other more fully than we do now. The Apostle Paul declared, "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Will We Recognize Each Other In Heaven?
It's true that our appearance will change, because God will give us new bodies, similar to Jesus' resurrection body. Those bodies will never grow old or tired, nor will they ever experience pain or suffering or death. As the Bible says, "For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52). What a glorious promise!
When Jesus was transformed into His heavenly glory before the eyes of some of His disciples, "His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light" (Matthew 17:2). And yet His disciples still recognized Him, and so did Moses and Elijah who came from Heaven to speak with Him.
