WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?

Hey! Did you had this question pop up in your mind? You might be someone like me, having a thought, should I have this question btw? Well, I had this feeling, but more of confusion and didn't had the clear idea about it. But I have come up with the answer, a very clear thing to understand from now on. No more perplexity regarding this. A very deep question, where many people are deepened with thoughts, how will this go? There are many people with different assumptions, not the clear picture or understanding about it like what will exactly happen? Will their souls be in the graveyard itself? Will their souls be roaming or wandering here and there? And Does the soul go to the Heaven? Or end up into the hell?

You might have some idea about this, Yet it feels like there is a need proper clarifications, right? You might also get the stupid doubts like one of those, Where will the soul of that person go, who was bombed with explosives as he is not buried or in specific understanding? And also you could get a question, the people who died in plane crash, where will their soul go? As there is no physicality left anywhere, the human existence just disappeared due to explosion. Some more illogical questions like, Might sound funny, but okay, which is like a person who got ate up by fish, got swallowed, no appearance found again, just vanished, where will their soul go? The answer is very simple, There is neither like burial or proper send off to be considered nor this is connected to human death. They go to Paradise. Actually a paradise, but not the paradise. Confusing, right?

Now you will be all happy and wondering, Wow, we will be directly in the Paradise, that's so nice and great and beautiful. But now you also should understand that God created the paradise for the dead in a specification, but it's not the actual paradise, its the temporary paradise. Now you will be like, What? really a temporary paradise? Yes its temporary paradise. How? Let me show you the verses. “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.”

Revelation 2:7 The above verse clearly states true believers who endure in faith through trials and remain faithful to Jesus till the end. Paradise is for the dead, but to whom? Only the faithful will go, which is where all believers will go finally in temporary paradise. So only the faithful go to this temporary paradise? Yes, its only the faithful. Just keep this in remembrance, you still didn't get the meaning of temporary paradise. I will be explaining that as well, which is more important in this article. Again the question, what about the wicked? where does their soul go? Its Sheol or Hades, the temporary torment realm for the wicked. Keep this two word in remembrance its Sheol & Hades. And let me show you the references, “Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations.” Isaiah 14:9 Now what does Sheol mean? Its actually the realm of dead, or you can say it the universe of wicked dead for simple understanding. Sheol is actually the place where souls go after death, often described as a shadowy underworld, or the grave. This verse makes us understand, like as if the dead are excited to welcome the fallen king, not with honor, but to say-

“Welcome to death—you're just like us now.” The dead kings who once ruled are pictured as mocking the new arrival. Even the most powerful rulers of earth cannot escape death. The king of Babylon, symbolic also of Satan's pride, is cast down to Sheol. It warns all of us who exalt themselves: death will humble us, and hell which is Sheol will await us if we oppose God. so basically we understand here is its either Paradise with believers and the Hades/Sheol with the wicked. Lets make it more clear in understanding with the verses, Let me tell you a story about The Rich Man and the Beggar Lazarus, I guess we all know it. There was a rich man who wore the fanciest clothes and had everything he wanted. Every day, he had a big feast with delicious food and lots of fun.

Right outside his big gate, there was a poor man named Lazarus. Lazarus didn’t have nice clothes. He didn’t have money. He was sick, and he was so hungry that he wished he could eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.

But the rich man didn’t care. He saw Lazarus every day — but he never helped him, never gave him food, and never showed kindness. Lazarus, the poor man, was carried by angels to a happy place called Abraham’s bosom, a special place near God where God’s friends go. But the rich man went to Hades, a place of sadness and pain. He cried out, "Father Abraham! Please send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue! I’m in so much pain!"

But Abraham said, "Remember, you had good things in life, but Lazarus had nothing. Now he is comforted, and you are in pain. Then the rich man begged, “Please send Lazarus to warn my brothers, so they don’t come here too!”

Abraham said, “They have the Bible — God’s Word. They should listen to that!”

But the man said, “No! But if someone rises from the dead, then they’ll listen!”

Abraham replied, “If they won’t listen to God’s Word, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.” So what do we learn from this story God sees our hearts, not how rich or poor we are. And the main thing what I am trying to convey, which is the super important thing here, that, there are two different rest places for both Faithful and Wicked. Rich man in agony in Hades, separated from Paradise by a chasm. One for the righteous comfort and one for the wicked torment. Another consideration about Paradise when, Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Luke 23:43 Now you might get the doubt How did the Rich man spoke to Abraham, when they were in both different parts after being dead? I want to make you clear that as well, what I understood from this, This actual conversation is part of the parable’s teaching. It’s not that souls in torment literally talk with those in Paradise, rather Jesus uses this tricky conversation to we people understand it. This conversation warns the living about the irreversibility of rejecting God's Word. Expose the urgency of repentance before death. Emphasize that the Scriptures are sufficient for salvation. When the rich man cries out for mercy, asking for just a drop of water to cool his tongue. He still sees Lazarus as a servant asking him to bring water. Abraham responds with truth and justice. Abraham reminds him of his choices on earth which now have eternal consequences. Luke 16:26 – “A great chasm has been fixed…” Abraham states there is a permanent separation between Hades and Paradise. No one can cross over after death your eternal destiny is sealed. So you might have doubt, So, can a person who commits suicide be saved? That depends entirely on whether they had true saving faith in Jesus Christ before death. Suicide is not an automatic ticket to hell, but it can reflect a heart without hope or a mind overwhelmed by brokenness. God judges the heart not just the final moment. A saved believer may tragically fall, but that doesn’t undo God’s grace. And when I say a person who lived a life of faith in Christ, had fruits of repentance, but succumbed to mental illness, despair, or weakness. Let me show you the verses, Romans 8:38–39 – “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ…” Psalm 34:18 – “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” If they truly belonged to Christ, salvation is secure. Even a final tragic act cannot cancel the blood of Jesus. But this is not permission to take one’s own life. God values every life. Suicide cuts short God's purpose and brings deep pain to others. Again when I say a person who, Rejected Christ, lived without repentance, Embraced sin, and died by suicide... The judgment awaits them like any unbeliever, Hebrews 9:27 – “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” John 3:18 – “Whoever does not believe stands condemned already.” Their suicide is not why they are condemned it is simply the final act of a life already apart from God. God judges with perfect justice and mercy including motives, heart condition, and whether a person knew Christ. Suicide is never God’s will, but He alone knows each soul’s story. Suicide grieves the heart of God, but it is not automatically unforgivable. What matters most is whether the person trusted Christ for salvation. God's final judgment will be righteous, merciful, and perfectly fair. We must always encourage life, hope, and the gospel to those suffering. If someone is struggling, reach out — help them live, not perish. The only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit willfully, finally rejecting Christ And I am not finished yet with my explanation, We are still stuck to the Temporary paradise. Aren't we? So what's next after the temporary paradise?, or what actually is going to happen in this temporary paradise? We can also consider the temporary paradise as Intermediate paradise, And the new formation of everything to be Final Paradise. That Intermediate Paradise, Heaven now is just the beginning. The final Paradise is the New Heaven and Earth, where our resurrection bodies will live forever with God. Paradise = Temporary Heaven with Jesus leads to Eternal Life Hades = Temporary Hell without Jesus leads to Eternal Death Let's get it more clear, Intermediate Paradise- Heaven (Now) This is where the soul or a spirit of a believer goes immediately after death, before the resurrection and final judgment. It is Spiritual realm, not yet physical. Immediately after death Souls of the saved who are righteous dead Yes we are directly with Christ. “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭23 No resurrection body yet – just the spirit. Not final judgment yet. Blessed rest, awaiting fulfillment Temporary, until the Second Coming and Resurrection The waiting room of joy, with Jesus, before the full story is finished. God's presence with us is just spiritually. Final Paradise- New Heaven & New Earth (Eternal) This is the eternal dwelling of the redeemed after the final resurrection, judgment, and the second coming of Jesus Christ. We are physically and spiritually glorified with a restored, perfect creation Resurrected saints in glorified bodies “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭3 God dwells permanently among His people. “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭52‬-‭53 It explains we will have the resurrection or glorified body back. Final judgment is already completed. Perfect joy, fulfillment, full restoration New Heaven, New Earth, Holy City. And Eternal which never ends. Its the grand opening of the perfect eternal kingdom where Heaven and Earth are united forever. God's presence with us is fully, physically and spiritually. Both believers and unbelievers await the return of Christ, when bodies are raised and reunited with souls at final judgment. “the dead… were judged… anyone not found in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:12,15 Then comes the resurrection and the final, eternal destiny.

Believers enter into eternal life; unbelievers face eternal death which is second death. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away... I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” Revelation 21:1–2 God remakes the universe, not a patch-up job but a brand-new creation. The New Jerusalem, a holy city, comes down from Heaven, God’s dwelling is now with humanity forever. All suffering is permanently ended. This is complete healing — physical, emotional, spiritual. Believers are forever with Christ in joy. Unbelievers are forever in torment.