Section 1: The Gospel Age
I. The Intermediate State
General Introduction: The Confessional Statement of the Doctrine
The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their
souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately
return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous being then made perfect
in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are with Christ, and behold
the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their
bodies; and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell; where they remain in
torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day; besides
these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture
acknowledgeth none.
The technical terminology, the Intermediate State, refers to the period
between death and the resurrection. When a person dies he enters the
Intermediate State and remains there until the day of the resurrection. Since
this condition is not the final destiny of either the righteous or the wicked,
it is called the Intermediate State. The terminology, Intermediate State, aptly
describes what the Confession is addressing in the above paragraph. Chapter 31
is entitled Of the State of Man after Death and Of the Resurrection of the
Dead. Paragraphs 2 and 3 of this chapter proceed to treat the event that
succeeds the one described in paragraph 1, the resurrection of the dead. Thus,
the Confession indeed views the state described in paragraph 1 as
intermediate.
The Confession very ably summarizes the biblical teaching on the Intermediate
State by means of two all-important distinctions: The Distinction between
the Body and Soul in the Intermediate State and The Distinction between
the Righteous and the Wicked in the Intermediate State. If we are ever to
properly understand what the Bible teaches about this critical question, it must
be in terms of these two distinctions.
The Distinction between the Body and the Soul
The first essential distinction found in the Confession is that men are
constituted from two qualitatively different things--a body and a soul. Because
these are two qualitatively different entities, both their condition and
location may differ after death one from the other.
1. The Body
Here the Confession states what both experience and Scripture make clear. The
ugly reality is that we, our bodies, will die. After a process of
decomposing--rotting--you, your body, will be nothing but a pile of dust in a
coffin in a cemetery somewhere. This will happen to men in general and to us in
particular with the only exceptions being Enoch, Elijah, and those Christians
who are alive at Christ's return. It will happen, furthermore, because of God's
curse upon Adam's disobedience (Gen. 2:17, 3:19; Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:22).
2. The Soul
The Confession makes two assertions about the soul which contrast its
condition in the Intermediate State with that of the body. It asserts, first,
that the soul "neither dies nor sleeps, having an immortal subsistence." These
words require some explanation, especially the phrase, immortal subsistence. The
term, subsistence, simply means (according to Webster) "existence, being,
continuance." The body decomposes. It ceases to exist as such. The soul,
however, continues to exist or have being after death. It has subsistence.
The term, immortal, is more difficult. This is the case because in one very
important sense the human soul is not immortal. Webster's second definition is
the one which may not be meant when we say that the soul is immortal. That
definition is this: "of immortal beings or immortality, divine, heavenly." Greek
philosophy did view the soul as in this sense immortal. They viewed it as a
spark of divine fire, one with God, eternal and uncreated. This is certainly not
what Christians mean by saying that the soul is immortal. It is clearly not what
the Confession meant. Christians believe that the soul like everything else is
created by God and dependent every moment upon Him for its continued existence.
Webster's first definition is closer to the meaning of the term, immortal, as
it is used by the Confession. That definition is, "not mortal, deathless, living
forever."(1)
The English language may not have a good word to express what the Confession is
saying here. "Immortal" may be the best word available. The meaning is that
physical death does not bring about the cessation of the soul. Souls do not die
like bodies. They may as a part of a human being experience death, but they are
not themselves rendered inactive or decomposed by death. As the Confession
states, they "neither die nor sleep." It is the essence of a soul to know, to be
conscious. That essence continues after death. It is, in that sense, deathless.
The second assertion of the Confession about the soul is that, rather than
returning to dust at death, it returns to God. The idea intended by the
Confession appears to be that the soul returns to God for the purpose of its
being assigned its preliminary reward or punishment until the final judgment.
The key question is, of course, where does the Bible teach these things? When
we come to the second distinction, we shall look at many texts which speak
directly to the cases of the conditions of the righteous and wicked during the
Intermediate State. Each such text confirms that there is a great distinction
between the body and the soul. The distinction between body and soul is not to
be simply deduced from passages about the intermediate state of the soul. The
Bible also teaches explicitly that man is composed of two different entities, a
body and a soul (Gen. 2:7; James 2:26; Matt. 10:28; Eccles. 12:7).
Excursus: The Biblical Doctrine of Death
These matters naturally suggest a discussion of the biblical teaching on
death. The biblical teaching on death may be summarized in four propositions.
(1) Death, physical death, is a penal consequence of sin. The proof for this
statement is found especially in Gen. 2:17; 3:19; Rom. 5:12-21; and 1 Cor.
15:22. As a penal consequence of sin death is a perversion of God's created
order; part of the wreckage which man's fall made of God's perfect creation. As
such, it is un-natural in the most precise sense of the word. It is an evil
thing.
(2) Death, physical death, is a radical and un-natural separation of the soul
and body resulting in the decay and dissolution of the body and the nakedness of
the soul. Note the texts cited above. The sundering of body and soul in death is
a complete contradiction of their created characters. Neither the soul, nor the
body were intended to exist apart from the other. The increasing decrepitude
which signals the approach of death (Eccles. 12:1-6) and the repulsive
dissolution which follows it clearly indicate its un-natural character.
(3) Death--physical death--is a sign and sacrament of the future eternal
death of Adam's race. This significance of physical death is "the sting of
death," that is to say, its worst aspect (Rev. 20:14; 1 Cor. 15:56, 57; Heb.
9:27). Death, the most horrible physical event conceivable, is the symbol of
hell, the most dreadful calamity which may overtake any person.
(4) The sting of death has been removed for those in union with Christ. They
do not die in Adam. They die in Christ and, therefore, its sting, its most
fearful significance, does not exist for them (1 Thess. 4:14; Rev. 14:13; Rom.
8:37-39).
Christians must maintain a holy balance as they approach the reality of death
both for themselves and others. If what was outlined above is true, we need not,
indeed we ought not attempt to induce in ourselves a positive delight in the
thought of death, nor even an attitude of indifference. But this honest
admission of the horror of physical death must not destroy a balancing attitude.
For the Christian death's sting is gone. It does not take from him his most
precious possession, Christ. The Christian may and must face death with a
courage and a hope which testifies to the truth of the gospel.
Unbelievers, on the other hand, must remember that death is not a spectator
sport. Since this is true, the unbeliever needs answers about death. Even if he
entertains doubts about the validity of Christianity, if he does not get his
answers from the Bible, where will he get them from? Can he really live without
some answers about death? If the naturalism and materialism taught in our public
schools and by pop scientists is really right, why does the thought of death
bother him so much? If death is just a part of the natural order, why does it
seem so un-natural, so horrible to him? If death, however, is un-natural (the
penal consequence of evil and the sign of damnation) then everything makes sense
including even the feelings of the unbeliever himself about death.
The Distinction between the Righteous and the Wicked in the Intermediate
State
The distinction between the righteous and the wicked is developed in the
Confession by means of three statements. There is a statement about: (1) The
Condition of the Righteous (2) The Condition of the Wicked and (3) The Absence
of Alternatives. In this introduction I want to say something briefly about the
first two of these statements.
(1) The Condition of the Righteous
The Confession makes six points about this.
Their immediate entrance upon this condition is indicated. The key
word is "then." It refers to the words, "after death...their souls...immediately
return to God." "Then," says the Confession, "the souls of the righteous" are
"made perfect in holiness" and "are received into paradise." In this way the
Confession clearly teaches that there is no interim period between death itself
and the entrance of the righteous into glory.
The Confession's teaching at this point clearly addresses the question of
purgatory. If there is no interim period between death itself and the entrance
of the righteous into glory, then there is no such place as purgatory. At the
end of the paragraph, the Confession makes this implication explicit. "Besides
these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture
acknowledgeth none."
Their perfect holiness in this condition is mentioned next. First
mentioned among the blessings which the Intermediate State brings to believers
is their being made perfectly holy. That is to say, as to their moral and
ethical condition believers become absolutely sinless. Their souls are exactly
conformed to the perfect righteousness of God.
Their delightful circumstances in this condition are next mentioned.
The location of the souls of the departed is said to be "paradise." The
Confession plainly intends this as a synonym for heaven. This location assures
us that the souls of the righteous are happy in the condition upon which they
enter at death.
Their blessed companion in this condition is referred to next. Central to the blessedness of the righteous in the Intermediate State is their companion. They are with Jesus Christ. I will argue that this is the central assertion of the Bible and of multi-faceted importance for its teaching on the intermediate state of the righteous.
Their glorious privilege in this condition is now mentioned. The
Confession teaches that the souls of the righteous see God. This is what has
been called by theologians, the beatific vision. In a sense that no sinful
mortal may, they behold (and exist in the immediate proximity of) the manifested
glory of God in heaven.
Their incomplete blessedness in this condition is last mentioned.
Though the souls of believers are perfect in holiness in the Intermediate State,
they are not perfect in every other way. Their blessedness is yet incomplete.
Chief among the blessings for which they must still wait is the "redemption of
their bodies."
(2) The Condition of the Wicked
The statement of the Confession as to the condition of the wicked after death
is both sobering and succinct: "and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell;
where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the
great day." In these words the Confession tells us three things about the
condition of the wicked in the intermediate state: its location (hell), its
circumstances (torment and darkness), and its expectation (the judgment of the
great day).
A. The Intermediate State of the Righteous
In attempting to open up the scriptural basis for these assertions about the condition of the righteous in the Intermediate State, it seemed good to organize the biblical teaching around a short series of questions and answers which I have entitled, A CATECHISM ON THE INTERMEDIATE STATE OF BELIEVERS.
Question 1: Where do the spirits of believers go at death?
Answer: They go to be with Christ (Phil. 1:19-24; 2 Cor.
5:6-9; Luke 23:43; Heb. 12:23, 24; Rev. 14:13).
This question and answer is placed first because it is the central assurance
of the Bible with respect to the death of believers. In a sense this one answer
is the answer to all our questions about the state of believers after death.
The foundational assurance of Old Testament believers as God began to reveal
the mysteries of life after death to them was that death could not break their
relationship with their covenant God (Gen. 5:24; 2 Kings 2:1-14; Psa. 23:6;
73:24 [Ps. 16:9-11, 49:15]). The content of these Old Testament passages is very
basic. They do not clearly distinguish between the state of man after death and
the resurrection. The Psalmist's basic confidence about the after life is,
however, quite clear. The God of covenant love who I have come to know and who
has so displayed His care for me in life will not forsake me in death.
This basic assurance of the Old Testament is brought to full revelation and
sharp focus in the New Testament. Just as the covenant God is fully revealed in
Jesus Christ, so also the confidence of the Christian in death is brought to
sharp focus in the confidence that "death" shall not "be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 8:37, 39).
Believers die in the Lord (1 Thess. 4:14, Rev. 14:13). It is Christ's will that
where He is, there His people may also be (John 14:2). Therefore, when they die,
they go to be with Christ (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:23; Heb. 12:23,
24).
Several practical observations on this must be underscored. First, a life
with Christ and for Christ is inseparable from confidence in death. Where there
is no personal knowledge, no practical relationship with the living God, there
can be no biblical confidence in death. There is reason, therefore, to think
that your confidence in death will be related to the closeness of your walk to
Jesus Christ. Second, the chief blessing and the source of all other blessings
for believers after death is being with Christ where He is. Only love for Christ
and a desire to be with Him will make death desirable to us. This reality is the
end of the popular, but carnal interest in the after-life (and near-death
experiences) so common today.
Question 2: Where is Christ?
Answer: Christ is highly exalted in heaven (John 16:28
w/Matt. 6:9; Acts 3:21; Heb. 1:3; Eph. 4:10).
Question 3: What is heaven?
Answer: Heaven is the special dwelling of God where he
peculiarly manifests His glory (Ps. 23:6; 1 Kings 8:27-49; Isa. 63:15; 66:1).
Though heaven in the Bible is frequently used of the physical universe
visible to us, it is also used of that place invisible to us which is the
special abode of God and His angels. This has given rise to the popular
distinction of three biblical heavens: the airy (atmospheric) heaven, the starry
(celestial) heaven, and the heaven of God. There does seem to be biblical
precedent for such a distinction, since Paul speaks of "being caught up to the
third heaven," 2 Cor. 12:4, and since the biblical usages of heaven are easily
classified in terms of these three meanings.
The heaven of God may be defined as the special dwelling of God where He
peculiarly manifests His glory. The Bible teaches that although God is
everywhere present, He is peculiarly present in a number of different places or
conditions. W. M. Smith remarks, "Although it is true that the Scriptures teach
that `the heaven of heavens cannot contain' God (1 Kings. 8:27 ASV), and that
God is everywhere present in the universe, nevertheless, they clearly affirm
that heaven is in a particular way the habitation of God."
Perhaps the most important passage on this point is 1 Kings 8. This passage
describes the dedication of the earthly temple built by Solomon as God's earthly
house. Solomon, however, repeatedly reflects upon that place which is typified
in the earthly structure (vv. 10-13, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36, 39, 43, 45, 49). (Note
also Ps. 23:6; Isa. 57:15; 63:15; 66:1). The point that is repeatedly emphasized
in these passages is that heaven is the place of God's special presence, where
His glory, His attributes, are most clearly revealed. As such it is the most
exalted and holy place in the universe.
Question 4: Is heaven, then, a place?
Answer: Yes, the bodily state of Enoch, Elijah, and
especially our Lord who are now in heaven assures us that heaven is a physical
place (Gen. 5:21-24; 2 Kings 2:10-18; Luke 24:36-43; Acts 1:1-11; John 19:40f.;
Heb. 12:24).
What is meant by saying that heaven is a place? Very simply, heaven is a
locality with spatial dimensions. It takes up space. It is as real a locality as
London, Manila, or New York City.
How may we prove this? The best way to prove that heaven is a place that
takes up space is to prove that there are things there that take up space. This
is proven by the fact that Enoch, Elijah, and our Lord are in heaven in a bodily
sense (Gen. 5:21-24; 2 Kings 2:10-18). The biblical evidence for our Lord's
bodily presence is both more important and more extensive (Luke 24:36-43; Acts
1:3, 4, 9-12; 3:21; John 19:40-20:17; Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14; 15; 6:20; 8:1;
9:24; 12:22-24).
Question 5: Is there time in heaven?
Answer: Yes, since only God transcends time, the created
beings who dwell in heaven experience the limitations not only of space, but
also of time (1 Tim. 1:17; Rev. 6:11; 20:4-6; Eph. 1:20; 2:7).
Since God is "infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being," He is not
subject to the limitations of space and time. According to 1 Tim. 1:17 He is not
the subject of time, but the "King of the ages." Due to the influence of Greek,
and especially Platonic, philosophy and against all biblical reason, this
attribute of God has often been transferred to heaven and its inhabitants. That,
however, there is time in heaven is proven by several considerations.
(1) Since only God transcends time, the only possible way in which any
creature could escape time would be to be deified. The Bible, however, never
teaches this. It is the vilest heresy. Whatever may be properly meant by the
phrase "entering eternity," it may not mean that we become eternal like God.
(2) The Bible plainly teaches that the souls of the righteous in heaven are
subject to time (Rev. 6:11). Did not Christ's ascension into heaven mark a new
era, epoch, or time in the history of heaven?
(3) Time exists in the eternal state. That state is called the age or ages to
come (Mark 10:30; Luke 20:34, 35; Eph. 1:21; 2:7). This word means world-age and
actually implies that the eternal state is both a spatial and a temporal
existence. Since the heavenly condition and the eternal state are both popularly
conceived to be timeless, showing that the eternal state is not timeless
suggests that heaven is not timeless.
(4) The idea that there is no time in heaven or in the eternal state is often
buttressed by an appeal to Rev. 10:6 which is translated in the KJV as follows,
"that there should be time no longer." It is sufficient rebuttal of this appeal
to note that the NIV, NASV, NKJV, Amplified Bible, and major Greek lexicons
understand this to mean that there should no longer be delay in the execution of
God's purpose. Note also that the Greek word used here is cronoj. In its verb
form (the noun is used in Rev. 10:6) it is often translated or means "delay"
(Matt. 24:48; 25:5; Luke 1:21; 12:45; Heb. 10:37).
All of this is fitted to impress upon us one main point: the reality of the
glory of heaven. At the fall God drove man from the place of His special
presence. Since the fall Jehovah has very seldom walked with men or displayed
His presence among them visibly and externally. We are an exiled race. Even
Christians must walk by faith and not by sight and live in hope, but not in
reality. Christians, furthermore, have often thought of heaven in such nebulous
and impossible terms that it for the most part ceased to have much reality for
them. It was an ideal, spiritual world of timeless and spaceless existence.
Eternity, because it was timeless, was thought of, perhaps, as filled with
living statues which never moved, forever fixed in the posture of reverence.
Alternatively, heaven, somehow outside of real space, was thought of as a
cloudy, ideal, intangible, and spiritual existence. What a relief it is to
abandon such ideas for the realistic view of the Bible! In truth, heaven is a
place where men with bodies live: Enoch, Elijah, and our Lord. If you were
there, you could see and touch your Savior. The biblical balance is, therefore,
this. We know that heaven is a place, but we do not know where this place is.
Question 6: How is heaven described in the Bible?
Answer: It is described as the city of God and the paradise
of God (Heb. 12:22-24; Gal. 4:24-31; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:2-4).
Someone may say that this answer simply does not take into account the
complexity in the biblical presentation of heaven. I believe, however, that most
of the biblical descriptions of heaven are summarized in the two mentioned in
this answer. The two descriptions mentioned in this answer are the most frequent
descriptions of the Bible.
Heaven is the city of God (Heb. 12:22-24; Gal. 4:24-31). As God's city it is
the place where His temple and His throne are. The frequent, biblical
descriptions of heaven as God's temple and God's throne may be subsumed under
the description of heaven as God's city. The imagery of a city is very rich in
meaning. Later we will draw out something of its significance. Now it is
important to note, however, that heaven is not just any city. It is Jerusalem!
Jerusalem was the biblical capital of the promised land, Canaan (Heb. 11:16).
This brings us to the second major biblical description of heaven.
Heaven is the paradise of God. The word literally designates a beautiful park or garden. The Bible calls upon two examples to describe heaven as a beautiful park or garden. Paradise in Rev. 2:7 is obviously reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. There was the tree of life. There also man had fellowship with God in perfect righteousness and happiness. Heaven, then, is a return of the Garden of Eden. Closely related to this example is the example of the promised land, the land of Canaan, the rest promised to the people of God (Heb. 11:16, with Heb. 3:18-4:1). (Note also Rev. 6:11; 14:13). The Canaan rest, the land flowing with milk and honey, was the great promise to which Israel looked during the weary years in the burning wilderness. Heaven, then, is the inheritance to which Christians look. Much insight as to the nature of heaven can be gleaned from meditation on this imagery.
But a question is raised by the idea that heaven is the city of God and the
paradise of God. Aren't these two images used to describe the eternal state, in
addition to the intermediate state? Isn't the eternal state our eternal
inheritance of the New Jerusalem and the Greater Canaan Rest? The answer is yes.
(Note Rev. 21:1-4; Heb. 13:14; 9:15). This brings to view a very important
principle with regard to the doctrine of the intermediate state. The
intermediate state anticipates the eternal state. Heaven is the present
anticipation of our future hope. The Christian does not have two hopes. He has
one hope. But this one hope is anticipated in the heavenly existence of the
spirits of believers.
Question 7: What is the blessed condition of the spirits of believers in heaven?
Answer: They are made unchangeably and perfectly holy and
happy in themselves (Heb. 12:23; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; Rev.
14:13).
This answer asserts four things about the condition of the spirits of
believers in heaven.
1) It is unchangeable. This follows from the all-important fact that
salvation is the outgrowth of the sovereign purpose of God. "The gifts and the
calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29). The blessing attained in the
heavenly city is, thus, irreversible. If free will were the source of salvation,
then the early church father, Origen, would have been right when he taught that
everyone would be saved, but that they could also apostatize even from the glory
of heaven. Since, however, we believe that salvation is ultimately dependent on
God, the glory of heaven is permanent. This is clearly implied in the biblical
statement that this city "has foundations" and its "architect and builder is
God" (Heb. 11:10). The city of God is also a place of security, ideally what all
cities were intended to be (Ps. 48:3, 8). It is also implied in that the spirits
of believers are said to have been "perfected" in Heb. 12:23, literally, brought
to the goal. This goal as the goal of the sovereign God is irreversible and
unchangeable.
2) It is a condition of perfect holiness. Three considerations demand this
conclusion. First, the explicit statement of Scripture in Heb. 12:23 demands
this conclusion. That verse speaks of "the spirits of righteous men made
perfect." The necessary implication of this statement is that they are made
perfect precisely in their character as righteous men. As noted previously, the
term, "made perfect," literally means "to cause to reach an appointed goal" or
"to bring to completion." The appointed goal of the righteous is, of course, the
reward of the eternal inheritance. The analogy of Scripture makes clear that one
aspect of the blessing of this inheritance is that believers are made ethically
perfect. The point of Heb. 12:23 is that the spirits of believers attain this
perfection at death.
That the spirits of the righteous are made perfect in holiness is
necessitated, secondly, by their location. They are in the holy city and the
paradise of God. Existence there, however, requires perfect holiness (Rev. 21:27
and Gen. 3). Man was expelled from the Garden of Eden when he fell into sin and
he cannot be admitted back into the very presence of God until he himself is
restored to ethical perfection. To dwell in that city that is bathed in the
unveiled light of the glory of the God who dwells there demands moral perfection
(Heb. 12:23).
The ethical perfection of the spirits of believers is demanded, thirdly, by
their companion. They go to be with Christ. This is the master principle of the
Bible's teaching on the subject. In some sense at death they no longer walk by
faith, but by sight (2 Cor. 5:6-8). But to see Christ is to be made like Him, 1
John 3:1-3. Though this is speaking of His second coming, the principle it
states is more general. We are made like Him, because we see Him. If, then, we
see him at death in our spirits, then our spirits, at least, must be made like
Him.
3) It is a condition of perfect happiness. Anyone who lives in the paradise
of God, the city of God, and with the Son of God must be perfectly happy.
4) It is an incomplete condition. It is only in themselves that they are
perfectly happy and holy, that is to say, in their spirits. As we shall see
under Question 10, there are limitations with reference to the perfect happiness
of these spirits.
Question 8: What do these spirits do in heaven?
Answer: 1) They rest in the heavenly Canaan. 2) They commune
with their fellow-citizens in the heavenly Jerusalem. 3) They reign with Christ.
4) They behold God and the intercession of the Lamb in the true temple where
they serve as priests and worship God (Rev. 14:13; 6:11; Luke 23:43; Heb. 12:23;
Rev. 20:4-6, w/3:12, 21).
1) They rest in the heavenly Canaan (Rev. 6:11; 14:13). The concept of rest
in the Scriptures is wonderfully rich. Into all that is conveyed by this word,
we cannot go here. The passages we have just read make it clear that heaven for
the spirits of believers is a rest. This should not surprise us, since it is the
heavenly Canaan. Canaan was the rest of God's people, the land where they could
serve God without the oppression of Pharaoh and without the dangers of the
wilderness experience. They would rest, be given cessation, from the trouble and
toil of their previous experience. This idea of cessation from trouble is
clearly present in Rev. 14:13. They rest from their labors. Note the plural. The
nature of these labors is implied by v. 12. In the world it was necessary to
persevere in keeping God's commands and believing in Jesus. This word,
perseverance, implies opposition in their endeavors to serve Christ. The context
identifies this opposition as primarily the world and the devil. It was also
their own flesh, however, which made obedience to God a labor. The rest of
heaven means the cessation of such battles, the ability to worship and serve God
without such hindrances, and the preliminary enjoyment of God's reward for their
faithful labors. What Canaan was to Israel, what the day of rest is to a weary
Christian, that and much more will heaven be to the spirits of believers.
2) They commune with their fellow-citizens in the city of God.
The question is often raised: will we know each other and communicate with
each other in heaven? The answer to this question is clearly yes. The very
description of heaven as the city of God demands the idea of fellowship and
communication with the other inhabitants of the city. A city in the Scriptures
is a harmonious society. In other words, essential to the idea of any city is
the idea of a society. A society by definition assumes communication and
personal relationships. Heaven as the city of God is such a society. That we
will know and communicate with others in heaven is further confirmed by the
basic truth of the intermediate state, that we will be with Christ. This "being
with Christ" or "being at home with Christ" clearly necessitates the idea of
knowing and communicating with Him. If it is clear that we shall know and
communicate with our Lord, then it is reasonable to think that we shall know and
communicate with the spirits of the righteous.
3) They reign with Christ.
Already Christians are legally seated with Christ in the heavenly places.
That is to say, in virtue of our union with Christ we already participate in His
glorious reign (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1-3). But what we have now legally, we will
experience personally when at death we depart to be with Christ. Then our
spirits will go to be with Him where He reigns at the right hand of God (Phil.
1:23). And all this is not simply a deduction from the foregoing truths. It is
the direct statement of the Scriptures in its climactic teaching regarding the
intermediate state (Rev. 3:21; 20:4-6).
We have already argued that the reference of Rev. 20:4-6 is to the glorious
intermediate state of believers in heaven. There is no need to review that
material here. Revelation 3:21 has not been dealt with in such detail.
Undoubtedly this passage has a fulfillment, and perhaps its central fulfillment
at Christ's return, when the Saints will judge the world (1 Cor. 6:2, 3). But
confirming a fulfillment of this promise in the intermediate state are three
considerations. First, it is natural to think of the reigning with Christ
promised here as commencing at the end of the overcomer's life when he will have
completed the condition required for these promises. Second, other of the
promises to overcomers have a fulfillment in the intermediate state. (Note Rev.
3:5 with 6:11; Rev. 2:7 with Luke 23:43 and 2 Cor. 12:4; also Rev. 3:12 with
Rev. 6:11 and 20:6). (These preliminary fulfillments of the promises to the
overcomers in the intermediate state attest again the principle that there is a
certain continuity between the intermediate state and the eternal state.) Third,
the proper interpretation of Rev. 20:4-6 directly affirms that there is such a
fulfillment. We have seen that the only interpretation of this passage which is
consistent with both the rest of the New Testament and with the language of this
passage is that which sees verses 4-6 as describing the glorious condition of
the spirits of believers and especially martyred believers in heaven during this
age. In line with this interpretation, Rev. 20:4-6 must be seen as the climactic
passage in the New Testament on the subject of the intermediate state.
What a triumphant scene it portrays! The Romans thought they had killed these
Christians. They thought they had put an end to any power or influence they
might have. They had treated them as unworthy of presence in human society. But
all their most terrible persecutions had accomplished was to exalt them to a
truer life, an exalted reign with Christ, and a place of holy service not in the
presence of men, but in the presence of God. What a triumphant vindication of
the martyrs of Christ! This brings us to the fourth activity.
4) They behold God and the intercession of the Lamb in the true temple where
they serve as priests and worship God (Rev. 3:12; 20:6). One Puritan remarks
that here on earth we have only dark apprehensions of Christ's intercession, but
that there we shall see him at His work. Certainly this must make deep and
suitable impressions on us.
Question 9: When do the spirits of believers enter heaven?
Answer: The spirits of all believers immediately enter
heaven at death (Luke 23:43; Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:6-8).
The key word is "all." This question and answer raises the issue of
purgatory. There are two arguments which conclusively support the answer given
above, the first negative and the second positive.
The negative argument is that the doctrine of purgatory is completely without
any biblical support and presupposes many of the false doctrines of Rome such as
the distinction between mortal and venial sin.(2)
The point of relevance for us is that there is no scriptural alternative for the
abode of the departed spirits of believers other than heaven. They must go to
heaven because the Bible knows of nowhere else they could go.
The positive argument is that every passage which identifies the abode of
departed spirits of believers identifies it as heaven. Note, first, Luke 23:42,
43. Some who oppose the immediate entrance of believers into heaven translate
this verse as follows: "Truly I say to you today, you shall be with Me in
Paradise." They put the comma after the word, today, and connect it with the
phrase, "Truly I say to you." There are at least three things wrong with this
rendering. First, it makes Jesus utter trite nonsense. When else would Jesus be
saying it? Second, it violates the natural meaning the passage. The thief has
asked that Jesus remember him when he would come in His kingdom. Jesus' response
is, "Today, you shall be with Me in Paradise." Third, it ignores the context
which emphasizes in the immediately succeeding verses that Jesus died that very
day, vv. 44-46. Note, second, 2 Cor. 5:6-8. Paul here states his confidence that
his death will mean being at home with the Lord in heaven. Two things heighten
the significance of this passage and imply that what is true for Paul is true
for all believers. Paul uses the pronoun, we, throughout the passage. This means
that he at least expected that his fellow-workers, if not all believers, would
experience the same blessing. The second thing that points in this direction is
the way Paul repeats the formula "at home in the body, absent from the Lord,"
vv. 6, 8, and 9. This necessitates the idea that these are the only two
alternatives. (Note also Phil. 1:21-24; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9-11; 14:13; 20:4).
The thief on the cross, Paul, his fellow-workers, the spirits of righteous
men made perfect, martyrs, the dead who die in the Lord, all without exception
are in heaven. If all these are in heaven, if no other abode for the spirits of
believers is revealed, if all Christians are equally in union with Christ,
equally forgiven, and equally joint-heirs of glory, then we must conclude that
the spirits of all believers when they die immediately enter heaven.
Question 10: Is the blessedness of these spirits complete?
Answer: No! In the Intermediate State the goal of redemption
has not been achieved. Their blessedness is incomplete, therefore, in five ways:
1) They have not received the redemption of their bodies. 2) Their brethren, the
elect people of Christ, are yet partially unredeemed. 3) Their inheritance, a
redeemed creation, is not yet theirs. 4) They have not yet been publicly
vindicated by the final judgment. 5) Their enemies have not yet been judged (2
Cor. 5:1-8; Rev. 6:11; 21:1).
Under previous questions we have emphasized that the intermediate state is often viewed in the Scriptures as an anticipation or preliminary fulfillment of the blessedness of the eternal state. Thus, there is a certain continuity between the intermediate state and the eternal state. Under Question 8, however, I intimated that there is a balancing reality with reference to the intermediate state which also receives clear emphasis in the Scriptures. The intermediate state, though a state of perfect holiness and in one sense a state of perfect happiness, is from another perspective a state of incompleteness. In the answer to Question 10 five ways in which the blessedness of the intermediate state is incomplete are mentioned. Even a surface acquaintance with the Scriptures is sufficient to show the basis for the five statements made there.
Two passages which intentionally reflect on the remaining incompleteness and
deficiency of the intermediate state will be examined. Someone might think that
the Bible itself never reflects negatively on the intermediate state of
believers. It is important to realize, however, that the Bible never idealizes a
disembodied condition and always holds up an historical consummation which is
both earthly and bodily as the true hope of believers.
The first passage is Rev. 6:9-11. Here several dis-satisfactory aspects of
the intermediate state are revealed. The most prominent is the lack of
vindication which the souls of the righteous feel because their enemies have not
yet been judged. This unresolved injustice makes the blessedness of these souls
incomplete. Two other dis-satisfactory aspects are referred to more implicitly.
The description, "the souls of those who had been slain," in v. 9 alludes to the
disembodied condition as disquieting. The mention in v. 11 of "their
fellow-servants and their brethren who were to be killed" reminds us of the
unity of the elect people of God. The blessedness of the spirits of believers
must be incomplete as long as their brethren are yet subject to the hostility of
a cruel world.
The second passage is not found in the highly figurative surroundings of Revelation, but in the more commonplace atmosphere and language of 2 Corinthians. This passage also specifically reflects on the dis-satisfactory aspects of the intermediate state. When Paul speaks here of being "naked," v. 3, and "unclothed," v. 4, he is alluding to the intermediate state entered at death and the bodiless condition it entails. Furthermore, these verses explicitly state Paul's desire not to be naked or unclothed, but rather, if possible to put on the transformed body over his mortal body. That is to say, he hopes not to die, but to put on his resurrection body over his living body. In both verse 2 and again verse 4, Paul uses a form of the verb, to put on, which literally means to put on over. It is not precisely the same verb used in 1 Cor. 15:53, 54 of the resurrection of the dead which simply means to put on. Thus, in 2 Cor. 5 Paul clearly is thinking of the intermediate state of bodilessness as undesirable in certain respects.
B. The Condition of the Wicked
As we noticed earlier, the statement of the Confession tells us three things
about the condition of the wicked in the intermediate state: its location
(hell), its circumstances (torment and darkness), and its expectation (the
judgment of the great day). To thoroughly appreciate the biblical basis for
these assertions we must examine two matters: (a.) The Basic Biblical Words
relating to the Condition of the Wicked (b.) The Basic Biblical Texts Discussing
the Condition of the Wicked.
1. The Basic Biblical Words relating to the Condition of the Wicked
a. The False Views of Sheol
No treatment of the intermediate state of the wicked would be complete which
did not address itself to the meaning of the term, sheol, in the Old Testament
and its New Testament equivalent, hades. Uncertainty, confusion, and error
surround especially the meaning of sheol.
Cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses assert that it means oblivion or
non-existence. The sufficient rebuttal of this is the nonsense it makes of a
passage like Deut. 32:22.
Modernism and some Evangelicals influenced by Modernism think that it refers
to a shadowy netherworld or underworld. According to this view the Jewish view
of the after-life was profoundly influenced by the nations around them. The
popular idea of the day was that all men both good and bad went to a gloomy
netherworld. This view is based on those texts which teach or imply that all men
go to the same place, sheol, when they die (Eccles. 2:14; 3:19; 6:6; 7:2; 9:2;
3, 10; Gen. 37:35; 2 Sam. 12:23). Admittedly, these texts do teach that all men
go to sheol when they die. Yet, as we shall see, the assumption that sheol is
used to refer to only one thing, the netherworld, is very unlikely. This view
fails to do justice to those texts which clearly teach that there is a
distinction between the righteous and the wicked when they die (Prov. 14:32).
There is clear evidence in the Old Testament that the righteous experience a
blessed after-life, while the wicked one of punishment.
Inter-testamental Judaism viewed and many modern Dispensationalists view
sheol as containing at least two different compartments, one for the righteous
and one for the unrighteous. Buis gives this account of the view just mentioned.
"The main development in this period comes from the fact that Sheol is now
divided into two compartments: one for the good, called Paradise; the other for
the evil, called Gehenna."(3)
This theory was probably developed to deal with the very dilemma suggested
above. The Old Testament taught that all men go to sheol, but it also taught
that there is distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous in death.
The solution of the Jews to this dilemma was to postulate the idea of two
compartments in sheol, one of torment for the unrighteous and one of blessedness
for the righteous. This has seemed a logical theory to many since the time of
Inter-testamental Judaism. Some early church fathers and modern
Dispensationalists adopted this theory and elaborated it from a Christian point
of view. This theory may be diagramed as follows:
SHEOL
|
Paradise |
|
Gehenna |
The objections to this theory are many. They are, first, that the Old
Testament contradicts this teaching by asserting that believers even then went
to heaven (Gen. 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11; Ps. 23:6; Ps. 73:23, 24). Second, as we have
seen previously, paradise in the New Testament is identified with heaven (2 Cor.
12:4; Rev. 2;7; Luke 23:43). Third, this theory is not consistent with Luke
16:22. The rich man is not in gehenna, but hades. Hades is the Greek equivalent
to sheol. Paradise, Abraham's bosom, is contrasted not with gehenna, but with
hades.
ABRAHAM'S BOSOM
GREAT GULF FIXED
HADES
The best rebuttal to such theories is a proper understanding of the biblical
meaning of sheol. We now turn to a consideration of this:
b. The Proper Understanding of Sheol
1) Its Crucial Premise
This crucial premise is that sheol (and hades) do not always refer to the
same thing when used in the Bible. This premise is denied by each of the false
interpretations already mentioned. The analogy of the biblical word, death, a
closely related word, which has several different references in the Bible (I. e.
physical death, spiritual death, eternal death) shows the lack of basis for the
assumption that Sheol always refer to the same reality. Berkhof asserts that a
word study of the use of sheol in the Old Testament will quickly prove that this
word does not always have the same meaning. He also notes that many orthodox
interpreters agree with him.(4)
2) Its General Meaning
The derivation of the word, sheol, is uncertain. This does not mean, however,
that its general meaning in the Scriptures is unclear. In fact, the first six
passages where it is used in the Bible are sufficient to make this general
meaning perfectly clear (Gen. 37:35; 42:38; 44:29-31; Num. 16:30, 33; Deut.
32:22; 1 Sam. 2:6). Sheol, whatever more specific meaning it may take on, is
that which is below. It is the place below.
3) Its Suggested Analogy
This general meaning suggests a helpful analogy to clarify the meaning and
usage of sheol in the Bible. If sheol is that which is below, what is the word
which is its biblical opposite? It is the Hebrew word, shamayim, translated
heaven or heavens. Just as sheol is that which is below, so also shamayim is
that which is above. This contrast becomes clear in Job. 11:8; Psa. 139:8; and
Amos. 9:2).
The point of interest for us is that shamayim is also used to refer to
diverse realities. Three heavens are distinguished in the Bible: the airy
heavens, the starry heavens, and the heaven of God (2 Cor. 12:1-4). Given the
conceptual similarity of the word, shamayim, with the word, sheol, this suggests
that sheol also may refer to diverse realities. The visible heavens are that
which is above. Hence, they are associated with God and symbolize the place of
his abode and of blessedness. Sheol, that which is literally below, is, thus,
associated with that which is the antithesis of God and blessedness. It,
therefore, symbolizes the place of woe and torment which is devoid of the divine
presence and blessing. Sometimes, therefore, it is used of the grave, but in
other instances of hell, because the grave is a symbol of divine judgment and,
thus, of hell. The following diagram illustrates this analogy between shamayim
and sheol.
"HEAVEN OF GOD"
Heaven
----------
----------
Earth
----------
----------
Sheol
"SHEOL OF FIRE"
4) Its Confirming Evidence
The key evidence for this interpretation of sheol is that this word is, in
fact, used of hell, the place of punishment for the wicked after death. There
are a number of texts in the Old Testament where this meaning of sheol naturally
commends itself (Deut. 32:22; Job. 21:13; 24:19; 26:6; Ps. 9:17; Prov. 5:5;
9:18; 15:24; 23:14). The following considerations require that this, the most
natural interpretation of such texts, be adopted. First, the statement of Prov.
14:32 requires that something more than the grave be in view. Second, the fact
that even the righteous go to the physical grave seems to demand much more than
mere physical death and the grave as the just punishment of the wicked in the
minds of the Jewish authors of these texts. Third, the literature of
Inter-testamental Judaism confirms that Jews did see something more in such
texts than physical death and the grave. Fourth, the use of hades in the New
Testament, the Greek equivalent of sheol, demonstrates that sheol meant hell for
the inspired authors of the New Testament. This is the case because the use of
hades to mean hell in the New Testament is indisputable (Matt. 11:23; 16:18;
Luke 10:15; 16:23). Fifth, the Old Testament teaches that the righteous are
delivered from sheol, in spite of the fact that in one sense the righteous die
and go to sheol, the grave (Prov. 15:24; Ps. 49:14, 15). This requires us to
distinguish between a place of punishment in the after-life from which the
righteous are delivered and the grave which symbolizes it and from which the
righteous in general are not delivered till the last day. Otherwise the teaching
that the righteous are delivered from sheol would have no meaning.
The evidence for the existence of hell is not a matter of two or three or
even ten proof-texts in the Bible. The reality of hell as a place of torment for
the disembodied souls of the wicked is woven into the fabric of the Bible, but
not just into the fabric of the Bible; it is woven into the fabric of earthly
existence. The very words used in the Bible to describe the condition into which
we enter at death are words which remind us that death is a divine judgment.
Sheol may mean the grave, but it means that because it points us to the opposite
of all that is divine and blessed, and so it also means hell. Earthly existence
with its obituaries, funeral homes, and cemeteries is a constant reminder that
all mankind lives under the constant threat of divine wrath. We never develop
beyond our need for such reminders. Rather, as we grow older and the world
becomes commonplace, we need them more and more.
2. The Basic Biblical Texts Discussing the Condition of the Wicked
1) Luke 16:19-31
19 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and
fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. 20 "And a certain poor man named
Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with
the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even
the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 "Now it came about that the poor
man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich
man also died and was buried. 23 "And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in
torment, and *saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 "And he cried
out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may
dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in
this flame.' 25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you
received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being
comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 'And besides all this, between us and
you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from
here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to
us.' 27 "And he said, 'Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father's
house-- 28 for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, lest they also come
to this place of torment. ' 29 "But Abraham *said, 'They have Moses and the
Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 "But he said, 'No, Father Abraham, but if
someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' 31 "But he said to him,
'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded
if someone rises from the dead.'"
The teaching of Christ in these verses has been abused in two directions. It
has been made to say more than it does by hyper-literalism. Such interpreters
have pressed every detail of this teaching of Christ not realizing that, in
speaking of that which is inconceivable to us, Christ must use figurative
language.
It has also been made to say less than it does by minimizing conservatism.
Some conservative scholars wary of the first danger have denied that Jesus
intended to teach anything about the intermediate state. G. E. Ladd remarks,
"This parable is no commentary on contemporary social life, nor does it intend
to give teaching about the after-life. It is really not a parable about the rich
man and Lazarus, but about the five brothers. Jesus used contemporary
folk-material to set forth the single truth that if men do not hear the word of
God, a miracle such as a resurrection would not convince them".(5)
How should we respond to such a statement? Several responses are appropriate:
(1) Jesus in using this "folk-material" certainly seems to suggest that he
agrees with it. (2) Ladd's interpretation would mean that the first 8 verses are
simply local color. This means that close to two thirds of the parable is
useless doctrinally. This does not manifest a high view of the Bible. (3) The
context, as we shall see in just a moment, requires or at least strongly
suggests the need for some teaching in the context on the punishment that awaits
certain sins.
Those addressed in this instruction are the Pharisees, v. 14 and v. 15. They
were characterized by three sinful attitudes mentioned in the immediately
preceding verses: covetousness (vv. 1-13, v. 14), scoffing at Jesus' words (vv.
14, 15), and self-righteousness and self-justification for their covetous
attitudes (vv. 14, 15).
Because the Pharisees sins were various, the parable is two-pronged in order
to expose the foolishness particularly of covetousness and scoffing at Jesus'
words. Verses 19-26 warn of the certain torment awaiting complacent and covetous
rich men like the Pharisees. Verses 27-31 warn of the inability of even
miraculous signs to conquer the complacency and contempt of the Pharisees. Thus,
contrary to Ladd both parts of this description play a key role in Jesus'
response to the Pharisees. Further, we must be careful to confine ourselves to
interpretations and uses of these verses that reflect these two basic purposes
of Jesus.
Clearly, the teaching of Jesus here must be applied to the intermediate state
since the five brothers of the rich man are viewed as still living an ordinary
existence in this world.
Two truths are conveyed in the words of Jesus about the intermediate state of
the wicked. First, that state is one of conscious torment in Hades, vv. 23-25.
Second, it is one of inescapable torment, v. 26. These truths drive home the
danger of the Pharisees in their complacent rejection of the rebuke of Jesus.
2) Acts 1:25
The Bible graphically describes the circumstances of Judas' death. Compare
the above text with Matt. 27:3-10 and Acts 1:16-19. Yet while the circumstances
of Judas' death symbolize the place of which Acts 1:25 speaks, they are not that
place. There is a contrast between two places in Acts 1:25. Note the double use
of topon. This text asserts that Judas left a place of privileged
office and ministry and went to his own place, the place peculiarly
prepared for him by his sin and God's justice (John 17:12). Since he was the son
of perdition, we know that the place he went to was perdition, a word that means
loss, ruin, and destruction.
The doctrine taught in this text is clearly this. Each lost man has a place
peculiarly prepared for him in hell to which he will go when he dies. This has
several further implications. God's retribution is exact. Each has his own
peculiar place. This implies differentiation in the divine judgment. Such
differentiation involves two distinct ideas: the idea of gradation or degrees of
torment in hell and the idea of fitness. In other words God's punishment will
precisely and even ironically suit each man's peculiar wickedness. All this
further implies that this life is determinative of the after-life. The sin of
the wicked in this life produces according to the vengeance of God their exact
place in the next.
3) 1 Pet. 3:19
Many understand this verse to mean that after his death Christ personally
descended into hell and announced salvation to the spirits there. Often it is
used as a proof text for the idea that O. T. saints were delivered from hades by
Christ's death and brought at that time from hades to heaven. We have already
seen that this idea contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture. Furthermore, it
is not supported by the teaching of this passage since the spirits preached to
here were not saints, but the rebellious and damned contemporaries of Noah.
Certain cults add, therefore, that this is proof of a second probation after
death. This teaching, however, is absolutely antithetical to the whole tenor of
biblical teaching.
We are shut up, therefore, to the common Protestant interpretation of this
verse. It is best commended by its clear explanation. This interpretation states
that Christ went and preached by His Spirit in Noah's day and through Noah to
men who were in Peter's day "spirits in prison," because they had disobeyed the
Spirit-empowered preaching of Noah while they were alive. A careful inspection
of v. 18 will show that it does not assert that Christ personally preached to
the spirits in prison, but that in or by His Spirit He did so. The
instrumentality of Noah's proclamation of the Word of God is implied in v. 20
(Note the word, disobedient, in its connection with the days of Noah.) and
explicitly mentioned elsewhere (2 Pet. 2:5 and Gen. 6:3). Other mentions are
made in Scripture of preaching by Christ which He did not perform personally and
bodily but through His Spirit (Eph. 2:17 and 1 Peter. 1:12).
The words, "in prison," must, therefore be understood as the NASV does by
adding the word, "now." They are Peter's comment on the result of these spirits'
disobedience in Noah's day. The result of that is that "now" they are in prison.
This text, therefore, corroborates the other statements of the New Testament
that the intermediate state of the wicked is a condition of divine imprisonment.
This thought conveys at least three important ideas about hell. First, hell is a
place from which you cannot escape. Second, hell is a place of punishment.
Third, hell is a place where men are reserved for the day of judgment.
4) 2 Pet. 2:9
This statement of Peter forms his conclusion from the three previous examples
of divine judgment he has cited, vv. 4-6. It specifically alludes to v. 4 by
repeating the verb, "to keep," used there. Thus, Peter likens the condition of
all the unrighteous to that of the angels that sinned. The angels are right now
kept for judgment in a place of punishment. So also are all the unrighteous
dead, says Peter. Also conclusive for a reference here to the intermediate state
of the wicked is the grammar of the passage. The KJV misses the point.(6)
The verb meaning, "punish," is a present passive participle which should be
translated, "while being punished." Note the translation of the NASV and the
NIV. Literally this phrase reads, "but unrighteous unto day of judgment while
being punished to keep."
The teaching of this passage is that the wicked after death and while
awaiting the day of judgment are kept and punished. They are guarded, literally,
by the Lord. There is, therefore, no escape from their condition or from their
judgment. While being so guarded they are punished. The implication of the
passage is that they are punished in a way and in a place similar to that in
which the angels who sinned are punished: a place described as "pits of
darkness" (2 Pet. 2:4) and "eternal bonds under darkness" (Jude 6).
Several practical conclusions follow from this examination of the Biblical
teaching on the intermediate state of the wicked. (1) The Intermediate State of
the Wicked is a place of conscious torment and punishment. This torment is
described as being in darkness, being chained, being burned. (2) The
Intermediate State of the Wicked is a place that is entered by men and prepared
for men because of their sin described variously as covetousness, scoffing at
Jesus' Words, disobedience to the preaching of God's Word, being unrighteous
like Noah's generation and Sodom and Gomorrah, and selling Jesus for silver. So
intimately related to the wickedness of men is this place that each one seems to
have a unique punishment fitted to his sins. (3) The Intermediate State of the
Wicked is a place from which there is no escape. This is demonstrated by a
number of different considerations in these texts. There is a great gulf fixed
so that none go from hades. It is described as a prison in which the Lord is the
keeper. There is, therefore, consequently, no escape from this place. It is a
man's place in the after-life. As his unique abode prepared for him there is no
escape from it.
This answers the question as to whether there is a second chance for men
after death to be saved. The wicked are kept in this prison for the specific
purpose of arraigning them in the day of judgment (2 Pet. 2:9). Besides the
considerations flowing out of the texts already mentioned, what other biblical
considerations demand this conclusion? 1 Pet. 3:20 implies that God's patience
ended with the death of these men. This thought is corroborated by the words of
Jesus in John 8:21, 24. There is a note of finality contained in these words of
Jesus. To die in sin is clearly a dreadful thing, but why so dreadful if there
is a second chance? Note also that the final judgment proceeds on the basis of
the earthly life of men. There is always a reference to the earthly life of men
as the exclusive basis of judgment (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 14:13; 1 Tim. 5:25; Matt.
10:32, 33; Heb. 9:27). There is never a reference to any possible change due to
behavior in the after-life.
1.
Webster's New World Dictionary, (Cleveland, The world Publishing Company, 1966), p. 727.2.
Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, (Philadelphia, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1962) pp. 218-234.3.
Harry Buis, The Doctrine of Eternal Punishment, (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1957), p. 18f.4.
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, (Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1939), pp. 684, 685.5.
G. E. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1974 (p. 194).6.
The NKJV corrects its mistaken translation.