#stateofthedead

In our last article, The Rich Man and Lazarus, we saw that Jesus’ story functions as a parable. One that calls us to listen to Scripture and respond to God in this life, rather than offering a literal map of the afterlife. Yet one question still lingers for many readers: When the Bible speaks of “eternal punishment,” does it mean a punishment that never ends, or a punishment whose result is…

In our last article, When Are We Judged?, we saw that the Bible places judgment and reward at the end of the age, at the return of Christ and the resurrection of the dead. Justice is not immediate at death, but future and final. That raises the next question: What, exactly, does that final judgment involve? Few topics carry more emotional weight than hell. Images of unending fire, eternal…

In our last article, What Happens When a Person Dies?, we saw that the Bible consistently describes death as unconscious sleep. The dead are not portrayed as watching from heaven or suffering elsewhere, but as resting in the grave, awaiting resurrection. If that is true, then an important question naturally follows: When are people judged? If judgment does not happen at death, when does it…

In our last article, What Is a Soul?, we learned that the Bible defines the soul not as an immortal, detachable part of a person, but as the whole living being, formed from the dust and animated by God’s breath. According to Scripture, human beings are mortal by nature, and immortality is not something we possess automatically, but something God gives. If that is the case, a natural and pressing…