Where Do We Go, when We Die?
The truth is that death is promised to all of us at some point in our journey on earth. We have no control over when our time here will end. Many of us spend most our lives trying to cope with the fact death is inevitable. Taking on religious studies and philosophical views that will give answers as to what to expect when we cross over. As a Christian, the question of Do People Who Die Not Believing in Christ, go to Hell? Come into my mind often, and I pondered long and hard about this question and did my research. The answer is simply “No.” At least not until the second resurrection or what many Christians call “The Rapture.” What happens to souls when they die before the Messiah’s return, they are assigned to the Spirit World.
There are two types of Spirit Worlds: Spirit Paradise and Spirit Prison. Spirit Paradise is a place where the saints go who have been born again. It is also a place where non-Christians can go to as well. That is because spirit Paradise is a school of learning about our purpose in Heavenly Father’s plan. For example, if a person lived his or her life as a Jew, Muslim, or even a Buddhist, and has done his or her best to live a decent life, they will be able to enter Spirit Paradise.
Spirit Prison, on the other hand, is a place where rebellious souls enter when he or she refuse to live a life of doing any good or serving God. And yes, this will give those who go here an idea of what hell will be like, if he or she doesn’t receive the teachings of Christ there or Proxy Baptism.
I know! People will then ask,why did Jesus Christ say “You must believe in him in order to have eternal life?” It is true from a Christian point of view that you must believe in Christ. The thing is that not everyone who live on this planet will comprehend or receive the teachings of Christ. So therefore, is it fair to say they are going to hell?
In both the Old and New Testament, there were only a small number of folks who went to heaven right after death. They are Elijah, Moses, Jacob, Lazarus, and Enoch. The reason why these individuals went to heaven is because God set them apart as very special. In 2 Kings 2 Elijah went to heaven in a whirl wind. Matthew 17:3 states Moses appeared in a transfiguration with Jesus before he was known as the Christ. In Genesis 28:10–17 Jacob went up to heaven on a ladder. Lazarus in Luke 16:19–31 was carried to heaven by Abraham. Genesis 5:21–24 Enoch disappeared and it is suggested that he entered heaven alive. The point is that these individuals are the only ones recorded as going into heaven.
If you read the story of Lazarus in Luke 16:19–25, Jesus tells his disciples that the rich man went to hell. If you notice, Jesus Christ hadn’t been crucified on the cross yet. Once the sacrifice on the cross, Christ descends downward, conquering death and hell. When Jesus did this extraordinary act, it gave humanity the ability to have eternal life.
It is written in Revelation 1:18 that Jesus Christ will lift the dead and the living up when he returns to the earth again. This is the resurrection, or again, for some, it called “The Rapture.” How then will he lift or raise the dead to go to heaven, if they are already in heaven or sent down below to burn in hell? That wouldn’t make sense because the fact of the matter is that the dead has crossed over to the spirit world, none are in heaven or hell. In Retrospect, we are able to learn about Christ beyond physical death.
