Where Do the Souls of the Righteous Go at Death?

In my circle of friends, this topic has gotten a lot of play lately. We may never know the answer to this question this side of eternity. But, interestingly, strong opinions exist about what the Bible says on this matter. There are those, I would say the majority, who believe that the Hadean world is a temporary, intermediate existence, made up of a good place and a bad place. The souls of all men who die before the Second Coming of Christ will dwell in one place or the other, awaiting the final judgement. There are those who believe that souls go directly into heaven or hell, thus implying a continuous judgement, not limited by time. Catholicism takes further liberties with the majority view, in their doctrine of Purgatory, whereby souls of the lost can be prayed into “the bosom of Abraham” prior to judgement.

What does the Bible say about the destination of mans’ soul at death; particularly in the case of the righteous? Why the belief in an intermediate destination?

With the limitations of space, I choose to look at the strongest Biblical support for the majority view, and see if it makes sense.

First, the majority argues that Jesus’ statement to the penitent thief (known in many circles as “the thief on the cross”) in Luke 23:43, is adequate proof that a place exists, in the spiritual realm, for the forgiven, and prior to heaven itself. The focus is on Jesus’ statement to the thief that “today, you will be with me in paradise”. And since in John 20:17, we find the resurrected Jesus saying that He “has not yet ascended” to His Father, a conclusion is drawn that Jesus went somewhere immediately, but not to heaven. He went to a place he refers to as “paradise”. It is my belief that Jesus’ statement has more to do with contrast than destination. To me, Jesus is contrasting “today” with the thief’s perception of the timing of his reward, as in “when you come into your kingdom”. Jesus is also contrasting “paradise” with the agony, and torment, of the current situation for both He and the thief. In other words (actually my words), Jesus is saying, “I will remember your faith, not when I come into my kingdom, but today, and we will be in paradise together.” As for Jesus’ statement in John 20:17, it is my belief that He is simply stating that He has not yet ascended permanently to His Father.

Interestingly, some have stated that if Jesus had meant “heaven”, He would have said heaven. Admittedly, that is a concern. But, in reviewing the original text, and particularly the word “paradeisos”, we find something very peculiar. The word “paradeisos” is used only three times in the New Testament. “Paradeisos” is used by Jesus here, in Luke 23:43, by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:4, and by John in Revelation 2:7. Paul’s use of “paradeisos”, in verse 4 of 2 Corinthians 12, is synonymous with the “third heaven” (tritos ouranos) in verse 2. John’s use of “paradeisos” describes the place where the tree of life grows. Isn’t that in heaven?

So, “paradeisos” is used three times, and two of the three are clearly references to heaven. Therefore, I would answer the question of why Jesus used “paradeisos” if he meant “ouranos” (heaven), by asking why that in two, of only three, uses of “paradeisos” in the New Testament did the context mean “heaven”?

Second, the majority often refers to the story of the rich man and Lazarus, who died, were buried and found themselves in “Hades”. The rich man found himself in “torment”, and Lazarus was comforted in the “bosom of Abraham”. I should begin this discussion by saying that I strongly believe this is an actual event, these are actual people, and this is not one of Jesus’ parables. I would even go as far as to speculate that those who heard Jesus tell this story knew the rich man and Lazarus. But, nothing in Luke 16 is lost if these two men went to judgement and to their eternal destinations, and not to an intermediate waiting place. The abode of the rich man is described as torment, heat, flame, longing for relief, awareness of his surroundings, awareness of the comfort that Lazarus was enjoying and aware of the fate of his earthly family if they did not repent. The abode of Lazarus is described as “the bosom of Abraham”, a word picture of comfort, reward, and acceptance, particularly to Jews. What in that story makes any of us think that either the rich man, or Lazarus, will leave those surroundings for judgement, only to return to a similar place for eternity? Surely, we don’t believe that someone could spend a “waiting” time in one place and eternity in a place that is different. The use of “Hades” in Luke 16:23 will be addressed in the final point of this discussion.

Thirdly, the majority would cite Revelation 20:13f as proof that “Hades” and “Hell” are not the same place, therefore, the rich man in “Hades” is not equivalent to the rich man in “Hell”. It is true that “Hades” and “Hell” are not the same words, or concepts. In the Authorized Version (KJV) of the Old Testament and New Testament, “Hades” is always translated as “hell”, “the grave”, “the pit”, and incorrectly. Most likely, “Hades” is the Greek counterpart to “Sheol”, the region of departed spirits. There are two views of the Greek origin of “Hades”, and I will share them with you, although I am not qualified to render an absolute conclusion as to which view represents the original intent.

One view of “Hades” is aeido, or not seen. The other is a derivation of hado, or all receiving. Both of these interpretations would support either view, whether majority or minority. Scholars are divided on which view is appropriate, and I certainly cannot discern the intent, if scholars cannot.

In my way of thinking, I would rest my beliefs on the first two arguments, with little weight given to either side of the third argument. As stated in the beginning, we may never know the reality of the unseen world, this side of it. But, it is fun, and I believe productive, to engage in study to find what the Bible actually says, and not what others would tell you it says. Even if the majority is telling us, we must discern Bible teachings for ourselves. I hope this prompts us to further study on this, and other topics.