A Summary of Afterlives - Old Testament

What happens to us after we die?  

This question has occupied the minds of men for ages.  The texts in the Bible go a long way to illuminate the matter, but at no point do we get a systematic explanation. Therefor we have to piece things together.

There are three different periods we need to look at - each hinging on the actions of Jesus Christ.  Today I wanted to explore what happened prior to Christ's death.



The Realm of the Dead:

The Old Testament itself paints a somewhat shadowy picture of the afterlife.  It speaks of an all-encompassing place of the dead called "Sheol".

Here is one example:

"Like sheep they are herded into Sheol, where death will be their shepherd. Straight to the grave they descend, where their form will waste away, Sheol will be their palace. But God will redeem my life, will take me from the power of Sheol." - Psalm 49:15-16

Sheol might be equated to the Greek notion of Hades.  Hades is supposed to be the murky place where all are rendered equal in death.  This usage actually winds up in the Apostles Creed when we say:

"[Jesus] suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried, he descended to [Hades / Hell / the dead].  On the third day He rose again."

[Note: Older uses of "hell" were equivalent to "hades" and did not specify the place of the damned]


Distinctions:

However, we do receive hints that there are distinctions between the righteous and the wicked within Sheol/Hades.  A hint of this can be seen in the Old Testament when the righteous patriarchs speak of going to their fathers in death:

"The lifetime of Isaac was one hundred and eighty years; then he breathed his last. After a full life, he died as an old man and was taken to his kinsmen. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him." - Genesis 35:28-29

"When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he drew his feet into
the bed, breathed his last, and was taken to his kindred." - Genesis 49:33

This distinction is later made explicit by Jesus in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus:

“There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom." - Luke 16:19-23

This "Abraham's Bosom" was not the same as Heaven. That is to say, it wasn't where God dwelt in glory with His angels. [Elijah got to go there]. But it was nonetheless a place of comfort and rest for the souls of the just.

The place of torment also had a name.  It was called "Gehenna", a term which can be seen in Christ's sermon on the mount:

"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna." - Matthew 5:29-30

Thus, the final picture looks like this:

Next time we'll explore what happens next!