Confused about the afterlife...

[ssammoh]

Stuff that might be true about the afterlife.

1. You either go to Heaven or Hell right when you die.
2. You're asleep in the grave until judgement day, then you go to Heaven or Hell.
3. You're asleep in the grave until judgement day, then you get resurrected to live on the new earth or you go to hell.
4. You're asleep in the grave until judgement day, then you get resurrected to live on the new earth or you get annihilated.
5. Something else?

Please tell me about the two different things that can happen after death, because I'm super confused. Different people say different things. :/

 

[rdcast]

Stuff that might be true about the afterlife.

1. You either go to Heaven or Hell right when you die.
2. You're asleep in the grave until judgement day, then you go to Heaven or Hell.
3. You're asleep in the grave until judgement day, then you get resurrected to live on the new earth or you go to hell.
4. You're asleep in the grave until judgement day, then you get resurrected to live on the new earth or you get annihilated.
5. Something else?

Please tell me about the two different things that can happen after death, because I'm super confused. Different people say different things. :/

I like #4

 

[TasteForTruth]

Stuff that might be true about the afterlife.

1. You either go to Heaven or Hell right when you die.
2. You're asleep in the grave until judgement day, then you go to Heaven or Hell.
3. You're asleep in the grave until judgement day, then you get resurrected to live on the new earth or you go to hell.
4. You're asleep in the grave until judgement day, then you get resurrected to live on the new earth or you get annihilated.
5. Something else?

Please tell me about the two different things that can happen after death, because I'm super confused. Different people say different things. :/

I see that you're Baptist. Just curious why you're coming to the Unorthodox section to discuss this. You must know that you're going to get responses that most Christians consider heretical (at best). There is much that I could probably share along the lines of teachings about the afterlife... just not sure how interested you are to hear from a Mormon.

 

[ssammoh]

I like #4

I like #4 too. Doesn't mean I believe in it though. I believe in hell, but I'm not 100% sure about it.

 

[ssammoh]

I see that you're Baptist. Just curious why you're coming to the Unorthodox section to discuss this. You must know that you're going to get responses that most Christians consider heretical (at best). There is much that I could probably share along the lines of teachings about the afterlife... just not sure how interested you are to hear from a Mormon.

I'm willing to hear about the afterlife from anyone who believes in the bible

 

[TasteForTruth]

I'm willing to hear about the afterlife from anyone who believes in the bible

That's good. I do believe in the Bible. But I believe in modern revelation and modern scripture. And much in those sheds additional light on the afterlife. So I don't confine my understanding to only the Bible. Still interested?

 

[Phantasman]

Stuff that might be true about the afterlife.

Please tell me about the two different things that can happen after death, because I'm super confused. Different people say different things. :/

What matters is what God reveals to you through prayer and what scriptures tell you. In other Early Christian writings when Mary asked Jesus where Heaven was he replied "Heaven is within you and all around you" meaning it was spiritual and on a different plane than physical life. He also went on to say it has different levels.

I would say don't be concerned of the area preserved for Satan and his angels, but seek knowledge of the riches God has in store for those awaiting the faithful. It is not as important the church you choose, as to make sure you follow God above all through Jesus and his words to your heart with prayer. Following a man or woman because they say what is right or wrong, or that they know the way, to follow them, is placing your soul in their hands. You are an individual and will be judged as an individual, not as a church member.

May God give you your answers.

 

[Albion]

FWIW--maybe just for information's sake--most Christians believe in #1. The other three choices are variations of the belief that is usually called "soul sleep." It is one belief that gets any religious body labelled as a cult.

 

[ssammoh]

That's good. I do believe in the Bible. But I believe in modern revelation and modern scripture. And much in those sheds additional light on the afterlife. So I don't confine my understanding to only the Bible. Still interested?

Yup.

 

[ssammoh]

I would say don't be concerned of the area preserved for Satan and his angels

The main reason I'm concerned is because I would like to know exactly what I'm saved from. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't I need to know exactly what Jesus saved me from for it to be proper salvation?

Lets say Hell was real, but I didn't believe in it. If I believed that Jesus saved me from ceasing to exist, I wouldn't be saved from Hell. I just wouldn't cease to exist.

Or what if Hell wasn't real, and I believed it in anyway. If I believed that Jesus saved me from going to Hell, I wouldn't be saved from ceasing to exist. I would just not go to Hell.

 

[ssammoh]

FWIW--maybe just for information's sake--most Christians believe in #1. The other three choices are variations of the belief that is usually called "soul sleep." It is one belief that gets any religious body labelled as a cult.

I know most Christians believe in #1

When I was a very young child (before grade school), I believed in #1.

Around age 8 or so I started to think that people in hell burn UP, as in turn to ashes and stop existing, which I found out later was called annihilationism (which can also refer to the belief that there is no hell in the first place).

In 5th grade I stopped believing in Hell completely. I was a conditionalist.

A little bit after I started high school I started believing in Hell again.

And now I just don't know.

 

[Soulgazer]

Then there are these ghosts wandering around that didn't go anywhere...........

 

[Albion]

I know most Christians believe in #1

When I was a very young child (before grade school), I believed in #1.

Around age 8 or so I started to think that people in hell burn UP, as in turn to ashes and stop existing, which I found out later was called annihilationism (which can also refer to the belief that there is no hell in the first place).

In 5th grade I stopped believing in Hell completely. I was a conditionalist.

A little bit after I started high school I started believing in Hell again.

And now I just don't know.

I take it that you are not especially interested in how many people believe which way as in knowing which is correct. What I am suggesting is that the view that is overwhelmingly believed by Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, and has been believed throughout Christian history, is likely to be the right answer. Not guaranteed, but most likely. And why would that be? Although some will say it's the tyranny of the church or the ignorance of the people or the unreliability of the Bible, if the Bible is to be believed there is almost no way to avoid the idea of eternal punishment. It is possible that the particular kind of punishment has been misunderstood, but it's hard to get around the eternal or everlasting part. It is SO often mentioned in scripture and taught by Christ himself that to reject it usually happens with those people who simply cannot bring themselves to accept that God would operate that way, regardless of what the Bible says. Of course, I'm counting on you to do your own study before you decide.

 

[Soulgazer]

I wasn't trying to be factitious---I just try to keep an open mind. "Belief" is an exceedingly dangerous thing. (in it's modern usage). I don't believe in ghosts, nor do I disbelieve in ghosts. It's not correct to believe in ghosts, but it would be a hell of a thing to die and be stuck as a ghost and have people refuse to believe in you, or worse, insist that you must be some sort of a demon.

In the same way, I don't believe in hell, nor do I disbelieve in hell. It's pointless. Believing one way or the other cannot affect the reality.

Rather, I try to follow Paul's advice: Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

 

[Phantasman]

The main reason I'm concerned is because I would like to know exactly what I'm saved from. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't I need to know exactly what Jesus saved me from for it to be proper salvation?

Lets say Hell was real, but I didn't believe in it. If I believed that Jesus saved me from ceasing to exist, I wouldn't be saved from Hell. I just wouldn't cease to exist.

Or what if Hell wasn't real, and I believed it in anyway. If I believed that Jesus saved me from going to Hell, I wouldn't be saved from ceasing to exist. I would just not go to Hell.

You sound like your placing to much emphasis on the carrot and the stick. When I see what Jesus went through for someone like me because of his love, it is enough for me to follow him. The main idea of most churches is that you will burn in everlasting torment if you don't follow Jesus (or their church). You can follow that if it makes you feel better. Personally, I believe God destroys souls who do not live up to measure in this physical life.

 

[strangertoo]

What I am suggesting is that the view that is overwhelmingly believed by Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, and has been believed throughout Christian history, is likely to be the right answer. Not guaranteed, but most likely.

Jesus reveals that your belief in the many is guaranteed to be false by him... the whole world will believe Satan, not God -Rev 13:3-4 - hw many escape this , just tens of thousands in all history [Jude 1:14], about one in three million alive today ... how did you miss that ? FEW find the way now , the MANY are destroyed [Matt 7:13-14] and you advocate following the many ?

if the Bible is to be believed there is almost no way to avoid the idea of eternal punishment.

bizarre my friend, READ the WHOLE bible until you understand the mistranslation that led to the bizarre belief that time is infinite ...and that God is so unjust as to punish meaninglessly without any chance of His enduring mercy ...punish endlessly for sin that so-called Christians do all the time , falsely claiming that grace saves them from continual sin :-

Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

I do not know why you talk about scripture without bothering to read and understand it, but you have it completely upside down... God's mercy endures because that is Loving, God is Love ... your belief is based on a simple mistranslation by sinners ... the word root 'aion- ' refers to an 'aeon' , that is how we get teh word aeon for an age of time ... and science has shown time is created, not infinite, it begins and ends with this universe

Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away

furthermore, burning the dead is done all the time, cremation, it does not destroy the spirit from which men are all resurrected from hell -Rev 20:13

so again READ THE SCRIPTURE , Jesus tells us all are released from hell... so again it PROVES the mistranslation..

The bible explains itself MANY ways , mass religion of sinners is of Satan, not a wise place to seek Truth ...

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil

Jesus states that all the world will worship a false god image created by Satan -Rev 13:3-4... and few will escape that -Jude 1:14, Matt 7:14, Rev 7:3-8

you do not help by repeating the lies without even reading and understanding the scripture and repeating the nonsense that the many are likely right when Jesus says they MUST be wrong...

 

[Soulgazer]

You sound like your placing to much emphasis on the carrot and the stick. When I see what Jesus went through for someone like me because of his love, it is enough for me to follow him. The main idea of most churches is that you will burn in everlasting torment if you don't follow Jesus (or their church). You can follow that if it makes you feel better. Personally, I believe God destroys souls who do not live up to measure in this physical life.

Yup. A thief who is afraid to steal because he might go to hell is just a timid thief. A thief who refuses to steal because he wants to get into heaven, is just an ambitious thief.

 

[strangertoo]

I know most Christians believe in #1

When I was a very young child (before grade school), I believed in #1.

Around age 8 or so I started to think that people in hell burn UP, as in turn to ashes and stop existing, which I found out later was called annihilationism (which can also refer to the belief that there is no hell in the first place).

In 5th grade I stopped believing in Hell completely. I was a conditionalist.

A little bit after I started high school I started believing in Hell again.

And now I just don't know.

Take the FIRST STEP , give up sin [no matter what others say and do] :-

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

then the SECOND step is taken by God, spirit baptism to know all Truth [John 16:13]

then you will not have the doubt any more because the Truth comes from God Himself to you directly as promised in the new covenant [Heb 8:9-10]

But as Jesus says, the Truth of God is nothing like what sinners teach the whole world in mass religion of sinners led by sinners led by Satan - Rev 13:3-4

 

[Albion]

Jesus reveals that your belief in the many is guaranteed to be false by him... the whole world will believe Satan, not God -Rev 13:3-4 - hw many escape this , just tens of thousands in all history [Jude 1:14], about one in three million alive today ... how did you miss that ?

So ANY doctrine derived from the Bible that most Christians agree on must therefore be Satanic? Interesting theory, but I can't agree.

 

[Ronald]

5. Something else?

There one life and one death and then the judgment. There is no soul sleep as some have interpreted. If you put your faith in Jesus, it means that you believe who He is and that He died on the cross and rose on the third day according to the scriptures. That's the good news. Since the wages of sin is death (physical and spiritual); He saved you from this judgment and has given you eternal life. Whether the second death in the Lake of Fire (which is Hell and btw, not Hades, since death and Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire and destroyed) is eternal or not, you are saved from this. Hades is where unbelievers go to wait for the final judgment. During the resurrection to life eternal, we receive new spiritual bodies. There is also a resurrection for the damned in which they will receive physical bodies once again to be thrown into the Lake and be destroyed.
Is the second death a deathless death? Has the word destruction somehow been assigned and endless state of indestructible destruction or imperishable perishing? Those are contradictions. I do believe to destroy means to put an end to and death can only mean the end of that person (both soul and body). However, traditional Christianity holds to and eternal damnation for which I have a problem with. How can God be glorified by sustaining billions of souls in a torture chamber for sinning for a few years or decades? It's like giving a child a life jail sentence for stealing a candy bar. God is just and will judge according to and in proportion to the sins committed. Besides, at the end of the Bible it states that all former things will pass away. No more death, tears, pain or suffering. This statement is not referring to our heavenly state -- that's obivious, so it must be a referrence to everyone and everything outside of Christ!