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When people speak of heaven and Hades, they often base their speaking on verses that are inaccurately used. Many people say that after the Lord ascended to heaven, the Paradise of Hades was also moved to heaven. Based upon this, they conclude that ever since the Lord’s death and resurrection, the souls and spirits of dead believers also go to heaven. In the previous chapter we studied almost all the verses that these ones use as their basis. As a result, we found that not one of these verses clearly states that the souls and spirits of dead believers go to heaven. We saw that this argument is based merely on inferences. Therefore, we must continue to search the Scriptures to see where the spirits and souls of dead believers go.
John 3:13, which was spoken by the Lord Jesus while He was on the earth as the Son of Man, says, “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.” While the Lord was on the earth, He said that no one had ascended to heaven. This indicates that all the spirits and souls of the saints who died in the Old Testament did not go to heaven, because no one other than the Lord had ever ascended to heaven. These words prove that the concept commonly held by many people concerning heaven is incorrect. Some people may point out that Enoch and Elijah were taken by God and that they must have been taken to heaven where God dwells. But the Lord’s words in John 3 prove that such an inference is not accurate. Enoch and Elijah were taken by God from the earth, but where God put them is not for us to know.
From John 3:13 we can see that God did not put the spirits and souls of these two men in the place where He dwells. We have already said that God’s dwelling place is the third heaven. The Lord said in verse 13 that no one has ascended into heaven. Heaven in this verse refers to the third heaven where God dwells, because that is the place that the Lord descended from. Since this is the heaven from which the Lord descended, this is also the heaven where God dwells. The Lord said that up to that point no one had entered into heaven. This shows that neither Enoch nor Elijah ascended to heaven.
If neither Enoch nor Elijah ascended to heaven, then where did God put them? If they were not put in the third heaven where God dwells, where else could they have been put? The Lord clearly said that no one other than the Son of Man had ever ascended into heaven. This indicates that Enoch and Elijah never went to the third heaven where God dwells. This amply proves that there must be another place besides the third heaven where God is. It is in this other place that God must have placed Enoch and Elijah. In any case, the Bible clearly indicates that they were not put in the third heaven where God dwells.
Acts 2:31 and 32 speaks of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This was prophesied in Psalm 16, one of David’s psalms, which prophesied that after the Lord went to Hades, God would cause Him to rise and come out of Hades. Acts 2:31 says that David, “seeing this beforehand, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was He abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.” There are two points of significance here. First, the Lord must have descended to Hades, because if He had not, it would have been unnecessary to say that He would not be abandoned to Hades. Second, in His resurrection the Lord must have come out of Hades. Only by coming out of Hades could the word concerning His not being abandoned to Hades be fulfilled.
In Psalm 16 David prophesied that the Lord’s body would not see corruption after death. This was proof that the Lord would be resurrected soon after His death. If He had been raised after three months or one year, His body would have been corrupted. Instead, only three days after His death He was resurrected. Therefore, His body did not see corruption. Acts 2:32 says, “This Jesus God has raised up.” From the context we can see that the resurrection includes the spirit and soul coming out from Hades and the body coming out from the tomb. After the Lord Jesus resurrected, He ascended to heaven. From John 3 we can clearly see that at the time the Lord was on the earth no one had ascended to heaven. Only after the Lord Jesus resurrected could one say that a man had ascended to heaven, and that man was Jesus the Nazarene.
In the Scofield Reference Bible there is a footnote for Luke 16:23 regarding Hades. This footnote says that before the Lord Jesus ascended, Hades had two parts. One part was the place for the spirits and souls of the unsaved people. This is the place of torment where the rich man was. The second part was the place for the spirits and souls of the saved ones, which the Lord Jesus called Paradise in speaking to the thief on the cross and which was also the place where Lazarus was in the bosom of Abraham. This explanation by Scofield is biblical and correct. There is no problem with this explanation.
According to what we have seen, Hades definitely has two parts. One part is the place of flames where the rich man was, and the other is the place of comfort and joy where Lazarus was in the bosom of Abraham. Luke also calls this place Paradise, the place where the spirits and souls of the saved ones in past generations are resting. This is very much in accordance with the Bible. However, Mr. Scofield clearly emphasizes that after the Lord Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, there was a change related to the Paradise of Hades. He said that when the Lord Jesus ascended, He brought Paradise, along with the spirits and souls of the saved saints in the Old Testament, to heaven. In other words, Mr. Scofield believed that when the Lord ascended, He also transferred the Paradise of Hades with the spirits and souls that were in it to the third heaven. He even uses the Paradise mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:4 to indicate that Paradise was moved to the third heaven. We have already seen in the previous chapter that 2 Corinthians 12 does not prove that Paradise is in the third heaven. On the contrary, it shows that Paradise and the third heaven are two different places. When the Lord Jesus resurrected and ascended, the Paradise of Hades did not move to a different place. Paradise is still in Hades, and the spirits and souls of the Old Testament saints are still in the Paradise of Hades waiting for resurrection.
Acts 2:34 says, “David did not ascend into the heavens.” These words were spoken by Peter on the day of Pentecost after the Lord Jesus had ascended. Mr. Scofield says that when the Lord Jesus ascended to the heavens, He brought with Him the saved souls and spirits of the Old Testament saints. We believe that David is among the saved souls and spirits of the Old Testament saints. Then, according to Mr. Scofield’s view, on the day of Pentecost David should have been in heaven. But on the day of Pentecost, Peter, having been inspired by the Holy Spirit, stood up and said, “David did not ascend into the heavens.” Mr. Scofield says that when the Lord Jesus ascended to the heavens, David also ascended. But on the day of Pentecost, Peter said that David did not ascend into the heavens. David prophesied that when Christ resurrected and ascended to the heavens, He would sit on the right hand of God. According to Acts 2, after the Lord Jesus resurrected and ascended, the souls and spirits of the Old Testament saints did not ascend to the heavens. Only the Lord Jesus Himself resurrected and ascended. This is very clear.
We must always remember Acts 2:34, which says, “David did not ascend into the heavens.” If anyone tells us that the Lord Jesus brought the souls and spirits of the Old Testament saints to the heavens in His ascension, we can read Acts 2:34 to him and tell him, “David did not ascend into the heavens.” Then we can read Hebrews 11:10, which says that Abraham waited for the city with foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God. Verse 16 says, “They long after a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Most Bible readers agree that what Abraham waited for was the city God had promised him—the heavenly New Jerusalem.
Abraham still longs for the heavenly city, which is the New Jerusalem. In the previous chapter we saw that after their death the souls and spirits of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob went to Hades, not to heaven. Therefore, when the Lord was on the earth, He said that no one had ascended into heaven. On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, Peter also said that David did not ascend to the heavens. If what Mr. Scofield believed is right, then in Hebrews, Abraham should have already been in the holy city, the Jerusalem in the heavens. Mr. Scofield said that when Christ resurrected and ascended, He transferred the spirits and souls of the Old Testament saints to the heavens. Mr. Scofield believed that the Lord brought them into the heavens, into the New Jerusalem. Consequently, Abraham should have already obtained the city that he longs for and that God has promised him. However, Hebrews 11:39 says, “These all, having obtained a good testimony through their faith, did not obtain the promise.”
Hebrews 11 was written with a single line of thought. It speaks of many who believed in and hoped to obtain God’s promise. This group of people, mentioned in verses 2 through 38, includes Abraham. What happened to Abraham and these men? Through faith they all received a good testimony, but they did not obtain the promise. Did Abraham obtain the holy city, New Jerusalem, that he longed for? Did Abraham receive the city that God had promised him? Verse 39 says very clearly that these ones did not obtain God’s promise. Today Abraham is still hoping and waiting in Paradise in Hades. When will he receive the city God promised him? Verse 40 says, “Because God has provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”
This is the word of the Bible. Abraham will not enter into the city before us. He is waiting for us in Paradise. The Paradise of Hades is where those who have been saved go after death. As each one dies, each one enters into it. On the other hand, the holy city, New Jerusalem, is not a place that we enter one by one but a place that we enter in a corporate way. The Old Testament saints could not enter into the holy city immediately after their death. They must wait for the New Testament saints. All those who know the Bible and have read Hebrews 11 recognize that although the Old Testament saints were saved before us, they cannot enter into the New Jerusalem earlier than we do. God wants them to wait for us who are in the New Testament age.
Strictly speaking, God has not finished His work on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. How can we say this? We can say this because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have not resurrected, that is, their bodies are still in the tomb. God’s work with regard to their bodies has not yet been completed. They are dead people. Regardless of how much they loved the Lord or how spiritual they may have been, they are still under death. Death is still in their bodies. When will this problem of death be resolved? This problem will be resolved when God finishes His work in all the saints throughout the ages and generations. When God causes the Lord Jesus to return, and when all the dead saints are resurrected, then the work of God on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be finished. At the same time, the work of God in us will also be completed. In other words, when they and we are resurrected, God’s work on them and on us will be completed. They and we, we and they, will enter into the New Jerusalem together and at the same time.
Today when a saint dies, there is still one problem that remains unresolved—the problem of death. Before this problem is solved, God places these spirits and souls in the Paradise of Hades. This Paradise is not the eternal dwelling place of those who have been saved. It is only a temporary shelter for the spirits and souls of the saved ones after they die and before they enter into the New Jerusalem. Therefore, today Abraham is still in the Paradise of Hades and has not entered into the holy city that he longed for. He is still in Paradise, waiting for what God promised him. According to God’s ordination, the Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints are to enter into the New Jerusalem together. This is what the Lord clearly revealed in Hebrews 11.
According to God’s plan and arrangement, when a saint dies, his spirit and soul do not go into the holy city, New Jerusalem, but into the Paradise of Hades. God’s plan has not been fulfilled yet, His preparation has not been completed yet, the time has not yet come, the required number of saints has not yet been reached, and God’s work in the saints has not yet been fully accomplished. Therefore, there must be a period of waiting with patience. Thus, God temporarily keeps the dead saints’ spirits and souls in Paradise where they must wait. From Hebrews 11 we can see that Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses are all there. Of course, if we read Matthew 17, we can see that there is another arrangement for Moses and Elijah. In God’s plan and work there are many arrangements and considerations. It is not as simple as we may think. Nevertheless, until the day of resurrection arrives, the spirits and souls of the dead saints will be temporarily kept in Paradise. No one can enter into the New Jerusalem before the appointed time or before all the requirements are met.
In Matthew 27, when the Lord Jesus resurrected, there were some Old Testament saints who came out of the tombs, entered into the earthly city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people (vv. 52-53). Where did those dead saints go after they resurrected? We can only say that we do not know because the New Testament does not clearly reveal this, and we do not want to assume too much. However, the day of Christ’s resurrection is typified by the Feast of Firstfruits (Lev. 23:10), because the Feast of Firstfruits was fifty days prior to the day of Pentecost, and it was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended in Acts 2. In the Old Testament during the Feast of Firstfruits, God required the Israelites to offer a sheaf of firstfruits of their produce. The produce that was offered was a sheaf, not merely one stalk. If the offering had been only one stalk, then this would have indicated that the Lord Jesus was going to be resurrected alone. However, the fact that the offering was a sheaf of firstfruits indicated that, besides the Lord Jesus, the saints who came out from the tombs in Matthew 27 would also be resurrected. They became the firstfruits of the harvest along with the Lord Jesus. However, where God placed them after they resurrected is difficult to determine from the Word, and we dare not draw any conclusions.
In simple terms, in order for a saved one to enter into God’s dwelling place, he must be mature, and he must be a complete person with his spirit, soul, and body in resurrection. He cannot be one whose spirit and soul have been separated from the body and whose body has not yet been resurrected. The spirit and soul of a dead person must be clothed with the body in resurrection in order to form a complete person. Only such a complete person is qualified to come before God’s presence. Even when the Lord Jesus died, His spirit and soul did not go directly to heaven. His spirit and soul went to the Paradise of Hades first. Only on the day of resurrection, after His spirit and soul had put on His body again, did He ascend to heaven to meet God.
Do you think that after the saints die, they can immediately go to heaven to meet God in a state of nakedness, without resurrecting and putting on the body? Suppose that today Paul’s spirit and soul came to visit us. If he had no body and only his spirit and soul came to us, would we not be frightened? The spirit and soul without the body is like a person without any clothing.
Second Corinthians 5 clearly says that the body is like our clothing (vv. 1-4). Not only will we be unclothed of this body, but we will eventually be clothed with a transfigured body. Paul says that if we are clothed with that body, we will not be found naked when we meet God. In other words, suppose we are unclothed of this body, that is, we die. If we meet God without being clothed with a transfigured body, that is, if we are not yet resurrected, we will be naked. This is what the apostle means. No matter how many times we read 2 Corinthians 5, it will always have this meaning. First, we cannot meet God in this body of humiliation. Second, even if we were unclothed of this body of humiliation, we still would not be able to meet God because we would be naked. Only when we are clothed with that body—the resurrected, transfigured, and glorified body—will we no longer be naked. Then we will be able to meet God.
This shows a principle. For a person who has been saved to go to God in the heavens and to be with God, he must be complete and without any problems. If a saved person dies, and his spirit and soul leave his body, there is still the problem of death in him. As long as this problem of death is not solved, his spirit and soul are still naked. How can such a person go to the dwelling place of God and dwell with Him? Therefore, he must be temporarily placed in the Paradise of Hades to wait there. As an illustration, suppose we come to visit you as you are taking a bath. At such a time, surely you would want us to wait outside until you finished taking your bath in the bathroom, put on some clothes, and could come out to the living room to meet us. If you heard us come and immediately came out from your bathroom without putting on any clothes, we would run away in fright. We must wait until you put on your clothes before we can meet you.
The thought in the Bible is that God has definitely ordained that those who have been saved would enter into the “living room,” but they must first be properly clothed and complete. When a saint dies, before the time of rapture and resurrection, his spirit and soul leave his body and become naked, having the condition of death. A big mark of death, the fact of death, is on him. Do you think that God would let such a naked spirit and soul, bearing a big mark of death, go to the heavens where His dwelling place is in order to be with Him? Of course He would not allow this. So what does God do? God does have a heart’s desire for those who are saved, who mature, and who die early. God seems to tell such a one, “You have had enough suffering, trials, and pains on the earth. Now I will put your spirit and soul in the bosom of Abraham. There you can rest, be comforted, and wait in peace until I finish My work. I still need to work in many people. You must wait until My work is finished, the days are fulfilled, and all the requirements are met. On that day when the holy city, New Jerusalem, is manifested, all the spirits and souls of those who have been saved throughout the generations will put on resurrected, transformed, and glorified bodies. You will be properly clothed and complete, and you will live with Me in the eternal dwelling place.” This is the thought of the Bible.
However, there is another problem—where are the spirits and souls of the dead believers? Revelation 6:9 says, “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had.” The opening of the fifth seal is closely followed by the opening of the sixth seal and is very close to the end of this age. In the sixth seal the heaven and earth and the moon and the sun are changed. So the fifth seal is close to the end of this age. The souls of those who were slain include the Old Testament and New Testament martyrs, including Peter and Paul. These souls “cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Master, holy and true, will You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And to each of them was given a white robe; and it was said to them that they should rest yet a little while” (vv. 10-11). This word rest is a good translation. It proves that the souls of the martyred saints are being comforted and are resting a little while in the bosom of Abraham. The words a little while also prove that the end of this age is near.
Where are the souls of the martyred saints, those whom the Lord wants to rest a little while? They are under the altar. This altar is typified in the Old Testament. According to the Old Testament type, the altar was in the outer court, not in the Holy Place or in the Holy of Holies. Most Bible readers acknowledge that the Holy of Holies typifies heaven, the outer court typifies earth, and the activity at the altar typifies something that was accomplished on the earth. The altar in the Old Testament typifies the cross in the New Testament. The cross was not in the heavens but was erected on the earth, on top of a mountain outside Jerusalem. This shows that the altar is something earthly. Then what does it mean to be underneath the altar? To be underneath the altar is to be underneath the earth.
The souls of the martyred saints are crying from underneath the altar, from the Paradise of Hades, which is underneath the earth. The souls of the martyred saints did not ascend to heaven at the time of the Lord Jesus’ ascension. Even at the opening of the fifth seal when the Lord’s return is imminent, their souls will still be underneath the altar in the Paradise of Hades. If they were already in heaven and in the holy city, they would not cry aloud. However, because they have not obtained what they hoped for and believed in, they are desperate. So the Lord tells them that they must rest a little while. This clearly shows that the souls of all the saints who died for the Lord in the Old Testament and the New Testament are underneath the altar, that is, underneath the earth in the Paradise of Hades, enjoying rest.
First Corinthians 3:15 says, “He himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” Catholicism teaches the concept of purgatory based on this verse. We can only say that this concept is absolutely inaccurate. Protestantism also incorrectly teaches that all the dead saints go to heaven. These are two erroneous teachings. Catholicism says that the spirits and souls of the dead go to purgatory to suffer, and Protestantism says that the spirits and souls of the dead go to heaven to enjoy eternal bliss. Both concepts are erroneous. According to the truth in the Bible, it does not matter whether a person who has been saved is strong or weak. As long as he has believed in the Lord’s saving precious blood, his spirit and soul will go to the Paradise of Hades when he dies.
What are the saints doing in the Paradise of Hades? They are waiting for resurrection, because the issues of death and maturity in life must be resolved. They are not suffering in Paradise but are resting and waiting. They are waiting for the resurrection and for the issue of the maturity in life to be resolved. They are waiting to receive either reward or punishment before the judgment seat of Christ. Once a believer dies, his spirit and soul go to rest in Paradise. However, this does not mean that there are no more problems. There are at least three issues that must be resolved: resurrection, maturity in life, and the receiving of either reward or punishment before the judgment seat of Christ. Only after these issues are resolved can a believer enter into God’s dwelling place in completeness and without problems.
Today when someone dies, there is nothing that can be done about his death. If he is a saved person, he does not go into the flames of Hades because his sins have been borne by the Lord. He does not suffer by the fire. However, there are still some issues that remain unresolved. Death is an issue that still needs to be resolved because the resurrection has not occurred yet. Furthermore, there are the issues of the maturity in life and the receiving of either reward or punishment according to the Lord’s judgment. Therefore, the saved one must wait in the Paradise of Hades for the resurrection and for the resolving of the issues of the maturity in life and for the receiving of either reward or punishment before the judgment seat of Christ.
After these problems are solved, he will be a complete person. Then God’s work in him will be finished. On that day God will place him in His dwelling place. The teaching of Protestantism that a Christian goes to heaven after death is not according to the truth. After a Christian dies, he still has the problem of death and still needs to be resurrected. He also needs to pass through the judgment at the judgment seat of Christ to decide whether he will receive reward or punishment. After going through all these processes and resolving all these issues, he will finally be a complete person before God. The work of God in him will finally be considered complete. On that day the holy city, New Jerusalem, will finally be prepared and ready. Also on that day the people who will enter the holy city and enjoy the eternal blessing will be satisfied. At that time all those who have been saved will finally receive what they believed in and hoped for throughout the generations. They will receive what God promised them throughout the generations.
Before that day arrives, the dead saints are in an abnormal situation of having their spirits and souls separated from their bodies. Thus, they need to be temporarily placed in Paradise to rest and to wait for the resurrection and for their being clothed with a glorious body. At the same time, we still may not be conformed to Christ’s image, we may not be mature in life, and we may not be faithful to God and may still have a big problem in serving Him. All these matters need to be taken care of in the future. When all these issues are resolved, then God’s work on us will finally be finished. Only then will the New Jerusalem be manifested, and God and we will dwell together eternally.
