Human Destiny - Part 2

by J. Drain, Derby | Category: Human Destiny - Part 2 | Mar 1978

With the coming of Christ and the fulfilment of divine purposes through Him there came far-reaching developments and changes in connexion with the location of those who die. When the Son of God came to earth one of His great objectives was to bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is the devil. The securing of this objective involved His death. When Christ partook of blood and flesh and became Man He was truly of body and soul and spirit subsisting. When on the Cross He was able to shout, "It is finished" He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. His spirit went to His Father. "When Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit: and having said this, He gave up the ghost (spirit)" (Luke 23:46). His precious body was placed in Joseph's tomb. To where did Christ go? Where was His soul after death? On the day of Pentecost Peter, addressing a large company of Jews and Proselytes, asserted that the Jesus who had been crucified had been raised up again by God. Supporting his contention he quoted from Psalm 16 which was unquestionably a Messianic psalm and he gave the words of Messiah's hope, "Thou wilt not leave My soul in Hades, neither wilt Thou give Thy Holy One to see corruption". That the words applied to the Messiah and not to David was established by Peter. David was a prophet and he "spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was He left in Hades (Sheol, Hell), nor did His flesh see corruption". When Christ was on the Cross He knew that in the moment of death He would descend into Sheol or Hades, but He knew also that He would not be left there. He had the full assurance of resurrection. His soul would come forth from Sheol and be re-united with the incorruptible body which reposed in the tomb of Joseph. The gruesome death of Golgotha would have been but a tragedy had there not been the triumph of the resurrection.

Some have taught that Christ never really died and that what is claimed as His resurrection was nothing more than the resuscitation of One who had swooned. This, of course, is entirely contrary to the teaching of Scripture. Others have said that the death of Christ was actual but that while His body was placed in the garden sepulchre Christ in His soul did not descend into Sheol (or Hades). It is very difficult to understand how such a view can be held in the light of Peter's exposition and application of Psalm 16. He demonstrated that the psalm referred exclusively to Christ. He introduced his quotation with the words, "David saith concerning Him..." And, as we have already seen, Peter claimed that David in his prophetic office spake concerning Christ, "that neither was He left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption". How could He possibly be left in Hades if He never was there? Or what did the Lord mean when He said, "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth"? (Luke 12:40). Was Joseph's tomb the heart of the earth? Was Christ Himself in the tomb where His body lay? Where was He during the time He was in the heart of the earth? We believe He was in Sheol (Hades, Hell) as Peter so definitely asserted, and as Paul said, "He also descended into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9).

On the morning of the third day, the first day of a new week, Christ came forth from Sheol, rejoined His body and ascended to heaven to His Father. His resurrection was proof that the great objective for which the Son came to earth had been accomplished. He had acceptably finished the work which had been given to Him. He was the mighty Victor and the accepted Sacrifice. To the prostrate John He said, "Fear not; I am the First and the Last, and the Living One; and I was (became) dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades" (Rev. 1:17,18).

The triumph of Christ was to be shared by the many for whom He died. It is the view of the writer of this article that the first to enjoy the secured benefits of Christ's victory were those to whom we have referred as the righteous dead, those of whom it was said, "These all died in faith". It is true that what we may call upper Sheol to which they went when death occurred was a place of comfort, but it was also a place of captivity. It was not the final abode of bliss, nor could those who were there free themselves from its restrictive conditions. But in the Lord's triumph He delivered all those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. In Eph. 4:8 Paul writes, "Wherefore He saith, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men". These words are quoted from Psalm 68 and the context there and in Judges 5 supports the view that the phrase "led captivity captive" has reference to some recognized and celebrated victory. Paul was referring to the resurrection and ascension of Christ, and associated with this triumph, we believe, was the leading forth from Sheol of the great band of the righteous dead to take their place in surroundings of heavenly glory.

This translation did not take them to the final state of their eternal bliss.

They were still disembodied, the spirits of just men made perfect

awaiting a future day of resurrection. But heavenly glory was better than

Sheol's comfort.

There does not seem to be sufficient evidence in Scripture to warrant dogmatism concerning those who were delivered from upper Sheol in association with the resurrection of Christ. The view of many students of Scripture is that all the occupants of that abode were set free and entered. into the joy of heavenly rest, and no persons have since gone to upper Sheol. The writer suggests that this view should be borne in mind as a possible alternative to that put forward in this article. As we have indicated we believe that the persons who constituted the righteous dead from Adam until Christ's death were liberated in association with His resurrection and ascension, and are now in heaven. Earlier in this article we referred to the many millions of human beings who were not in the line of the righteous dead but who because of God's knowledge of their attitude and response to Him in their earthly lives went at death to the comfort of upper Sheol, awaiting the time when they will be raised and judged according to their works. By divine grace they have been delivered from eternal suffering but their relative place in the eternal purposes of God will be determined in the righteous assessment of that future day of judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).

In the present period of God's dealings with men and women which began on the day of Pentecost there is a tremendous change as regards what happens to people when they die. That change affects those who have believed on Christ as God's provided Saviour and have trusted in His Sacrifice for the forgiveness of their sins. When such persons die they go to be with Christ (see Phil. 1:23). They are at home with the Lord (see 2 Cor. 5:8). Christ the Lord is in heaven, therefore the believer in Christ when he dies goes to heaven.

It is still true that those who refuse to accept the revelation of God go, when they die, to the place of torment in Hades. This solemn fact is particularly emphasized in relation to the revelation of God in the gospel concerning His Son. Christ is preached as the only Saviour and those who reject Him die without hope. They go to where the rich man went.

The present writer believes that just as in past ages there were millions of persons who though not numbered with the specific group of the righteous dead nevertheless went to the part of Sheol where they found comfort as they awaited the fulfilment of God's purposes, so in this present dispensation there have been millions of persons who have died in similar circumstances. They have not rejected Christ, they have never refused the gospel because they have never heard its message concerning Him. Paul said, "Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? ... So belief cometh of hearing and hearing by the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:13,14,17). Lest again we be misunderstood, we are not saying that all who have never heard the message of God will be saved from eternal punishment, but we are saying that amongst such there will be many, identified by the perfect knowledge of Deity, who by their attitude to God as revealed in their works on earth will, by His grace, receive eternal life (see Rom. 2:7). Such persons are not "in Christ". They are not in the Body, the Church. They do not die in Christ, and it is the writer's opinion that they do not at death go to be with Christ in heaven. Neither do they go to the place in Hades where is the rich man of Luke 16; they go to that part of Hades where they will enjoy rest and comfort until that day when they too will be resurrected to be judged and assessed according to their works.

What about those who die in infancy or before they have reached a stage of responsible accountability or who by reason of defect are incapable of making a personal decision? Help in this matter is found in what we are told about the child which Bathsheba bare to David. While the child lay dying David could find no comfort for the grief of his heart. When the child died David's attitude, to the amazement of his servants, completely changed. What was the explanation? David informed his servants that while there was life in the child there was hope that God might be moved to spare his life. "But", said he, "now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (2 Sam. 12:23). "I shall go to him". Where? The child had gone to the place of comfort in Sheol and there David at death would join him. Since the death and resurrection of Christ those who come within the category indicated at the beginning of this paragraph go, at death, to be with Christ in heaven. We believe this because of what has been secured for them by the Sacrifice of Christ, concerning whom John the Baptist said, "Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Their need as those born in sin has been fully met by the work of the Saviour. No rite of human institution has anything to do with the salvation of such.

(to be continued)

J. Drain, Derby | Mar 1978
Human Destiny - Part 2