“Life is hell, then you die.” One of the greatest fears of a family is what happens to the unbeliever after death? Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? Does the “unbeliever” burn in an everlasting fire of torment, popping and screaming in utter agony for eternity? NO! God is much more merciful than giving someone an eternal torture. After this physical body physically dies it does not go to either hell or heaven, the body is simply dead and awaiting the judgement of God on the Last Great day of final judgement (Heb.9:27; I Cor. 15:22-24; Gen. 3:19; Ezek. 18:4,20). See the one-page Biblical studies on 1) Immortal Soul, 2) Hell, 3) Heaven and 4) Our Destiny, for a full explanation of what happens after death. We should rejoice there is no hell of eternal “torment” for the unbeliever.
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed” (Rom. 10:14a)? A great question raised by Paul. How can the dead call on God? All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23-25). The penalty for sin is “death” and the “gift of God is eternal life” (Rom. 6:23). “Sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). So how shall those who have died and never believed God or even heard of God have a chance to repent, quit sinning and become a part of the adopted family of God? The answer is God will resurrect ALL who have ever lived and give them their chance to repent and turn from their evil ways. Again, we read Heb. 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement”. Jesus said, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (judgement) (John 5:28-29).
God will give everyone a chance to love Him, but when does this resurrection to judgement take place? First off God is NOT calling everyone at this time and Satan is still on the loose deceiving people (John 6:44; Rev. 12:9; II Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2- Don’t blame people as Satan is out to deceive everyone he can and it is not our job to judge them, Matt: 7:1-2). God calls people when He chooses. God has called out His “first fruits” of the great spiritual harvest (Lev. 23:15-16, The Festival of Pentecost and Acts 2:1-4). Those not yet called at this time will be resurrected for the final judgement day and be given a choice to follow God or to reject God. Rejoice as they are not yet lost to God!
Revelation 20:11-15 is the great white throne judgment of God. This is where God judges ALL who have ever lived either to life eternal with Him or to eternal death, burned up in the lake of fire. How does God judge these people? What criteria does He use for the final judgement? Sin. As we read in Rom. 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” Life eternal is God’s gift. The parameters of His judgment as to what sin is are found in the book of life (I Cor. 6:9-10; Heb. 10:26-27; Gal. 5:19-21; Rom. 1:23-32; 6:20-21; 8:5-7 and I Cor. 15:56). Just like He did with Adam and Eve and the two trees (The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Gen 2&3) God will give every person who ever lived the choice to obey Him or not to obey Him. Gen. 2:8-17; Gen. 3; Deut. 30:15-20 and Rev. 22:14 all show God giving mankind a choice to serve Him. It is God’s good pleasure to give the kingdom of God to all who obey Him (Eph.1:9). God wants to save everyone of our deceased loved ones who never accepted Him or even knew of Him. He will give everyone their chance to become a part of his adopted family. He is an extraordinarily merciful “God.
God will have His great judgement day (II Cor. 5:10; I Pet. 4:17-18) where all the dead are raised up and they will stand before Him (Rev. 20:11-15) and learn of their fate. Those who are found written in the book of life to everlasting life eternal with God and those who are not found in the book to everlasting DEATH as they will be burned up in the Lake of Fire and become ashes under the feet of the saints (Mal. 4:3).
God wants to give His eternal life to all mankind (Eph. 1:5). “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:7-8). It is the choice all humans will have to make, live forever with God or to die forever at the second death.
God will give all of our loved ones an opportunity to live forever with Him. We should be comforted by this eternal truth of God.
