************ Sermon on Belgic Confession Article 37c ************
Doctrine: Eschatology; our state between death and resurrection
By: Rev. Adrian Dieleman
This sermon was preached on October 3, 1999
B.C. 37c
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
"The Intermediate State"
Introduction
In the first church I served, a man died in a vehicle accident. His pickup truck crossed the line going around a curve right in front of his in-law's place. He hit an oncoming pickup and was instantly killed as well as burned when his truck exploded.
In the days and weeks that followed his wife and two children asked me what the Bible teaches about those who died. Where are they, what are they doing, what is their life like?
Anyone who faces the death of a loved one asks similar questions. We want to know about the state of our loved one.
I remember a letter I received from a listener of the Back to God hour. She was a young woman who lost her husband. She told me of the people who came to visit her when they heard of her husband's tragic death. One set of parents, who lost a child the previous year, told her that God is cruel and evil. Her husband's philosophy professor, who lost his wife a short time before even though he had prayed fervently for her healing, told her that God is weak because He is unable to prevent death. Another person told her death proves there is no God. I wrote back and gave her the Bible's message of grace. I told her about the joy that awaits all of God's children after Christ's return – I told her about a new and better life in a new and better body on a new and better earth.
But that day is still in the future. What about our loved ones right now? What is their state between death and the resurrection?
The time between a person's death and their resurrection is known as the intermediate state. It is the state in between, the state that is temporary, the state that is incomplete. This term – the intermediate state – covers the existence of both the believer and the unbeliever during this time. For each, however, this existence is very different.
I The Teaching of the Confessions
A Precisely where does the soul exist during the period we call the intermediate state? In answering this question I would like to take a brief look at the beautiful answers we find in the church's confessions.
The Heidelberg Catechism teaches us to confess that "my soul will be taken immediately after this life to Christ its head" (Q & A 57).
B The Westminster Larger Catechism (Q & A 86) says the believer immediately after death has communion in glory with Christ.
... their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their souls.
As for the wicked, they experience something entirely different:
... the souls of the wicked are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.
C The Westminster Confession of Faith talks frankly about either heaven or hell after death and adds: "Besides these two places for souls separated from their bodies, the scripture acknowledgeth none" (Chap XXXII).
To sum up, the church's confessions – based upon the Bible – declare that after death the believer is with Christ and the unbeliever is already suffering the torments of hell.
II Sheol, Hades, Purgatory
A When we talk of the intermediate state there is a Hebrew word, a Greek word, and a Latin word that are all important.
The Hebrew word is Sheol. According to the Old Testament, human existence does not end at death; after death man continues to exist; he exists in Sheol – which is the place or realm of the dead.
We see this thought expressed by Jacob when he is told that his son Joseph is dead:
(Gen 37:34-35) Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. (35) All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "in mourning will I go down to the grave [that is, to Sheol] to my son."
In her prayer, Hannah, the mother of Samuel says,
(1Sam 2:6) "The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave [that is, to Sheol] and raises up."
According to the Old Testament, then, all people go down to Sheol when they die. Both the godly and the ungodly enter the realm of the dead known as Sheol when they die.
This does not mean, however, that the state of the godly and the ungodly are exactly the same after death. Scripture teaches that the wicked will remain forever under the power of Sheol. The godly, on the other hand, are delivered from that power. We see this thought expressed by the Psalmist:
(Ps 49:14) Like sheep [the wicked] are destined for the grave [that is, Sheol], and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.
This verse suggests that death shall keep them and never let them go. The godly, however, shall be redeemed from the power of death:
(Ps 49:15) But God will redeem my life from the grave [that is, Sheol]; he will surely take me to himself.
B When we talk of the intermediate state, the Greek word is Hades. Hades also refers to the realm or place of the dead. However, Hades does have one difference from Sheol – it was believed that Hades was divided into two different parts: one part for the wicked, and the other part for the believing.
We see this in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. After death the rich man is in hell – in the Greek it is called Hades – where he was in torment (Lk 16:23). The intermediate state for this man was torment and suffering. Lazarus, however, is receiving comfort at Abraham's side.
In his Pentecost Day sermon the Apostle Peter tells us that Christ Jesus "was not abandoned to the grave [that is, Hades], nor did his body see decay" (Acts 2:31). Instead,
(Acts 2:24) ... God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
In or by His resurrection Christ shows us that He has conquered death and Hades (cf Rev 1:18).
C When we talk of the intermediate state, the Latin word is Purgatory. Purgatory is a strictly Roman Catholic teaching. It is a place where the godly go to be purged of their lesser sins. Once they have been purged by suffering, by the merits of the saints, and by prayers and masses said on their behalf, they will be released to go into heaven. Neither this word nor this teaching is to be found in the Bible. As a matter of fact, this doctrine is but a denial of the atoning sacrifice of Christ. For notice what happens. Christ's death and resurrection are not good enough to save me from all my sins. To Christ's work must be added my suffering, the merits of the saints, and prayers and masses said on my behalf. Then I am saved!
D What do we learn about the intermediate state from these words?
First of all, we learn that death is not the end. After death people do not stop existing; rather, they go to a place or realm of the dead.
Second, we learn that the ungodly shall forever remain in the realm of the dead with death as their shepherd. Even without their bodies the ungodly shall already start to suffer the torments of hell.
Third, we learn that the believer shall conquer death and Hades because Christ – by His death and resurrection – has conquered death and Hades. The believer will be released from the power of Sheol and will be comforted.
III State of the Ungodly
A The Bible says little about the condition of the ungodly between death and the resurrection. That should not surprise us because the Bible's chief concern is with the future of God's people.
Yet, we are given glimpses of the state of the wicked during the intermediate state. When we turn again to the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16) we see that the rich man is in terrible torment. He is described as being in fire and he begs for water to cool his tongue. In this parable, at least, he is given a glimpse of the blessed state of Lazarus. But there is a chasm so great between him and Lazarus that none can cross from the one to the other.
B The clearest teaching on the fate of the wicked after death is found in 2 Peter. There we are told that the Lord holds "the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment" (2 Pet 2:9). The ungodly are being treated like the angels who sinned; God "sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment" (2 Pet 2:4). The ungodly are imprisoned by God in Sheol or Hades during the intermediate state. There is no escape for them. While there they are being punished for their wickedness and unbelief.
IV State of the Godly
A When it comes to the state of the godly during the intermediate state, there are three main Bible passages we can look at.
The first passage contains the words of Jesus to the penitent thief upon the cross: "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise" (Lk 23:43). Paradise is the same as what Paul calls the third heaven (2 Cor 12:2). It means the realm of the blessed dead and the dwelling place of God Himself. Jesus promised the penitent thief, then, that he would be with Christ in heavenly bliss that very day.
The important thing here is not the place – paradise – but being with Christ: "you will be with me," says Jesus. During the intermediate state the believer is with Christ.
B The second passage comes from Paul's letter to the church at Philippi:
(Phil 1:21-23) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (22) If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! (23) I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far ...
Notice, Paul calls death "gain" and says the result "is better by far."
Why does Paul say this? Death is "gain" and "it is better by far" to die because then he will "be with Christ." Upon death, the believer has communion in glory with Christ; he or she beholds the face of God and Christ in light and glory.
Again, the most important detail about the life of the godly during the intermediate state is that it is life with Christ.
C The third passage is our Bible reading from 2 Corinthians 5. Listen to just a couple of verses again:
(2Cor 5:6-8) Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. (7) We live by faith, not by sight. (8) We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
In the present life we are away from the Lord. That is, we do not see the Lord face-to-face. We live by faith, not by sight. Our present fellowship with the Lord, good though it is, still leaves much to be desired. But when we die as a believer, then we will be home – home with the Lord. Home, of course, is the place where we belong. Home is the place where we find love, shelter, security, fellowship. Here on this earth we are not really at home. But when we die we are with Jesus. Then we are home.
This past week I read a touching story of a young terminally ill boy asking his mother what death was like, if it hurt.
Topic: Death
Subtopic:
Index: 2158-2162
Date:
Title:
"Kenneth," she said, "you remember when you were a tiny boy how you used to play so hard all day that when night came you would be too tired even to undress, and you would tumble into mother's bed and fall asleep?
"That was not your bed -- it was not where you belonged.
"And you would only stay there a little while. In the morning, much to your surprise, you would wake up and find yourself in your own bed in your own room.
"You were there because someone had loved you and taken care of you.
Your father had come -- with big strong arms -- and carried you away.
"Kenneth, death is just like that.
We just wake up some morning to find ourselves in the other room -- our own room where we belong -- because the Lord Jesus loved us."
The lad's shining, trusting face looking up into hers told her that the point had gone home and that there would be no more fear -- only love and trust in his little heart as he went to meet the Father in Heaven.
He never questioned again.
And several weeks later he fell asleep just as she had said.
D In the intermediate state, says the Bible, the Christian is with Christ. Notice, it nowhere states we are in heaven – though this is implied. The emphases, you see, is not on the place we are at but on the person we are with. After death the believer is with Christ, at home with the Lord. And, to be with the Lord means joy, peace, happiness; it means no more pain, suffering, sorrow, sadness, tears. It means this because the Lord Jesus Christ has conquered death and Hades.
What comfort we get from this. Our loved one didn't really die. He or she didn't just stop existing. They are now at home, at home with the Lord. And, death is not our end either. It means we go home, home to the Lord.
E Finally, I need to add that life in the intermediate state is incomplete. It is incomplete for three reasons.
First, it is incomplete because we do not yet dwell on the new earth and have not yet received our full inheritance.
Second, it is incomplete because we do not yet have our resurrection body. God made us in His image as body and soul. So our souls without our bodies are incomplete.
Third, it is incomplete – though we do not realize this – because the full body of believers is not yet together. Part of the body is missing. It is like life at home when a member leaves for college – there is a family member who is missing.
Conclusion
For the ungodly, the unrepentant, the unbelieving, death is terrifying. After death there is nothing but death. After death there is nothing but pain, torment, suffering, hell.