Where Are the Dead?

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The following study is the truth of the Bible on all phases of the subject of the dead and their destiny:

I. Death Defined

The word “death” as applied to man in Scripture means separation, or a cutting off from fulfilling God’s purpose for which he was created. One can logically substitute the word separation for death in every scripture where it is used. It will clarify many passages to do so, as we shall see below.

II. Physical Death

Physical death is the separation of the inner man from the outer man, the separation of the soul and spirit from the body (note, James 2:26).

III. Spiritual Death

Spiritual death is separation of man from God because of sin (see Three Kinds of Death in Scripture). One can be alive physically and spiritually dead at the same time (Matthew 8:22; Col. 2:14; 1 Tim. 5:6). He can also be dead physically and alive in hell-conscious in the soul and spirit, or the inner man (see pt. 14, The Doctrine of Man

IV. Second Death:  Eternal Death

The second death means the second and eternal separation from God in the lake of fire (Rev. 2:11; Rev. 20:6,14; Rev. 21:8).

V. Penalty for Sin

The penalty for sin was eternal death or eternal separation from God in hell. Had it been physical death, every man would be automatically justified in the sight of God when he died physically. With the penalty thus paid, God could not punish the sinner any further than physical death. Such death would be the means of justification and the door to heaven; but this could not be. Some who die physically will be saved and others will be lost, so the penalty could not be physical death.

Neither could it be spiritual death, which is the state of man in sin. If so, then all who commit sin would automatically be justified in the sight of God. This would make committing sin the penalty for committing sin, which is ridiculous. It would mean that all who commit sin would be saved and go to heaven. This would guarantee eternal life for all men, for all have sinned (Romans 3:23). It would make the salvation of souls foolish and unnecessary. Furthermore, it would make the death of Christ unnecessary, for all men were sinners before He came.

The real penalty for sin, therefore, could not be physical or spiritual death, but eternal death or separation from God. Physical death is the result of spiritual and eternal death. Eternal death is the penalty for spiritual death or committing sin (Ephes. 2:1-9).

VI. Resurrection From Spiritual Death

The resurrection of man from spiritual death (or separation from God) takes place when one is saved from death in trespasses and sins (Ephes. 2:1-10), when he is born again (John 3:1-8), is made a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18), and is fully reconciled to God through Christ (2 Cor. 5:14-21; Eph 2:12-16; Col. 1:20-22; Col. 2:6-13).

VII. Immortality of the Soul

The soul and spirit (together called the inner man) are immortal. They continue in full consciousness between the death and resurrection of the body, and in the new resurrected body into all eternity. See Twenty-five Proofs of the Immortality of the Soul.

VIII. Mortality of the Body

The body is now mortal. It will die and go back to dust (Genesis 3:19; Eccles. 3:19-21; Hebrews 9:27; James 2:26). This procedure will continue until sin is put down and death is destroyed (1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 21:3-7; Rev. 22:3).

IX. Resurrection of the Dead

This refers only to the bodies of all men who die, not to the souls and spirits which are immortal.  Without exception, all scriptures on the future resurrection of the dead refer only to the bodies which die and will be resurrected from dust again (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29;  1 Thess 4:13-17; Rev. 20:4-6,11-15).  There will be no spiritual resurrection-a resurrection of the soul and spirit.  All spiritual resurrection is accomplished in this life before the body dies (Ephes. 2:1-10; Col. 2:11-13). If one is not resurrected spiritually from death in trespasses and sins in this life, he will remain forever spiritually dead or separated from God (Hebrews 9:27; Rev. 22:11).

X. No Soul-Sleeping Taught

All scriptures used by false cults to prove soul-sleep really refer to death of the body which knows nothing in the grave. See No Soul-Sleep Taught in Scripture.

XI. Immortality of the Body

The body, which is now mortal, will become immortal in the resurrection. All scriptures mentioning future immortality refer to the body, not to the soul which is now immortal.  For proof of this see Fourteen Proofs of the Future Immortality of the Body under No Soul-Sleeping Taught in Scripture, and Twenty-five Proofs of the Immortality of the Soul.

XII. The Intermediate State

This refers to the state of the dead between death and the resurrection of the body. After the body goes back to dust at physical death (Genesis 3:19; Eccles. 3:19-21; James 2:26), it remains dead (separated from the inner man) until the future resurrection day when the body will be made immortal (1 Cor. 15:35-54). The soul and spirit remain alive, being immortal either in heaven or hell, until the resurrection day when the body will be made immortal. See pt (14), The Doctrine of Man.

At physical death the soul and spirit leave the body (James 2:26). If one is a converted person, his soul and spirit go to heaven immediately at death to await the resurrection of the body (Luke 20:38; John 11:25-26; 2 Cor. 5:8; Ephes. 3:15; Ephes. 4:8-10; Phil. 1:21-24; Hebrews 12:22-23; Rev. 6:9-11). If he is a sinner, his soul and spirit go to hell at death to await the resurrection of the body (Isaiah 14:9; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Peter 2:9; Rev. 20:11-15).

There are five distinct prisons in the underworld of departed spirits:

  1. Tartarus (1 Peter 3:19; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6-7). This prison is a special one for fallen angels who sinned before the flood. No human beings or demons ever go to this prison. See note, 2 Peter 2:4.
  2. Paradise (Luke 16:19-31; Luke 23:43). This was the abode of the righteous after physical death, where they were held captive by the devil against their will, until Christ conquered death, hell, and the grave. It is now empty of the righteous, who go to heaven at death, since Christ captured the captives in hell and took them to heaven with Him when He ascended on high. See note, Luke 16:22; note, Ephes. 4:8; note, Hebrews 2:15.
  3. Hell (Matthew 16:18; Luke 16:19-31). This is the torment compartment of Sheol/Hades where wicked souls have always gone and will always go until the end of the Millennium. Then the wicked will be brought out of here to be reunited with their resurrected immortal bodies, and cast into the lake of fire for eternity (Rev. 20:11-15).
  4. The abyss or bottomless pit (Luke 8:26-31; Romans 10:7; Rev. 9:1-3,11; Rev. 11:7; Rev. 17:8; Rev. 20:1-10). This is the abode of demons and some angelic beings. No human soul and spirit ever go to the abyss. The O.T. equivalent is Abaddon and is translated destruction (Job 26:6; Job 28:22; Job 31:12; Psalm 88:11; Proverbs 15:11; Proverbs 27:20).
  5. The lake of fire. This is the eternal hell and perdition of all fallen angels, demons, and wicked men (Rev. 20:6,11-15; Rev. 21:8; Rev. 22:15). It is the same as gehenna (NT:1067) of note, Luke 12:5. It is the final hell prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41) and is eternal in duration (Isaiah 66:22-24; Matthew 25:46; Rev. 14:9-14; Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:10-15).

Hell

The English word “hell” is defined as “the abode of evil spirits; infernal regions; place of eternal punishment or extreme torment; in ancient times, the place of departed spirits.”  The word infernal means “belonging to hell.”  The word inferno is another word for “the infernal regions; hell.” Gehenna is defined as “the place of future torment; hell; hell-fire.” Tartarus is defined as “the place of punishment in the lower world.”  There are seven Hebrew and Greek words translated hell and grave as follows:

  1. Hebrew: sheowl (OT:7585), the unseen world.  It always refers to the unseen world of departed spirits, and is always in contrast with the Hebrew: qeber (OT:6913), which means the grave, or the seen world where bodies are buried.  Qeber is always translated grave, burying place, sepulchre.  It is never translated hell, and rightly so.
    1. Sheowl (OT:7585) is translated “hell” 31 times (Deut. 32:22; 2 Samuel 22:6; Job 11:8; Job 26:6; Psalm 9:17; Psalm 16:10; Psalm 18:5; Psalm 55:15; Psalm 86:13; Psalm 116:3; Psalm 139:8; Proverbs 5:5; Proverbs 7:27; Proverbs 9:18; Proverbs 15:11,24; Proverbs 23:14; Proverbs 27:20; Isaiah 5:14; Isaiah 14:9,15; Isaiah 28:15,18; Isaiah 57:9; Ezekiel 31:16-17; Ezekiel 32:21,27; Amos 9:2; Jonah 2:2; Habakkuk 2:5); “grave” 31 times (Genesis 37:35; Genesis 42:38; Genesis 44:29,31; 1 Samuel 2:6; 1 Kings 2:6,9; Job 7:9; Job 14:13; Job 17:13; Job 21:13; Job 24:19; Psalm 6:5; Psalm 30:3; Psalm 31:17; Psalm 49:14-15; Psalm 88:3; Psalm 89:48; Psalm 141:7; Proverbs 1:12; Proverbs 30:16; Eccles. 9:10; Song 8:6; Isaiah 14:11; Isaiah 38:10,18; Ezekiel 31:15; Hosea 13:14); and “pit” 3 times (Numbers 16:30,33; Job 17:16).
  2. Hebrew: qeber (OT:6913), the proper word for grave, the seen world, is translated four different ways and always of the place where the body goes at death:
    1. Grave (Genesis 35:20; Genesis 50:5; Exodus 14:11; Numbers 19:16,18; 2 Samuel 3:32; 2 Samuel 19:37; 1 Kings 13:30; 1 Kings 14:13; 2 Kings 22:20; 2 Kings 23:6; 2 Chron. 34:4,28; Job 3:22; Job 5:26; Job 10:19; Job 17:1; Job 21:32; Psalm 88:5,11; Isaiah 14:19; Isaiah 53:9; Isaiah 65:4; Jeremiah 8:1; Jeremiah 20:17; Jeremiah 26:23; Ezekiel 32:22-26; Ezekiel 37:12-13; Ezekiel 39:11; Nahum 1:14).
    2. Burial (2 Chron. 26:23; Eccles. 6:3; Isaiah 14:20; Jeremiah 22:19).
    3. Burying place (Genesis 23:4,9,20; Genesis 47:30; Genesis 49:30; Genesis 50:13; Judges 16:31).
    4. Sepulchre (Genesis 23:6; Deut. 34:6; Judges 8:32; 1 Samuel 10:2; 2 Samuel 2:32; 2 Samuel 4:12; 2 Samuel 17:23; 2 Samuel 21:14; 1 Kings 13:22,31; 2 Kings 9:28; 2 Kings 13:21; 2 Kings 21:26; 2 Kings 23:16-17,30; 2 Chron. 16:14; 2 Chron. 21:20; 2 Chron. 24:25; 2 Chron. 28:27; 2 Chron. 32:33; 2 Chron. 35:24; Neh. 2:3,5; Neh. 3:16; Psalm 5:9; Isaiah 22:16; Jeremiah 5:16).
  3. Greek: Hades (NT:86), the unseen world. It is equivalent to sheol (OT:7585) of the O.T. and is always in contrast with mnemeion (NT:3419), the seen world, or place of bodies at death.  Mnemeion, meaning the grave, is never translated “hell.”  Hades is translated “hell” ten times (Matthew 11:23; Matthew 16:18; Luke 10:15; Luke 16:23; Acts 2:27,31; Rev. 1:18; Rev. 6:8; Rev. 20:13-14) and “grave” once (1 Cor. 15:55).
  4. Greek: mnemeion (NT:3419), the proper word for grave, is translated three different ways, as follows:
    1. Grave (Matthew 27:52-53; Luke 11:44; John 5:28; John 11:17,31,38; John 12:17; Rev. 11:9)
    2. Tomb (Matthew 8:28; Matthew 27:60; Mark 5:2-3; Mark 6:29; Luke 8:27)
    3. Sepulchre (Matthew 23:29; Matthew 27:60; Matthew 28:8; Mark 15:46; Mark 16:2-8; Luke 11:47-48; Luke 23:53,55; Luke 24:1-2,9,12,22,24; John 19:41-42; John 20:1-11; Acts 2:29; Acts 7:16; Acts 13:29)
  5. Greek: gehenna (NT:1067), from Hebrew: gay (OT:1516), gorge or valley, and Hinnom (OT:2011), lamentation. It means valley of Hinnom, where perpetual fires were kept to burn the refuse of Jerusalem.  It came to be used by the Jews as an appropriate picture of eternal hell and punishment. Gehenna is translated “hell” twelve times (Matthew 5:22,29,30; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 18:9; Matthew 23:15,33; Mark 9:43-47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6).  It is never translated grave, and rightly so.  See note, Luke 12:5.
  6. Greek: tartaros (NT:5020), the deepest abyss of Sheol/Hades, the unseen world. The verb form tartaro is translated “cast … down to hell” in 2 Peter 2:4.  See note there.
  7. Greek: limnen (NT:3041) tou (NT:3588) puros (NT:4442), lake of fire, the same as the gehenna (NT:1067) of fire, the eternal hell, and perdition of all rebels against God, whether spirits, giants, pre-Adamites, or Adamites. It is used five times (Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:10-15; Rev. 21:8).

Finis J. Dake, Dake Topical Index, WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “Dead?, Where Are the”.

Finis J. Dake, Dake Topical Index, WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “Dead?, Where Are the”.

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