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| "There is a particular judgment which is immediately after death; by virtue of which, the souls of men are condemned to their proper state of happiness or woe." |
November 10, 2023
What happens to the spirit at death?
Hebrews 9 KJT
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of
many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without
sin unto salvation.
Ecclesiastes 12 KJT
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
I was musing on these well-known passages, and some
questions came to mind.
i. Does the statement in verse 27 include all men,
including God's redeemed people? Do God's redeemed people face a judgement
before God after death?
ii. Is the judgment spoken of a judgment immediately
after each man's death or the final judgment at the distant end of the gospel
age?
- Hardly any believe or preach the former anymore
though most believe the latter.
iii. Is there a judgment at the end of a man's life on
earth?
- I believe that Heb 9:27 declares this obvious truth.
At death, the spirit of each man shall return to God for judgment.
iv. What is the basis of this judgment?
- The basis is every man according to their works.
- The basis of the final judgment is according to
whether a man's name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
v. Who is the judge in this judgement?
- God Himself. The spirit shall return to God who gave
it to face the said judgement in Heb 9:27.
- Christ shall be the judge during the final judgment.
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
It shall be a judgment WITHOUT reference to sin for the redeemed but unto glorification.
Heb 9:28
This judgment determines where the man's spirit goes
during the intermediate state between his physical death and the resurrection
on the last day: either paradise or hell.
When was the last time you heard a sermon that there
shall be a judgment for God's children immediately after their death and that
this judgement shall determine where their spirits shall be during the
intermediate state - either in paradise or in hell, awaiting their resurrection
unto eternal glory.
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I checked John Gill's commentary on the second half of
verse 27; he said thus:
"but after this the judgment"
- the last and general judgment, which will reach to
all men, quick and dead, righteous and wicked, and in which Christ will be
Judge. There is a particular judgment which is immediately after death; by
virtue of which, the souls of men are condemned to their proper state of
happiness or woe; and there is an universal judgment, which will be after the
resurrection of the dead, and is called eternal judgment, and to come; this is
appointed by God, though the time when is unknown to men; yet nothing is more
certain, and it will be a righteous one."
Note his words, "There is a particular judgment
which is immediately after death; by virtue of which, the souls of men are
condemned to their proper state of happiness or woe."
During the intermediate state, the state of happiness
is in paradise and the place of woe is in hell.
During the eternal state, the state of happiness is in
heaven and the place of woe is in the lake of fire.
