We know that Jesus went to hell and preached there. We know that what Jesus did we will do. (JOHN 14:12) But what is not commonly known is whether the grace of salvation operates beyond death.
Is there NO Hope for the Dead?
The belief that the dead are outside the realm of salvation is so strongly held that simply questioning this premise enrages many people. And yet how can we really know that? Does scripture absolutely demand it? “It is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27 This scripture precludes re-incarnation of the same soul into a different body.
Yet we know from Revelations that the judgment of Jesus does not occur for those living in the Millennial Kingdom and those in death and Hell until the end of the 1000-year reign. Only the bodies of the raptured saints, living and dead, will have been judged up to that time and found worthy to wear the white robes.
Time does not Judge us – Our Words Do
God exists in eternity. Eternity, by its nature, precludes change. It is static, unchangeable. Time was created on the first day when God divided between the light and the darkness and created a measurable environment. It is sealed away from eternity. Time is a gift of grace. It allows us to repent/change.
If we had been in eternity when Adam rejected God then that choice would have been irrevocable. Time, because it has a beginning and end and therefore the opportunity for re-creation, allows us to repent and love God again once we are set free from the bondage of sin. Time is a gift of grace.
Satan and the fallen angels too abide in time. They were cast out of heaven/eternity and into time. If this were not so then they could not be judged at the end of time along with humanity. Revelations 12:12 tells us that Satan is infuriated by the fact that he has only a short time therefore he must be subject to time.
Time will exist from the first day until the final judgment when the former things will pass away and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Time will be no more nor will those who have been cast into the Lake of Fire ‘be’ any more.
Those who now inhabit Hell are not there by the judgment of Jesus. Their own words and actions in life have determined their assignment to the pains of death and Hell. They have received that for which their mouths spoke and their deeds served, that which Adam chose, death.
Judgement Awaits OUR Choice
Final judgment awaits the end of time so some other factors must be at work. The Lord described it this way through prophecies to Catherine of Siena in “Dialogues”. “Each soul chooses it’s destination at death by the habits of their life, none wait for judgment. Love draws the just towards heaven, the imperfect to purgatory, and Hate draws the wicked, through fear, into Hell”.
It is assumed that, given a choice, everyone would choose Heaven over Hell but that is not so. We choose what is familiar to us – not what we prefer. Those familiar with a hellish life will naturally choose Hell, not Heaven. It takes power to break away from what is familiar, even for something better. And yet, the Lord is plenteous/rich in mercy, no sin can exhaust it. The Lord is longsuffering and is not willing that any should perish (eternally) but that all should come to repentance. Scripture declares that we should have hope for the dead. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (Excerpt from Salvation in Hell)
