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     Jesus referred to God’s kingdom as a mystery (Mark 4:11).  The apostle Paul wrote this “mystery”
kingdom was hidden through the ages (Colossians 1:26).  What happens to people after death was part of
the hidden mystery.  Death came on the scene when man sinned (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:2-8, 19) and would be
his perpetual curse.  Everyone dies.  What happens at death?

     Death is separation.  The human being consists of three parts – body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalaonians
5:23).  When a person dies, the life force (soul – Leviticus 17:11) leaves the body.  We know the life or soul
is in the blood.  Drain all of the blood from the body and a person dies.  Put the blood back into the body
and the person is still dead.  The mystery of life is in the blood.  When the body dies it returns to dirt
(Genesis 3:19).  What happens to a person’s spirit?

     Obituaries reveal that often people think a person’s spirit goes directly to heaven upon death.  However,
Jesus told the story revealing what occurs immediately at death (Luke 16:19-31).  A place called Hades, a
term familiar to the Greeks meaning the realm of the unseen (spirits).  Two men died whose spirits went
into the presence of Abraham who died about 1800 years earlier.  One of the men rested peacefully with
Abraham.  The other was in torment.  He communicated with Abraham, begging for some relief from his
anguish.  He even pleaded with Abraham to send the other man back to earth to warn his brothers about
how to live for God and not self.  Nothing changed.

     What we can know from this story is (1) God is not present so it is not heaven.  (2) Thus Hades is a
temporary and intermediate state of existence.  (3) The spirit is conscious and remembers his life on earth.
(4) One’s eternal destiny is sealed at death.  (5) There is no reincarnation.

     Regarding Hades, the apostle John wrote, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive
forevermore.  Amen.  And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Revelation 1:18).

     Obviously, Jesus has control of death and Hades.  On earth, He said, “… the hour is coming in which all who
are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth…” (John 5:28).  What will happen when He unlocks
Hades?  The mystery unfolds… .

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