The last statement in the Nicene Creed reads, “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” The implications of this statement are often overlooked. If we look forward to the resurrection of the body and the world to come – which comes at the end times - what happens to us after we die, but before the end times? Most of us think of the soul departing from the body and going (hopefully) to heaven. We must be careful however not to make the error of thinking of heaven and hell as “places”. They are states of existence.
The western world’s modern-day concepts of heaven and hell as “places” was largely influenced by Dante’s Divine Comedy and Milton’s Paradise Lost where heaven and hell were portrayed as places. This concept however fails to capture the much deeper reality which we find in Scripture. The Book of Revelation speaks (get ready for it) of two deaths and two resurrections. It states, “Hades gave up their dead. All the dead were judged according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire. This pool of fire is the second death.” (Revelation 20:13-14).
Concerning the two resurrections, Scripture states that saints and those who are martyred experience two resurrections – one immediately after they die, and another at the last judgment. “ The Saints come to life and reign with Christ...this is the first resurrection” (Revelation 20:4-5). In addition, St Paul writes “And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), and also “But each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:23). This implies that the rest of us who are not saints or martyrs will experience only one resurrection.
So, what happens after we die and before life everlasting and the world to come? This hasn’t been fully articulated in Church teachings, but we believe that the consciousness survives after the death of our earthly body. If you have lived a good life, you will be in the presence of Christ which we conceive as heaven. If you have lived an evil life, you will be outside of God’s presence which would be hell (or purgatory which is a whole other discussion).
This is all beautifully summed up at the end of the Book of Revelation: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away...I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them...He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.”
Got me thinking....what does it mean to have a "good life"?