The three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all believe that there is indeed a heaven wherein the righteous happily reside, and that there also exists a hell in which the wicked miserably abide. But these three faiths differ in their theology of what heaven is like and there are even some differences between the three in what the punishments of hell consist of. Even among the various Christian denominations are there differences in beliefs of what happens to us when we die. That being said, the following presentation concerning the afterlife comes from an Orthodox Christian perspective. This exegesis, being Christian in nature, will quote mostly from the New Testament, but the Old Testament will also be extensively referenced in relation to the Garden of Eden where we are first faced with the blessings of Paradise and where we are also familiarized with the consequences of sin which in turn led to death and the unbearable sufferings in the depths of Hades. Though the following subject matter may be frightening to some it is a reality that we all must eventually come to terms with. For the whole faith of Christianity is centered around the salvation of our souls which is the whole reason why Christ incarnated in the first place. So now let us take courage and face the harsh reality of hell, while also being comforted with the truth concerning the blessings of heaven and the free gift of everlasting life.
In the beginning when Adam and Eve fell from grace, through the eating of the forbidden fruit, they in turn forfeited their blessed existence in Paradise and were thus expelled from the Garden of Eden. As a consequence of man's mistake the earth became cursed and corrupt, for sin and death had now entered into the world. But when God initially created man and woman, the Lord endowed them with immortal souls and physical bodies not subject to decay. Humanity was also given the gift of free will. This meant that Adam and Eve were created with the potential to obey the commandments of the Lord, as well as the freedom to decide to disobey God's law. Unfortunately our first parents chose to rebel and as a result of disobeying the creator of their souls and bodies, sin and death entered into their souls and bodies. Once sin entered into man and woman, this immediately resulted in their spiritual death which would one day also lead to their physical death, something that the Lord had never intended to happen to the living souls of man and woman which God created in His own holy image and after His divine likeness.
Now that humanity was living in a fallen condition, redemption was needed in order to undo the damage which had been done in Eden. But before the promised redeemer was sent to bring mankind back to Paradise, no human soul could enter heaven and likewise neither could sinful human flesh withstand the holy presence of the Almighty God in heaven. For from the days of Adam unto the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all human souls (whether good or bad) would be restricted from entering heaven when they died physically. For after more than 5,000 years all human souls would be held in the prison of Hades until the promised Messiah incarnated, died, descended, and delivered the imprisoned souls from their spiritual bondage and ultimately led captivity captive back to their heavenly homeland up on high (Ephesians 4:8). For when Christ died on the cross, His soul descended into Hades where He preached to the spirits in prison, giving all the people who had ever lived a chance at accepting the message of salvation and a chance at returning back to the Paradise which was once lost (1 Peter 3:19). Currently, in this age of grace which we now live in, all the souls of all the people who have faith in Jesus now have free access to enter heaven once they die a physical death. Going further, at the Resurrection of the Dead, all the souls and bodies of believers will be reunited and the righteous will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye with an incorruptible body similar to the glorified body which Christ now has. Likewise heaven and earth will also pass away and a new heaven and a new earth will replace this fallen world and all of creation will be sanctified once and for all, and all those redeemed from the earth will live happily with Jesus in the kingdom of heaven for all of eternity.
Now that we have covered the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and have understood how Hades was robbed when Christ freed the souls held in captivity, let us now examine the current and future lot of the souls that have been redeemed, along with the plight of the condemned, whose souls have been lost and are deprived of salvation.
Now it has been mentioned in the realm of Christian dialog, that if we don't make it to heaven in this life, we won't make it to heaven in the next life. This means that we as believers in Christ must taste of the kingdom of heaven before we die physically. This statement can be backed up by Christ Himself who said, "...the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). Christ also came to give us life and that we might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). So from carefully reading the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can clearly see that eternal life begins in this life. Conversely, hell too can be experienced in this life and then fully in the age to come. For now even the bliss of heaven and the anguish of hell are not the fullness of what will be experienced after Judgment Day. For when Christ returns to judge this world, the souls that are now in heaven will be given glorified bodies and will completely enjoy the blessedness of heaven. Heaven and earth will also be renewed and the glory of God will totally be established. The sufferings of hell will also be complete, with no chance of any lost soul ever being delivered from eternal condemnation. And this eternal suffering in hell is what is known as the second death.
Concerning the teachings of Christ where the Lord speaks of the afterlife, a couple of parables stand out. One such parable deals with poor Lazarus and the rich man. For as the story goes one day both the rich man and Lazarus died, and Lazarus was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom, but the rich man was buried and tormented in hell. From the context of this parable, Christ must have been speaking in the future tense. For example, when Lazarus died angels came to take his soul, something that never happened to the departed before the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also, the Bible says that Lazarus was taken to Abraham's bosom, a place never associated with Hades or the realm of the dead where all souls went before the coming of Christ. Jesus also states that the rich man was in hell and not Hades, for hell is now the place where the souls of sinners go to before the final judgment. Jesus continues to say how there was a great gulf fixed between hell and Abraham's bosom, making it understood that Jesus must have been speaking of things yet to come for Abraham's bosom did not exist before Christ came. In another parable Jesus also speaks of the future life in heaven when addressing the Sadducees. When mentioning the status of those who shall be accounted worthy of the kingdom, Jesus speaks of the resurrection of the dead and how the redeemed will be equal to the angels, being children of the resurrection (Luke 20:35-36). So in order for the gates of heaven to be opened for faithful souls to enter Christ had to suffer, die, and most importantly be raised from the dead, so that all believers may now experience the life of the resurrection.
From the preceding exegesis concerning Paradise, Hades and the life to come it is evident that humanity needs salvation and most importantly a Savior. For the whole reason for the incarnation of the Messiah was to bring mankind back to Paradise and to reconcile sinful man to holy God. What Adam lost in Paradise, Christ gained in His redemptive work on the cross. Through the resurrection of Jesus was the life of heaven imparted to those of the household of faith. What was once only given to a select few in the days of old, would now be granted to the many who thirst for the life of the resurrection. For now through Christ, can all who live a virtuous life call upon Him in faith and receive the grace of the Holy Spirit. For as it is written, "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:45). For those who achieve salvation will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will forever be blessed, escaping the torments of hell and in turn will live with Christ in the kingdom of heaven unto the ages of ages. For as it is written, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power" (Revelation 20:6).
