Abraham’s Bosom, Death, and Resurrection

Question:

There is a question about Abraham’s bosom. If the Bible describes Jesus’ first resurrection as having taken the saints who were already in Abraham’s bosom after He ascended the first time, where do souls go after death now? The Bible says in Hebrews, “For it is appointed that every man should die, and then comes the judgment.”

Does this mean that when someone dies, the Lord judges their soul immediately rather than the soul waiting in Abraham’s bosom? Additionally, the Bible states, “the dead shall rise first” when believers are raptured to meet the Lord, suggesting judgment occurs at that time. Does this imply that souls still go to Abraham’s bosom after death?

Abraham’s Bosom – What is it? (Luke 16:19-31)

Most scholarship on the subject indicates that the account of Lazarus and the Rich Man is a parable to make a point rather than a technical explanation of hell.

The bosom is defined as the front of the body between the arms, a hollow formed by a garment under the arm used for carrying things.

Galatians 3:6-27 Abraham = the father of faith.

Hebrews 12:1 – Great cloud of witnesses.

John 5:25-29 Dead shall hear, and they that hear shall live…

Luke 16:26 – Great gulf fixed.

If we look at the doctrinal points from Jesus in the gospels, Apostle Paul’s letters, and Revelation for a timeline of events and overview, and contrast this with the Strong’s Greek Lexicon, the concepts are very simple.

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Hebrews 9:27: 

Appointed once for man to die but after this the judgment… People die, and are reserved unto judgment which will happen after the resurrection. 

When people die today, will the Lord immediately judge their souls?

There is a day of judgment when people will be judged. Today, people die and are reserved unto judgment either unto punishment (hell) or unto eternity with Christ (paradise).

Jude 1:6 KJV – ⁶ And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

2 Peter 3:7 KJV – ⁷ But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Luke 23:43 KJV – ⁴³ And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The dead shall rise first…. THEN we who remain….

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 KJV – ¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

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SIMPLE CHRONOLOGY (with Bible references)

Death

Hebrews 9:27 – Appointed once for men to die and after that the judgment.

Hell / Paradise

There is a difference between the definition in the New Testament and the Old Testament. We will concentrate on the New Testament definition:

Hell (NT)

G1067 (Greek) Place of future punishment and ultimate destruction.

G86 (Greek) Grave. Place of departed souls.

Jesus told the thief in Luke 23:43 that he would be with him in paradise that day. Paradise, however, is NOT New Jerusalem. Here is the Greek definition:

Paradise (NT)

G3857 – An Eden, place of future happiness (Note: New Jerusalem has not come down yet. Souls in “paradise” are awaiting their resurrection in hope.

Resurrection

Matthew 22:30 Jesus speaks of the resurrection.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (Dead in Christ rise first, then those who remain…)

G386 – Standing up again, raised to life again.

Judgment

Everyone is going to be judged.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

2 Corinthians 5:10

Saved / Lost

Saved:

Revelation 20:15 Those found in the book of life, NOT in the 2nd death, Lake of Fire.

Lost:

Revelation 20:14-15 Death and hell cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

The journey of the soul after death, according to Scripture, leads believers to a temporary state of paradise while awaiting the resurrection and final judgment. Abraham’s bosom symbolized this comfort before Christ’s resurrection.

The righteous will be judged and receive eternal life, while the lost face eternal punishment. This understanding offers believers hope in Christ’s promise of eternal joy.