The Present, Intermediate & Final Human States

Humanity currently lives during the “last days,” also known as “the eschaton.” As a result, we all suffer the hardships of this age, like sin and death. But these problems are partially alleviated by the blessings of the age to come, like forgiveness and salvation. In humanity’s present state, believers, or “the regenerate,” experience the effects of both ages simultaneously, while unbelievers or “the unregenerate” overwhelmingly experience the hardships of this age.

The intermediate state begins when we die and ends when Christ returns. It’s called “intermediate” because it lies between our present state of bodily life on the current earth, and our future state of bodily life in the new heavens and new earth. It’s a somewhat unusual state because, unlike in the other states, in the intermediate state our souls are separated from our bodies.

So, there is an intermediate state both for believers and unbelievers, and heaven in its present state, hell in its present state — what’s sometimes called the “present heaven” and the “present hell” — the eternal, eventual hell will be the lake of fire, the eternal, eventual heaven will be on the new earth. So, intermediate state is not like halfway between heaven and hell; it’s heaven or hell as they are now prior to the resurrection. So, everybody goes to the intermediate state when they die. The intermediate state ends for everyone at the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust. [Dr. Randy Alcorn]

Physical death is a universal human experience, but it’s also horribly unnatural. Why? Because our bodies weren’t created to die; they were designed to last forever. That’s one of the reasons death is so tragic and so traumatic. It shatters our existence. It rips us out of the earthly creation we were designed to inhabit. It ruptures our relationships, separating us from our families and loved ones.

And for the unsaved, it’s an unmitigated catastrophe. It takes them from bad to worse, and gives them a foretaste of even greater suffering in the future. As Jesus taught in Luke 12:4-5:

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more… Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.

In the Old Testament, the prophets taught that the physical bodies that had once died and returned to dust would rise again from the dust. And they would rise in order to face divine judgment. Daniel 12:2 says:

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

When the final state begins, the bodies of everyone that has ever died will be resurrected, so that we can all face God’s final judgment as whole persons. This event is often called the “general resurrection” because it includes everyone that has ever died, whether regenerate or unregenerate.

The general resurrection is taught clearly in both the Old and New Testaments. And Hebrews 6:1, 2 asserts that it’s one of the most basic doctrines that every Christian should affirm.

For the regenerate, the final state will be wonderful. Death will not be able to hold us. After our bodies have been raised from the dead, the Lord will render his final judgments. And for us, those judgments will bring only blessings. In Christ, we are perfect. And God’s judgments will reflect that. We don’t know exactly what it will be like. But the details Scripture gives us are more than sufficient to convince us that our final state will surpass our greatest dreams.