Destiny Timeline by JJC
Estimated time to read:
2–3 minutes
Note: This article has been contributed by another author. Contributed articles are provided as additional study material. The views, interpretations, conclusions, or supporting claims expressed by individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of Clark’s Anchored in Christ. As with all material on this site, readers are encouraged to test everything carefully against Scripture.
| EVENT | BELIEVERS | UNBELIEVERS |
|---|---|---|
| Christ’s death -> resurrection (Luke 23:43) | In Abraham’s bosom – Paradise (“Today you will be with me in Paradise”) Both Christ and the thief on the cross went here for 3 days | At death, souls went to the torment side of Sheol/Hades (Luke 16:23). |
| Christ’s resurrection (Eph. 4:8-10) | Jesus brings Paradise-believers with Him to Heaven. Abraham’s bosom is emptied. | Unbelievers remain in the torment side of Hades. |
| Church Age Christ’s Resurrection -> Rapture | At death, believer’s souls go directly to be with Christ in Heaven (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23) – It’s an intermediate state” between a Christian’s death and the resurrection of all believers’ bodies on the day Christ returns. Souls are recognizable, but without flesh bodies. | Souls continue to go to Hades (torment side). |
| Rapture (1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-52) | Dead in Christ bodies are resurrected to their souls; living believers are transformed and caught up to be with Christ in Heaven. | No change – unbelievers remain in Hades. Living unbelievers stay on earth and enter the Tribulation. |
| Tribulation period | Those who come to faith during the Tribulation may die as martyrs – their souls go to Heaven, awaiting resurrection (Rev. 6:9-11; 20:4). Between the Rapture and the End of the Tribulation – marriage supper and Bema judgement for rewards. | Unbelievers who die continue going to Hades |
| Second Coming of Christ (Rev. 19:11-21) | Believers return with Christ. Tribulation martyrs are resurrected bodily to reign with Him in the Millennium (Rev. 20:4-6). Survivors who believed during Tribulation enter the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom on earth in mortal bodies. | Unbelievers alive at Christ 2nd coming are slain/judged and removed (Matt. 13:41-42; Rev. 19:21). Their souls go to Hades and remain there until the Great White Throne Judgement |
| Millennial Kingdom (1,000 years) | Resurrected saints (OT, church, tribulation) reign with Christ (Rev. 20:6). The surviving tribulation believers remain mortal and repopulate earth and have children – some of the grown-up children will later rebel. | All dead unbelievers remain in Hades during the Millennium. |
| End of Millennium (Rev. 20:7-9) | Millennium believers in mortal bodies who remain faithful will stay with Christ and get glorified resurrected bodies – 1 Cor. 15:50 They will enter directly to the eternal state (new heavens & earth) along with the OT & church saints. | Satan is loosed; some descendants of mortal believers lead a world-wide rebellion against Christ / believers and are destroyed in the final battle – their souls go to Hades to await final judgment. |
| Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15) | Believers are not judged for their sin (salvation) in this judgement. Jesus paid the price for our sin in full (John 5:24). Their names are in the Book of Life. | All unbelievers (from all ages) are resurrected, judged, and cast into the Lake of Fire (the “second death”). Hades itself is emptied and thrown into the Lake of Fire. This judgement is to decide the degree of punishment. |
| Eternal State (Rev. 21-22) | New Heaven & New Earth. – Believers live eternally with God whose throne is in the New Jerusalem that is lowered from Heaven to the New earth | Unbelievers suffer eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire. |