Derek Prince - What Happens To Our Souls When We Die?
What happened through the death and resurrection of Jesus affected the universe. It also determined the destiny of souls at death. From that time onwards since the resurrection of Jesus the destiny of the righteous is not to go into Hades. It has a different and a much more glorious destiny. Let me give you two examples. When they stoned Stephen... and he was at the point of death... in Acts 7... verse 57 and following: Then they cried out with a loud voice, Stop their ears, and ran at him... (that’s Stephen) with one accord. They cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man... named Saul and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
He knew that his spirit was to go directly to Jesus. This is the change that has taken place because of the death and resurrection... of Jesus. Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice: Lord, do not charge them with this sin. And because Stephen prayed that... Saul of Tarsus could be saved. If Stephen had not released him... from his guilt, he could never have been saved. That’s a wonderful thought. But I want to emphasize that for the true believer who has been cleansed... in the blood of Jesus and lives faithfully for God, the destiny at death... is that the spirit ascends directly to Jesus. Paul also refers... to this in Philippians 1. He says he doesn’t know which to choose. Shall he continue to live here or shall he go and be with Jesus? This is what he says.
Philippians 1:23: For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart... and be with Christ, which is far better; nevertheless, to remain in the flesh... is more needful for you. So Paul was absolutely confident that if at that time... he died he would be with Christ. That is one great change effected... by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Another thing that happened... and there are some things that I can tell you but I can’t fill in all the details... because I don’t know them, is that the departed souls of the righteous... who were in the bosom of Abraham were released. Let’s look at that in Ephesians 4. This is quoting Psalm 68 and it’s speaking about the resurrection... of Jesus. Therefore, when he ascended on high he led captivity captive... and gave gifts to men.
Now, my understanding... and many commentators understand, that ‘He led captivity captive’ was... He released the souls of the departed righteous and took them with Him up to heaven. They could not be released until the penalty for sin had actually been paid. God accepted them as righteous because they had put their faith in a sacrifice that had not yet taken place. They were looking forward to the promised sacrifice. But until the sacrifice had actually been offered on the cross... they could not be released. But after He had sacrificed Himself... He went down into Hades and at some point and some way... He took them with Him. That’s how I believe. They had been the captives of sin and of death... but He took captivity captive. They became the captives of Jesus... and of righteousness. Which, to me, is exciting.