31. Of The State Of Man After Death, And Of The Resurrection Of The Dead

Paragraph 1: The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption;⁴⁸⁰ but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them.⁴⁸¹ The souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are with Christ, and behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies;⁴⁸² and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell; where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgement of the great day;⁴⁸³ besides these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.

1. 480. Genesis 3:19; Acts 13:36
2. 481. Ecclesiastes 12:7
3. 482. Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6, 8; Philippians 1:23; Hebrews 12:23
4. 483. Jude 6–7; 1 Peter 3:19; Luke 16:23–24

Paragraph 2: At the last day, such of the saints as are found alive, shall not sleep, but be changed;⁴⁸⁴ and all the dead shall be raised up with the selfsame bodies, and none other;⁴⁸⁵ although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls forever.⁴⁸⁶

1. 484. 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:17
2. 485. Job 19:26–27
3. 486. 1 Corinthians 15:42–43

Paragraph 3: The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour; the bodies of the just, by His Spirit, unto honour, and be made conformable to His own glorious body.⁴⁸⁷

1. 487. Acts 24:15; John 5:28–29; Philippians 3:21