At the rapture, why will the saved come out of heaven only to later go back?

QUESTION:

Why at the Rapture would the saved come out of heaven to go back, and at the Judgment the unsaved be let out of Hell, just to be sent back to it?

David from Scotland

The easy way to answer this is to quote Paul, who of God said He, “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). In other words, we humans cannot know why God planned things the way He did. His plan is what it is.

Now, to give more insight to your question, the physical resurrection evidently occurs at the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). When a believer dies, their body goes to the grave, but their soul automatically goes to heaven to be with Christ.

At the Rapture, Christ brings back with Him the souls of those departed saints to be united again with their physical bodies they had while living on earth (1 Corinthians 15:51-55). Note that verse 53 states, “For this perishable must put on the imperishable.” “This perishable” refers to this body we have here. Paul again confirms this transaction, when referring to Christ, “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Philippians 3:21). Our resurrection, just as with Christ, will not be a “replacement,” but a transformation of an existing entity – our physical body.

The location of this transformation evidently takes place somewhere in the “clouds” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:17) between heaven and earth. It doesn’t really matter where the actual event takes place. It is a great reunion, and final glorification of our resurrected bodies.

Now, let me deal with your question of why does God take the unsaved out of hell just to send them back. First, a little background.

There are two abodes for the unsaved. One is called, “Hades,” which is the same as, “Sheol” in the Old Testament. The second is called, “Gehenna.” Hades is used some 11 times in the New Testament, while Gehenna is used 12 times.

Hades is an area of temporary confinement, such as a jail holds prisoners until their day in court. After their trial, then they are sent to prison to live out the sentence received at trial. Hades (i.e. Hell) is where the rich man went.

Jesus used Gehenna in Mark 9:43-49; cf. Matthew 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33Luke 12:5; James 3:6. This is the final prison for the unsaved. John wrote of the final judgment scene, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deed” (Revelation 20:13).

Subsequent to their sentencing, they were transferred into Gehenna (i.e. Lake of fire) to live out their sentence. This is the judgment of only unsaved, and only the degree or severity of their punishment is considered. Some sins carry a harsher degree of punishment than others (cf. John 19:11). Why does God wait until that last time before judgment? He had to wait until all the guilty were there to be judged. Otherwise, He would need to hold court every week, or month, etc. The saved also will be rewarded, but for their service on earth.