Q:The family friend was a Christian, but she was young, she married a man whom she
eventually divorced.  Over the course of her life, she proceeded to get married and divorced
several more times, before finally ending with her 4th husband at 46 (her 4th husband was 39). 
After 13 years of marriage to her 4th husband, Kris died in her 4th marriage of a heart attack 
at 59 years old.
So when she died, did she die an adulterer?
A: Your friend may have been titled a Christian but it does not sound as if she was leading the life of a follower of YaHshua, or a follower of a New Covenant life as a professing believer. Of course, the only information is that she has been involved in multiple marriages.  Did she die as an adulterer?  She died in her sin, as we all do.  Maybe what you are asking, "Is your friend in Hell for living in adultery"?  No, she is not in a Hell fire, being tormented, never able to die -- that is a Pagan Christian lie, or false doctrine, which every you chose.  Let's look at this a little closer. 

The Quick answer:  She will stand in the Great White Throne judgment along with everyone else, no matter their title.  I know some Christians, by title only, who worship the gods of the East by their actions but still say they are Christians.  Most of the Christian base is pagan in practice found evident in customs and traditions.  Your friend will stand in the Great White Throne Judgment and it will be determined, not by us or anyone else, but by the One who can and does know the heart, the mind and the spirit of the person to be judge in a final decision.  Not many, would refuse YaHshua as their Savior, once everything is removed and they are able to answer for their own conduct and for those things leading up to certain decisions made. 

The Longer Answer for a better understanding:

When I joined the Navy, many years ago, on all of the forms I was listed as a Christian.  All I knew about Christianity is Christmas and the Ten Commandments, which meant little to me at that time.   So, dying as a Christian, does not mean so much to me.  Thousands, upon millions claim to be Chrisitans and live lives filled with sin -- lying, stealing, fighting with neighbors, hating anyone own or group different from you or yours.  Some, claim to be Christians as a cover for taking advantage of others. Of course, none of this is exclusive to those who say they are Christan -- or it says, Christian, on their death certificate.  Saying it and living it are two different things.  Of course this may not apply to you or your friend or others who take their religion very seriously.  I am just saying that some people go through their whole lives saying they are Christian because that is the tag that is place on them from and early age.  So, is a person a Christian, if they know virtually nothing about the religion they say they are a part of?  This is hard to judge among sinners, some are obvious and some are not.  Some are tagged as the fallen by others, but who are they or, even, we to decide?  Romans 14:4

YaHshua, when speaking to some religious leaders, who knew the Law, took time to correct them as they tried to trap Him in a question about woman who had gone through several husbands -- a trick question -- "Whose wife would she be in Heaven", they asked?  It is interesting they said nothing about divorce, only to which husband would she belong.  YaHshua did not hesitate in correcting them and said that the plan for marriage was to be God ordained union between one man and one woman.  But wait, King David had more than one wife and King David was a man whom God loved.

Adultery goes both ways:

Mar 10:11-12  He (YaHshua) said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her. If a woman herself divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery." 

Interesting -- apparently divorce was allowed from either side, and our Lord said the guilty part is the one doing the divorcing.  Notice also, the adultery only comes if one doing the divorcing marry someone else.  See?  There is more to it than just getting a divorce.  Also, there is a reason that is given for a divorce that does not lead to "adultery".  No one is off the hook, even the person marrying someone who is divorced is guilty of "adultery" as well.

(Luke 16:18)  Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

(Mat 5:31)  YaHshua speaking -- It has been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
(Mat 5:32)  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

YaHshua told those listening that from the beginning it was not in the plan for people to divorce what a couple and everyone else swears to being a forever union.  Making Oaths in the name of God, or any god, is a very serious thing and has been seen as such since recorded history of mankind. 

What YaHshua told the pharisees then, is illuminating.  "Except for the case of fornication..."  And what does this mean?  If a wife or husband is cheating on one or the other with an outsider to that marriage then injured party, the one being cheated on, can leave.  This was the only standard that YaHshua said would stand in one partner divorcing another.  Nearly all divorce cases have to do with fidelity or abuse.  Abuse is a form of spiritual fornication or adultery.  The reason our Lord did not say, Adultery, is because the term, Adultery covers only a certain part of marriage, while the word for "fornication", covers it all.  There are no limits to physical and spiritual fornication.  A person who abuses the other, in a marriage relationship is committing spiritual fornication and such a person being abuse in either way is not bound -- so says our Savior, YaHshua. 

In a perfect world, from the beginning this was not something our Creator had intended, just as YaHshua said in Matthew 19:4-9 -- divorce was not meant to be, but for the hardness of the heart, Moses added divorce, and a time limit or number was not placed upon this legal action, an action recorded in the Law of the People's Covenant.  With that done and there is no going back, and "exception" as added by YaHshua, the exception of "fornication", as we read previously.

The God of Israel and Judah, YaHWeH, Himself, divorced Israel and later, her sister, Judah -- The God of Israel, put them both away for being unfaithful, for fornicating and committing adultery with other gods. 

In your friends experience, we are not aware of all of the circumstances, are we?  Who is at fault -- it is possible, in every case, that she was being cheated on, that all four of her husbands had been committing fornication against her and the marriage.  If a believer is joined to an unbeliever and the unbeliever decides they are not, or cannot abide by the beliefs of the other and decides to leave or divorce then the Believer is to allow them to go (1 Cor 7:12-13), the believer is not to seek divorce or seperation -- there are other circumstance -- no one should stay in an abusive relationship, and anyone who says otherwise, are abusers themselves.  True Believers and followers of YaHshua, those attempting to live by His words and those of His original Apostles, as we read in John 17:20 -- meaning that we believe in Him and in the words of His Apostles are allowed, also, to use our common and spiritual sense in such matters.   

We all die to sin and in sin, something the flesh cannot escape.  We have to be careful about what men and women tell us is the "right thing".  Men and women have then trussed up in marriage that have ended in one or the other's life because of bad advice and pressure from misunderstood religious teachings.  Divorce is terrible, but murder, physically and spiritually is worse.  Some have stayed in marriages that have caused them not only their own lives but the lives of their children as well.  Fortunately, these are few in number, but think about all of the "inbetweens".  The God of Isarel, divorced Israel and then later Judah, as previously mentioned -- He put them away -- Jerimiah 3:8, read it.

After Divorce and After Death -- Then What?
Her spirit will be judged in a future time, in the time of the last Resurrection everyone who has ever lived will be raised back to life in order to stand before the Judgment, each, personally.  We cannot make that judgment.  For one thing, we have no idea what she may have endure, or not.  We know nothing about the men she married.  Was the First Marriage the one?  And all the rest in adultery?  Again, we cannot judge for sure, but her dying without repentance?  Well, again, that is something only she really knows and will come out at the Judgment time. 

Right now, this minute she is awaiting the Second Resurrection as is most all past lives.  How this is all accomplished, no one knows, and if someone says they do know, they are liars and the truth is not in them.  Are these awake?  According to Scripture, they are not.  Even among those called Saints, those who will be in the First Resurrection, are referred to as being asleep and so it is with all who have lived in the flesh and died -- all have gone asleep to await their appointed time. 

The concept of souls going to hell to be tormented day and night is a pagan concept that crept into the Christian Churches.  Most of the Heaven Hell teachings came about to explain the unexplained, giving individuals something that made sense to them.  But, really, would a loving God put people in a Hell to be tormented forever?  And even then, pull them out to burn them some more?  If the wicked will not change the eternal punishment would be the end of life, all life, period.  I doubt that your friend will refuse to repent of her bad decisions and to confess YaHshua. 

I hope this answers your question.  Peace, Dan

Questions and comments -- dan@servantsofyahshua.com