Halloween is approaching…that great holiday of celebrating ghosts, spirits, and gore. Get out the candy, costumes, and crazy thoughts about ghosts and wispy spirits from the dead. Why does this fascinate us? It may be because there are so many unreliable ideas about death, spirits, and the afterlife. Subconsciously, perhaps, we want to be able to communicate with the dearly departed.
Mystery of Life and Death
Probably the greatest mystery about life is death. It falls upon all rich, poor, blind, healthy, black, white, tall, short…you name it. It will get everyone regardless of their culture or color. It does not discriminate! This we understand, albeit reluctantly. We push back against dying, we try to postpone it, but eventually, it will win.
What happens at the moment of death and beyond remains a mystery to most people despite the subjective, anecdotal experiences of people who claim to have seen the great beyond (light, heaven, or hell). They write books and give TV interviews. Are they giving false hope to everyone about communicating with the dead and their soul living forever regardless of the life they lived on this planet? Is eternal life for everyone? Is it true, as the scary preacher warns, that everyone will live forever in one of two places-heaven or a place of torture called hell?
These are questions that often run through the minds of human beings, but firm answers seem to be impossible to know.
There has been a multitude of books, movies, ancient philosophies, and personal experiences on death and beyond, but somehow, they fail to give a consistent description of the other side satisfactorily. How can we put stock in those people who “died” for only a few seconds or minutes before the defibrillator jumped-started their hearts, returning oxygen-deprived brains? Or the preacher who wants to scare and threaten you into a saving relationship with Christ? Isn’t death scary enough?
The only people who know about death and then live again are those described in the Bible. They were not dead for just a few seconds or minutes but extended periods:
1.) Jesus- 3 days; (John 2: 19-21)
2.) Lazarus- 4 days; (John 11:17)
3.) Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter- the Bible doesn’t disclose the time she had been dead. (Mark 5: 21-43), but Jesus walked to Jarius’ house and stopped to heal a woman, so it had to be more than a few minutes.
4.) Widow of Nain’s son-(Luke 7: 11-16). He was already in the casket!
5.) Many of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:51). They had likely been dead for some time.
But, all of these did not write a book or have their words recorded by other writers about the “afterlife.” Why? The answer is revealed by Jesus and His disciples.
Opinions and Philosophy
Human beings have varying opinions and philosophical reasoning about death; but how does that compare with God’s word? Do we believe the great philosophers about death as a “friend”(Socrates 470 BC – 399 BC, dead at age 71) or his student Plato (427 BC – 347 BC-dead at age 80) who taught that the grave is a step to a higher existence? A promotion, as it were, from the pain of physical presence to the carefree joy of a spiritual reality. Or do we believe Paul, who said that death is the last enemy and it will one day end? (1 Corinthians 15:26)
How about reincarnation or the nihilist’s view? A nihilist proposes that our existence has no particular reason or purpose. Their approach to death would be pretty different from that of Plato or Socrates. Nihilists don’t expect to move up to another plane of existence. They don’t expect to go anywhere at all. Their mantra would be,
“Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
This seems to be the attitude of most people, including atheists. But in our hearts, we feel this is just not right. Death seems to be an unplanned invader of life. There must be more.
Vain Philosphoses have entered the Christian church. It is as subtle as the often-used words,
“He is in a better place,” or those who say,
“we will never see them again.”
Even the idea that we have an immortal soul that will live somewhere forever comes from ancient Egyptian teachings.
It is sad to hear a preacher describe what the dearly departed are doing in heaven at this very moment. They don’t know. With good intentions, they attempt to comfort the bereaved by saying that they are looking down on them. I’m not sure how that is heaven to the one looking down. Where is the Biblical evidence? This idea of immortal souls opens wide the door to Spiritism and unclean deceiving spirits (Revelation 16:13). The idea that we can talk to the dead has its roots in the first lie of the Bible…”You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4)
God forbade His people from such people who claim to have this power. Instead, He asked them to seek Him.
‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God…..And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God?
Leviticus 19:31 and Isaiah 8:19
Interestingly, the phrase “immortal soul” is not found in the Bible. Actually, it says the opposite:
“…the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23
“The soul who sins shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4.
God can (and does) destroy the soul of the unrepentant and lost (Matthew 10:28).
Nevertheless, Jesus gave hope of eternal life with a real body, God has the best plan. “He doesn’t want any to perish…”2 Peter 3:9. Perish is the operative word here that is also included in that famous passage of John 3:16, where “perish” is the penalty for unbelief. One last question before we turn to the Bible for answers: How does the second coming of Jesus fit into all this? Does it, as some suppose, reunite the body with their spirit/soul?
Comfort About Death
The comfort for the living over the loss of a loved one is found in the Bible in the words of Jesus, the prophets, and the disciples. In their united context, they give satisfaction and consistency to the truth of death and the afterlife. God’s revealed truth about death is troubling. But there is comfort and hope in God’s word, unlike any philosopher or skewed religious thinking.
Death and the Resurrection
While living a decade in Mississippi, I attended a few funerals. They are included comforting words for the bereaved. Most were not Biblical, and most excluded the resurrection and the second coming of Christ. They ranged from a combination of truth and untruths to the ridiculous.
“They are resting peacefully. They are watching over you.”
How can that be? Resting in peace and actively observing all your movements?
“Old Uncle Harry is up there right now enjoying his favorite cigar and hunting with his best dogs.”
While people laughed, it was a poor attempt to comfort the family of a man who never indicated a desire to know Jesus, much less follow Him. Heaven has become a place where any person can indulge in the human activities of worldly happiness. This raises the question of what the saved will be doing in eternity. Playing harp on a billowy cloud forever is not very interesting to me. Next time, we will explore the Bible to understand a few things God has revealed about activity in heaven, the new heavens, and the new earth.
Biblical Comfort for the Bereaved
The Apostle Paul gave words of comfort and hope to a group of mourning believers in the Corinthian church. They were concerned that the brothers and sisters in Christ, who were dying, would miss the second coming. He told the truth about those deceased followers and ended with this phrase: “comfort one another with these words.”
It all centered on the return of Christ and the resurrection. Paul recorded letter to the Thessalonians gives us one of the most straightforward descriptions of the return of Christ as found anywhere in the Bible. Listen closely and imagine the scene of Christ’s return. It is plain, simple, and addresses their concerns.
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring (raise up) with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thess 4: 13-18
Paul wants the brothers and sisters to be informed. This would mean they didn’t understand the return of Christ and the condition of those who had died. He encourages them not to grieve like those who go to funerals with no hope of ever seeing their loved ones again. Then he begins to describe that glorious scene of Jesus’ return found many places in the Bible (another study for another time).
Then he uses an interesting phrase, “…will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.” “Precede is an interesting word. It answers the Corinthian believers’ questions about the timing of eternity for everyone. The Greek word (phthanō) has been translated as “precede” or “prevent.” It means “to come before.”
This answers the implied question about some getting to heaven before others. Paul describes a grand reunion of the dead (those fallen asleep) and those alive when at Jesus’ promised return. Both groups are “harpazō,” translated as “caught up” or lifted up and carried off to meet in the air and be with the Lord!
What a great reunion day that will be! No one “precedes” or comes before the other; we all go to the Lord and eternity at the same time….” We will be with the Lord forever!” starting then.
Another interesting phrase not often discussed is “we who are still alive and are left.” The coming of Christ is destructive (See especially 2 Peter 3, especially Verse 7). The lost are being “kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” So those who are “left” are similar to a library fire. Some books are burned, and there are those remaining (KJV) and those “left” or left over…not left behind as some would try to teach.
If a pastor wants to comfort those who have lost a loved one, use the words of Paul that he told would give comfort in 1 Thess. 4:18.
“Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”
Jesus said it too! He doesn’t want our hearts to be troubled, so he describes the many rooms and points us to the fact that he is preparing a spot for each of us, and He is coming back to get us in the future at His second coming! Those mansions must wait until He returns, but what a glorious hope we have!
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14: 1-3
The return of Christ is the comfort and hope of all Christians! No other imagined words can comfort like the truth of Jesus’ return to unite both the living at that time and the dead of all ages and take us as one group to where He is now.
Rest in Peace. Death and Sleep
Both Jesus and Paul describe the dead as “asleep.” This is radically different from the ancient philosophers who saw the soul leaving the body to a higher plane…an ancient serpent’s lie. Sleep seems to be Jesus’ and the disciples’ favorite description of death. This, my friends, should comfort us to know that death is like an unconscious state where the passage of time is a mere wisp of a second, and then Jesus takes us out of our graves to be with Him. Below are some of the Bible references to death:
- Matthew 9:24, Luke 8:52- The little girl that had died, Jesus described as sleeping
- Matthew 27: 51- The graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
- John 11:11- Jesus describes Lazarus as sleeping, then He plainly says, “he’s dead.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:30- Paul describes the sick and those who sleep (dead)
- 1 Corinthians 15: 6- Over 500 hundred who had seen Jesus were still alive, but some had “fallen asleep.”
- 1 Corinthians 15: 18- Those who have “fallen asleep” have perished if there is no resurrection.
- 1 Thessalonians 4: 13- Paul doesn’t want us to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:14 and 15. Those who sleep waiting for the return of Christ
- Acts 7:60- Stephen was stoned and fell asleep
- 1 Corinthians 15:20 -Jesus has become the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
In 2004, I had to have open heart surgery. When they wheeled me into the operating room, they hooked up the anesthesia that would put be asleep during the procedure. Just before the nurse injected me, she said,
“Good night Mr. Armstrong.”
In what felt like a nanosecond, I heard,
“Wake up, Mr. Armstrong,”
I asked,
“When are you guys going to start the procedure?”
The nurse replied,
“Honey, you have been asleep for over two hours!”
This is what death is like for those who have died, regardless of how long they have been dead.
The After Death Experience of A Man Dead Four Days
The story of Lazarus, Martha, and Jesus in John Chapter 11 gives us insight into the state of the dead and what transpired for Lazarus for those four days he had been dead (sleeping). It also provides us with the hope that Jesus gave Martha. Jesus had told the disciples that Lazarus was sleeping and that he would wake Him up. They were confused, and Jesus finally told them He was dead. Verses 11-14. Again, Jesus’ favorite description of death, i.e., sleep.
Let’s focus on the comfort Jesus gave Martha starting at verse 21:
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask.” Verse 22
Martha was so glad to see Jesus. If He had been there, Jesus could have healed her brother. Martha also had great faith and hinted that God could bring Lazarus back to life if Jesus asked God the Father. Then Jesus pointed her to the great resurrection day at the end of time as a source of comfort:
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Verse 23
Martha understood, from the teachings of Jesus, about the resurrection at the end of time.
Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Verse 24
Her theology was correct. There is a resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ on the last day.
Jesus then reminds her that He is the one who will give life to the dead on the last day:
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Verses 25 and 26
Look closely at Jesus’ words. It almost seems like a contradiction. Even though they die, they will live again, but then He says if you believe in Him, you will never die. So what is it? Die or never die? This becomes clear when you understand that we are all subject to death, but for those who don’t believe, they die forever (the second death) after their resurrection of the condemned that Jesus spoke of in John 5:29. John makes it even clearer when He was inspired to write these words:
There are two resurrections! You are blessed if you are in that first one because you will live forever. But in the second one, you die twice. The second death is eternal.
Now back to our story…
Martha then acknowledges her belief in the identity of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and the power of Jesus to raise people back to life:
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Verse 27
Jesus looked upon the people weeping and felt their sorrow for the dead and rotting Lazarus. Jesus called out with a loud voice.
“Lazarus, come forth!”
Here is what Jesus did not say: Lazarus come down or back from heaven. If Lazarus was in heaven, how cruel would that be to snatch him out of paradise back to a sinful, dying planet? If Lazarus was in heaven, we should have a book of Lazarus describing the place of angels and the throne of God. But Lazarus is silent, as were the others raised from the dead during Christ’s time on earth. Why? Because they were in an unconscious state of sleep. They knew nothing as one of the wisest men in the Bible (Solomon) stated:
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten….Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
Ecclesiastes 9: 5,10
In Peter’s sermon to the Jews about the Messiahship of Jesus and His resurrection, he told them this:
“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day… “For David did not ascend into the heavens,
Acts 2: 29, 34
Peter didn’t say David was in heaven…and he was not on the throne that Jesus now occupies because He had been resurrected, and the disciples were eyewitnesses of it. (verse 30:31)
Our Faith is Futile Without the Resurrection
Paul argues that if we don’t believe that Jesus was resurrected, we are wasting time with our belief in Him. His resurrection gives us hope in our resurrection when He comes. Follow Paul’s logic to the Corinthian church and group of Sadducees) who say, “there is no resurrection” (See Matthew 22: 23).
“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if, in fact, the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15 12-19
So, here are the consequences of what Paul is saying if there is no resurrection:
- Paul’s preaching is useless, as are all preachers
- Our faith is useless
- The Apostles and disciples were all liars
- Your faith is futile
- You are still in your sins (lost)
- Those who have fallen asleep (dead) are lost for eternity.
- This type of Christ (non-resurrected) means He is dead, and we should be pitied for our belief!
Sadly, the resurrection is hardly mentioned in our churches anymore. In many churches, Easter is the only time to talk about the power of resurrection, and the emphasis is only on Christ’s resurrection. Our own resurrection through the power of Christ at the end of time is minimized, at the least, or ignored at the most.
Instead, churches have adopted the pagan idea that the soul is separate from your physical body. They claim the soul is immortal and goes to one of two places when you die (heaven or hell). These are the teaching of that ancient Serpent who lied when he said, “thou shall not surely die.” This theme has been around a long time and promoted by Greek philosophers like Hermes Trismegistus, Socrates, and Plato.
The Bible clearly teaches the opposite of Satan and those misguided philosophers who ignored the truth of the Bible.: You will surely die:
From Dust, We Were Taken
“For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19
“All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.” Job 34:15
“You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.” Psalm 104:29
All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Eccl 3:20
But praise God, He can take the dust of the ground, rebuild that which was lost, and give that person immortality at the second coming. Even the oldest book of the Bible acknowledges this great hope. Hope in the coming of the Lord.
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! Job 19: 26-27
Here is my hope, joy, and comfort. God has a crown of eternal life waiting for me, not just me, but all those who love His appearing.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8
Eternal life cannot be separated from the second coming of Christ. He is the life giver. At His return is when we receive immortality and not before. The mystery of death is solved. We sleep, awaiting Jesus’ return.
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible (not subject to deay), and we shall be changed. For this corruptible (subject to decay) must put on incorruption, and this mortal (subject to death) must put on immortality (no longer subject to death). So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15: 51-54
We can never say, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” until Jesus returns. But hallelujah! Glory to God!.. Jesus has demonstrated the power and given us the proof that He will bring us out of the dust of the ground and breath into us the breath of life when we are resurrected. He will not forget you! Then we will be with Him forever and countless others who have put their faith and life on the line for Jesus. What a day that will be!
Next time, we will talk about what the Bible says we will be doing for eternity on the new earth that the meek inherit.
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