What Actually Happens When We Die? (11)

What we belief about death impacts how we live. It’s the Christians privilege to live their lives with the hope of eternal life beyond death and set an example to the unbelieving who are slaves to the fear of death and eternal loss. Not only do we know so far that Christ has made us, but He has also promised us Eternal life, which the dead in Him shall receive at the resurrection upon His return. It will be clearly seen that death, which Christ has power over, is an unconscious sleep until the resurrection-day. Our question here is, What happens when people die?

Christ is our maker, what other attributes do belong to Him? John 14:6
“6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Are we left to our own, or Who sustains our lives and gives us all good gifts? Acts 17:24-25, 28
“24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; … 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” (See also Hebrews 1:3. There we are informed that Christ upholds all things.)

How does Satan deceives the masses to think? Genesis 3:4
‘4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:”

Is our soul immortal, as most religions teach? Ezekiel 18:4, 20
“4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. … 20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Who of us can keep his soul alive? Psalms 22:29
“29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.”  (See also Matthew 10:28. The keeper of our soul is God, and He is also able to destroy it.)

The soul can be destroyed, what more can preferably happen to the soul? James 5:20
“20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”

Who only has immortality, eternal life, and shall surely not die? 1 Timothy 6:15-16
“15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (See also Romans 2:6-7. It tells us that Christ gives immortality or eternal life.)

What then is the soul? Genesis 2:7
“7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

It’s clear that the soul is a sum of DUST + BREATH. A soul is the consciousness of a living person. Man became a soul, he didn’t receive one, therefore the soul preexisting, as some teach, is not true. Therefore when a person dies, the reverse of creation takes place.

How does the soul die? Psalms 104:29
“29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.”

What returns to God? Ecclesiastes 12:7
“7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” 

What is the this spirit? Job 27:3
 “3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils.” (See also Job 34:4, which indicates that we borrow life from God, who gives us the ability to breath.)

Wood and nails cannot become a box without someone assembling it, a bulb give no light without a electric source, nor can the soul or a person’s conscience exist except God formed the dust and breathed into it life. 

When a person dies, how involved are they in life’s activities? Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, 10
“5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. … 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.“ (See also Psalms 146:4. Man’s very current of thought stops to exist, they simply die!)

Do the dead ascend to heaven and praise Jesus, as popular belief says? Psalms 115:17
“17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.” (See also Psalm 6:5, which states that in the grave no remembrance or thanksgiving is possible.)

Is there hope in the grave? Isaiah 38:18-19
“18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.”

What is death referred to as; has the dead any part in earthly life? Job 14:10-12, 21
“10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? 11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: 12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. … 21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth is not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.” (See also Job 7:9-10, which tells us that the dead return no more to his house.)

Who else compared death to sleep? John 11:11-14
“11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”

( 70+ times the Bible calls death a sleep?)

Is the Christian’s hope an immediate ascension when he dies? John 5:28-29
“28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.“

Did the early New Testament church believe that king David died and immediately ascended to heaven? Acts 2:29, 34
“29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. … 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand”. (See also Psalms 16:8; 110:1-3 wherefrom Peter quotes these passages.)

When should the righteous expect their resurrection, being woken out of sleep? 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 
“51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

At what event does this take place? 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
“16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Is it acceptable to God for people to consult or pretending to communicate to the dead? Deuteronomy 18:10-12
“10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” (See also Leviticus 20:27, which confirms the seriousness of the evil of spiritualism.)

What does necromancer mean? James Strong’s concordance
A person who “evokes the dead”, ghosts or the apparent “spirit of a dead one”, and it’s synonymous to someone “that has a familiar spirit” or speaks with familiar spirits.

Who is really masquerading in the form of our dead loved ones? 2 Cor 11:14-15; 1 Samuel 28:3-25; 1 Chronicles 10:13“14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (See also 1 Samuel 28:3-25; 1 Chronicles 10:13, which clearly illustrates Satan’s abilities to transform himself, and the result of king Saul consulting her with familiar spirit.)

Who is primarily Satan’s ministers ? Revelation 12:9
“9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (See also Revelation 12:3-4; Hebrews 1:13-1, it says there that a third of God’s angels, becoming Satan’s ministers, fell to the earth with him.)

Is spiritualism only the thing of former days, or the past? 1 Timothy 4:1
“1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”

Why does God call spiritualism an abomination, a disgusting or an hateful thing? Revelation 16:13-14
“3 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (See also Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalms 106:28, which show that spiritualism is devil worship.)

What is our only safeguard from deceptions concerning the state of the dead? Isaiah 8:19-20
“19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? 20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Spiritualism today is very subtle and many times sugarcoated, as in the story behind the movie “Heaven’s for real”, and with Mormonism teaching that conversion is dead unconverted sinners. Satan is the source of both these ideas as they clearly contradict the Bible. There is no light in them.

Friend,

Do you understand that the dead are unconscious in the grave, awaiting either the resurrection of life or the resurrection of damnation? Being that tomorrow is not promised, do you desire today to be in Christ and He in you?