Mandevu Main SDA Church

Death happens to everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social status. Death killed Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar but also Johnny next door. Theories by great minds like Einstein or Stephen Hawking about what happens to the person after death cannot be scientifically proved or disproved. But what does the Bible say about death?

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What Does the Bible Say About Death?

One of Jesus’ most significant miracles recorded in the Bible was the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead (John 11). Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus resurrected him. When Lazarus died, Jesus spoke of his death as a sleep. “‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.’ Then His disciples said, ‘Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.’ However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead” (John 11:11-14, NKJV).

The Bible compares death to sleep more than fifty times. After death we are asleep; we are unconscious. When we are asleep, we are not aware of the passing of time or of what is going on around us. That is what death is like as well. The Bible says, “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, NKJV, see also Psalm 146:4 & 115:17). The story of Lazarus shows the truth of these statements. After Lazarus was raised from the dead, he didn’t share what he had seen or experienced. He didn’t have anything to tell, except that once he was dead, and now he was alive! He didn’t experience hell or heaven. He was simply “sleeping” in his tomb.

Peter on the Day of Pentecost said the same of King David. “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). It is very possible that David himself wrote the words of Psalm 115 which say, “The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence” (verse 17). The bible is very clear that when the body dies, there is no portion of the person that lives on. All parts of the person die until resurrection day.

>> Related Topics: Are Ghosts Real? | What Does the Bible Say About Cremation?

What Happens to Your Soul When You Die?

Many Christians think of the soul as an immortal entity within us that goes on living after death. What does the Bible say?

Describing the creation of human beings in the beginning, the Bible says, “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” (Genesis 2:7, KJV). Other Bible translations say, “. . . and man became a living being” (NKJV; NIV).

God did not put a soul into human beings. He formed the body from the dust of the ground, and then He breathed His life-giving spirit into the lifeless body—and the result was a soul, or a living being. When a person dies, the reverse takes place. The breath of life departs from the body, and the soul no longer exists.

The Bible say that the body returns to the dust and the spirit (or breath of life) returns to God. “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). “His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish” (Psalms 146:4). At the resurrection, God gives His life-giving breath (spirit) back to the body, and the person lives again.

If souls existed as separate entities that lived on after we died, that would mean we would have immortality. Paul says that the righteous “seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (Romans 2:7). But, if we had immortal souls, why would the righteous seek after something they already have? The Bible says human beings do not have immortality. Only God is immortal. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).

Is There Life After Death?

Though we may die, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Even though we are not immortal now, We will receive immortality as a gift when Jesus comes again. “But listen, I tell you this secret: We will not all die, but we will all be changed. It will only take a second. We will be changed as quickly as an eye blinks. This will happen when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound and those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we will all be changed. This body that will ruin must clothe itself with something that will never ruin. And this body that dies must clothe itself with something that will never die. So this body that ruins will clothe itself with that which never ruins. And this body that dies will clothe itself with that which never dies. When this happens, then this Scripture will be made true: ‘Death is destroyed forever in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54, ICB).

The Bible says that all those who have died—both righteous and wicked—will be raised to life in one of two resurrections. The righteous will be raised to life at Jesus’ second coming. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NKJV). According to this verse, the righteous do not go to heaven when they die. They remain asleep in the grave until Jesus returns and raises them to immortal life (see 1 Corinthians 15:50-57).

The wicked are raised to life in a separate resurrection—the resurrection of condemnation. Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28, 29, NKJV).

The prophets in the Bible never mention that the righteous immediately go to heaven or the wicked go to hell when they die. Neither did Jesus and His apostles teach it. When Jesus was about to leave His disciples, He did not tell them they would soon come to Him. He said He would come back to them. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3, NKJV).

When He returns, our loved ones asleep in Christ will awake from their tombs. No matter how long the time that passes, be it long or short, it will seem but a moment to them. By the voice of Jesus, they are called forth from their deep slumber and will awaken to a glorious immortality.

For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible … 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 15:52, 54).

The last sensation was the pang of death, the last thought, that they were falling beneath the power of the grave, but then, imagine, when they arise from the tomb to the shout, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Now, God’s beloved children will live with Him for all eternity! “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared. Now there was no sea. And I saw the holy city coming down out of heaven from God. This holy city is the new Jerusalem. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne. The voice said, ‘Now God’s home is with men. He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. All the old ways are gone’” (Revelation 21:1-4). Wouldn’t you like to be there on that day?

You may wish to learn more through the Discover Bible Lessons on our Bible studies section.