State of the Dead, Resurrection
Most people have wondered at some point in their life about death, the afterlife, and where they will end up. As humans we know that one day we will die. No one on this earth lives forever.
It’s not something we really like to think about. It may even feel like an uncomfortable subject. But the question remains.
The good news is, we do have a reliable source that tells us how to navigate this tough subject. We Believe what the Bible says about what happens when we die and after we die.
What happens when we die?
The Bible says those who have died know nothing. That means we aren’t aware of the passage of time after death. We aren’t aware of what’s happening in the world.
Death is like a deep sleep. Your body and spirit rests as the breath of life—which makes body and soul one, and alive—has returned to God until the resurrection.
Whether you’ve lost a loved one or want to know what happens when you die, it’s a question that weighs on everyone’s mind at some point.
“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. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6, ESV).
“and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7, ESV).
In the beginning God made man in the Garden of Eden from the dust of the earth. Then, He breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils.
In that moment Adam became a living being.
“Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7, ESV).
Notice the verse says Adam became a living creature when God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. The King James Version says it this way:
“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).
His breath is what made him a living soul – a living creature. When we die, we stop breathing and we rest. Nowhere in the Bible does it say the soul is separate from the body.
A soul is a living creature (see Genesis 2:7 above). A soul is the combination of a body plus the breath of life. The soul cannot exist without the body or the breath.
“…the body apart from the spirit is dead” (James 2:26, ESV).
“as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3, ESV).
We can see this idea illustrated by looking at a light bulb. Without electricity, a light bulb has no light. In order to produce light, both the lightbulb and the electricity are needed. Similarly, the body has no life without the breath of God. Your soul is not a separate being.
Some religions or denominations teach other ideas about what happens when we die. For instance, some people believe in purgatory, reincarnation, immortality of the soul, the afterlife, etc.
It is important when looking at different ideas about the state of the dead to weigh each teaching according to the Bible.
“If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20, NKJV).
The Bible says death is like a sleep and the dead know nothing. There is no need to worry about a loved one who has passed away. They are resting peacefully in the grave. They are not in pain. They are not somewhere else being tormented. They are simply waiting in the grave until Jesus comes back.
The First and Second Resurrections
THE FIRST RESURRECTION
When Jesus returns at the end of time, all who have died believing in Christ will have a bodily resurrection and go to Heaven with Him. This is the first resurrection.
This is the Good News! Believers have the hope of eternal life because they place their trust in the Lord Jesus.
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17, ESV).
The first resurrection happens when Christ returns. This resurrection is for those who were faithful to Christ and died. These resurrected people will join all the faithful Christians who are still living. Together they will go to Heaven.
THE SECOND RESURRECTION
The second resurrection happens after the thousand years have passed. This resurrection is for those who were unfaithful to Christ. These are the lost people who decided not to follow Christ during their life on earth.
“The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection” (Revelation 20:5, ESV).
Unfortunately, these people are not raised to eternal life, but instead will face the second death.
WHAT IS THE SECOND DEATH?
Those who are raised in the second resurrection will face judgement. They will die a final death that lasts forever.
“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14, ESV).
The second death is the eternal consequence of being separated from God. You may have pictures in your mind of eternal torment and suffering for the lost sinners – an eternal hell where fire burns the lost forever and ever.
But what does the Bible say? Those who die without a faith in Jesus will face eternal separation from God – not eternal suffering.
If the wicked were tormented in hell forever, they would be immortal souls. The Scripture says God alone is immortal, and only those who choose redemption through Jesus will be granted eternal life (John 3:15-16; 17:3).
“… the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:15, 16, ESV).
And when the lost die the second death, they will be like no more, like ash on the ground. They are destroyed forever, not forever burning.
The fire is an all-consuming fire. And when all wickedness has been destroyed, the fire will go out.
“Behold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before!” (Isaiah 47:14, ESV).
WHAT HAPPENS TO GOD’S FAITHFUL PEOPLE?
After the final death of the unfaithful, God will create a new earth free of sin and death. God’s people will live free of pain and sorrow. They will enjoy a life of eternal happiness where sin is no more. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more… and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4, ESV).
HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR DEATH AND THE RESURRECTIONS?
If you want to be a part of the first resurrection, you need to seek a relationship with God. Accept Jesus as your Savior today.
““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).