LIFE AND DEATH: THE BIBLE TRUTH

Life and Death: The Bible Truth

Multitudes of sincere Christians are today being led astray by the teaching that the soul can never die, and that the dead continue to be conscious after they have passed. This increasingly popular and deceptive teaching is inestimably dangerous, as it is preparing the way for countless millions to accept and even embrace Satan's coming deceptions, one of which will be the spirits of devils going forth to impersonate the dead in order to declare un-scriptural doctrines. We must firmly established ourselves now upon God's infallible word - so that when the hour comes, we will not be swayed by the lying wonders brought forth by the wicked one. That said, Scripture is abundantly clear: The dead know nothing. Any supposed manifestation of one who has died is the work of Satan.

“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
Note: Breath/Spirit of God + the body (which is made from dust) = "A Living Soul"

Eccl 9:5-6

5For 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.
6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.

(Note: The Bible refers to death as “sleep” more than 50 times.)


Eccl 9:10


10Whatever 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.

*Eccl 12:7

7Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Note: Here, we see that when we die, the body returns to dust, and the spirit/breath of life returns to God. The two elements that constitute a "living soul" according to Genesis 2:7 (1-breath of God; 2-body) are essentially dismantled at death. Consequently, there is no consciousness after death.

Remember: Breath/Spirit of God + the body (which is made from dust) = "A Living Soul" (See Genesis 2:7 at the top of the page.)

Eccl 3:20


20All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.

Eccl 6:6


6even if he lives a thousand years twice…Do not all go to one place?


Psa 6:5


5For in death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks?

Note: This verse would make no sense if God's faithful were immediately taken to Heaven when they died, for surely everyone in Heaven will be giving od thanks! Like David, King Hezekiah understood that there was no consciousness in the grave; this is why he tearfully pleaded with God for his life - Isaiah 38.

Psa 17:15


15As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Note: David, here, is looking forward to the day when he will be awakened [from the sleep of death] in God's likeness at the Second Coming of Jesus. - "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is." (1 John 3:2)


Psa 30:9

9What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit [grave]? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?

Note: The psalmist is again acknowledging that there is no consciousness after death. Upon dying, our breath/spirit is returned to God and our bodies return to dust. God's faithful will remain asleep (unconscious) until the Second Coming of Jesus. The wicked and unrepentant will remain asleep (unconscious) until they are resurrected to face the "second death" after the millennium.

Psa 49:15


15But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me.

Psa 71:20


20You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.



Psa 88:10-12


10Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall the dead arise and praise You?
11Shall Your loving kindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?


Psa 104:29-30


29You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.


*Psa 146:3-4


3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

(Compare with: Genesis 2:7… Eccl. 12:7… Job 27:3…)

Psa 115:17


17The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence.

Job 14:12

12So man lies down and does not rise.
Till the heavens are no more,
They will not awake
Nor be roused from their sleep.

Note: The heavens will pass away at the second advent of Jesus on the "day of judgment." (See 2 Peter 3:7.) It is then that God's faithful will be resurrected (awakened from the sleep of death).

Job 4:17

17Can a mortal be more righteous than God? ...

Note: Man is mortal. God, alone, has immortality. "God… who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen." (1 Tim 6:15-16)


Ezek 18:4


4Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.

Note: The first lie that Satan used to deceive humanity was “You will not surely die.” –Gen. 3:4.

Dan 12:2


2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Dan 12:13


13“But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

Note: Daniel is told that he will "arise" to his inheritance "at the end of days." He is not told that he will receive his inheritance when he dies.

God's faithful will receive their "inheritance" at the Second Coming of Jesus: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. . . . at the appearing of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:3-5, 7)

Isa 26:19

19Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust…And the earth shall cast out the dead.

Note: Isaiah's hope was in the resurrection of the just at the end of days.

Isa 38:18-19

18For Sheol [the grave] cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down to the pit [grave] cannot hope for Your truth.
19The living, the living man, he shall praise You, As I do this day;
The father shall make known Your truth to the children.

Note: The prophet Isaiah, like King Solomon, King David, and all of the inspired author's of the Bible repeatedly acknowledged that there is no consciousness after death. Only the living can praise God. When a man dies... "his breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." (Psalm 146:4)

Jn 3:13


13No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man...

*Jn 5:25-29

25Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Note: Jesus's words could not be any clearer here. The hope of the faithful is in the resurrection. This passage would make absolutely no sense if Jesus's faithful are already in Heaven prior to His Second Coming.


Jn 11:11-13


11These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” 12Then His disciples said, “Master, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

Jn 11:24


24Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Note: Mary understood well that our hope is in "the resurrection at the last day." She clearly did not believe that Lazarus went to Heaven following his death.

Jn 14:1-3

1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in Elohim, believe also in Me. 2In 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. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Note: Jesus's comforts the disciples here with the promise of His return. He tells them that He will return for them, that where He is, they may be also. It is critical to point out here that Jesus does not comfort the disciples by telling them that they will be with Him immediately after they die.

Acts 2:29,34


29“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.34“For David did not ascend into the heavens…

1 Cor 15:6


6After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep [died].


1 Cor 15:20, 23


20But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

Note: Again, our hope is in the resurrection of the just at Jesus's Second Coming.

1 Thess 4:13-18

13But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 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. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Compare: John 5:25-29.

Note: Paul's inspired instructions to us on how to comfort one another when we lose a love one is not to say that the deceased are in Heaven now. Rather, Paul instructs us to comfort one another with the blessed promise of resurrection of the saints at Jesus's Second Coming. It is tragic to see how often these plain instructions are ignored... and the adversary's lie repeated... 'they did not surely die.' (Gen. 3:4) 'They are in Heaven now.'



1 Tim 6:15-16

The Lord God…16who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

Note: God, alone, is immortal. Man is mortal. "Can a mortal be more righteous than Eloah?" (Job 4:17)



2 Tim 4:8


8Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Master, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Note: Paul's did not believe that he would receive his reward immediately after he died. Rather, he looked forward to the resurrection at Christ's appearing on the last day.

Rev 20:5


5But the rest of the dead [the wicked] did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.


Rev 22:12


12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Note: Jesus is bringing the reward with Him when He returns. Man does not receive his reward (i.e. eternal life) immediately after he dies.

Conclusion:

There is no consciousness after death. Both the Righteous and the Wicked will “sleep” until they are called from their graves, the Righteous at the "1st Resurrection," and the wicked at the "2nd Resurrection." (For more, see "The Two Resurrections.")

“The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” -1 Corinthians 15:26