What happens to us when we die, according to the Bible?
August 13th, 2010 by Angela
Death. It’s not a pleasant thing, nor is it something which to look forward to with anticipation. It is something to be hated, despised, abhorred. Yet, most people, when asked the question, “What happens to you when you die?” they would quickly answer, without even pausing to consider, “I will go to heaven when I die.” Even people who marginally believe that there is a God, believe that heaven is where they will go upon their death.
When a person loses a loved one, others attempt to comfort you with words similar to these: “I am so very sorry for your loss, but, we can take comfort and be so happy for your loved one, now that he is pain free and happy in heaven.” This type of sentiment would cause you to believe that dying is actually a happy thing, for you can immediately go on to live in heaven and be happy. Assuming this is so, wouldn’t death be something that we should be looking forward to? Some mistakenly believe that they will see God and other loved ones who have died, and some even think they will turn into angels up there. Where do these beliefs come from? Well, I am sorry to say, they certainly do not come from the Bible. This is not the teaching of Scripture. The Bible teaches quite the opposite in fact.
This is what the Bible teaches on the subject, if you’re interested:
1. Death is NOT a good thing.
God tells Adam and Eve, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19. Death is part of the curse that Adam brought upon mankind, when he chose to disobey God and sinned.
2. There is no thinking or using our brains when we are dead.
For people who believe they are going to heaven upon death, they imagine pearly gates, singing praises to God, hugging and laughing with loved ones, like Grandma or Great Aunt Gertrude whom they haven’t seen for years. It’s a happy reunion, and they will be looking down from heaven, upon their loved ones, watching over them: sad if their loved ones are doing horrible things that they would not approve of; or proud at their still living loved ones’ achievements. But the Bible tells us of no such thing.
The Bible, in fact, is quite clear that when a person is dead, they are dead. They won’t be singing, they won’t be worshiping God, they won’t be awake and watching from heaven.
“His breath departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Psalm 146:5.
“The dead do not know anything.” Ecclesiastes 9:5.
“There is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol [the grave] where you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:10
“Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the breath will return to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7.
This is very clear what the Bible teaches. You can’t think when you’re dead. If you’re alive up in heaven, thinking and feeling (happy), then this is obviously opposite of the teaching of Scripture, and you’re believing in something else than what the Bible teaches.
3. Death is likened to sleep.
“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, some to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2
“But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.“” Daniel 12:13. Nothing is so clear as this passage, that the great prophet, Daniel, did not go to heaven when he died, but is asleep in death, resting until he is resurrected from the dead, just as we will be, at the end of the age.
“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go that I may awaken him out of sleep”…now, Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. Then Jesus therefore said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” John 11:11-14.
Today, most people say a person “passed away” or “went to heaven to be with Jesus.” You never or seldom hear people say, “She fell asleep in Jesus,” although this terminology is a far more accurate, Scriptural way of speaking of death, and would definitely give people a much more clearer picture of what has happened. Some who say, “May John rest in peace” is actually accurate. John is resting, or sleeping, awaiting the return of Jesus.
4. The only way out of death [sleep] is to be awakened in the resurrection.
The Bible clearly teaches that our hope, as Christians, is the resurrection from the dead, at the return of Christ Jesus.
When a person dies, their breath returns to God; their bodies return to dust; and they will be miraculously resurrected, brought back to life, on the day of our Lord Jesus’ return to the earth.
“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 imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, THEN will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?” I Corinthians 15:51-55.
This passage of Scripture is very telling. This is the resurrection of the dead, for those who are asleep in Jesus, at his return. They will be awakened, and be granted an imperishable, immortal body – never to die again. Before this resurrection, they were asleep in death. They were not living up in heaven, already ‘awake & living up there’ to be reunited with a new body, as most churches teach. Instead, they were dead. Yes, it is quite sad when we think about it, to believe they are not up in heaven partying and having a blast all this time…but they are unconscious, asleep, dead, resting, not alive. It makes the reality of death harsh. Cold. Incredibly sad.
But, I Thessalonians 4 tells us “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep [dead], that you may not grieve, as do the rest you have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring forth [from the grave] with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word [plan of the Kingdom] of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself [Jesus] will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
We have this hope of the dead being resurrected at the return of Jesus. It does not teach that the souls which were already in heaven are coming back to reclaim their new bodies. It teaches instead, that those who were asleep in Jesus, will be brought back to life, awakened from their rest to meet Jesus, and those of us who are still alive at his coming, will then, also be changed to our new immortal bodies, and meet Jesus with them!
5. The gift of eternal life is given at the day of Christ’s return, all together on the same day.
Most people believe that when you die, you go immediately to heaven (or immediately to hell) and you are rewarded with eternal life (or eternal-burning-alive – which isn’t really death at all, is it?), to live forever ever after at either location. But, the Bible tells us in I Corinthians 15:22-23, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each man in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.”
We receive eternal life upon our resurrection (unless we are still living at the time of Jesus’ return to the earth). We will be made alive, AT HIS COMING! It does not say, we will be made alive when we get to heaven.
We will receive what was promised to us all together, on the same day… not individually, one at a time, at each person’s death. This will happen on the day of the Lord’s return. “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had foreseen something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made complete.” Hebrews 11:39-40.
We will all get our reward of eternal life, and inherit the land, that was promised to Abraham, and all his descendants after him, on the same day at the return of Christ Jesus.
6. We will not see God until the Kingdom of God, here upon this earth.
Many falsely believe that upon death, they will enter heaven and be worshiping God all day and night. In the Bible, in the book of Job, the scripture of Job 19:25-27 tells us another story.
“And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes shall see and not another.”
Obviously, Job speaks of a day when God will be on this earth, and Job will see Him here, in a body, not a ‘floating fleshless soul, in the heavenly clouds.’ This Scripture is so consistent with the belief and teaching of the resurrection. We will be resurrected with an immortal body. Just as Jesus had a physical, flesh and blood body after his resurrection from the dead [he was first!], we too, will be able to see God when we are standing on our own two feet, with a body, a thinking brain, and two eyes that see!
And God WILL someday, come down to the earth. Revelation 21 tells us the end of this grand story, or rather, just the beginning of the eternity that we shall share with our Most High God!
7. The End of the Story
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4.
This is our reward. Eternal life in the Kingdom of God here upon this earth, that will be restored and renewed, as it was at the time of the Garden of Eden, in the first days of creation! A time of righteousness and justice, when mankind will finally be able to dwell with God. God is not able to dwell with men before this day, so the ones who are choosing to believe they go to heaven to be with God after death….well, it’s just not Scriptural. They will not see God, until He comes down from heaven to dwell with mankind on the earth, when Jesus has taken care of all sin, death, and put things right and holy, so our Most Holy God can dwell with us. And until that time comes, we are to pray, “Come Lord Jesus, Come” as we look forward, not to the day when we can die and go to heaven, but to our Lord Messiah’s return to the earth and the resurrection from the dead, which will begin to set into motion the ‘end of the story’ and God’s awesome Kingdom that awaits us here upon this earth.
Our Christian HOPE is the resurrection, not heaven when you die.
In conclusion, the Bible consistently teaches us that our hope, as believers in Jesus Christ, is the resurrection of the dead and the coming Kingdom of God. It does not teach what churches preach and most people believe ~ that our hope should be that we get to go to heaven when we die. Jesus never once promised this. You cannot find the phrase “You will go to heaven when you die” even once in the entire Bible! This truth of Scripture may be a surprise or come as a shock to those of you who have believed this for your entire lives. And why not? Every book, movie, television show, and almost {but not every} church continues to prolong this erroneous teaching, based on just a few, VERY FEW, texts that have been misunderstood for centuries, misleading people about the truth of what happens to us when we die and what our hope is as believers. The Bible tells quite a very different story, as we have just read.
The truth of the matter is this: we have strayed very far from what the Bible teaches and what the early Christian-Jews believed, and it is now time that we study our Bibles, which is the key to understanding the good news [gospel] that God has promised to all those who are descendants of Abraham.
So what happens to us when we die, according to the Bible? Scripture plainly teaches that we are dead, ‘asleep’, until the day of Christ’s return, in which he will awaken us from the dead, and bring us back to life. Our Christian hope is the resurrection. But, that’s if you want to believe what the Bible teaches, rather than the tradition of churches and pop culture. It’s tough to overcome such an entrenched tradition in our culture, but I choose to have a real hope that believing in Jesus offers us. I choose to believe Scripture. What do you choose to believe? It’s definitely something looking into and studying what the Bible says about the subject!
Angela
Very good article.for the most part its very biblically correct.
The few things I dont find biblical are how you use the “those that are alive” and apply these to not include those it was spoken to.
The ones that these very words were spoken to are part of the ones that will be alive at Jesus’ return. Now you either have to claim this happened in their lifetime or you need to find a better understanding on just how these will be alive before the return of Jesus.
This understanding can be found in another unbiblical explanation in your article where it speaks of everyone in their own order. Christ who we know was the first of the first fruits, next the first fruits as a whole who are those who by the Old covenant received the reward from obidience to enter the Sabbath rest of God in which Jesus will sit upon Gods throne ruling over the whole world.The first fruits are the one that will be alive at the time of Jesus return.
Then those written in Jesus’ Book of Life AKA those in Christ,AKA the great multitude.
The last thing that is not biblical is saying that those in Christ wont go to heaven when Jesus returns which it is clearly stated they will be risen into Heaven and when the earth is renewed they will return to earth while the New heaven with the new city is coming down from God,
Pretty much the rest is biblical
Hi,
you mention above
Is this really what the NT Scriptures teach?
Did Jesus have a physical, flesh and blood body after his resurrection from the dead?
If he had been raised in such a physical body, how could he become invisible (and apparently be invisible for most of the time, except those times of the resurrection appearances)?
Do you think that this resurrected physical body was the body he had just prior to his death, since it apparently had the wounds, etc? Since you claim that “we too” will have such resurrected physical body, do you think that our resurrected physical body will be (like) the one we have at the time of our death?
Hi Angela & all
would anyone have some answers to my above questions which were prompted by the above article?
Wolfgang,
Did you ever read this KR article that Brian Keating wrote?
http://kingdomready.org/blog/2010/07/25/natural-bodies-vs-spiritual-bodies/
When a Christian dies, all earthly brains are left behind. When he becomes absent from his earthly body he comes into the presence of the Lord. As a new creation he comes to know things about heaven, his eternal home where he had been seated spiritually because he believed in Jesus since he heard the word of truth and believed.
Being clothed by the holy spirit, he’s not found naked. Having put on Christ, all things are new and the old is passed away. The things he’s read about and knew in part, begin to unfold.
One day there will be a bodily resurrection. Those bodies which have been left in the grave to corrupt will be changed. They will be raised to newness of life in Christ again. Until then the Christian remains in Jesus the new creation by the spirit of God.
That’s what it looks like to me.
Ron,
yes, I have read the article … and even re-read it now. However, it does NOT really address the questions I asked.
It makes the point that after the resurrection man will have a spiritual body whereas man before his death has a natural body, and it also claims that both these bodies are “physical” bodies.
For example, after the resurrection Jesus showed himself alive .. and those who saw him in such an appearance obviously saw actually his former body as the wounds in his hands and his side prove. So then, was what they saw Jesus’ “spiritual body”?
If so, the post resurrection body would be basically from its outward looks the same as a person has immediately before or at the time when they die. Is this what you also believe?
Furthermore, is the difference between the “natural” body and the “spiritual” body really in the “life form” which gives each body its life force (“natural” body is quickened by “soul life in the blood”,, “spiritual” body is quickened by “spirit life”)? or is a “spiritual body” indeed something entirely different from the “natural” body (cp what 1Co 15 has to say about that body which is sown and that which grows from it)??
It seems to me rather that Jesus’ resurrected body – the “spiritual body” – is actually “spiritual” (invisible, NOT physical), as is evident from the fact that Jesus after his resurrection was indeed invisible except for a very few occassions where he showed himself in his prior body for the purpose of proof as having been raised from the dead to eternal life (cp Acts 1 … showed himself as the resurrected one for 40 days)
Wolfgang
“Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a SPIRIT does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.” Luke 24
“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable…it is sown a NATURAL BODY, it is raised a SPIRITUAL BODY.
If there is a natural BODY, there is also a spiritual BODY.” 1Cor 15.42-44
What part of BODY are you not understanding?
The word spiritual can sometimes mean non-corporeal, i.e., not physical. But that is not its only meaning. We’ve covered this before, but by way of reminder, here are some other verses where the word spiritual is used to describe people whose character or nature is of God.
I Cor. 2:
13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.
1Co 14:37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.
In these verses, flesh is contrasted with spirit referring to the source of the words, or of the character, not to whether or not they are physical.
Xavier,
so according to you the “spiritual” resurrection body of Jesus still had his wounds in hands and side, that is, it was of the appearance of his previous natural body at the time he died?
I suppose then, there will be some resurrected believers with a “spiritual body” that won’t have a head, since they were beheaded when they died?
I would consider such ideas about a physical resurrection body to be incorrect …
Jesus did show himself in his natural body after the resurrection during few occasions solely for the sake of being able to be identified as having been resurrected to eternal life … as Acts 1 clearly indicates. One should recognize also, that Jesus’ natural body had not decayed and not seen corruption when he was raised from the dead.
Jesus was indeed raised with a new spiritual (and non-physical) body, invisible to the natural human eye as is shown by the Scripture records describing events after his resurrection, which indicate that Jesus was indeed in general invisible and did NOT live somewhere in some earthly habitat, such as a house, tent, or whatever else people lived in at the time in the Bible lands. Only when he “showed himself” could he be seen by others as having a body of “flesh and bones”, and this body of “flesh and bones” was identical with regards to the wounds in hands and side to his physical body which he had previously. Thus, his disciples had undeniable proof that it was indeed Jesus, and not some kind of “spirit of the dead” conjured up, etc …
Mark C.,
while the word “spiritual” in the above examples relates to the source of certain things, this does NOT touch at all at the truth that the nature of that which is “spiritual” is still NOT PHYSICAL or NON-CORPOREAL.
When we read of “spiritual thoughts”, the meaning is “thoughts originated by the Spirit” and yet that aspect to which “spiritual” relates (=> the SPIRIT) is not physical or corporeal. The same holds true of “spiritual words”.
The context indicates how the word “spiritual” is to be understood in connection with such terms as “thoughts” and “words”. But one cannot take this context and apply the meaning to a different context where the word “spiritual” is related to a different word, such as “body”.
Wolfgang
So let me get this straight, Jesus was raised with 2 different bodies? A “natural body” and an “invisible…spiritual body”?
Xavier,
he was raised with a spiritual body … and he showed himself alive (having been raised from the dead to eternal life) during 40 days at a few occasions for the purpose of proof to his disciples that it was indeed him in his body with the wounds in his hands and in his side …
Since with Jesus’ resurrection the truth of resurrection from the dead with a spiritual body was established, there is no need for anyone else to be showing themselves after being raised from the dead with a natural / physical body. The dead will be raised with a spiritual body … as 1Co 15 clearly teaches.
You’re right. Those verses do not touch on that idea because that is not the meaning of the word in those cases. It has nothing to do with whether it’s corporeal or not.
But they refer to spiritual people – “he who is spiritual,” “spiritual men,” “if anyone thinks he is… spiritual.” This is obviously not talking about people who are not physical.
You’re right, the context must define it. The meaning of the word “physical” does not automatically carry with it the idea of being non corporeal. God and angels are “spiritual beings” who have no body, but people are not. The passage in I Cor. 15 is talking about what kind of flesh, what kind of body, the dead are raised with. The words “flesh” and “body” by definition are corporeal. Further, the parallels in verses 42-44 indicate the contrast:
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;
43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
It is contrasting perishable/imperishable, dishonor/glory, weakness/power, natural/spiritual. This defines what it’s talking about. The whole idea of a “non physical, non corporeal body” would have been foreign and meaningless to Paul, or anyone writing from his Hebrew background.
Wolfgang
So what type of “body” [if any] does Jesus currently have? Is this the same type of “body” Christians will have?
Xavier,
having been resurrected from the dead to eternal life, he has “a spiritual body” … according to 1Co 15, those who are resurrected to life eternal have a spiritual body. Thus, believers in Christ also are changed from “a natural body” to “a spiritual body” to have life eternal and inherit the kingdom of God (since man cannot enter and inherit the kingdom in a natural physical body.
Wolfgang,
So what proof is there that the spirtual body is not also a phyisical one?
Seems to me that Jesus went out of his way to show his spiritual body was phyiscal still by having people touch him and by eating in front of everyone.
Also when we think spirtual it doesn’t necessarily mean fully “immaterial”. Sudden appearances inside locked rooms from out of no where does not require Jesus to lack physicality. Other possibilities could include dimensional doorways/travel or teleportation. Sure that sounds like science fiction, but to God it sure wouldn’t be.
Ron S.
Could be…but let’s not discount the miraculous. Simply put, God can effect all kinds of “impossible feats” when he empowers people. Take for instance the feats of Moses, Samson, and to some extent the “rapture”[?] of Enoch & Elijah. As Matthew puts it, people were “were filled with awe and praised God for giving such authority to humans.” [Mat 9.8]
When it comes to Jesus’ “teleportation”, at times seeming “invisibility”, this was not limited to his post-resurrection appearances:
ESV Study Bible explains the Lukan account thus…