State of the Dead

One of the last prophecies to be fulfilled before the return of Christ is:

1 Timothy 4:1 “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;

As many are aware, today we see the majority of religions, including some Christians denominations are proclaiming that prayers to the dead are acceptable and should be done often if the dead are in fact considered a saint. Most teach that when a person dies they go to a spirit world where they can be contacted by us in prayer, or by a psychic or spirit guide in a séance. Some also teach re-incarnation where the soul goes from one life to the next forever in the hopes of cultivating enough wisdom to become perfect and therefore eternal in nature. Then there are those that teach the spirit of the deceased can actually haunt people if the deceased had been wronged in some major way in their mortal life. And finally, some teach that dead saints are allowed to come back from heaven, physically appear unto us and warn us of mortal dangers if we don’t heed their Heavenly warnings and follow their advice. One of these denominations even go so far as to claim that the mother of Jesus Christ Himself appears from time to time to relay messages from heaven.

Before making a judgment about which church is correct, if any. Lets go to the Bible and see what the Bible has to say about where we go when we die. We’re going to the Bible because these are churches and religions we are investigating. If we were investigating something someone told us about how to properly tune an engine we would go to the mechanics manual of that particular engine to find out if what was being said or done was correct and acceptable for that engine type. These are churches we’re dealing with which claim to be teaching us what the Bible says about these topics, so lets see if they’re right.

Psalms 6:3-5 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long? Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

The Psalmist is praying for deliverance to arrive before death here because he knows he won’t have the ability to remember anything from the grave, nor can he give thanks from the grave.

Psalms 115:17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
Psalms 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish
Ecclesiastes 9:5,6 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. 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.

In Isaiah we see that king Hezekia was sick and Isaiah told him he was about to die. The king turned his face to the wall and prayed. In his prayer he says the following…

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

It appears rather plain here. The dead seem to be just that…DEAD! They can’t remember, they can’t thank anyone, they can’t praise God, they can’t think, they can’t even dream because the verse says, “his thoughts perish.” All their abilities have perished, “the dead know not any thing.” Notice the last verse shared where it said, “…neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.” The Bible is stating that the dead can in no way take part in anything under the sun. The (RSV) Bible actually translates the above last verse like this. “…they have no more for ever any share in all that is done under the sun.” Pretty plain is it not?

If the Bible is saying the dead can’t affect anything that happens here on earth. Why are people still praying to these dead saints when the dead can’t hear them? Why do people still believe in hauntings, seances, apparitions etc?? They believe it because they never read in their Bibles the truth about these things. They just trusted their church leaders to tell them truthfully what the Bible says. So, who or what are these people seeing at these seances, hauntings and apparitions? Some churches believe that Mary the mother of Jesus is showing up in apparitions around the world. Many also believe that paintings or statues of Mary are actually bleeding real blood, or crying real tears. Does this mean Mary is not only alive and well, but now trapped inside statues made by men? How can this be? Does not the Word of God plainly state that the dead can in no way affect anything that happens here on this earth? If these apparitions aren’t Mary, then who are they? See my “That’s not Mary?” page on the website for the whole story on this.

I’m sure you’re wondering. “Just where do we go when we die?” Don’t go running to get this answer from your preacher, teacher, friend, pastor, or priest. Just go back in the Bible to find out. It is were you should always go when you’re in question. However if you do at times have to go to a person for answers, always verify it in the Word of God before making any final decisions! Don’t trust me or any man! Go to God’s Word for the final answer and you will never go wrong.

So…where do we go when we die?

Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

The Bible refers to death as sleep. During this dreamless sleep, “his thoughts perish,” so, is it possible to affect the lives of others or carry on normal day to day activities in normal sleep? I think not. In the book of John we find a situation where Jesus Himself refers to the dead as being asleep.

John 11:11-14 …Our friend Lazarus sleepeth;but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

The disciples thought when Jesus said Lazarus was sleeping that he would be ok. So Jesus had to plainly say “Lazarus is dead.” Before going on, I must interject as to the main reason Jesus calls death “sleep” here. It is because He knows that everyone will awaken one day out of death as we awaken each morning from sleep. Some will awaken to receive eternal life, and others will awaken to be destroyed in eternal damnation.

John 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 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.”

Getting back to Lazarus we discover that a few verses later we realize how long Lazarus would have been sleeping the sleep of death if Jesus had not raised him from the dead later on in verse 43.

John 11:23,24 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Martha, the sister of Lazarus understood the biblical truth about the state of the dead. She knew Lazarus wasn’t going to awaken until the last day when Jesus splits that eastern sky at His second coming. The book of Job also mentions the length of sleep for the dead.

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Notice the word till in that verse. This means the dead will not, or cannot awaken until the last day as Martha calls it in the previous verse shared. Inspiration through Job goes on to say:

Job 14:13-15 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

If the dead man’s sons come to a high position of honor, riches, or abundance, he does not and cannot perceive it because he is in the grave. In the same way, if his sons are brought low with poverty, sickness, or circumstance, etc, but he does not nor cannot perceive, because he is in the grave dead.

Job 14:21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

My Favorite verse on this subject….

1Corinthians 15:20-23 But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

According to these verses, the dead in Christ will remain in their graves awaiting the order of resurrection. What is that order you ask? Jesus is the “firstfruits of them that slept” And then those that are believers in Jesus will “be made alive”. But when will they be made alive? According to the Bible, they will have to be made alive in the order that the Lord set up. Jesus, the “firstfruits” and then those that are His followers,“at His coming” …Rather blunt is it not?

So I ask… How did this LIE get started?

It’s all in PUNCTUATION folks! That’s right! Punctuation! Let me explain… The two short letters below are identical, only the punctuation has been changed. Notice how you can perceive a total different meaning by altering simple punctuation…

Dear John,

I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind,
thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and
inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have
no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart. I can be forever happy — will
you let me be yours?

Susan
Dear John,

I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind,
thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and
inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have
no feelings whatsoever. When we’re apart, I can be forever happy. Will
you let me be?

Yours, Susan

There is another example I would like to share that I just found recently. Note the following 2 phrases. They are the exact same. Only the punctuation is different…

A woman, without her man, is nothingA woman: without her, man is nothing.

Now read Luke 23:43

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” [Luke 23:43]

Is Luke 23:43 REALLY saying we go to Heaven directly at death?

NOTICE:
Jesus is crucified, just before breathing His last He tells the thief on the cross he will be with Him in Paradise. Then three days later, Jesus rises from the dead and Mary Magdelene approaches Him in John 20:17 and “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father:” Why did Jesus tell the thief in Luke 23:43 that they’re going to Heaven that day, and then three days later tell Mary He hasn’t gone yet? Some say this proves the Bible contradicts itself. However, the fact of the matter is, many years after the King James Bible was written, punctuation was added to it. The coma in Luke 23:43 is actually mis-placed. It should be placed after the word “today.” If it is left before the word “today,” it appears Jesus is being dishonest either to Mary or the thief on the cross. However, if it is placed correctly after the word “today”, He is now telling them both His truth and no contradiction is assumed. Now read Luke 23:43 with the coma in the correct place…

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee To day, shalt thou be with me in paradise.” [Luke 23:43]

One more thing to ponder in regards to this Biblical fact.

John 19:31-33, “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:”

The Sun is about to set. The Jews are wanting all the bodies off the cross before the “high Sabbath” day (A “High Sabbath” is when an annual feast day and weekly seventh day Sabbath hit at same time) They break the legs of the two men. The thief of course is one of those men, but when they get to Jesus, they find that He had already died! However, the thief didn’t die that day did he? Did Jesus lie again? According to the Worldly bibles with the coma misplaced, Jesus said He and the thief would go to Heaven THAT DAY. Yet, Jesus went a day early didn’t He? The misplaced coma allows for a multitude of errors and so called contradictions that Satan has convinced billions to view the Bible as an untrustworthy book. The devil has indeed been cunningly BUSY! That’s why I love the Word of God so much! It so EASILY proves lies to be just that…LIES. When you use the preferred biblical method the prophet Isaiah mentions when defining doctrine in Isaiah 28:10 where he says, “…precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” Then you will never be confused. Letting the Bible define itself opens it up to a grand adventure into the Truth!

Want it bluntly?

PSALM 89:48 What man [is he that] liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

You see? It is not until Jesus MAKES us immortal on that last day will we be able to “get out” of the blunt fact that there is a grave for each of us that see death BEFORE He returns on that day. For those of you that have lost loved ones. This TRUTH is a blessed comfort. You no longer have to worry about your beloved deceased as wondering in an unknown landscape looking for deceased loved ones, or being scared they are all alone in the vast emptiness, or worse yet floating in the flames of Purgatory as the Pagan’s once believed and Rome adopted into Catholicism. The Scriptures declare that they are sleeping soundly totally unaware of what is going on around them. They don’t even realize they are dead! They simply, sleep.

Ever notice this..?

Now, yes it’s true that some have bypassed the grave and some have even resurrected 2000 years ago with Christ. The amazing thing about these people are that EVERYONE of them that has ascended into Heaven HAVE COMPLETE BODIES! ENOCH, ELIJAH, MOSES and JESUS, ALL HAVE BODIES! Jesus even made this point quite clear when He stated to the disciples after His death the following truths.

Luke 24:36-39, “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

Have we all forgotten what Christ said about how our bodies in Heaven will be fashioned?

Philippians 3:20-21, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body…”

Seeing how this is Biblical fact, want further confirmation? Ask all those elected officials that have exhumed dead bodies over the years due to criminal investigations. 100% of the time, each and every single time they dug up a grave they FOUND A BODY in the casket!

Now I know there are still some questions for those of you that have been taught certain things regarding this topic. And below I have a list of every one of them I have come across over the years explained using Scripture. However, I would like to share one of them right off because it’s my favorite method to prove this point. It has to do with King David. As we all know, out of the family tree of David we have Christ the Lord. David was a sinner yes, but he repented and was considered a Heaven bound man. In fact, all the Jews in the days after the cross of Christ believed David was in Heaven. Peter the Apostle was forced to address this issue quite boldly in Acts chapter two.

Try this the next time you are sharing this biblical fact with a Christian confused on this issue. Ask them, “do you believe King David is in Heaven right now?” Most will say yes. Then share with them what Peter told those gathered before him on the day of Pentecost.

King David is Biblically headed for Heaven because the Scriptures declare him as such. Is he in Heaven now?

Acts 2:29,34 “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. For David is not ascended into the heavens:…”

Keep in mind this verse is penned AFTER the death and resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many preach that everyone that was in the graves are in Heaven after the resurrection of Christ because they think He brought them all out of Gehenna (Hell) when He was dead. Yet, this verse proves that they are indeed in error. It seems even the early believers thought David was already in Heaven. But Peter made it plain that the passage they were questioning ( which was Psalm 16:10) in regards to the Lord not allowing His soul to stay in hell or His body to rot. The passage was indeed speaking of Jesus Christ ascending to Heaven, not David. For it is also explained in this same chapter of Acts…

Acts 2:30-32, “Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”

One last thing:

There are numerous verses all throughout the Word of God that validate all that is said here. Just the other day as I was in Bible study I came across this passage in Psalms 143:3 that says, “For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.”

Did you notice how David used the dead to illustrate how it is to be dead? He stated his enemies sought to make him feel as if he could do nothing like a person in the darkness of a dreamless sleep who has been dead for a long time. If people wen to Heaven directly at death as so many false teachers declare today, why is David saying this? And so one can see that yes, you will come across many Bible verses in the Old or New Testament areas of the Bible that confirm truth as the Lrod would have you know it. And yes, this is why the prophet Isaiah stated the following in Isaiah 28:9-10, “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”

And so again, as you study the Word you will find all sorts of verses that back up the truth regarding the state of the dead because the Bible purposely speaks truth cover to cover in very many areas just as Isaiah stated long ago.

IN A NUTSHELL:

Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.”

“The popular ministry cannot successfully resist spiritualism. They have nothing wherewith to shield their flocks from its baleful influence. Much of the sad result of spiritualism will rest upon ministers of this age; for they have trampled the truth under their feet, and in its stead have preferred fables. The sermon which Satan preached to Eve upon the immortality of the soul–“Ye shall not surely die”–they have reiterated from the pulpit; and the people receive it as pure Bible truth. It is the foundation of spiritualism. The word of God nowhere teaches that the soul of man is immortal. Immortality is an attribute of God only. 1 Timothy 6:16: “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 honor and power everlasting. Amen.” -T1 page 344, paragraph 1

Posted by permission from RemnantofGod.org