Death

 IF A MAN DIES, SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN?

To the Christian, death is but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness. The life is hid with Christ in God, and "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)

ONE BREATH

Man-- the crowning glory of God's creation-- is a wonderful work of art, formed and sculpted from the dust by the Master Artist, Jesus Christ. One breath of life from God made him a living soul, loaded with many benefits and endowments of life.

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.

Disobedience and the following years of transgressions to God's law--the Ten Commandments--have shortened man's life.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

ONE EVENT…

Death is one event every one has to contend with and face inevitably.

All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. Ecclesiastes 9:2,3

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7

THE TRUTH

Separation is a painful process. We grieve and mourn for the death and loss of our loved ones. A very painful experience. But where are our beloved dead now? Can they speak to us? There are popular beliefs about the dead. God gives us the truth to shield us from errors permeating the world.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is no perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. Isaiah 26:14

The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. Psalms 115:17

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: I said in the cutting off my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. I said, I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. Isaiah 38:9-11

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day… For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand. Acts 2:29, 34

As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him anymore. Job 7:9-10

THE ERROR

SPIRITUALISM AND THE DOCTRINE OF MAN’S CONSCIOUSNESS IN DEATH

The doctrine of natural immortality, first borrowed from the pagan philosophy, and in the darkness of the great apostasy incorporated into the Christian faith, has supplanted the truth, so plainly taught in Scripture, that “the dead know not anything.” Multitudes have come to believe that it is spirits of the dead who are the “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.”

"The doctrine of man’s consciousness in death, especially the belief that spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has prepared the way for modern spiritualism… Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds. He has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the tone, are reproduced with marvelous distinctness. Many are comforted with the assurance that their loved ones are enjoying the bliss of heaven, and without suspicion of danger, they give ear "to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils."

When they have been led to believe that the dead actually return to communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear who went into the grave unprepared. They claim to be happy in heaven and even to occupy exalted positions there, and thus the error is widely taught that no difference is made between the righteous and the wicked. The pretended visitants from the world of spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct. Then, as confidence is gained, they present doctrines that directly undermine faith in the Scriptures. With an appearance of deep interest in the well-being of their friends on earth, they insinuate the most dangerous errors. The fact that they state some truths, and are able at times to foretell future events, gives to their statements an appearance of reliability; and their false teachings are accepted by the multitudes as readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible. The law of God is set aside, the Spirit of grace despised, the blood of the covenant counted an unholy thing. The spirits deny the deity of Christ and place even the Creator on a level with themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great rebel still carries on his warfare against God, begun in heaven and for nearly six thousand years continued upon the earth.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” is the first commandment the world grossly transgressed. Veneration and worship of the dead is a form of idolatry.

Nearly all forms of ancient sorcery and witchcraft were founded upon a belief in communion with the dead. Those who practiced the arts of necromancy claimed to have intercourse with departed spirits, and to obtain through them a knowledge of future events. This custom of consulting the dead is referred to in the prophecy of Isaiah: "When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?" Isaiah 8:19

This same belief in communion with the dead formed the cornerstone of heathen idolatry. The gods of the heathen were believed to be the deified spirits of departed heroes. Thus the religion of the heathen was a worship of the dead. This is evident from the Scriptures. In the account of the sin of Israel at Bethpeor, it is stated: "Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor." Numbers 25:1-3. The psalmist tells us to what kind of gods these sacrifices were offered. Speaking of the same apostasy of the Israelites, he says, "They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead" (Psalm 106:28); that is, sacrifices that had been offered to the dead.

The word of the Lord to ancient Israel is addressed also to His people in this age: “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them;” “For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD.” Leveticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:12.

THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Revelation 14:13

What happens to the dead?
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. John 11:11

But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? Job 14:10

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

If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Job 14:14
Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51,52

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. John 5:28-29

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

To the obedient – who fear God and keep the Ten Commandments – a reward of eternal life. To the rebel and disobedient – who transgress His Moral Law with impunity – eternal damnation. The temporariness of life and death on earth; the permanence of the same at His second coming – when God as a Judge will mete justice to everyone – should move us to ponder on this:

He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8

LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Psalms 39:4

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:10

Life is short indeed. Time is fleeting. Too precious to be squandered away in aimless existence. Love and obey God. Keep His Moral Law. And enjoy the rewards of eternal life and bliss!

source