What Happens After Death? by Mitozyl A. Sanchez
Introduction:
1. The death that I mean here is physical death, i.e. the separation of the spirit to the body (Jm.2:26). We know us all that we are subject to death (Ec.9:5; Hb.9:27). But when the death comes to a man? What is happen? Is your thinking like the other that the spirit and soul of man was buried with the body in the literal tomb in the earth which is mean totally annihilation and unconciousness? Or are you believed that the dead soul of man was floating in the Limbo? Or they stayed here in the earth with several days before they go to purgatory? Or the dead soul might be come back to their house?
2. If your belief is any of these, are you sure that's the Bible teaching? Why we are not take our Bible in order we can sure and learn of "What Really Happens After Death?
I. What The Man Really Is?
A. "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." (Gn.2:7).
B. 1 Ts.5:23 says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Therefore, you will notice here that the man is composed of spirit, soul and body. Are these three the same and same distination? If not, why not? Let's take a look.
1. The body of man -- Gn.2:7 said,"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground...", Gn.3:19 says, "..till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." When man died, his body was return in the dust of the ground. That's, the distination of the dead body of man. I suppose almost all people are agreed here, Is it right? How about the soul and spirit of man?
2. The soul of man -- the word soul [nephesh in Hebrew and psyche in Greek] sometimes refers to the whole person including the soul, spirit and body (At.2:41). The word soul and spirit sometimes used interchangeably but they are not one or the same (Hb.4:12). The spirit gives existence to the soul, the spirit is like the electricity so that the bulb [body] will glow [soul]. Therefore without spirit there would be no soul (Gn.2:7). When man died the soul and spirit both departed to him or her and shall return unto God who gave it (1 Kg.17:20-22; Cf. Ec.12:7). Therefore, the word soul used in two different ways, the souls of Acts 2:41 refers to the totality of man [spirit,soul and the body] and the other soul which is the intellectual and emotional consciousness of life of man that separated to his or her body in times of death (Ec.9:5-6). Meaning the word soul in the Bible is not always refer to the whole man. And this late soul [the conciousness of man] will not terminated in death but will continue to exist to wait the final judgement of the Lord (Rv.6:9-10).
3. The spirit of man -- the word spirit [ruach in Hebrew and pneuma in Greek] sometimes used as a "wind", or "breath". Unlike the word soul, the word spirit is not used to refer the totality of man because the spirit is untouchable and unseen (Lk.24:39). God "...formeth the spirit of man within him." (Zc.12:1; 1 Co.2:11; Cf. Gn.2:7). The spirit sometimes refers to the intellectual and emotion mentality of man because it created in the image of God who is Spirit (Gn.1:27; Zc.12:1; Nm.16:22; Jn.4:24).
C. To understanding the totality of man revealed in 1 Ts.5:23, we better know of what really happens to man after death. The man has a physical body that need to live to this world "..till thou return unto the ground..."(Gn.3:19), without physical world the body cannot live (Gn.1:27-30). The man has a soul, his conciousness to life that depart in the body when he die (1 Kg.17:20-22; Ec.9:5-6), the soul sparked into being and sustained in life by the spirit that is given to man at birth (Zc.12:1). Without spirit, the man cannot be, "...a living soul" (Gn.2:7). The man has a spirit that created and given by God (Ec.12:7). "The body without spirit is dead.." (Jm.2:26). The spirit generating life in the body, but also the animation of the soul. But the spirit of man cannot exist and live eternally without God which is "the Father and God of the spirits of all flesh" (Nm.16:22; Hb.12:9; Cf. Mt.10:28).
II. What Happens After Death?
A. Job asked, "But man dieth and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost and where is he?" (Jb.14:10). Is he in the Limbo or in the porgatory? Do you have read in the Bible the word Limbo and Porgatory? If nothing, why you are not quit to believed for that, your faith must be pure in the word of God (Rm.10:17; 14:23). Is he stayed in the earth in several days before he go in the porgatory? No! because he "...fly away" immediately like a "vapour" (Ps.90:10; 1 Kg.17:20-22; Cf. Jm.4:14). Is he can go and come back to his house? No!, Job also said, "He shall return no more to his house..."(Jb.7:9-10). Again, Is he totally annihilated or terminated? Is Job belived that so? What really Job mean the word "he", is he looking here the physical body of man or the spirit of man? Of course, the spirit of man not physical body because he knows that the body "wasteth away"[terminated] not the spirit and soul [the ghost and concious of man]. Please, take a look the spirit and soul of Jesus, if where it goes, is it in the land tomb or in God (Lk.23:43-46; Cf. At.2:27).
B. There are truly many evidences in the Bible that after death, man has a conscious. Note the conversation of the dead soul (1 Sm.28:15; Is.14:9; Mt.17:3; Lk.16:24-31; Rv.6:9-10) All these cases clearly affirm that those who die retain consciousness.
C. Again, Job asked,"...where is he?" Solomon answered, "...in the grave [sheol], whither thou goest." (Ec.9:10). Sheol and Hades [not seen] are the same place (Ps.16:10; Cf. At.2:27), meaning the unseen grave or abode of the dead soul who are waiting for the final judgement (Rv.6:9-10).
D. Is the righteous and unrighteous dead are in one place together in the Hades? No! It is true that their spirit return unto God but it does not mean, they are in the same place. Hades is the temporal unseen world of the dead spirit in the care of the power of God until the resurrection of the dead (Ps.139:8; Jn.5:28-29; Rv.20:14). In Hades, Luke 16:19-31 explained that there is a great gulf fixed to separate them:
1. The righteous dead like Lazarus was carried by the angels into Abrahams bossom which is called also a "comfort", "paradise", "present with the Lord", etc. (Lk.23:43; At.2:27; Cf. 2 Co.5:8). Rv.14:13 says, "...Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord..that they may rest from their labours.."
2. The unrighteous dead like the rich man goes into place of torment which is called also a "afar off", "hell" [tartarus], "darkness", etc. (2 Pt.2:4). The unrighteous or wicked dead are no rest because they are tormented and reserved in hell [Gehenna] (Mt.25:41).
E. Job asked again also, "If a man die, shall he live again? (Jb.14:14). Jesus answered,"...though he were dead, yet shall he live" (Jn.11:25). All dead in Hades, just and unjust both are waiting in the resurrection [simultaneously] of the dead (At.24:15). In Jesus coming they are all raised for their final different distination (Jn.5:28-29). In Mt.25:46 says, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal".
Conclusion:
1. The happens after death of man, it depends upon him [man created with freedom of choice]. God formeth spirit within man at birth (Zc.12:1). The spirit of man is the driver of the distination of his soul. If his spirit choice not to received the Holy Ghost teacheth (1 Co.2:11-13), his soul will be lost in hell (Mt.10:28). There is no second chance after death to saved (Ec.9:10; Hb.9:27; Lk.16:26).
2. Solomon said, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ec.12:13-14).
3. In Mk.16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
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