I am sick of listening to preachers talk about the “time of our death.”
Is it proper for a born-again Christian to even think of death when he/she hath passed from death unto life? Is it proper to verbalize “when we die”?
When a Christian departs this planet for a season, why would we use the term “death”–when the Bible affirms that we have passed from death unto life?
I was unable to identify the word “death” used in the New Testament to describe a Christian’s transition from this world. Instead of marking the end of life, the destruction of the repulsive body that holds us captive for a while marks the beginning of the journey toward eternal life free from the grip of sin. Putting off the body of sin is the outset of “entering into life” – Matt 19:17/Mark 9:43. Why do we address this temporal state, “life” when we haven’t entered into it yet?
Thou hast clothed “me” with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews (Job 10:11) – “me” is the person–the skin and flesh is a temporal habitation. And we are so limited in this flesh enclosure (our earthly house – 2 Cor 5:1). For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven (2 Cor 5:2) – we are found naked in this body – If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked (2 Cor 5:3).
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life (2 Cor 5:4).
- the time of my departure is at hand (2 Timothy 4:6) – the beginning of a journey—leave, especially in order to start a journey.
- having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23)
- after my departing (Acts 20:29)
Paul did say, it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Heb 9:27) – if you clearly study this sentence, you could see that he is talking about mere man (ye shall die like men – Psalm 82:7), who are without Christ, and after they die, judgment follows. Jesus said, Let the DEAD (nekros – destitute of life, without life, inactive as respects doing right) bury their dead (Luke 9:60) – here “the dead” denotes an unbeliever (mere men – 1Cor 3:3) – who is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1,5/Col 2:13).
For a christian there is no more judgment or condemnation – Rom 8:1/1Cor 11:32/ 1Thess 5:9 – and he died with Christ through baptism. Buried with him by baptism unto death – Rom 6:4/Col 2:12 – wherein also ye are risen with him (Col 2:12). Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, die no more (Rom 6:9) – And God hath quickened us together with Christ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:5,6). For our life is hid with Christ (Col 3:3). How can a Christian then be so ignorant of his/her state and yield to death?
Does the Scripture depict DEATH as a future experience when it says that all die?
Death entered into the world by sin and we died – Rom 5:10 – we were dead in sins (Eph 2:5). What is death? If the sting of death is SIN, and all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) – then that should be what death is all about, right? There are many phases of death.
- Come short of the glory of God
- Separation from God
- Defunct spirit (spiritually dead)
- Separated from the physical body
- Extinction of both soul and body – Proverbs 19:16/Ezek 18:20/1Pet 3:20/Matt 10:28/Rev 20:14/21:18
Though these are the many phases of death, we need to know whether this has anything to do with a genuine Christian.
- Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed (metabaino) from death unto life (John 5:24) – Metabaino = to pass over from one place to another, departed, removed etc…
- We know that we have passed (departed, removed, passed over – reckon Passover!) from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death (1 John 3:14)
- Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:10)
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him – 1 Thess 4:13-14 – sleep = koimao – 1Cor 11:30 – the Old Testament saints all slept in Jesus. Did they knew Jesus? Yes, they did – 1Cor 10:4/1Pet 1:11 – Psalmist prayed, consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death (Psalm 13:3).
Some of them did not have the faintest idea of resurrection – Job said, now shall I sleep in the dust (Job 7:21). But man dies, and wastes away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? (Job 14:10) As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decays and dries up: (Job 14:11). 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? (Job 14:14). Jesus came and proclaimed that he is the “resurrection and life”: and he that believes in him, though he were dead, yet shall he live (John 11:25).
And when Jesus rose from the dead, he brought with him those that had slept. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And came out of the graves after his resurrection (Matt 27:52,53).
Isn’t it preposterous to think that they that are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus – Eph 2:6 – passed from death unto life – John 5:24 – who are risen with him – Col 2:12) would go to a sleeping mode when they leave the fleshy tabernacle behind, which the dead speaks of as death. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Cor 15:22). We are made alive (quickened) in Christ.
On one hand, we were dead in sin. Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light (Eph 5:14). And God through Christ hath quickened us, hath raised us up from the dead. But because the body we are in is prone to decay, we must undergo “water baptism,” which is a metaphor for being buried with Christ, in order to replace the corporeal body with a celestial one. On the other, a regenerate soul too is counted dead the day he/she got infused into Christ and the water baptism represents the burial and resurrection – Rom 6:3-5/Col 2:12. For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him – 2 Tim 2:11 – Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him – Rom 6:8 – For he that is dead is freed from sin – Rom 6:7. Are we freed from sin? Are we dead? Indeed, we are. For he that is dead (with Christ) is freed from sin (Rom 6:7).
Sin shall not have dominion over us anymore – Rom 6:14. Why? Because the sting of death is sin –1Cor 15:56 – and sin was condemned in the flesh of Jesus Christ – Rom 8:3 – and God hath delivered us from so great a death (2 Cor 1:10). Having been dead, buried, and raised with Christ – Eph 2:5,6 – been delivered from this present evil world – Gal 1:4 – from the power of Satan/darkness – Acts 26:18/Col 1:13 – the world got crucified unto us and us unto the world – Gal 6:14 – hence, not only did sin lost its jurisdiction over such but also death hath lost its grip as well – Rom 6/1Cor 15:55 – having destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb 2:14,15).
Soul sleep: the body decays, and the person remains unconscious and unaware of anything until Jesus returns and raises the dead.
Several groups have previously espoused the idea that after death, the soul enters a state of unconscious repose or slumber. It holds a strange fascination for individuals who find it difficult to believe in a state of consciousness independent of the brain. They cite passages in the Bible that refer to death as a sleep, such as Matt 9:24/Acts 7:60/1 Thess 4:13, or that appear to suggest that the dead are unconscious, such as Ps. 6:5/30:9/115:17/146:4. However, the former just refers to death as a slumber because a dead body and a sleeping body are comparable, and the latter simply emphasizes that the dead can no longer notice or participate in the activities of the present world. Is that so? Understand that there are two categories of believers: the saints that are in the earth (Psalm 16:3) – and the saints that are in the light – Eph 1: 18 – and God hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light (Col 1:12).
We have already come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect (Heb 12:22,23). Whether on earth or in heaven, the saints of God are not sleeping but are present (endemeo – at home) with the Lord – to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).
That is what the body of Christ is made up of – Didn’t Elias and Moses appeared and talked with Jesus? Mark 9:4 – Who are those two end-time witnesses? Revelation 11:3 Are these not the saints in light participating in the activities of this present world?
I perceive that the “soul sleep” was somewhat a reality when the Old Testament saints had died. “Slept with his fathers” was a cliche used in the Old Testament when people would die – 1Kings 2:10/11:43/14:20 etc…And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake (Daniel 12:2)
The reason why they went into such a phase was that death still reigned and they were held in a prison like chamber beneath the earth’s surface called “Paradise” – that is where Jesus after he died went and preached – 1Pet 3:19 – And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose (Matthew 27:52) – came out of the graves after the resurrection of Christ (Matthew 27:53). That part of the world is left vacant as the Paradise has been shifted heavenward – Luke 23:43/ 16:23/2Cor 12:4.
Soul in heaven: the body decays, and the person (soul/spirit) goes to heaven, enjoys conscious awareness of the Lord, and relishes blessings until the resurrection. The saints in light (Col 1:12).
Soul sleep is unbiblical. Scripture teaches that the soul goes to be with Christ. Believers are represented as enjoying a conscious life immediately after death – Luke 16:19-31/23:43/2 Cor 5:8/Phil 1:23/Rev 6:9
In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death (Pro 12:28)
Let me conclude with a quote, which D.L Moody had said,
Someday you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it!
At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now.
I shall have gone up higher, that is all-out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal; a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto his glorious body.
I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1855.*
That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.