Christian Message Boards: After Death

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Posted by Isaiah (Member # 6699) on :

What happens when a human dies? Do they immediately go to heaven or hell -aware and alive? Does their body decay and their spirit rest unaware with God until resurrection? When will they be resurrected?

Posted by Carol Swenson (Member # 6929) on :

Matthew 17

The Transfiguration

1 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

From this verse, I would say that we are awake and aware after death.

We also know that King Saul spoke to Samuel in 1 Samuel 28.
[Smile]

Posted by David Campbell (Member # 1) on :

The question of what happens after death can be confusing. The Bible is not explicitly clear on when a person will reach their final eternal destiny. The Bible tells us that after the moment of death, a person is taken to Heaven or Hell based on whether he or she had received Christ as his or her Savior. For believers, after death is to be "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). For unbelievers, after death means everlasting punishment in Hell (Luke 16:22-23).

This is where it can get confusing as to what happens after death. Revelation 20:11-15 describes all those in Hell being cast into the lake of fire. Revelation chapters 21-22 describe a New Heaven and New Earth. Therefore, it seems that until the final resurrection, after death a person resides in a “temporary” Heaven and Hell. A person's eternal destiny will not change, but the precise "location" of a person's eternal destiny will change. At some point after death, believers will be sent to the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21:1). At some point after death, unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). These are the final, eternal destinations of all people - based entirely on whether a person had trusted Jesus Christ alone for the salvation of their sins.

From: What The Bible Says - Heaven - Eternity

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Posted by Isaiah (Member # 6699) on :

Notice When they saw the vision of Elijah and Moses with Christ...Mar 9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

Also -In 1 Samuel -the Lord did not answer Saul -so he then went to a woman with a familiar spirit -that is -a demon -to whom he should not have gone -"divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee." This was an abominable thing -but God allowed it to give Saul his answer.
Whether it it was "actually" Samuel is another thing -maybe so -maybe not -but we should definitely not try to speak to dead people -especially through diviners of spirits. We should pray to God in Christ's name.

Notice Samuel -who was dead -asleep -asked why he was disturbed... "1Sa 28:15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?"
Disquieted ="H7264 רגז râgaz raw-gaz'
A primitive root; to quiver (with any violent emotion, especially anger or fear): - be afraid, stand in awe, disquiet, fall out, fret, move, provoke, quake, rage, shake, tremble, trouble, be wroth.
He wanted to go back to sleep!

I'm not saying God is not able to do or allow such at times -bringing the dead to life -but this is not to say that Samuel is alive and aware at this moment. We know that Samuel had died (1Sa 25:1). We know his body turned to dust and his spirit returned to God (Ecc 12:7). We know that those in the grave are aware of nothing until resurrected (Psa 6:5, Ecc 9:5).

We also know that David died -what became of him?

1Ki 2:10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Joh 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

And if David is asleep -when will he awake?

1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 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:
(though there may be a bit more to David's story [Zec 13:7])
Then what will become of him? (Eze 37:24-25)

God does -in some cases -bring some to life for a time -but then they return to their sleep.
When Lazarus was dead -Christ said he was asleep -and brought him back to life. However -at this time -he is probably dead again -sleeping with his fathers -awaiting resurrection.
GENERALLY -with few exceptions, it is appointed to men to die once -then the judgment (Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:) and for the great many this judgment is not until after the thousand years. (...and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished...)
...but even the dead in Christ are still dead -their body is dust and their spirit is with God -usually unaware -until resurrected at the first resurrection -and given a new body...
1Co 15:52 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.
Phi 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Posted by waynemlj (Member # 7041) on :

1) I like the incident of the thief on the cross beside Jesus who said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
And He said to him, 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.' " Luke 23: 42-43.

2) Also the parable of the rich man and Lazarus indicates conscious awareness after death in (Luke 16:22-28) "The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'

But Abraham said,'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'

And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house--for I have five brothers -- so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.'"

That parable from the lips of Jesus certainly has to indicate that the soul is in a state of being fully awake and able to experience comfort and torment after death.

waynemlj