Where are the Dead
The dead, we have so many beliefs of where the dead are. It seems we almost have a choice, heaven, hell, limbo, and reincarnation, so many to choose from. Do we really have a spirit that moves on, watches over loved ones, and do we have people burning in hell right now? Where does one go after they pass away? Who was the first to be resurrected? Where did death originate? Are we really born to die? There is no mystery in death, the Lord gives us the answer if we search the scriptures for the truth, and if we are able to accept and believe it.
Doomed, doomed, doomed—to perpetual agony and pain, pleading for mercy, with only the echo of thine own voice to taunt and mock thee and an accusing conscience to chide thee. No hope, no light, no tender hand to soothe the aching frame. No ear to hear the pleadings and groaning of the soul and though the eternal age rolls on—age upon age bring no relief, nothing but an eternal of pain, suffering, torture and torment for ever and ever.
In view of all of this, it must be evident that there is only one source from which we can hope to get a reply to our question, the Bible. The Bible is a revelation from God, and as much, is the only available source from which gather any definite idea of the future life, in God’s kingdom, or in hell.
Now I wish to show that notwithstanding the ideas of popular theology or so-called orthodoxy, to affect that man is immediately transported to heaven or hell at death. In view of their statement, who dare say that the recompense or reward is given to the righteous at death, or before the resurrection? To assert that man goes to heaven or hell at death before the resurrection is to deny the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Over and over again, in almost every funeral sermon, the minister tries to comfort the mourners by telling them that their dead are now in heaven praising God.
When God created Adam, He created him innocent, out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). God created Adam that he should progress to the point where he could overcome all temptation, and then he would become virtuous, or righteous. However, he fell short, and we have been following his example ever since.
God gives life as well as food. “Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust” (Psalms 104:29). When the present generation of animals dies, God’s Spirit creates others to take their place as well as the human race.
The righteous man’s confidence is in God, and is his ardent desire to have the spiritual privilege of eternal life, as Job says: “All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3). We see that the Lord formed us out of the dust of the ground; we didn't become a living person until “he breathed into the nostrils and then we became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). At the same time, when he calls you home, your breath is taken and you die and return to dust (Psalm 104:29).
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die,” Genesis 2:16-17.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,” (Romans 5:12). Adam, in the Garden of Eden, brought in death and through Adam there was no hope, only the death penalty. All mankind would not have any hope because we have all sinned, but only through Jesus Christ we have eternal hope, a resurrection to Eternal Life. So, we can see that our Lord gave us life by breathing into His nostrils, and because of sin we had a death penalty upon us, and yet we were given a way through Jesus Christ to have life once again.
It is supposed by many that Job uttered these words in a moment of doubt, but although he was living in the twilight hour of revelation he had no doubt as to the future life. Job asks another question, very similar to the one found in our text: “But man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he” (Job 14:10)?
Through the ages of the past men have buried their dead out of sight, and then turning from the scene, have asked that same question: “If a man die, shall he live again?” Only to sorrowfully confess that the riddle could not be solved without the Word of God. Notwithstanding the perplexity of the question asked by Job we know that there was a fond and lingering hope among all people and nations of the earth for life beyond the grave. God made man, and God knows all about him and unless God tells us whether there is life beyond the grave or not, we shall be forever wrapped in darkness.
Job says, “My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness,” (Job 17:11-13).
“But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and, where is he? As, the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 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 dies, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come,” (Job 14:12-14). Why should I make such a strenuous effort to preserve my life when God intends destroy it after all? But I will maintain my innocence to His face. These verses have generally been interpreted to support the idea of Job’s patience. However, it appears that Job’s patience has come to an end and He once more is pleading his case in the presence of God.
“They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave” (Job 21:13). According to scriptures the grave becomes our home at the time of death! We go back to dust where we came from! So, man lieth down and riseth not! We are in the grave, life has gone out of us, the breath of God has returned to the Lord. But is this final for us? If we would stop here it seems this is our final stage, the grave would be our home, with no hope.
The first Christian Martyr was a layman! Stephen’s death did not destroy his witness. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord; lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep,” (Acts 7:59-60).
Now I wish to show that the idea of the popular theology that man is immediately transported to heaven or hell at death, is false and as a matter of fact, man simply goes into his grave and SLEEPS, calmly, and sleeps until the resurrection. David said “I shall be satisfied when I awake in Thy Likeness” (Psalm 17:15).
Lazarus a friend of Jesus died and his sister Martha said to Him, “if thou had been here, my brother had not died,” ((John 11:21). “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. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleeps, 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,” (John 11:11-14).
“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). We see that Christ called this "death" sleep, yet at the same time he explained to the disciples that Lazarus is dead. Why? Christ knows this is a temporary "sleep", that all will be awaken for Judgment. If sleep is temporary, do they know anything, see, or hear anything during this state? Are you able to watch your loved ones, make sure they come to no harm?
It was very common among the Jews to express death as “sleep;” and the expressions “falling asleep” “sleeping with their fathers” were in great use among them. The Hebrews probably used this form of speech to signify their belief in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body. The Bible shows that the word sleep frequently meant death: (Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:18, 20. “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish” (Psalm 146:4).
“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 now perished; neither have they anymore a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6). 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).
The scriptures plainly state that there is no connection with life at all when you pass away (Psalm 6:5). We can't praise the Lord (Psalm 115:17), we have no thoughts, no wisdom, our thoughts, our memories are gone, and life is over. We have come to the end of what we know as life, this life. Decay and solution takes place, the whole mass becomes decomposed and in the process man is reduced to dust from which he was originally made; while the spirit (breath), “that spirit,” which God at first breathed into the nostrils of man, and that spirit (breath) return to God who gave it to you (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
God had said that in the day they ate of the forbidden fruit ”that they would die”—they would become mortal, and continue under the influence of great variety of unfriendly agencies in the atmosphere and in themselves, heat, cold, and drought. It is evident from this that man would be immortal had he never transgressed, and that this state of continual life and health depended on his obedience to his maker. God intended that Adam should progress to the point where he would become virtuous and righteous. However, he fell short, and we have followed his example ever since (Genesis 3:19).
We all return to dust, rich, poor, old, young, all races. Dust we were, and dust we will return (Ecclesiasts 3:20). The spirit or breath of life is returned to God, our creator. He gives us one life, and it's our choice to do with it as we please, but the end will still be death, no matter what belief you choose to hold onto.
It is Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead (Revelation 1:5), and the prince of the kings of the earth. He is the only one that has risen from the dead, the first and only one!
Paul answers for himself as he stood before King Agrippa who could not believe in the resurrection of the dead that it was an impossible thing. As the apostle Paul says, he preached none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come; therefore, he understood that Moses and the prophets spoke of the resurrection of Christ. That the Messiah should be the light of both the Jews and Gentiles and that the prophets had clearly foretold this, (Isaiah 49:6). Then he told King Agrippa “That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26: 23).
How is anyone able to say we have loved ones in Heaven? We see very clearly that Christ was the first one to be resurrected. Moses, Daniel, David, no one before Christ could be in Heaven according to scriptures, only Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God (John 3:13). No one is in Heaven except Jehovah God, Jesus Christ, and the holy Angels. But the people on earth do have a day set aside for our resurrection, a special day.
Paul here explains that the believers who have died will not be left behind. Those who died as believer will be raised to take part in the coming kingdom. Another matter about Jesus’ return, which troubles this new disciple, was, naturally, the time of His reappearing. Paul tells them clearly that no one knows. He brings in the Old Testament concept of “the day of the Lord” with Jesus return. It will come suddenly and without warning. The point for the Christians is to be prepared. “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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2).”
The time has come, resurrection, judgment day. This is why when we die we are laid to rest, in a deep sleep, that is until Christ returns, then He will call His own and up out of the grave they will hear and meet Him in the clouds, to spend eternity with the Father (John 27-28). The rest that are called will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire along with the Beast, Satan and his Angels. At that point, death will be destroyed, because those that spend eternity with the Father will never see death again.
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead, who were in it; and Death and Hell (grave) delivered up the dead, which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).”
Let's make sure we are in the first resurrection where we can spend eternity with the Father. We must believe His words, not what man says, remember, Satan is out to deceive who he can, and he wants to take as many souls with him as he can, to Hell. If you want to escape the Judgment of God you must repent of your sins and walk in the newness of life and keep the commandments of God. God Bless.
The dead, we have so many beliefs of where the dead are. It seems we almost have a choice, heaven, hell, limbo, and reincarnation, so many to choose from. Do we really have a spirit that moves on, watches over loved ones, and do we have people burning in hell right now? Where does one go after they pass away? Who was the first to be resurrected? Where did death originate? Are we really born to die? There is no mystery in death, the Lord gives us the answer if we search the scriptures for the truth, and if we are able to accept and believe it.
Doomed, doomed, doomed—to perpetual agony and pain, pleading for mercy, with only the echo of thine own voice to taunt and mock thee and an accusing conscience to chide thee. No hope, no light, no tender hand to soothe the aching frame. No ear to hear the pleadings and groaning of the soul and though the eternal age rolls on—age upon age bring no relief, nothing but an eternal of pain, suffering, torture and torment for ever and ever.
In view of all of this, it must be evident that there is only one source from which we can hope to get a reply to our question, the Bible. The Bible is a revelation from God, and as much, is the only available source from which gather any definite idea of the future life, in God’s kingdom, or in hell.
Now I wish to show that notwithstanding the ideas of popular theology or so-called orthodoxy, to affect that man is immediately transported to heaven or hell at death. In view of their statement, who dare say that the recompense or reward is given to the righteous at death, or before the resurrection? To assert that man goes to heaven or hell at death before the resurrection is to deny the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Over and over again, in almost every funeral sermon, the minister tries to comfort the mourners by telling them that their dead are now in heaven praising God.
When God created Adam, He created him innocent, out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). God created Adam that he should progress to the point where he could overcome all temptation, and then he would become virtuous, or righteous. However, he fell short, and we have been following his example ever since.
God gives life as well as food. “Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust” (Psalms 104:29). When the present generation of animals dies, God’s Spirit creates others to take their place as well as the human race.
The righteous man’s confidence is in God, and is his ardent desire to have the spiritual privilege of eternal life, as Job says: “All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3). We see that the Lord formed us out of the dust of the ground; we didn't become a living person until “he breathed into the nostrils and then we became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). At the same time, when he calls you home, your breath is taken and you die and return to dust (Psalm 104:29).
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die,” Genesis 2:16-17.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,” (Romans 5:12). Adam, in the Garden of Eden, brought in death and through Adam there was no hope, only the death penalty. All mankind would not have any hope because we have all sinned, but only through Jesus Christ we have eternal hope, a resurrection to Eternal Life. So, we can see that our Lord gave us life by breathing into His nostrils, and because of sin we had a death penalty upon us, and yet we were given a way through Jesus Christ to have life once again.
It is supposed by many that Job uttered these words in a moment of doubt, but although he was living in the twilight hour of revelation he had no doubt as to the future life. Job asks another question, very similar to the one found in our text: “But man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he” (Job 14:10)?
Through the ages of the past men have buried their dead out of sight, and then turning from the scene, have asked that same question: “If a man die, shall he live again?” Only to sorrowfully confess that the riddle could not be solved without the Word of God. Notwithstanding the perplexity of the question asked by Job we know that there was a fond and lingering hope among all people and nations of the earth for life beyond the grave. God made man, and God knows all about him and unless God tells us whether there is life beyond the grave or not, we shall be forever wrapped in darkness.
Job says, “My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness,” (Job 17:11-13).
“But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and, where is he? As, the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 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 dies, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come,” (Job 14:12-14). Why should I make such a strenuous effort to preserve my life when God intends destroy it after all? But I will maintain my innocence to His face. These verses have generally been interpreted to support the idea of Job’s patience. However, it appears that Job’s patience has come to an end and He once more is pleading his case in the presence of God.
“They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave” (Job 21:13). According to scriptures the grave becomes our home at the time of death! We go back to dust where we came from! So, man lieth down and riseth not! We are in the grave, life has gone out of us, the breath of God has returned to the Lord. But is this final for us? If we would stop here it seems this is our final stage, the grave would be our home, with no hope.
The first Christian Martyr was a layman! Stephen’s death did not destroy his witness. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord; lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep,” (Acts 7:59-60).
Now I wish to show that the idea of the popular theology that man is immediately transported to heaven or hell at death, is false and as a matter of fact, man simply goes into his grave and SLEEPS, calmly, and sleeps until the resurrection. David said “I shall be satisfied when I awake in Thy Likeness” (Psalm 17:15).
Lazarus a friend of Jesus died and his sister Martha said to Him, “if thou had been here, my brother had not died,” ((John 11:21). “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. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleeps, 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,” (John 11:11-14).
“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). We see that Christ called this "death" sleep, yet at the same time he explained to the disciples that Lazarus is dead. Why? Christ knows this is a temporary "sleep", that all will be awaken for Judgment. If sleep is temporary, do they know anything, see, or hear anything during this state? Are you able to watch your loved ones, make sure they come to no harm?
It was very common among the Jews to express death as “sleep;” and the expressions “falling asleep” “sleeping with their fathers” were in great use among them. The Hebrews probably used this form of speech to signify their belief in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body. The Bible shows that the word sleep frequently meant death: (Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:18, 20. “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish” (Psalm 146:4).
“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 now perished; neither have they anymore a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6). 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).
The scriptures plainly state that there is no connection with life at all when you pass away (Psalm 6:5). We can't praise the Lord (Psalm 115:17), we have no thoughts, no wisdom, our thoughts, our memories are gone, and life is over. We have come to the end of what we know as life, this life. Decay and solution takes place, the whole mass becomes decomposed and in the process man is reduced to dust from which he was originally made; while the spirit (breath), “that spirit,” which God at first breathed into the nostrils of man, and that spirit (breath) return to God who gave it to you (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
God had said that in the day they ate of the forbidden fruit ”that they would die”—they would become mortal, and continue under the influence of great variety of unfriendly agencies in the atmosphere and in themselves, heat, cold, and drought. It is evident from this that man would be immortal had he never transgressed, and that this state of continual life and health depended on his obedience to his maker. God intended that Adam should progress to the point where he would become virtuous and righteous. However, he fell short, and we have followed his example ever since (Genesis 3:19).
We all return to dust, rich, poor, old, young, all races. Dust we were, and dust we will return (Ecclesiasts 3:20). The spirit or breath of life is returned to God, our creator. He gives us one life, and it's our choice to do with it as we please, but the end will still be death, no matter what belief you choose to hold onto.
It is Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead (Revelation 1:5), and the prince of the kings of the earth. He is the only one that has risen from the dead, the first and only one!
Paul answers for himself as he stood before King Agrippa who could not believe in the resurrection of the dead that it was an impossible thing. As the apostle Paul says, he preached none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come; therefore, he understood that Moses and the prophets spoke of the resurrection of Christ. That the Messiah should be the light of both the Jews and Gentiles and that the prophets had clearly foretold this, (Isaiah 49:6). Then he told King Agrippa “That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26: 23).
How is anyone able to say we have loved ones in Heaven? We see very clearly that Christ was the first one to be resurrected. Moses, Daniel, David, no one before Christ could be in Heaven according to scriptures, only Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God (John 3:13). No one is in Heaven except Jehovah God, Jesus Christ, and the holy Angels. But the people on earth do have a day set aside for our resurrection, a special day.
Paul here explains that the believers who have died will not be left behind. Those who died as believer will be raised to take part in the coming kingdom. Another matter about Jesus’ return, which troubles this new disciple, was, naturally, the time of His reappearing. Paul tells them clearly that no one knows. He brings in the Old Testament concept of “the day of the Lord” with Jesus return. It will come suddenly and without warning. The point for the Christians is to be prepared. “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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2).”
The time has come, resurrection, judgment day. This is why when we die we are laid to rest, in a deep sleep, that is until Christ returns, then He will call His own and up out of the grave they will hear and meet Him in the clouds, to spend eternity with the Father (John 27-28). The rest that are called will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire along with the Beast, Satan and his Angels. At that point, death will be destroyed, because those that spend eternity with the Father will never see death again.
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead, who were in it; and Death and Hell (grave) delivered up the dead, which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).”
Let's make sure we are in the first resurrection where we can spend eternity with the Father. We must believe His words, not what man says, remember, Satan is out to deceive who he can, and he wants to take as many souls with him as he can, to Hell. If you want to escape the Judgment of God you must repent of your sins and walk in the newness of life and keep the commandments of God. God Bless.