What Happens to the Body, Soul, and Spirit After We Die?

1. God made mortal man from the soil or elements of the earth; and when he dies, the dead organic matter of his mortal body decomposes into dust. (True) The Bible says, "For the spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty keeps me alive" (Job 33:4, NAB). Man is mortal (Job 4:17). "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…. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 2:7, 3:19, NKJV). "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was" (Eccl. 12:7). "You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust" (Psalm 104:29, NKJV).

2. The dead no longer know anything, and have no love or thoughts in the grave; there is no conscious life, existence, or sensory awareness in death. (True) "His breath (spirit) departs, and he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish" (Psalm 146:4). "For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;" and "whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going" (Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10, NKJV). Where are all the dead? Your loved ones who have died in Christ are asleep resting in peace in their graves, and unaware of anything until the resurrection of the dead.

3. A dead person is reincarnated in another body in the hereafter. (False) "As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, nor shall his place know him anymore"…. "But man dies and is laid away. Indeed he breathes his last and where is he? . . . So man lies down and does not rise, till the heavens are no more; They will not awake nor be roused from their sleep" (Job 7:9, 10; 14:10-12). There's no remembrance in death (Psalm 6:5).

4. Our Lord Jesus Christ referred to the first death as a sleep-like state. (True) "Our Friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up…. Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead"…. "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:11, 14, 25, NKJV). "Consider and hear me O LORD my God. Lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death" (Psalm 13:3).

5. Ghost Hunters and Ghost Whisperers can crossover to the spirit world of wisdom and contact the dead; they can see, hear, and speak to the dead. (False) "The dead know nothing" and are physically and mentally dead. Then, who are these spirit mediums, psychics, and necromancers talking to? They are talking to spirits of demons who work miracles and perform miraculous signs (Rev. 16:14). "He (King Manasseh) observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger" (2 Chronicles 33:6). Angels are "spirit" beings; Psalm 104:4).

6. When human beings die, their self-existent, disembodied spirit lives on. (False) The spirit that God breathed into Adam and Eve was the" Breath of Life" (Gen 2:7, 7:15). "All the while my breath (Strong's Hebrew 5397 – neshamah) is in me, and the spirit (Strong's Hebrew 7307 – ruwach) of God is in my nostrils" (Job 27:3). You use your nostrils for breathing. Many times the OT Scriptures uses the word breath and spirit interchangeably. "When you take away their breath (ruwach), they expire (die) and return to their dust" (Psalm 104:29). "The spirit (neshamah) of man is the candle of the LORD" (Proverbs 20:27). The spirit that leaves the body at death is breath. The redeemed will have glorified bodies. God did not create Adam and Eve gods or immaterial spirit beings; He "made them a little lower than the angels" (Heb. 2:7). Jesus had a glorified resurrected body that Thomas and the other disciples could touch and handle. King Jesus also ate bread and broiled fish after His resurrection. (See Luke 24:39-45, John 20:27, John 21:10-13).

7. A living soul is a living person, and a dead soul is a dead person. (True) "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" (Gen. 2:7). Man was not created with an immortal substance called a soul. A soul is a person (Num. 9:13). Paul said, "And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls" (Acts 27:37). "The soul who sins shall die" (Eze. 18:4). "The soul who sins is the one who will die" (Eze. 18:20, NIV).

8. Allegorically speaking, the Bible story about a rich man and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom is a figurative parable. (True) "The dead know not anything" (Eccl. 9:5). "The dust will return to the earth, and the spirit (breath of the deceased) will return to God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7}. Heaven and hell are not in speaking distance, and you can't get billions of departed dead folks in Abraham's bosom. As far as we know, Abraham is still sleeping in his grave awaiting the first resurrection. Jesus is simply saying to the unbelieving Jews. "If you do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will you be convinced (believe in Me) though I raise one (Lazarus of Bethany) from the dead" (Luke 16:19-31).

9. Demonic spirits can help mediums channel messages from the dead to the living in spiritualistic séances. (False) Test the spirits. Evil angels are "the spirits of devils working miracles" (Rev. 16:14). "Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God' (Leviticus 19:31, NKJV). These messages and communications are supposedly from the dead, but the real dead are brain dead, and know nothing. The messages are from ungodly, wicked devils who work through spirit mediums, psychics, wizards, witches, and magicians. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Revelation 21:7-27). Those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will walk on the golden streets after Christ returns in glory, and takes us to the New Jerusalem in heaven.

10. Diabolical, fallen angels and evil demons can appear as ghosts, and impersonate our dead, departed loved ones, friends, and relatives. (True) "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve'" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, NIV). Angels are supernatural spirit beings. "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Rev. 12:7-9).

11. The undying human soul within the body has natural immorality. (False, No-No) "The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4). Body (dust) + breath of life (spirit) = a living soul. See Genesis 2:7. Mortal human beings do not have an undying soul. We were created living souls. Mortal means subject to death. Death is inevitable (Proverbs 14:12). When we die, we are dead souls. Humans "seek immortality" (Romans 2:7). God "alone has immortality" (1Timothy 6:15-16). "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Tim. 1:17, NKJV).

12. The righteous will "put on immortality" and be "present with the Lord" at the visible, glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (True) '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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Cor. 15:51-57).

13. The deceased Christian is immediately spirited upward to journey to heaven's Paradise to praise and worship God, and give Him glory. (False) "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence" (Psalm 115:17). "For Sheol (the grave) cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. The living, the living man, he shall praise You, as I do this day" (Isaiah 38:18-19, NKJV). Even the penitent thief on the cross said to JESUS. "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42, NKJV). Christ Jesus didn't go back to heaven at His death. Read John 20:16-18. The righteous saved person doesn't go to heaven until Christ's glorious Second Coming. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1Thess. 4:16-17, NIV).

14. Death is like a revolving door that leads into the presence of the omnipresent, immortal God. (False) "If he (God) set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust" (Job 34:14-15) "I will wait (in the silent grave) till my change comes" (Job 14:14). Death is not a doorway to the spirit world or to heaven. "If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen.… But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming" (1 Corinthians 15:14-23). Death is like an unconscious sleep.

15. The righteous dead receive their afterlife reward of immortality at their heavenly homecoming moments after death. (False) The dead are not in heaven with God or playing harps on a floating, fluffy cloud. Our corruptible, mortal bodies will be transformed into immortal, glorified bodies at the resurrection of life. "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:30-31). We don't go to heaven until King Jesus comes in His glory and all the holy angels come with Him. See Matt. 25:31. "But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last and where is he? As water disappears from the sea, and a river becomes parched and dries up, so man lies down and does not rise, till the heavens are no more. They will not wake nor be roused from their sleep…. If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes" (Job 14:10-12, 14, NKJV).

16. In the cemetery of the wicked dead, Necropolis, the second death precedes Revelation's one thousand years and the second resurrection. (False) The willful, habitual practice of sin separates the sinner from God. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them…. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:6-15, NKJV). The second death takes place after the second resurrection. Then, God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21).

17. The dead linger in limbo in purgatory, the hot center of the earth, until the living pray for them, and make amends and atonement for their sins. (False) The word purgatory is not found in the Holy Bible. There are no mulligans (second chances) after death. The real dead are completely dead, and are destitute of all thought, dream, or emotional life. The dead know nothing, feel nothing, and have no pain, torment, or misery in Hades. When God takes away the breath of life from a living soul, the person dies and the body of that person returns to dust. Read Psalm 104:29, Genesis 2:9. The soul is dead and nonexistent. "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit (breath) will return to God who gave it" (Eccl. 12:7, NKJV). Hades is not a place of torment, but the grave. When the elements melt at the end of the world, and the earth burns as an oven in flaming fire (Gehenna), then the unrepentant lost sinners will be burned up. This hell fire event takes place after the second resurrection. See Rev. 20:6-15, 2 Peter 3:10.

18. The wicked will never perish, but burn forever in the hot flames of hell. (False) "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). "The day is coming when the arrogant, the proud and every evil doer will burn up as quickly as straw in a furnace. The day is coming when the whole world will be on fire. No one who is wicked will survive, including the one who is the root of all sin (Satan) and his helpers who are his branches…. In that day the wicked will be gone. They will have returned to dust and will be nothing but soil under your feet" (Malachi 4:1-3, TCW). The devil, his angels, and all ungodly, impenitent sinners will be burned to death in the Lake of Fire. See Revelation 20:7-15, Matthew 25:41-46, 2 Peter 3:10-12. The first death is temporary. No sinner has died the second death. Hell fire is a future event.

19. Death is an eternal sleep. There is no need for a judgment or a resurrection for sinners who are not interested in being saved. (False) "The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1Cor. 15:26). "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Cor. 5:10, Romans 14:10). "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the Judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:27, 28). Here's a divine revelation from our Lord Jesus Christ. "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in 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, Matt. 12:32). Dr. Jon Paulien mentions in his book entitled Seven Keys: Unlocking the Secrets of Revelation; That the "judgment proceeds through five phases" (pp. 148-149).

20. The dead in Christ remain in their graves until the resurrection of everlasting life at the glorious Coming of Jesus Christ. (True) "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). "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words" (1Thess. 4:15-18). It is self-evident that the Rapture is noisy and visible, and not a silent or secret event.

The Redeemed Shall Be Changed

Death has spread to all men because all have sinned, and after death is the Judgment according to the Bible. "You should not murder" (Exodus 20:13). Homicide, suicide, genocide, and gendercide are sins, and the wages of sin is death. If you consult spirit mediums and psychics, you will be deceived by their deadly, diabolical delusions. They testify and prophesy falsely. See: www.truthaboutdeath.com . Our sinless, righteous Creator/Redeemer has all the answers, and the spiritual light and insight that we need. "Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them…" (Rev. 20:6, NIV). The Bible says, "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD…" (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, NKJV). When King Saul had a séance with the ungodly wicked Witch of Endor, the person he perceived as Samuel was really an evil angel disguised as a paranormal, ghostly apparition. Angels are supernatural, intelligent beings who can transform themselves into apostles of Christ and angels of light. (Review 1 Samuel 28:7-20; Revelation 12:7-9; 2 Cor. 11:13-15). When "seeking evidence regarding the state of man in death, we do not consider it safe to rely on the events and conversations of a devil-infested, God-condemned séance." Francis D. Nichol, Answers to Objections, Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1952, pages 354-355.

King David died the sleep of death, and the Bible says that he "did not ascend to heaven" (Acts 2:29, 34). Moses died and was buried in the land of Moab. He was raised to immortal life in a special resurrection, and was with Jesus at His Transfiguration. (Read Deut. 34:5-7; Jude 1:5-7; Matt 17:1-9). Enoch and Elijah were translated, and ascended to heaven with out dying. Lazarus of Bethany was restored to mortal life by our Lord Jesus Christ four days after he died; and he never mentioned a near-death-experience or any out-of-body experience (John 14:1-46). "The body without the spirit (breath) is dead (lifeless)" (James 2:26). The dead are really dead. Show your love and appreciation for your loved ones while they are still alive living on earth. "If a man dies, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14). Yes, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (1 Cor. 15:51). The godly righteous will be changed in a nanosecond at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. At Christ's Second Advent "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet our mortal, corruptible bodies shall be changed into glorifiedimmortal bodies. See 1 Corinthians 15:51-57, John 3:16.

The Destruction and Death of Death

The temporary "sleep of death" is the first death. Death is our enemy. The last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Cor. 15:26). Death is the termination of life. The dead are non-existent. The dead are not conscious of any thing at all. The dead no longer know any thing because their thoughts and plans have all perished. When a person dies, every part of that person is dead and gone. Their breath or spirit that God gave them returns to God (Psalm 104:29, 146:4). We were created living souls (people) and when we die, we are dead souls. See Ezekiel 18:20. Our mortal body or corpse decomposes into dust (Genesis 3:19). Only the first death is a resurrectionable death. "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). The righteous are raised up from the grave to receive immortality. The wicked are raised back to life to experience the judgment and the second death. The destruction and death of death takes place in the lake of fire which is hell fire (Gehenna). See Matt 10:28, Luke 12:5). This is the second and final death. The second death is eternal death and eternal separation from God. Fire will come down and consume and devour all unrepentant lost sinners. "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" Rev 20:12-15, NIV). In the New Heaven and the New Earth God will create everything brand new for His saints. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4). "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them" (Revelation 21:3, NLT).

The Saints of God will rejoice in unspeakable joy during the resurrection of everlasting life. The apostle Paul said, "Brothers, I want you to know the truth of what I told you when I was with you. Your loved ones who have died are sleeping in Christ. Don't grieve (sorrowfully) as people who have no hope. Jesus died and rose again; therefore, those who died believing in Him will be raised to life by God just as Jesus was" (1Thess. 4:13-14, TCW).

Jesus Christ is Love, and the World's Savior. He is Solution to sin and death. Accept Him as your Savior right now. Pray this prayer. "Lord Jesus, I accept You as my personal Savior. I repent of all of my sins. Forgive me! Give me a sense of spiritual direction, and a higher purpose in life. Anoint me with Your Holy Spirit. I invite You to come and live in my heart today by faith. Thank You for Your amazing grace and tender mercies. Amen". Peace and Love!

Michael Battle   P.O. Box 50471
Mesa, AZ 85208   (602) 679-9405

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