All too often I hear or read or see stories online about people who’ve died and gone to heaven or hell. They recount specific details about what they saw and heard. In some cases, it’s clearly undeniable that something happened to them because they provide details that are impossible for their imagination to have made up. For example, providing details of dead relatives they never even knew existed. How’s that even possible? What can explain that?
What can the Bible tell us about this?
Lets read the following text and see what scripture says about the “state of the dead” and what can we learn from the following text?
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6
“5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10 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.
Psalm 115:17
“The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into *silence*.”
Psalm 146:4
“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”
Daniel 12:2
“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.”
John 11:11-14; 24
11 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. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
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: 17 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.
Let’s summarize what we’ve learned through these bits of scripture.
Once you die you:
- No longer have any thoughts, emotions (love, hatred, envy), memories.
- No longer work, have no wisdom.
- Can’t even praise God, because you have none of the above.
- You can’t talk to anyone, you are “silent”!
- You “sleep” and wait for the “last day”…the day where Jesus returns and resurrects you back to life.
With the information, we read above, let’s see if we can answer the following questions.
| Question: | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can my Grandmother who died 30 years ago hear me? See me? Feel happy or sad for me? | No. No. and No. According to the scripture above, that would be impossible. |
| Can she send me messages of wisdom? | No. |
| What if I die and come back to life 10 minutes later? Can we talk to each other briefly during that time? | No. |
| When will I go to heaven? | When Jesus returns to gather up His people. |
As Christians, must we stick to the Word of God, even when our senses tell us something different.
What are your thoughts on this?
