What happens when we die?

[laughterlines]

I have heard different stories as to what happens when we die. Some say we sleep and will rise up at the end times and some say we will either go straight to heaven or hell at the time of death. What scriptures do I need to read to find the true answer?
Thanks

 

[TimRout]

For the redeemed:
"Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." [2 Cor. 5:8]

For the damned:
"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." [Heb. 9:27-28]

Consider also the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man [Lk. 16:19-31]. Their eternal destinies were immediately consequent to death.

 

[ebia]

I have heard different stories as to what happens when we die. Some say we sleep and will rise up at the end times and some say we will either go straight to heaven or hell at the time of death. What scriptures do I need to read to find the true answer?
Thanks

I wouldn't recommend trying to "proof text" it either way - you'll find which ever answer that way by which texts you choose and how you understand them.

I would strongly recommend reading Surprised by Hope by Tom Wright, which not only explains the early Christian view contained in the New Testament (resurrection on the last day) but explains how we know that.

If you want texts, look at Daniel 12, then John 20 (or better still the whole of John, noting his emphasis on salvation for all creation rather than just for individual 'souls'), then 1 Cor 15.

The Jewish expection was for resurrection on the last day. Jesus was resurrected on Easter morning in expectation and anticipation of that.

How anyone can believe anything other than resurrection like Jesus (but on the last day) is a biblical view is beyond me. A denial of physical resurrection is (ultimately) a denial of Jesus' resurrection as the foretaste of that.

When reading Paul in particular you have to bear in mind that Paul not infrequently uses words like flesh to describe something unglorified and corruptable, not to deny a physical resurrection.

The Christian message is one of God putting his good creation right (not giving up on it) and putting us right in and for that good creation. Escaping this world to a spiritual 'heaven' for eternity is part of the 2nd century heresy of gnosticism.

 

[Ave Maria]

Well, if you die in a state of grace, you go to Purgatory (or directly to Heaven if you were especially saintly) or if you die in a state of mortal sin, you go to Hell and straight there.

 

[laughterlines]

Well, if you die in a state of grace, you go to Purgatory (or directly to Heaven if you were especially saintly) or if you die in a state of mortal sin, you go to Hell and straight there.

Thank you for responding. I've heard this before, but could please reference scripture so that I can read it myself?

 

[oldsage]

I have heard different stories as to what happens when we die. Some say we sleep and will rise up at the end times and some say we will either go straight to heaven or hell at the time of death. What scriptures do I need to read to find the true answer?
Thanks

One of the problems with "proof-text" is the underlying assumption on what the text means.

There has been a growing movement in Evangelicalism which is supporting the Conditional Immortality of the Soul and there are Traditionalist which support the mainstream belief that the Soul is Immortal.

What I would first do is research on the nature of man from both perspectives and see which one makes the best case with the scriptural evidence, then you will have a better view of what happens when you die.

Chris

 

[hlaltimus]

One of my very favorite bible subjects, and one which you could easily study for a much longer time than you first might have thought necessary. You could distill it down to this one statement however, even though there is far more truth to discover than this one statement represents:

When you die, you will go to dwell in the realm in which he who inhabits your spirit himself dwells.

We are designedly, spiritually habitable vessels by creation, and all mature people are currently inhabited by either the God of glory or the god of this world, and they will go to that realm in which that particular God or "god" himself dwells to be perfected in the nature that the indwelling agent implants within them. Born again believers will go to heaven and be there perfected in the nature of Christ, (who himself reflects the holy nature of God the Father,) while all Christ rejecting unbelievers will go to be forever with satan and be perfected in his realm of hell with his wicked nature of rebelllion, pride, self-centeredness, cruelty and hate. Be very careful who is in you, and you will be able to infallibly judge the matter in reversion by a godly and holy life pointing back to a godly nature, which itself points to a Godly Being indwelling you. If that is true, then where He is, is where you must and will go, consciously, immediately and eternally.

 

[ebia]

Our father, who is in heaven, ..., your Kingdom come... on earth as it is in heaven.

 

[Mr.Cheese]

.

 

[Doctor Know it all]

For every man there is an appointed time to die and then the judgement

There is a time to be born


and a time to die​

Jesus said that when we die we are like the angels in heaven​

 

[Doctor Know it all]

For every man there is an appointed time to die and then the judgement



There is a time to be born


and a time to die


Jesus said that when we die we are like the angels in heaven​

 

[ebia]

For every man there is an appointed time to die and then the judgement​

There is a time to be born​

and a time to die​

Jesus said that when we die we are like the angels in heaven​

More precisely he said at the resurrection we would, in terms of marrage, be like the "angels in heaven".

 

[steve4.truth]

For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6:23
this is the overwhealming concensus of the whole Bible. Death or Life. Not heaven or hell.
God himself defined what he meant at a very critical point: the first time a wicked person had to be punished--Adam and Eve. Here's God's definition of death:
"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Gen. 3:19
Where was Adam before being created? nowhere. Where did God say he would RETURN? back to non-existence. Death is the opposite of life.
"[They are] dead, they shall not live; [they are] deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish." Isa.26:14
The dead are simply gone and according to this verse, will not rise. Jesus used an excellent illustration of this: fire. Anything burned is simply gone--nowhere.
The righeous are given everlasting life.

 

[OzSpen]

laughterlines

I have heard different stories as to what happens when we die. Some say we sleep and will rise up at the end times and some say we will either go straight to heaven or hell at the time of death. What scriptures do I need to read to find the true answer?
Thanks

The consistent teaching of Scripture is that soul sleep or conditional immortality contradicts both OT and NT teaching. The OT teaching, because of progressive revelation, is not as clear as the NT.

However, at death, the believer goes immediately into the presence of the Lord and the soul will be united with the body at Christ's second coming.
For unbelievers, they go immediately into eternal punishment, but final judgment will be at the resurrection of the unjust when the body and soul will be reunited.

There is an intermediate state of conscious existence after death for both believers and unbelievers until the general resurrection of the dead when the body and soul will be reunited at Christ's return.

This is orthodox Christian teaching.

Here is my refutation of the doctrine of soul sleep: “Soul Sleep: A Refutation."
See also the article, “What happens when we die?” by Hampton Keithley IV.

As a person in my 60s, I know that I am approaching the time when I will meet the Lord either through death or in the air (1 Thess. 4:13-18). I cannot imagine what it will be like to pass from this life on earth to be immediately in the presence of my Lord and Saviour. I am waiting with bated breath for the experience.

My godly parents have preceded me in entering the Lord's presence. I am so much looking forward to my heavenly abode at death and know that I will not sleep in any grave but will be immediately ushered into the Lord's presence. I will meet the One whom I have served (not always as wholeheartedly as I should have) for the last 46 years.

I praise the Lord for this wonderful promise of being "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). This is what I believe and to which I look forward:

When I in righteousness at last
Thy glorious face shall see,
When all the weary night is past,
and I awake with thee
To view the glories that abide,
Then, then I shall be satisfied.

​

 

[BrotherDave]

Physical death is the separation of soul and body for the believer. If we die (before the “rapture” – I Thess 4:17) as a saved individual our soul goes to be with the Lord (II Corinth 5:8) and our body returns to the dust. This is referred to as sleep (I Thess 4:13-15) because when Christ returns on the last day our salvation will be complete when our bodies are resurrected and we will be a whole personality (I Corinth 15:51-53). Then we’ll spend eternity in the new heaven and earth (Rev 21:1).

I we die unsaved, then that’s it. We never received eternal life in our soul. We will never exist again. God calls this being cast into eternal fire (Rev 20:14). The fire never ends so no chance of life again. God’s mercy is shown in this case as well. These people lived and enjoyed many blessings from God during their lifetime and when they die that’s it. How terrible it would be if they were punished for all of eternity. This also helps us to know that our loved ones who have died unsaved will not have to experience this torture.

 

[oldsage]

Physical death is the separation of soul and body for the believer. If we die (before the “rapture” – I Thess 4:17) as a saved individual our soul goes to be with the Lord (II Corinth 5:8) and our body returns to the dust. This is referred to as sleep (I Thess 4:13-15) because when Christ returns on the last day our salvation will be complete when our bodies are resurrected and we will be a whole personality (I Corinth 15:51-53). Then we’ll spend eternity in the new heaven and earth (Rev 21:1).

Just an observation but II Corinth 5:8 doesn't mention the "soul" going to be with the Lord.

 

[freeport]

Our father, who is in heaven, ..., your Kingdom come... on earth as it is in heaven.

Yes.

Very important Scripture for Christians to keep in mind: why else would Jesus have put it into The Prayer He gave to us?

 

[freeport]

For every man there is an appointed time to die and then the judgement



There is a time to be born


and a time to die


Jesus said that when we die we are like the angels in heaven​

'At the resurrection you will neither marry nor be taken in marriage but be like angels in Heaven'.


What that means, is not explained there. Does it mean we will be transfigured as Christ, Moses, and Elijah were. Or is that, too, simply metaphoric for the true nature of God in the flesh?

 

[freeport]

I have heard different stories as to what happens when we die. Some say we sleep and will rise up at the end times and some say we will either go straight to heaven or hell at the time of death. What scriptures do I need to read to find the true answer?
Thanks

These matters, like specifics of spiritual warfare and many heavenly matters are not explained in direct language in Scripture. As Jesus said, 'if you do not believe us about earthly matters, how will you ever believe us about Heavenly matters?'

One might notice that "the grave" or "Sheol" is spoken of extensively through out Scripture. One might find some interesting insights by looking into that.

Jesus did speak of the Patriarchs being 'in the heart of Abraham'. Now is that literally Abraham, the prophet, or is that Abraham as in "Father of Nations", which could be another Name of Jesus Christ?

Further you see in Scripture terminology such as "I will spit you out of my mouth" and in Isaiah and elsewhere some description of what happens at the Millennium. Which one can see plainly in Revelation is after the "first resurrection".

If a first resurrection is mentioned, then we know also that there is a second resurrection.

And a second resurrection is mentioned after the Millennium in Revelation, when 'all of the rest of the dead were raised'.


As for some odd verses about such matters:

Isaiah 65:19-21 (New International Version)


19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
20 "Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
he who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere youth;
he who fails to reach [a] a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

or

Zechariah 14:16-18 (New International Version)


16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD [a] will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

[SpiritDriven]

I have heard different stories as to what happens when we die. Some say we sleep and will rise up at the end times and some say we will either go straight to heaven or hell at the time of death. What scriptures do I need to read to find the true answer?
Thanks

Ecclesiastes 9:5
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.

You will not actualy know that you are dead....because you will have no conciouse thought.
We...are...Souls, a Soul is a physical body joined to the breath of God (the spirit)
When you die the breath of God or spirit returns to him, the body dies, all conciouse thought ceases.

At the Ressurection Gods memory of you....his breath is joined to an immortal glorified body, and you become aware or conciouse again.

Gods breath or his Spirit (it was never yours) needs to be joined to a body to have conciouse thought.

So you will not know your dead...because you will not be aware of anything until the ressurection.

The rest of the posters here have been sucked in by the first lie ever told,

Genesis 3:4
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:



Yes you will people....you will surely die.