What Happens When We Die?

What Happens After Death?

I am going to approach this delicate topic with as much diligence as I possibly can using only the Bible, both the Older and Newer Covenants, as my guide. I ask every reader to lay aside every tradition that has been handed down; every sermon you heard preached at church or funerals, and come with me on this journey with a clear and open mind. After doing so, if you find that you still cannot agree with me on this topic then we will just “agree to disagree”. It will not hurt my feelings and my prayer is that it does not change your opinion of me either.

Let me begin by saying that I believe that the Bible interprets itself. I also believe that everything one could possibly want to know about our Elohim and all of His creation can be found in the book of Genesis; for it was the “beginning” of all things and the rest of the Bible (Exodus through Revelation) lines up with it.

I will also let you know up front that I do not accept as doctrine anything taken from any book outside of the Canon. While I read and study many of these other writings as well as Jewish literature, I do not take them as an inspired word from Elohim. If they contradict what the Torah, Prophets, Writings, or any of the Newer Covenant says, then I throw it out. Again, you can disagree and that is certainly your choice.

The Cost of the Matter

The best way to begin is to go back to where everything started: Genesis.

Adonai, God, gave the person this order: “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die” Genesis 2:16-17 CJB

Based on this statement from God I guess the first thing that must be established is 'what is death'?

The Hebrew word used for “die” is “muth” and as one could guess it means to “put to death, destroy, end life”. That really doesn't help too much for our study now does it? That still doesn't help us determine what happens when we die.

To dig a little deeper: the ancient Paleo Hebrew (according to Bible concordances) states that the meaning of the word is: “man: mortality; the length of time that something exists and ends; permanent, terminate.”

I highlighted those two words mortality and permanent because that is literally how it works. Human beings were created so that makes us mortals. Mortals can die. Only the Creator is Immortal! Human beings were created with the ability to die from their creation. What gave us eternal life? The Tree of Life.

Why were Adam and Eve cast out of the Garden of Eden after they sinned? Scripture tells us:

Adonai, God, said, “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, to prevent his putting out his hand and taking also from the tree of life, eating, and living forever-' therefore Adonai, God, sent him out of the garden of Eden...So he drove the man out, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the k'ruvin (Cherubim) and a flaming sword which turned in every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22-24 CJB

Understand that the only reason Adam and Eve would have never died was because they had the ability to eat from the tree of life. Even after they sinned – had they still had access to this tree they would still not have died. However, the Creator did not want them to have access to this life-giving tree in their sinful, fallen state. Their punishment was, just as he told them, that they would now die; cease to exist at their demise. Their access to eternal life had been cut off. Because of their sin, death passed to us all.

Everyone who sins must face death. We have all sinned.

The soul (nephesh) that sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:20.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. I Cor. 15:26

And we are told when death will be destroyed:

And death and the grave were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Revelation 20:14

These scriptures perfectly explain that we are all guilty of sin and therefore we will die; cease to exist. Our only hope of ever having eternal life (being brought back to life) is through the atoning “gift” that Yeshua offers. He has given us a way back to the tree of life.

The cost of the matter is that death came because of sin, and death is permanent. We have no ability to alter or change it in any way. We are mortal beings – not immortal!

Without wanting to chase a different topic too long here - what does that scripture in Revelation mean when it states that “this is the second death”? Let's see what the next verse states - “And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

If that is being called the second death then I would have to ask – what was the first death? Understand that there is also a 1st and 2nd resurrection. The righteous will arise in the 1st resurrection and the wicked in the 2nd resurrection. The referenced scriptures in Revelation are describing the time of the Great White Throne Judgment when all the wicked will arise from the dead (that was the first death they experienced). Then after they are judged they will be cast into the lake of fire where they will obtain a death that is permanent, an eternal or everlasting punishment, and that is the second death. From this death they will never come to life again.

Jeremiah has something to say about this “perpetual sleep” of the wicked:

“...and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 51:39

“... and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.” Jeremiah 51:57

The righteous, on the other hand, will get to partake of the new heaven and the new earth which will come down out of heaven and guess what we find in this new heaven and earth? A tree of life (Revelation 22:2). Our access to eternal life has returned!

Now, I digressed there a bit but it all ties into the understanding of death and its permanence on mortals.

How Were Human Beings Created

Then Adonai, God, formed a person [Hebrew: adam] from the dust of the ground [Hebrew: adamah] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living being.

Genesis 2:7 (CJB)

Here the Hebrew has a play on words – adam was created from adamah. We are just earth. Our bodies contain the same elements and minerals found in the soil. When we die, we turn back into earth just like animals and all living things; including plants.

Now, let's break down this verse further.

Step one of creation – God formed a human being from something that He had already created; the earth (adamah). At this point it was just a lifeless object lying there.

Step two – God breathed (naphach- to blow) into the openings on the face used for breathing (nose/or mouth) the breath (neshamah- breath of God/Spirit) of life (chai- alive) and man became a living (chai -living/neshamah acitve) SOUL (nephesh).

The word “soul” is nephesh in Hebrew and it is a very important word. It means “a living, breathing creature with life in the blood”.

Understand, that human beings do not “have” a soul. We are a “soul” - a living, breathing creature. There is a difference between being given a soul and being made a soul. It took two things to make us a soul: a lifeless body formed from the earth and the breath of God blown into it.

All animals, birds, and fish are a soul. In Genesis 1:20-21;24;30 the word nephesh is used when we read “that has life”, “living creature”, and “wherein there is life.”

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever Adam called every living creature (nephesh) , that was the name of it. Genesis 2:19

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul (psyche equivalent in Greek to the Hebrew nephesh) died in the sea. Revelation 16:3

The Spirit (ruach) of God has made me, and the breath (neshamah) of the Almighty has given me life (chai). Job 33:4

In whose hand is the soul (nephesh) of every living thing (chai), and the breath (ruach) of all mankind. Job 12:10

We were given life by God and only He sustains or takes away that life.

The Living Breathing Creature at Death

Human beings DO NOT have an immortal soul. As already established: we are a soul (living breathing creature with life in the blood) just like all the other animals, birds, and fish. Life is in the blood:

“...for the life of all flesh is the blood” Leviticus 17:14

When we die, our blood ceases to flow, and we are buried and we rot and return to earth and our breath (the life-giving source) goes out of us and returns to God who gave it. We cease to exist. Period! The END – EXCEPT for the hope of resurrection and that life-force being breathed back into us by the Creator who took it back at death.

You will eat bread by the sweat of your forehead till you return to the ground – for you were taken out of it: you are dust, and you will return to dust. Genesis 3:19

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.

Ecc. 12:7

And when Yeshua had cried with a loud voice, he said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' With these words he gave up his spirit. Luke 23:46

As they were stoning him, Stephen called out to God, “Lord Yeshua, Receive my spirit!”

Acts 7:59

The Apostle James states:

Indeed, just as the body without a spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. James 2:26

God told Adam and Eve in the beginning that they would “die” if they ate from a forbidden tree. To believe that we have some immortal spirit that leaves our body and is already in heaven or hell; or that is floating around watching over us is a pagan concept that both Jews and Christians have bought into. This belief makes God out to be a liar and Satan out to be the winner for he is the one who said to them, “ you shall not surely die”. So, who is right: Satan or God?

Consider this: if I die and go straight to heaven in some spirit form then why do I care about a resurrection in the future? If I am still alive then why do I need a resurrection? Why would I care about some stupid piece of dirt body that I left behind down below? Why would I even want to reconnect with that when I have a spirit body already in heaven that is in a perfect state and already with Yeshua (Jesus)? This doesn't even make logical sense.

Just as human beings have to die once, but after this comes the judgment. Hebrews 9:27

For we must all appear before the Messiah's court of judgment, where everyone will receive the good or bad consequences of what he did while he was in the body.  2 Corinthians 5:10

There has been no judgment day for the righteous or the wicked yet, so how is anyone dying and going straight to heaven or hell? There has been no separation of the sheep from the goats or the wheat from the tares.

Where did these lies come to us from? From every ancient pagan culture. It has come across to us, both Jew and non-Jew, in many forms.

First of all, most ancient cultures saw no need for the body after death. They believed that death set the spirit free. The spirit was “released” from a corruptible body that held it captive. The spirit was immortal. This isn't compatible with Biblical doctrine. In the Bible resurrection and life is tied to the body.

In fact, both Older and Newer Covenants attest to the fact that “the body” will be raised and then it will be changed into a non-corruptible body.

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! Job 19: 25-27

But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise-let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy-your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Isaiah 26:19

But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days. Daniel 12:13

See I tell you a secret: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible has to put on incorruption, and this mortal to put on deathlessness. I Corinthians 15:51-53

One may say, 'Oh, but the Apostle Paul said “to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). You can't just take one verse and make a doctrine out of it. Look at the whole context of what Paul was arguing in the surrounding scriptures about this topic. Read the entirety of verses 8:1-10. Paul was encourgaing them about the “city not built by hands” that was coming. The one Abraham longed for (Hebrews 11:10). The one coming down out of the heavens. The Messianic Kingdom followed by the new heaven and earth. Paul, knowing that he and they all longed for that day to arrive when they would put off this body for the new incorruptible body where they would be present with the Lord forever. But, he encouraged them that whether “in the body” still here or “in the world to come” we will do all to please Him. He is confident that while “in the body” we can please Him because we have the Holy Spirit. Paul understnds and writes elsewhere that we are running a race and once we die having completed the race successully that we will arise on resurrection day victorious. We must be prepared before we die for death cuts off the opportunities. Paul ends by speaking about how we must all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah for what we did in the body (that will not happen till His return).

Paul wriites to Timothy as he sees his earthly journey coming to an end. When does Paul state that he will receive his crown? Immediately at death or when?

All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness which the Lord, “the Righteous Judge,” will award to me on that Day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for him to appear. II Timothy 4:8

Here are some of the Greek stinking lies that were propagated and still held to be truth by so many:

Socrates to Plato at his death: “Be of good cheer, and do not lament my passing....when you lay me down in my grave, say that you are burying my body only, and not my soul.”

Plato: “The soul of man is immortal, imperishable”

Plato: “The soul whose inseparable attitude is life will never admit of life's opposite: death. Thus the soul is shown to be immortal and since immortal, indestructible....., do we believe there is such a thing as death? To be sure. And is this anything but the separation of the soul and body?... being dead is the attainment of this separation from the body, and the body is parted from the soul. That is death... death is merely the separation of the soul and body.”

How Does the Bible Speak of Death

The Bible speaks of death as sleep.

Many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and abhorrence. Daniel 12:2

Look, and answer me, Adonai my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death. Psalm 13:3

(Regarding Stephen at his stoning) 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 7:60

(Regarding Yeshua being seen after His resurrection) After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. I Cor. 15:6

The words of Yeshua Himself:

And when he was come in, he said to them, 'Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn't dead, she's just asleep!” Mark 5:39 (Then he raised her from the dead)

Yeshua said these things, and afterwards he said to his disciples, 'Our friend Lazarus has gone to sleep; but I am going in order to wake him up.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has gone to sleep, he will get better,” Now Yeshua had used the phrase to speak about Lazarus' death, but they thought he had been talking literally about sleep. So Yeshua told them in plain language, 'Lazarus has died. John 11:11-14

The resurrection is the only hope of defeating death. If there were no resurrection the dead would continue to sleep in their graves forever. Both the righteous and the wicked.

But when a human being grows weak and dies, he expires; and then where is he? Just as the water in a lake disappears, as a river shrinks and dries up; so a person lies down and doesn't arise – until the sky no longer exists; it will not awaken, it won't be roused from its sleep. If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my life for my change to come. You will call, and I will answer you; you will long to see what you made again. Job 14:10-15

Are the Dead Aware

No, the dead know nothing in the grave. They are not already in heaven or hell, they are not watching over us. They are “asleep” in the grave awaiting a resurrection to life or death. They will arise again only when God breathes life back into them and gives them eternal life or sentences them to the “second death” from which they will never awake. This is their punishment which is eternal.

There is no “time” in death. The dead are not aware of “time”. They will fall asleep and the next thing they will recall is that they have been awaken. Ten minutes or ten million years could have elapsed in between but they have no recollection of any length of time. They have no idea how long they have been dead.

A very good example of this is when a person undergoes surgery under general anesthesia. Once you go to sleep the next thing you recall is when you awake in the recovery room with them usually calling your name. You could have been asleep for 30 minutes or 3 days. You have no recollection or memory of that time period. In fact, that event is about as close to death as you can come and not be dead. You have a tube down your throat and they are breathing for you because you can't breathe for yourself in that state; you would die. One second you were conscience and then you were gone until you awoke in recovery. This is the way death will be.

Do not put your trust in princes, or in man, in whom there is no help. His breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Psalm 146:3-4

This is another evil among all those done under the sun, that the same events can occur to anyone. Truly, the human mind is full of evil; and as long as people live, folly is in their hearts; after which they go to be with the dead. For as long as a person is linked with the living, there is hope ….. for the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; there is no longer any reward for them, because all memory of them is lost. What they loved, what they hated and what they envied all disappeared long ago, and they no longer have a share in anything done under the sun. ...Whatever task comes your way to do, do it with all your strength; because in the grave, where you will be going, there is neither working nor planning, neither knowledge nor wisdom. Job 9:3-6;10

The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. Psalm 115:17

Can the Dead Come Back to Earth

No, the dead cannot and do not come back to earth. As already discussed they are in an unconscious state awaiting resurrection and only God holds the breath of life-force.

Do not ever believe that you are communicating with a dead loved one. Do not ever believe that God would send a dead loved one back to communicate with you. Do not ever believe that a necromancer, witch, fortune teller etc is communicating with your dead loved one. They are not! They do not have the power to give life back to the dead nor to call them back to earth in some fashion. DO NOT be deceived. You are not communicating with a dead loved one – you are communicating with a demonic spirit in the form of a loved one (sometimes), a familiar spirit!

What does the Bible say about this matter?

There must not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through fire, a diviner, a soothsayer, an enchanter, a sorcerer, a spell-caster, a consulter of ghosts or spirits, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is detestable to Adonai, and because of these abominations Adonai your God is driving them out ahead of you. ….For these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to soothsayers and diviners; but you, Adonai your God does not allow you to do this. Deut. 18:10-14

So when they tell you to consult those squeaking, squawking mediums and fortune-tellers; you are to answer, “Shouldn't a people seek their God? Must the living ask the dead for teaching and instruction?” For they will indeed give you this unenlightened suggestion.. Isaiah 8:19-20

Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. Lev. 19:31

A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. Lev. 20:27

For they are demonic spirits, performing signs.... Revelation 16:14

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 2 Cor. 11:14-15

If you ever see a dead loved one, or hear their voice, you should command that familiar spirit to leave in the name of Yeshua.

One may argue, “well, what about Saul, Samuel and the witch of Endor? Didn't God let the witch bring Samuel back to speak to Saul?” (See I Samuel 28)

Let me state emphatically here – God does not make exceptions with His Word. He never breaks His Word! If he forbade his people from consulting the dead (of which they aren't really the dead but demons) then he would not break His word by sending Samuel (a godly prophet) back by the hand of a witch (a person he called an abomination and who he had already commanded that they be destroyed from the land anyway) to speak to Saul; of whom God had already removed his hand from.

Saul was a victim of his own deception and sin. The witch called up a familiar spirit who Saul understood by a description given by the witch, that it looked like Samuel. That's all!

The demon did not tell Saul anything that Samuel had not told him while he was alive. Saul already knew that God had removed his hand from him and that he was going to die and that David would take his place.

Some argue that the entity that they encounter must be a loved one or friend because 'they told me things that only we knew'. Listen – Satan and his minions know all about you! They have watched your life from the beginning. They have heard every conversation that you have had and they have seen everything you have done. That's why they are a familiar spirit.

Why can mediums often tell the police where the missing are, or details about murders and dead bodies? Because the demons were there. They saw and heard it all.

So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. I Chron. 10:13

Leave this stuff alone!!! If you practice this you are opening up demonic deception into your life. If you want to know something – seek GOD. If you are mourning the loss of loved ones – seek GOD!

He knows and understands your pain.

Near Death Experiences

Okay, so let's discuss this one. It really holds no water at all. Notice the name that this always falls under: “near death”. The point is just that, they were at a point of death but they were not permanently dead. Their life was restored. Had they been dead- they would have stayed dead. They had a vision. They were in an in between life and death point, unconscious usually, and they saw things. I have no doubt that they saw things. I have had visions when I was wide awake. I have also been in such a prayer state before the Lord that it could almost be described as a “out of body” experience. The Apostle Paul describes a time when he was taken up to the third heaven and saw things; he states: “whether he was in the body or outside the body I don't know, God knows.” He is speaking about himself in these verses (2 Cor. 12:1-5). Listen, supernatural things happen in this life. Point is, people who have these experiences lived!

But What About.....?

Some would argue that there are many cases in the Newer Covenant that would prove that what I have said is not true. I will list the biggest of these:

. The Thief on the Cross

. The Great Cloud of Witnesses in Hebrews 12

. Yeshua, Moses, and Elijah on the Mount of

Transfiguration

. I Peter 3:18-20 where it is assumed that

Yeshua went and preached to people while he

was in the grave.

. The Rich Man and Lazarus

I have separate articles that I have written on all of these and I will attach links at the bottom of this article. Please check them all out.

In addition, some quote the verse in Revelation 6:9-11 about the “souls crying out from under the altar”. Remember, John was seeing a vision that had lots of strange symbols and things. They were analogous to the overall vision of events to take place in the future. The souls under the altar was analogous to a coming judgment and justice for the righteous. No where in the Bible do we ever read of “souls” being held under an altar. Instead we read of people being asleep in the grave. It is also analogous to the blood of righteous Abel crying out to God for justice.

In Conclusion

God created human beings from dust and breathed into them life-force. He created animals in this way also. Those created creatures were called nephesh – living breathing creatures. That word nephesh is usually translated soul. We do not have a soul, we are a soul. Life is in the blood of these living creatures. The body without the breath/spirit is dead. There is no spirit of man floating around separate from the body – for there to be life the two must be together. There is no such thing as an immortal soul. When we die, we are analgous to being asleep. We know nothing and there is no such thing as time keeping for the dead. The dead cannot come back to earth. They cannont communicate with us. The only hope for resurrection from the dead is in Yeshua. The righteous dead will resurrect and be given eternal life but the wicked will resurrect and be given a "second death" from which they will never resurrect. This is their punishment which is eternal.

I hope that this study has been helpful to you. God bless all of you as you digest this very important information.

Leisa

Linked below are the articles:

. What did Yeshua do for those Three days and nights that he was in the grave?

. The Thief on the Cross

. The Great Cloud of Witnesses

Here are the additional articles that I mentioned:

. The Mount of Transfiguration:

https://www.ourancientpaths.org/post/2017/03/21/the-mount-of-transfiguration

. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

https://www.ourancientpaths.org/post/the-rich-man-and-lazarus-a-hebraic-teaching-beyond-the-parable