The New Heaven And New Earth
Revelation 21:1-8 describes the ultimate destination of those who accept Jesus sacrifice and have eternal life with God:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, Look, Gods home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.And the one sitting on the throne said, Look, I am making everything new! And then He said to me, Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true. And He also said, It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be My children.
One of the most amazing things about the new creation is that people will get to spend eternity in Gods presence. In the new creation, Gods people will live in a beautiful place free of pain and suffering and experience the joy of a perfect relationship with a perfectly loving God.
Is There A Second Chance After Death
This is the popular view of many people who hope that those who did not accept Christ in this life will somehow have a second chance after deatheither in the afterlife or perhaps through reincarnation. The answer is quite simple: There is no biblical support whatsoever for the notion of a second chance. Hebrews 9:27 declares that we die once and after that comes the judgment of God. Let no one be mistaken on this point. The only opportunity you will ever have to get right with God is the opportunity God affords you right now. If you dream of coming to God after you die, you are nursing a vain hope.
The Consciousness Of The Soul After Death
Is the soul conscious after death? This is not a new question. For centuries there have been certain religionists who have contended that the soul existed after death but that it was not conscious. Upon investigation, some of you may be surprised to know of the wide-spread belief in the teaching of the sleeping of the soul. Because of the universal interest in the whereabouts of the dead, false sects prey upon the public, claiming complete knowledge of the subject. Such groups as Jehovahs Witnesses, spiritualists and others have spread the sophistical conclusion that at death the body returns to dust and the soul becomes unconscious.
Such statements as the following are but a few of the distortions and perversions of the Holy Scriptures that have to do with the soul after death. At death, it is not the body but the soul which dies.The interim from death until the soul is resurrected is one of unconsciousness.Even the apostles were unconscious for centuries. These assertions are being made by the advocates of the teachings of Russell and Rutherford, but they are the views of the men themselves, imposed upon the Holy Scriptures. These ideas were read into the Bible, but were never in the mind of the inspired writers.
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Where Does The Soul Go After It Leaves The Body
According to Matthew 25:46, we see that those who live unrighteous lives will face eternal punishment, while the righteous will have eternal life. Eternal punishment happens when one goes to hell, and eternal life is lived in heaven. Where a person goes depends on how they lived while on earth. God wants us to live a righteous life, but this righteousness comes from Jesus Christ. It is upon each of us to decide to accept Christ so that we will go to heaven, and live eternally.
Believers Receive An Eternal Inheritance In Heaven
1 Peter 1:3-5“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fadekept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
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What Does The Bible Say About Cremation
First, the Bible doesnt forbid cremation. It also doesnt dictate if a person should be buried or cremated.
Second, throughout the Bible, people treated the human body with great respect and often showed deep concern regarding a dead persons remains, as can be seen in Genesis 49:29-31.
Third, it was a great disgrace not to have a proper burial.
Fourth, Genesis 50:26 and Mark 16:1 show that embalming was practiced in both the Old and New Testament times.
To Dust You Will Return
God explained what happens when we die when he spoke to the first man, Adam. Because Adam was disobedient, God said to him: Dust you are and to dust you will return. Before God created Adam out of dust from the ground, Adam did not exist. Likewise, when Adam died, he returned to dust and ceased to exist.
The same thing happens to those who die now. Speaking of both humans and animals, the Bible says: They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust.Ecclesiastes 3:19, 20.
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Bible Verses About Loss And The Death Of A Loved One
Written by;Shutterfly Community Last Updated: Aug 26, 2021
Most know that loss is a part of life, but that doesnt make it any easier. The death of loved ones often takes its toll on those left behind, and at times it can feel like grief is never ending. For some, an important part of the healing process comes with scripture. Whether its for private reading and reflection or as a message to include on a sympathy card, the Bible has plenty of meaningful verses to comfort the grieving. And we want to help by providing you a list of some of the most powerful Bible verses about loss.
What Does The Bible Say About Death Eternal Life And Heaven
Most Christians have spent some time wondering what happens to us after we die. Recently, we looked at the account of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead by Jesus. He spent four days in the afterlife, yet the Bible tells us nothing about what he saw. Of course, Lazarus’ family and friends must have learned something about his journey to heaven and back. And many of us today are familiar with the testimonies of people who have had near-death experiences. But each of these accounts are unique, and can only give us a glimpse into heaven.
In fact, the Bible reveals very few concrete details about heaven, the afterlife and what happens when we die. God must have a good reason for keeping us wondering about the mysteries of heaven. Perhaps our finite minds could never comprehend the realities of eternity. For now, we can only imagine.
Yet the Bible does reveal several truths about the afterlife. This study will take a comprehensive look at what the Bible says about death, eternal life and heaven.
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What Happens At The Moment Of Death
Now we come to the central question: What happens at the very moment of death? I have already given the general answer: What happens when you die depends on what happens before you die. The Bible classifies the whole human race into two broad categoriesthe saved and the lost. The saved are those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The lost are those who havent. What happens to the saved is radically different from what happens to the lost.
Cremation In Modern Times
Cremation is becoming an increasingly popular choice for the final disposition of the body at death.
Funeral arrangements for a cremated body are not that different from other options. The body may still be viewed prior to the service, and a service may be held with the deceased present in most cases. There are a number of options available as to the disposition of the cremated remains, including burial and scattering.
Be considerate in contemplating cremation and the other choices available, Christians will want to give thoughtful consideration to all who may be affected by the decision, such as loved ones who may have strong feelings on the subject of cremation. One certainly would not like to bring unnecessary distress to anyone.
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Other Views Within Christianity
Though most Christians agree on the basic beliefs about the afterlife described above, there are some differing views on aspects of life after death.
Catholicism. The Catholic church teaches the doctrine of Purgatory, that Protestant Christians do not usually accept. According to the official teachings of the Catholic church, called The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Purgatory is a final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.
Pope John Paul II said Purgatory does not indicate a place, but a condition of existence.
Catholicism teaches that those who have a relationship with God but are not fully purified will have eternal salvation but still need further purification after death. After purification in Purgatory, they achieve the perfect holiness required to be in the presence of a perfectly Holy God.
The Catholic Church partially bases the doctrine of Purgatory on Scripture passages referring to a cleansing fire. It also draws this concept from a passage where Jesus said that those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this age or the age to come. The Catechism of the Catholic Church further states, From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.
Most Protestants believe that Jesus sacrifice fully paid for all of our sins and fully purified all who believe in Him, so there is no need for further purification after death.
Where Do People Spend Eternity
Heaven and Hell. The Bible teaches that there are two alternatives: eternity with God and eternity separated from God, often referred to as heaven and hell. From an eternal standpoint, to be present in one is to be absent from the other.
Eternity with God is safe, peaceful and void of all evil. Hell is the terrible alternative where God and all the good things that come from God are completely absent.
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What Happens After Death
It is important to admit that the word soul is not merely a disembodied entity. In the Bible, soul is who you are. Consider Genesis:
God breathed the breath of life into Adam, and he became a living soul . Thus, in the biblical view, Adam does not havea soul; Adam is a soul . The soul is, literally, . . . that which breathes, the breathing substance or being. In his article Soul, G.W. Moon says In Christian theology the soul carries the further connotation of being that part of the individual that partakes of divinity and survives the death of the body.
According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, who follows Aristotle in his definition of the human soul, the soul is an individual spiritual substance, the form of the body. Both, body and soul together, constitute the human unity, though the soul may be severed from the body and lead a separate existence, as happens after death. The separation, however, is not final, as the soul, in this differing from the angels, was made for the body.
The Psalmist spoke of our soul as the very inmost being of our person: Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name .
Jesus spoke of the inestimable value of the human soul :
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell .
Therefore, we must admit:
Jesus Christ Is The Redeemer According To The Covenant Of Grace
When the Gospel is proclaimed and received by faith, the terms of the Covenant are imputed to you . You pass from death and judgment to forgiveness and eternal life. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life .Not so the unrepentant. The soul remains in a fallen state, responsible for the terms of the Covenant of Works . It is for this reason that the Psalmist, speaking in the voice of the Messiah to come, declares that God will not leave his soul to perish. This truth is also picked up by Peter in his first sermon at Pentecost. The soul without God will undergo unimaginable loss that is described by Jesus with the most severe imagery .
My dear reader: your soul and mine must be redeemed from the auction block of sin and the devil lest we that is, our souls face certain loss and punishment. And the only Redeemer of Gods elect is the Lord Jesus Christ. Repent. Trust in the resurrected and living Christ while you are still reading this article. Stop what you are doing and turn to Jesus Christ by faith.
Our study leads us, then, to the place of the soul between death and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
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What Happens To Your Soul When You Die
Many Christians think of the soul as an immortal entity within us that goes on living after death. What does the Bible say? Describing the creation of human beings in the beginning, the Bible says, 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 . Other Bible translations say, . . . and man became a living being . God did not put a soul into man. He formed the body from the dust of the ground, and then He breathed His life-giving spirit into the lifeless bodyand the result was a soul, or a living being. When a person dies, the reverse takes place. The breath of life departs from the body, and the soul no longer exists. Thats what the Bible says. The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it . At the resurrection, God reunites the body and His life-giving spiritand the person lives again.
If souls existed as separate entities that lived on after we died, that would mean we have immortality. However, the Bible says human beings do not have immortality. Only God is immortal . Paul says that the righteous seek for glory, honor, and immortality . If we had immortal souls, why would the righteous seek after something they already have?
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Spirits With God
Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it .
and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect .
Christ’s Presence
And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise’ .
Immediately Present
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed, we shall not be found naked. . . We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord .
For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better .
Be With Jesus
Father, I desire that those also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see My glory, which You have given Me because you loved Me before the foundation of the world .
Stephen
And he , being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’. . . And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’ .
Not Place Of Final RewardConsciousWith GodLive TogetherRest And BlessednessActivityHolinessEmphasis On Final StateSummary
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The Ultimate Question: Where Will You Go When You Die
Though views differ and questions remain about the afterlife, in the end each person must find for themselves the answer to the most important question: Where will you go when you die?
According to the Bible, every human being that dies will spend eternity either with God or separated from God. A natural response might be to wonder why there are two options.