What Happens after I Die According to the Bible?
What Happens after I Die According to the Bible? As uncomfortable and anxiety stricken the topic of death can be, it is an important topic to study and learn about—especially as God fearing Christians.
Did you know, that the dead know nothing? Or that, death is more like a “sleeping state? If you didn’t, let me explain as we go further into this study below.
What is death?
No one here on this earth will live forever, when sin entered the world in Eden through Eve and Adam they no longer had access to the tree of life, so when Satan told Eve eating from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil will bring death, he wasn’t lying. It wasn’t an immediate, after you take a bite death, but one that would allow the humankind to have a short existence in the grand scheme of eternal life. (Genesis 3:22-24)
Before sin, mankind was created to have no expiration date, we would live eternally.
So, because of this all life living here in our earth must eventually die.
Did God Create Death and why?
If God is all powerful, why couldn’t He have just forgiven Adam and Eve and let them and all of us continue to have eternal life? Does that mean, he created death?
Not necessarily. Let’s paint a picture to better describe death.
Think of an air mattress. When the pump is plugged into the wall and is turned on, it pumps massive amount of air in the plastic bed, filling it up and keeping it nice and full. But, let’s say something happened and the plug got ripped from the outlet and with the force that it got ripped the cord is damaged and no longer works. What happens to the pump with the air flowing filling up the mattress? It get’s shut off, and the air slowly starts to leak out and it deflates all the way to the ground.
This is the same idea with death and God. God is out ultimate power source, it is said that God breathed his breath into our nostrils, giving us the breath of life (like the air mattress pump), but when our ancestors sinned, it is like they unplugged the outlet from the wall. They drove a wedge between themselves and God, cutting off that ultimate power/life source.
Now the cord is broken to the air pump, just like a cord is broken between us and God. Which means death is the ultimate consequence of sin. It cut us off from the source of life and damaged the connection to make it full again.
So, what next then?
Is there hope to ever have eternal life again?
Yes! When God sent His only son to this world, to take on our sins, and die on the cross the ultimate death, and then rose again from the grave, defeated the power of death (defeating the loss connection with the cord in the air pump, he created a new way of giving us life to God. In a way, now instead of plugging in the air pump to fill up our mattress, Jesus blows it up with his own lungs and mouth. He made it so we can have life again.
So, if that’s the case why do we still die?
Although Jesus found a new way to give us life, it is no eternal life in this enterally sinful world. It is eternal life in God’s Heavenly Kingdom.
Is that where we go when we die here on earth?
Actually no! Not yet. Let me explain.
What happens when I die?
Ecclesiastes 9:5 reads this “For the living know that they will die, but the death no nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten.”
Here, the Bible tells us that we who still have breath in our lungs know that it is inevitable, we will die at some point. However, it is also saying that, that very fact is what distinguishes us from the dead—the dead know nothing.
If the dead know nothing, then they have no idea what’s going on with the living or anything for that matter. In fact Ecclesiastes 9:10 says this:
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”
And the idea of doing all the things here when you have breath is because look what Psalms 146:4 says:
“When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.”
When we die, there is nothing we can do, say, think or even be aware of. Which is why the Bible refers to death as sleep.
Death is like sleep, how?
Because the dead know nothing, it is like the dead are asleep. When we are asleep we have no idea what it going on around us. Of course, unless we wake up, but even then, you will not know what has lead up to the point of you waking. Maybe you heard a crashing sound, but you don’t know what caused it.
That’s the same with the dead, they have no idea what it going on around them. They have no recollection of life that is still being lived.
The Bible is clear on this, as sleep is often a metaphor used often throughout the Bible to describe death. Even Jesus Himself used this play on words in John 11:11-14: “After he had said this, he went on to tell them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up. His disciples replied, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”
Here are multiple other verses indicating the same concept of death=sleep like state…in fact, it is said that the Bible refers to death as sleep 54 times in the Old and New testament combined! Read this article to see all those references.
Keep studying! You’re getting close.
So, when will I be in Heaven?
The Bible is clear on everything, (“For God is not the author of confusion…”1 Corinthians 14:33) therefore, it is clear and simple as to when our “reward” will be fulfilled.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
“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 still alive and aer left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
At Jesus’s Second Coming, that is when the dead who are righteous will rise and be met in the clouds with Christ and we will then enter our eternal life in Heaven.
John 3:13 makes it very clear that no one has entered Heaven before: “No one has ever gone into tHeaven except the one who came from Heaven—the Son of Man.”
So, what about my loved ones who have died?
Take reassurance that they aren’t floating around in purgatory, or around in space—no, the dead who have already died are resting peacefully in the grave. They know nothing, are not troubled by anything, are not perplexed, and have no recollection of anything that is going on. Like the Bible uses the metaphor, they are just in a deep peaceful sleep.
When Jesus returns, that is when He will wake them up, like He did Lazarus and then they will enter those Pearly Gates of Heaven and live eternally.
So, to be clear—like John says, no one has been to Heaven except Jesus, therefore, when we die, we do not go to Heaven or Hell—not until His return, which 1 Thessalonians says is when the dead in Christ will rise and we will be with the Lord Forever.
Will everyone go to Heaven?
The Bible is clear in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Therefore, it is those who believe in Jesus who will have eternal life. Not everyone who has ever existed.
Romans 10:9-10 says this:“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved”
As well as Ephesians 2:8-9 says this: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast…”
Therefore, it is not our good works or being just a “good person” that will save us, it is that heart to heart connection with God through Jesus and accepting Jesus as your Savior.
However, that doesn’t give us the freedom to live in sin as long as your accept Jesus. It is our love for Jesus that will drive us to keep God’s commands.
John 14:15 says: “If you love me, keep my commands”
And
1 John 2:3-4 says: “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, I know him, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”
Do I then need to be baptized to be saved as well? Read this article all about baptism.
What is my ending hope?
It might be surprising to know that although it is widely taught, our loved ones are not in Heaven looking down on us right now. However, that does not mean they will not enjoy eternal life at Jesus’ Second Coming.
Right now, rest assured they are not being tortured, they are not confused, they are not troubled or their spirit is lost somewhere in this world or out in space. They are not floating around aimlessly trying to find the light.
They are just asleep in the grave, and will be awoken soon, just like Jesus did with Lazarus. He came and found him dead, and woke him up to life again.
For yourself, pray to God continually, ask Him to prepare your heart for His second coming. So that when we close your eyes to this life whenever that might be, you open them again at His return and are drawn up to Him in the clouds and accents to those Heavenly Gates where God Himself will welcome you into eternal life.
