Dead

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OUR BELOVED DEAD
(from my column published by H&L magazine both printed & online, Nov.2015) http://www.healthandlifestyle.com.ph/our-beloved-dead/

November 1, being a holiday to remember our beloved dead is also an opportune day and month to be taught or be reminded again with what the Bible teaches about the state of the dead.

What happens when our loved one dies? Does he go straight to heaven, to hell or some other places? It is true that the dead returns or roam around?

In the Bible, God told Adam after the fall in Genesis 3:18,19 “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Here is the key to understanding what death is all about and what God intends to do to save us from eternal separation from Him. The Bible says that man would return to the dust from which he was taken. Notice how Adam was created by God: “And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

God took the elements of the earth and made a body for man. But man, at that point was only a corpse. It took something more to make him a living being. It says here that God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.

Consider an equation like this: [Body + Breath = A Living Soul], and in death we might write [Body – Breath = Corpse].

That is what the wise man said in Ecclesiastes, “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7. Job also adds: “As long as my breath is in me, and the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness.” Job 27: 3.

It is clear that in death, the body returns to dust and the spirit, also translated as breath of life returns to God. Note that the word spirit is in small letter and is therefore not referring to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead. This spirit refers to what was breathed by God to the dust, to make it a living person. The breath of life is different from the oxygen given to patients in hospitals that won’t give life to a dead man, but only comes from God, the source of life.

Let’s take a look at another text. “Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish.” Psalm 146:3,4. King David introduces something new here. He says that when the breath leaves the body and it returns to the earth that the conscience part of man or his thoughts perish!

This harmonizes with what Solomon said: “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished.” Ecclesiastes 9:5,6. He knows nothing! This is in keeping with what the Psalmist wrote, that the dead are not in heaven praising God. Then where are they, you will ask. David makes it quite clear: “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence.” Psalm 15:17. “But man dies and is laid away. Indeed he breathes his last and where is he? So man lies down and does not rise, till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep for the memory of them is forgotten.

Here we have it from God’s own Word that man dies and lies down in the grave and do not rise until the resurrection day. The dead do not roam around as ghosts either, they are there at the cemeteries or where they were buried! The breath of life also returns to God, not roam around and it’s not a personality that is able to speak and think.

I longed to reunite with my mother who died five years ago. By this, I don’t mean dying myself, but the fullfilment of what I told her at bedside when she could still hear me, “to remain in Christ so that even if you die we will see each other again.” This is the message of comfort that the apostle Paul shared with the early Christians, about what Jesus will do when He comes the second time: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

Jesus had told the disciples that all would be raised from the grave. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” John 5:28,29.Note that the resurrection of condemnation (punishment of the wicked) will happen after the Millenium (1000 yr vacation of the saved in heaven) when the New Jerusalem shall descend from heaven on Christ third coming to reign in the New Earth. Psalm 92:7 says that the wicked will be destroyed on the third coming, Malachi said, “’The day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘that will leave them neither root nor branch’” (Mal. 4:1). Satan, his angels and the wicked will burn till they die from the fire and vanish forever, not administer & be in hell forever as traditionally known. There is no literal hell now, it will happen as an event (not a permanent place and occurrence) on the third coming. You may read my article on the subject @ http://www.healthandlifestyle.com.ph/hellfire/

What about those who are still alive on the second coming? “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

Our beloved dead, they are still there where we buried them (their remains,like bones but no more breath of life), we can visit them at their grave or look at their ashes if cremated. They will be resurrected (God combines again their remains with His breath of life) and we shall see them again on the “Second Coming” because our hope lies in Jesus who says: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25. And we shall reign eternally with God in heaven and in the new earth to come, Maranatha!