“Death is the destination we all share,” declared Apple co-founder and mega-millionaire Steve Jobs in 2005. We found out just how right he was six years later when he passed away at the young age of 56.
As you already know, every other human—rich and poor, famous and forgotten—has shared or will eventually share in Jobs’ fate. The Bible says that “in Adam all die” (1 Corinthians 15:22). When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they and everyone who lived after them would face the prospect of death.
But does anything else happen after we die? Has the thought of a life beyond the grave ever crossed your mind? And what does the Bible say really happens when we go to our graves? Do we immediately go to heaven or hell … or somewhere in-between?
Here are seven Bible-based facts about YOUR Afterlife!
Humans Are Dust!
Knowing what a human is—and isn’t—is important to understanding the truth about the afterlife.
Contrary to popular belief, we do not house souls in our bodies. Instead, you are a soul, which the Bible calls a flesh-and-blood “living being.” Genesis 2:7 says, “God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
It might be strange to hear, but the Bible is plain. In Hebrew, you are a nephesh—a soul, a living being. And when souls die, according to Scripture, they turn to dust.
You don’t have a soul that floats off to another place.
Death Is Like a Sleep!
Have you ever seen the acronym R.I.P. on a gravestone? It stands for “Rest in Peace.” Where did the idea that death is like a sleep come from? The Bible!
In Scripture, the word “sleep” is used often to describe death. “Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried” (1 Kings 11:43 KJV). And when His friend Lazarus died, Jesus said, “Lazarus sleeps” (John 11:11). His disciples thought Lazarus was taking a nap, but “Jesus spoke of his death” (v. 13). And what happens when you sleep? You are temporarily unconscious to everything that is happening around you. That’s exactly what happens to us at death. So it wouldn’t make sense to say that you’re asleep if you’re actually awake and aware in heaven, would it? And when Jesus said Lazarus was asleep, He couldn’t have believed that His friend had a soul that was awake in heaven at that very moment, could He?
NOTE: Jesus also compared death to a sleep because, one day, you and everyone else will wake up from it!
Deceptions About Death!
Throughout history, Satan has been deceiving people about what happens when we die. First, he lied to Eve, saying, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). Yet God had said that she would perish—not that she, as soon as she died, would start spending eternity in another place. (See Genesis 2:16, 17.)
Ever since, billions of sincere people have latched onto the notion that life really does not end at death. Whether it’s through an “immortal soul,” reincarnation, or transmigration, they believe that those who pass away are apparently still living, immune from death.
But it’s just not true! “There is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). No work, no knowledge, no anything in the grave, the Bible says.
You Can’t Communicate with the Dead!
That’s why, no matter how many people believe otherwise, there is no way for you to speak with those who have died. Moreover, the Bible forbids even attempting to: “There shall not be found among you … a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead” (Deuteronomy 18:10, 11).
Saul, Israel’s first king, learned a hard lesson. Hoping to get advice from a dead prophet, he sought out a witch known for calling up the deceased. The Bible says the witch did not see Samuel, but “an old man … coming up” (1 Samuel 28:14). Moreover, Saul only “perceived” that it was Samuel, but it was not. In the end, “Saul died for his unfaithfulness … and also because he consulted a medium" (1 Chronicles 10:13)
Why is God adamant that we don’t engage in such practices? Because Satan, who can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), can also appear as a loved one who has died—and the Lord doesn’t want you to be deceived by Satan’s lies like Saul and Eve were!
Everyone Will Be Resurrected—EVERYONE!
The story is told that when W.C. Fields, famous comedic actor and noted drunkard, lay on his deathbed, he started reading the Bible. “Bill,” a friend exclaimed, “you’ve never been a churchgoing man. Why do this now?”
The dying man answered, “I’m looking for loopholes!”
It seems Fields didn’t want to face a judgment, but the Bible says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). It’s true! You and everyone who has ever lived, sinner and saint, will be resurrected one day to stand in judgment. (See 2 Corinthians 5:10.)
But you can decide what happens next!
Death Doesn’t Have to Be Eternal—Only If You Choose It!
God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Here, to “perish” means to die the second death (Revelation 2:11), from which there is no resurrection. Speaking of those who reject Jesus’ mercy, the Bible says that one day, they will burn up, leaving “them neither root nor branch” (Malachi 4:1).
Unlike the sleep of death that all humans face, the “second death” occurs after the judgment and it is eternal. (See Revelation 21:8.)
But You Can Live Forever in Paradise!
Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). There’s a spot in eternity with YOUR name on it—if you would receive Jesus as your Savior. If this is something you desire, please visit AmazingFactsIndia.org for free online lessons to help you grow in Christ.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Our study guide Are the Dead Really Dead? is a great place to find Bible-based answers about what really happens when you die. Visit Dead10.AFTV.in to download your free copy.