state of the dead
what happens to the dead?
Why do so many say “Rest in Peace,” but yet claim they see or hear dead people? Have you ever wondered this? Sadly, in today’s world, we see many preaching doctrines of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1. The fallen angels are working hard in spiritualism. They are trying to deceive the elect. Matthew 24:24. The world is being taught that they can contact their dead, see them walking around or even go so far as to think that their loved ones are in other parts of the universe getting a second chance in purgatory; others think they have made it to heaven or even in a place called hell that is going on right now where they are going to be burning for eternity. Is any of this true? So, what happens to the soul when it dies?
What is death?
Psalms 13:3, “Consider [and] hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the [sleep of] death.”
John 11:11-14, “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”
John 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
God equates death with sleep! What can we do in the grave?
Can we think?
Psalms 6:5, “For in death [there is] no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?”
Psalms 146:4, “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”
Can we praise the Lord?
Psalms 115:17, “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”
Isaiah 38:18, “For the grave cannot praise thee, death can [not] celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.”
What happens after death?
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.”
Job 14:10-13, “But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where [is] he? [As] the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens [be] no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
What is the appointed time?
The Resurrection of the dead!
Are those who died in Christ in heaven?
1 Corinthians 15:20-23, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-55, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?”
What is the purpose of hell and who is it for?
Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…”
Ezekiel 18:20, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
And what is sin?
1 John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
Are there some human souls in heaven?
Yes, there are! 28 Souls have made it to heaven already. There are 3 from the Old Testament and 25 from the New Testament including Jesus. This illustrates the resurrection and the first fruits of the last days people who will not taste death as Enoch and Elijah.
Genesis 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him.”
2 Kings 2:11, “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
Jude 1:9, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”
Matthew 27:51-53, “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
Who are these saints that arose? The 24 Elders!
Revelation 4:4, “And round about the throne [were] four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.”
Everyone who goes to heaven will have their bodies!
Philippians 3:20-21, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,”
Some think king David is already in heaven. So, is he?
Acts 2:29,34 “Men [and] brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. For David is not ascended into the heavens…”
The Lord’s Promise:
Ezekiel 37:12-14, ”Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken [it], and performed [it], saith the LORD.”
Last thing:
Since people are sleeping in the grave, what are these things that are appearing to us pretending to be the dead? Answer: DEMONS! These are fallen angels whose main purpose is to keep everyone entertained and deceived from knowing the truth about the state of the dead.
Some would say, “What about this verse?”
Luke 23:43, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
This is a simple punctuation mistake!
Notice: When our Lord was placed on the cross to be crucified for our sins, just before breathing His last and final breathe, Jesus tells the thief on the cross he will be with Him in Paradise, then three days later, Jesus rises from the dead and Mary Magdalene approaches Jesus in John 20:17 where “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father:” Why did Jesus tell the thief on the cross in Luke 23:43 that they're going to Heaven that day, and then three days later, he tells Mary that He hasn't gone yet? Some say this proves the Bible contradicts itself, but does it really? The Bible does not contradict itself at all. The fact of the matter is, many years after the king James Bible was written, punctuation was added to the Word of God. The comma in Luke 23:43 was just simply missed placed. It should have been placed after the word “today” and not before it. If it is left before the word "today," it appears Jesus is being dishonest either to Mary Magdalene or the thief on the cross. However, if it is placed correctly after the word "today", Jesus is now telling them both His truth and no contradiction is assumed. Now read Luke 23:43 with the coma in the correct place...
Luke 23:43, "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee To day, shalt thou be with me in paradise."
The Bible does not contradict itself at all. The truth of God is a Lamp for our feet. The Word of God exposes the sins and errors of the unrighteous who speak lies and preach smooth things in order to try and lead the elect down the wrong road. We must let the Word of God speak and as long as we do, the truth will be understood. The Protestant world is being deceived by the so-called ministers of God into believing that the dead go straight to heaven or eternal hell fire. The Roman Catholic Church preaches heresy in a place called purgatory where we get a second chance to get fit for heaven. There is no second chance after this world. Once you die, then comes judgment. Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."
Note: Your purification is done here on earth, NOWHERE ELSE!!! Satan wants you to believe in a place called purgatory because he knows once you die you go to sleep and then comes judgment. Believing you can make yourself right in a place called purgatory is causing many to believe they can get away with sin here on earth where it counts. You cannot continue to transgress the Law of God. By breaking God’s Law, you will receive the “Mark of the Beast”. There is NO SECOND CHANCE!!! This is why it is written in the book of 1Timothy 6:12 ‘Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life…” Your fight and test of loyalty to the God of Heaven is done while the soul lives in the body, here on earth.
THE DEAD ARE (Resting In Peace) RIP.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this, we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep."
Biblical Proof:
1. Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
2. Job 14:10-19 “But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where [is] he? [As] the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens [be] no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live [again]? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands. For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin? My transgression [is] sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity. And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place. The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow [out] of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.”
Psalms 76:6 “At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.”
Psalms 88:5 “Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.”
Psalms 6:5 “For in death [there is] no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?”
John 11:11-14 “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Note: God did not do away with the Commandments at the cross. After our beloved Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven to be with His Father, the disciples were still talking about the dead or sleeping saints that are in the earth. They are still there today and no place called purgatory. The saints’ blood cries out from the earth to God where most of them were all killed during the time of the Dark Ages.
Proof found in the last book of the Bible, Revelation 6:10 “And they (sleeping saints) cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”
More proof of the dead sleeping:
Acts 20:9 “And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.”
Job 7:4-10 “When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope. O remember that my life [is] wind: mine eye shall no more see good. The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no [more]: thine eyes [are] upon me, and I [am] not. [As] the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no [more]. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him anymore.”
Protestant’s belief system and their so-called biblical foundation for going straight to heaven - “absent from the body present with the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 “Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, [I say], and WILLING rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Biblical Proof of their doctrine is in error:
Revelation 15:8 “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.”
Note: the temple is the dwelling place of God. This is called heaven. Everyone that loves God is willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord but first you must wait like everyone else till the resurrection.
Daniel 12:2 “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.”
Daniel 7:10 “A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”
Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
Note : When everyone is raised from the dead and they find themselves not being caught up into the air to meet the Lord, rest assured their name was not found in the “Book of Life” because the wicked “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.
There is a process one must go through. This process happens while you live on earth and no where else. When your probation closes you will sleep in the dust until the “Day of Judgment”.
1. Daniel 12:2 “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.” 1ST. YOU MUST BE RAISED OUT OF YOUR SLEEP AND STAND BEFORE GOD (JUDGMENT DAY).
2. Revelation 21:27 “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” 2nd. YOU MUST BE FOUND WORTHY TO ENTER INTO HEAVEN (book of Life).
3. Revelation 22:14 “Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” 3rd. Note: John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Matthew 19:17 “But if thou wilt enter into life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.”
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
As the scene of the whole history of the great controversy is finally shown, all the wicked-including Satan himself-voluntarily confesses that God is righteous and just in all His ways, and that they are wrong to rebel against Him and His government (Romans 14:10-11; Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:10-11; Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 486). After all the wicked have clearly seen that they are the ones guilty of death, then the execution of the judgment occurs, and fire from God comes down upon the wicked-including Satan and his angels-and the whole earth becomes a lake of fire. This fire continues to burn until all traces of sin, sinners and all who rebelled against God and His perfect loving law are burned up and nothing contaminated by sin remains-including Satan himself (Revelation 20:9-15; Jude 14-15; Malachi 4:1, 3; Psalms 11:6; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Obadiah 15-16). “Fire comes down from God out of Heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up (see 2 Peter 3:10).
The fire of Tophet is ‘prepared for the king,’ the chief of rebellion; the pile thereof is deep and large, and ‘the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it’ Isaiah 30:33. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass, a vast, seething lake of fire…. “The wicked receive their recompense on earth. They ‘shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts.’ Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished according to their deeds.
The same fire which destroys sin and sinners will also purify the entire earth from the curse and effects of sin. Once this is accomplished, God will “make all things new” not all new things, and a new heaven and a new earth will be created, which will be the new and blessed home of the redeemed which they will possess for ever and ever (Psalms 37:29; Zechariah 14:6-11).
Sin will never revive again — the whole great controversy will be forever ended. Neither will there be sickness, pain, suffering, or death there, nor will God’s people ever cease to learn something more to the love of God for them.
The dwelling place of the Father and the Son will be with the redeemed. They will be able to behold the face and excellent glory of the Father and the Son and will be able to talk and fellowship directly with Them (Revelation 21:1, 3-5), and will worship Them on the Seventh-day Sabbath throughout ceaseless ages (Isaiah 66:22-23). So throughout the eternal ages, none will ever cease to advance in the knowledge of God’s love; which means that our love for God, and knowledge of His love for us, will be constantly growing without end throughout infinity. “While the earth is wrapped in the fire of God’s vengeance, the righteous abide safely in the holy city. Upon those that had part in the first resurrection, the second death has no power (see Revelation 20:6). While God is to the wicked a consuming fire, He is to His people both a sun and a shield (see Psalms 84:11)…. “`And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away’ Revelation 21:1.
The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed, the fearful consequences of sin. One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, His hands and feet are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought….“Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God…. There will be no weariness in doing the will of God and offering praise to His name. We shall ever feel the freshness of the morning, and shall ever be far from its close…. “There, immortal minds will study with never-failing delight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeeming love….Every faculty will be developed, every capacity increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions realized; and still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body.