- this advice applies to the billions who have never heard or understood the gospel, and it applies of course to the elect. For the remainder please see the footnote "The Remainder".
Luke 12:4
"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. . . ."
(from New International Version)
Jesus is addressing his disciples and all true Christians, otherwise known as 'the elect' (Matt 24:24-31).
Jesus went on to tell us what we really should fear, but we will get to that later at the bottom of this page. Just now we are looking at the death spoken of above.
All Die
A man in art class drew a beautiful scene on a whiteboard, and he was praised for it. Another man in the class made his attempt and it was pathetic. At the end of the day both whiteboards were wiped clean.
A ramshackle house was built on a concrete foundation, and it did not take much of a storm to reduce it to rubble. A sturdy house was built on a similar concrete foundation and it lasted a hundred years until the whole area was rezoned.
As a rich man dies, so also the poor perishes. The wealthy and talented man dies a great age, but ends up in the same condition as the man who would be called a failure. In both cases the flesh becomes lifeless, having no feeling or senses it decomposes in the ground.
Solomon wrote (from the perspective of this world) -
Eccl 3:18-20
18 I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
(from New International Version)
Dying Is Like Falling Asleep
Jesus likened the death of Lazarus to sleep. Then when he realised the disciples had misunderstood the figure of speech, he told them plainly Lazarus was dead. He did not say he was in heaven, that he was looking down on them and thinking . . . anything.
John 11:11-14
11 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."
12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,
(from New International Version)
And after sleep, when you awaken in the morning, time has not existed for you. The night has passed like the blink of an eyelid, and it seems but a moment has passed since you lay down. So it must be in the resurrection when the billions awaken.
Our earthly life now is very short, and death is shorter. This is why Jesus said,
Rev 3:11
Behold, I come quickly: . . .
KJV
At Death We Don't Ascend To Heaven
One may ask, "But what about David, he said in Psalm 23 that he would live in the house of the Lord for ever!"
David was however speaking of a time in the future, the time of his resurrection still to come.
Acts 2:29-34
29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 . . . he was a prophet . . . 34 For David did not ascend to heaven,
(from New International Version)
Ps 6:5
For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
KJV
Isa 38:18-19
18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, . . .
KJV
Even Jesus when he died, he really did die. His resurrection was not until the third day, and then he lived and had consciousness once again. Even then he didn't go off to heaven until a short time later.
John 20:17
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: . . .
KJV
We saw in the sections on 'spirit' that man comprises body, soul and spirit, that the spirit comes to a new-born baby so that it becomes a human being.
We Lose The Spirit And Shed The Body
The human spirit is not the man, is not his experiences, emotions, will, intellect, etc. but it is that which ENABLES a man to be a human being.
We could liken the human spirit to the whiteboard at the beginning of this page. The whiteboard was not the picture, it enabled the picture to be drawn. The concrete foundation was not the house, it enabled the house to be built.
Both Jesus and Stephen commended their spirit to God, and then died.
Luke 23:46
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
KJV
Acts 7:59-60
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. [This 'sleep' was death of course. See next verse, Acts 8.1]
(from New International Version)
Rest
Deut 31:16
And the LORD said to Moses: "You are going to rest with your fathers, . . .
(from New International Version)
In death all tears and sadness cease. You are free from pain, persecution and sickness. There are no more family tragedies, and those that hate you cannot get to you to do you harm. You are not stressed and overworked, even bad dreams don't disturb your rest.
Footnote "The Remainder"
The ones who really do need to worry about the death described above, are those who God judges to have continually purposely knowingly rejected Jesus Christ - and only God can judge this. Who knows? that could have been their only chance. If you are concerned about being in this category, call on the name of Jesus Christ right now. He knows his name, the highest name whereby you can be saved, and he turns no-one away.
This page on Death created 21sep06
Footnote added 25sep06
Upd.4oct06