When We Die

On this blogsite I have tried to resist sermonizing; those who minister over us have been trained to this service and I am more than happy to leave the preaching of sermons in their capable hands. That having been said: the following essay was prepared several years ago as a guide for the funeral service of a friend. Every so often I review its contents and each time I actually find the selected scriptures quite comforting; I thought perhaps you would find them as comforting as I do.

Note: It had been my intention to read only the words; without quoting the references (Book of the Bible, chapter, and verse.) However, there are times when for the sake of continuity and clarity a reference could, and perhaps should be given; but I leave this choice up to you as you read along

Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.”

Job 1:8 “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’”

Job 1:9-11 “So Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!’”

What happened next may seem to contain a certain amount of senseless tragedy. If ever a man could expect the complete protection of God it should have been Righteous Job. Instead, God allowed Satan to afflict him in the most horrible ways; his servants were killed and all of his livestock either died or were stolen. All of his children died; and Job himself ended up sitting on an ash heap scraping pus off boils that covered his entire body. And what was the reaction of Job?

Job 1:21-22 “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.”

Job 14:1-5 Later, Job was speaking to God about his understanding of death when he said: “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue.” (Verse: 5) “His days are determined, the number of his months is with you; you have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.”

Job 14:10-13 “But man dies and is laid away; indeed he breathes his last and where is he? As water disappears from the sea, and a river becomes parched and dries up, so man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, [will they] not awake nor be roused from their sleep? Oh, that you would hide me in the grave; that you would conceal me until your wrath is past; that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!

Then in verse 14 Job asks God a question. He asks: “If a man dies, shall he live again?” Then Job immediately answers his own question: “All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer you; you shall desire the work of your hands.”

And in Job 42:17 it says quite simply: “So Job died, being old and full of days.”

Another of the great men of the Bible was the prophet Daniel. The Book of Daniel is just one of the many fascinating and informative books which make up what is commonly referred to as the Old Testament. We need to remember that when Jesus and the apostles made reference to the Scriptures, there was no such thing as the New Testament; only that which we now refer to as the Old!

The tenth chapter of the Book of Daniel is fascinating, but I would draw your attention to the part where an angel of God was referring to Daniel when he said: “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved.” But even though Daniel was greatly beloved of God he still had to follow the destiny of mankind and go to his grave. However; notice the way the angel referred to the passing of Daniel in the last verse of the final chapter.

Daniel 12:13 “[The angel said:] ‘But you [Daniel] go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

Almost everyone has heard of David, the shepherd boy who fought and killed Goliath, the giant of Gath. It was this same David whom God chose to be king over the people and nation of Israel.

In the Book of Acts 13:22 we are told: “And when [God] had removed [King Saul], He raised up for [Israel] David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will.’”

2 Samuel 7:12 And yet, the prophet Nathan said to David the king, “When your days are fulfilled, you shall sleep with your fathers.” So then David, King of Israel died; yet the Bible refers to his death in this way:

1 Kings 2:10 “So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.”

Acts of the Apostles 2:29-35…These are the words that were spoken by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost shortly after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, when the Spirit of God was manifest with power over the apostles. Peter said: “Men and brethren let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit upon his throne [i.e. the Messiah would one day sit upon the throne of David]. He [David] seeing this before, spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that he would not be left in the grave nor would his flesh see corruption.

(Peter continued...) “This Jesus, God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out [that Spirit with power] which you now see and hear. (Listen to the words of Peter when he says...) For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he said himself, ‘The Lord said unto my lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’”

This may all seem a little complicated, but Peter began this part of his speech by saying: “King David is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre [his grave] is with us to this day.” And Peter ended by saying: “For David is not ascended into the heavens!”

I know you remember Moses; it was Moses who led the people of Israel out of Egypt. He led them to the borders of the Promised Land but Moses was not allowed to enter into this Promised Land. Moses was not allowed to enter even though -- God had promised this land would be given to Moses and to his people forever!

Deuteronomy 31:16 “And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, you will sleep with your fathers…”

Job; Daniel; David; Moses; is it possible that all these great men of God are still in their graves?

John 3:13 These are the words of Jesus the Messiah; long after the time of Job, and Daniel, and David, and Moses; Jesus said: “And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is [from] heaven.”

The book of John was written long after the death, resurrection and ascension of the Christ, the Messiah; and yet here it is telling us that only Jesus has ever gone to heaven!

We have read about Job and Daniel; Moses and David; but there were so many other great men and women in the Bible:

Hebrews 11 is known as the “Faith” chapter; a most beautiful chapter of the Bible. Abel; Enoch; Noah; Abraham; Sarah; Rebekah; Ruth; “These all died in faith, not having received the promises…” It goes on to mention Isaac; Jacob; Joseph; Gideon; Barak; Samson; Samuel and many, many others: “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions … And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

This bears repeating: “That they [the Patriarchs] without us should not be made perfect!” Does this sound to you as if they are all in heaven? Or does it sound as if they are all still asleep; waiting for a future day of resurrection and redemption?

1st Corinthians 15:20-23 “But now Christ [is] risen from the dead -- and [has] 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 all shall be made alive. (Verse: 23)…“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits: afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”

Notice: “They that are Christ’s at his coming” refers to those who will live again at the time of the first resurrection: “...they [shall live and reign] with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

Revelation 20:5 “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. (Verse: 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.” Notice: They shall not be judged by the works of this life, but by their works in the life to come; at a time when they will be allowed to understand that which is written in the books!

The vast majority of those who have lived and died upon the earth have never even heard the name “Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” Of those who have heard his name, very few have ever taken the time to learn anything about him or about his message. Of those who have tried to understand, the Bible says: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” This does not in any way condemn those who at this time have not been chosen; nor does it elevate in stature those who, for whatever reason, have been chosen. God our Heavenly Father will do everything according to His own will in working out His mysteries here upon the Earth. Those who believe they have for some reason been “set apart” by the Almighty God at this time, should read and carefully heed Paul’s letter to the people of Corinth:

1st Corinthians 1:26-29 “For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world and things which are despised God has chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.”

The man we know as Jesus came to proclaim the “gospel,” the “good news” of a coming world kingdom that shall be governed according to the laws of God; and to become a living sacrifice so that man may one day live again. He took to himself a few disciples for a special purpose -- but he did not even try to teach the people! Even his own disciples learned very little until after Jesus died and had risen from the dead.

Mark 4:11-12 “And [Jesus] said to [his disciples], ‘Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without [to most of the people] all these things are done in parables [or puzzles]: that seeing they may see and not perceive: and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”

Luke 24:44-45 Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, he met with his disciples and said to them: “These are the words which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me. Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures!”

Would God condemn those who in this life He Himself has not allowed to understand?

2nd Corinthians 4:3-4 “But if our gospel [our good news] is hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost [in this life]: in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them.”

And who is the god of this world? Revelation 12:9 “And the dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world.”

We have almost reached the point in man’s history which is referred to in the book of Revelation 20:1-3 “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him [for] a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years should be fulfilled…”

Revelation 20:12-13 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books [of the Bible] were opened [to their understanding]: 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: At this point I was uncertain as to how to go about finishing this work. You need to remember it was being prepared for a funeral service which never took place. Since I would have been speaking to people with only a bare understanding of the Scriptures I was reluctant to mention any of God’s Holy Days; but without some understanding of those days there can be no real understanding of the wonderful plan of God. How can anyone discuss the resurrection of “the rest of the dead,” without even mentioning the Last Great Day? Here, now, today, I must!

There is some indication that the period of time in which these people will be judged will last for one hundred years and will take place following the Millennium. “And the sea gave up the dead [who] were in it; and death and the grave delivered up the dead [who] were in them: and they were judged everyone according to their works.”

The Bible lists a series of special high holy days which those who honour God observe every year. These days allow us to understand a sequence of events in the spiritual progression of mankind. The last few of these special High Holy Days are observed each year in the autumn; they are the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. The Feast of Tabernacles is a celebration of the prophesied thousand-year reign of Christ as King of kings over the Earth. Immediately following the Feast of Tabernacles, (actually referred to in the Bible as the eighth day of the feast), is the Last Great Day.

John 7:2 & 37 “Now the [Judean] feast of tabernacles was at hand”; [as opposed to the feast which was held at the same time in Samaria.] (37) “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, ‘If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink…’”

At the end of the Feast of Tabernacles the Last Great Day begins -- and at the end of the millennial reign of Jesus over the Kingdom of God the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Last Great Day will begin. At this future time the vast majority of the people who have already lived and died upon the Earth will be given their first opportunity to understand the mysteries of God. This is not a second chance for these people -- for the very first time the books of the Bible will be opened to their understanding. Teachers will be available to help anyone who cannot fully and completely understand. It will then be up to each of them, as individuals, to choose for themselves whether they will or will not live their lives in obedience to the laws of God.

For the preceding one-thousand years (the time known as the Millennium) the Earth will have been renewed by those who had laboured according to the precepts of God. Working together under His laws they will have been able to carry out the restoration of the Earth; bringing it back from the desolation that will take place at the end of this age, to the paradise it shall be by the end of the thousand years. At this time: “…the rest of the dead, both small and great, [shall] stand before God.” When these people open their eyes, their first conscious thought since they “fell asleep” will be to appreciate the beauty which is one of the material benefits that come from obedience to the laws of God.

When we fall asleep, it doesn’t matter whether we sleep for one hour or more than a thousand years; our next conscious thought will take place in the blink of an eye. The patriarch Job summed this up perfectly when he said: “All the days of my appointed time I will wait, until my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer you: you will have a desire to the work of your hands.”

Note: Those who have read “The Angels that Sinned,” previously published to this blog-site, are aware of my belief that most of the angels that followed Lucifer in his rebellion have long since repented of their sin and are waiting, as we are waiting, for a day of redemption to arrive. Many years ago I asked myself: “What have these angels been doing since the time of their rebellion until now?” Over the next few weeks I shall attempt to answer a portion of that question as I discuss the “unclean-spirits” which possessed the man in the land of the Gadarenes who told Jesus “My Name is Legion.”