What Happens After Death?

Have you ever seen, heard, or felt a Lightening Flash?  If you are not expecting the flash, it can be startling.  Even if you expecting the flash (by being observant of the current weather conditions or times of changing weather conditions i.e. sudden summer storms), it can be startling since it displays such power, brilliance, and sound.

On the summer morning of July 12, 2007 at 6:15am, (while at work) such a Lightening Flash got my sudden attention as I was preparing this ‘study’ of “What Happens After Death” (which is an age-old question).  There are many views: Some believe that a person is changed into another life form such as a chicken or cow or a bug depending on how you have lived your life.   Some believe that you cease to exist and you return to dust.  Some believe that your soul or distinct personality returns to the ‘force’ that gave you life and you will then wait for the cycle to start repeatedly and again – forever and ever.   Some believe that you go or wait to receive your rewards or punishments for the life you have lived and then your fate is sealed forever in Heaven, Paradise, or Hell.

This ‘study’ will only deal on my understanding and belief in the Christian position.  Within the “Christian” community, there are many beliefs.  It is not my purpose to refute or affirm any of these positions but rather to reconcile the many verses that speak of death, resurrection, judgment, and eternal life. 

In this beginning study, I have looked at the verses that contain the phrases: “in the twinkling of the eye”, “we shall be changed”, “in a moment”, “appear before the judgment seat of Christ”, ‘the great White Throne Judgment”, “bring to life”, “those that are asleep”, “asleep in Christ”, “the dead shall be raised”, “some to eternal life”, some to everlasting punishment”.  While these phrases read as a “truth,” within the context of each particular verse are deep truths that can be more understood by knowing the Greek Language of the times of the writing.  It is not my purpose to give you a “lecture” on the formality and preciseness of the Greek Language.   Rather I hope to present my simple understanding of all these phrases and their place in conjunction with my study of the “Protection View of the Rapture.”

In the “Protection View of the Rapture”, I presented Old Testament verses showing how the God of the Old Testament protected, preserved, and rewarded the Nation of Israel.  Since the Bible states that God does not lie and that God does not change, then the normal progression would be to deal with other verses that speak of other issues. The issue of "what happens after death" seems to be one worthy of research.

Many verses in the Old Testament speak of death, rewards, punishments, resurrection, eternal life, and eternal punishment.  Since the Hebrew Language (in my opinion) is not as precise as the Greek Language, this "study" has only focused on the New Testament verses. 

 There are "Biblical Commentaries", internet postings, and many “Christian" books that focus on the topic about what happens after death but I have yet to read one that presents such a simple collection of verses.  My insertions attempt to make the collection of verses more understandable.

 In a twinkling of the eye, we shall be changed.  In a moment, we shall appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ or appear before the Great White Throne Judgment. At this judgment, I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away since there was found no place for them. I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things, which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 In a twinkling of the eye, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said,” Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." And He said to me,” It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
More to be posted as I continue to go through my notes and pray.    Today's Date: July 30, 2007 11:30pm CST
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Time for a Few Chuckles?

Go to my 'Pickles' -- Comics Edited Page

Return to the Delicate Issues Page

Go to the Resurrection -- Bible Study Page

Return to The Perilous Times Front Page

Here is the address of the finished page that I will tie into this study:
  How Can God Hear and Respond to All Prayers - Simultaneously

Some more verses that I am looking into for insertion into this study:
"What Happens After Death" 

Therefore, the one whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.   Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.  And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.’  Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, silver, or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising.  Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:23-31 (NKJV)

 For as I passed along and carefully observed your objects of worship, I came also upon an altar with this inscription, to the unknown god.  Now what you are already worshiping as unknown, this I set forth to you.  The God, Who produced and formed the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade shrines.  Neither is He served by human hands, as though He lacked anything, for it is He Himself who gives life and breath and all things to all [people].  And He made from one [common origin, one source, one blood] all nations of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined [their] allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (their settlements, lands, and abodes), so that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us.  For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring.  Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to suppose that Deity (the Godhead) is like gold or silver or stone, [of the nature of] a representation by human art and imagination, or anything constructed or invented.  Such [former] ages of ignorance God, it is true, ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed; but now He charges all people everywhere to repent ( to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins), because He has fixed a day when He will judge the world righteously (justly) by a Man Whom He has destined and appointed for that task, and He has made this credible and given conviction and assurance and evidence to everyone by raising Him from the dead. Acts 17:23-29 (AMP)