What is death? Is there life after death? Can the dead communicate and live among us? There is so much debate today regarding the above questions. If you also need answers to these questions, then read through this lesson, and you will benefit greatly.
1. Death is the first human foe to be introduced in the bible and the last to be destroyed
Gen 2:16-17
6 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
At this point, death is more than just a commandment but an occurrence. Every commandment that we break will eventually lead to death.
Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rev 21:3-4
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
2. Death is a sleep
Jesus said death was just sleep. When we are asleep, we are unaware of and respond to our environment.
John 11:11-15
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, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
3. Death does not favour
Human death is no different to animal death. All live and die the same way
Eccl 3:18-4:1
18 I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so 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. 21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
The time to work and accomplish is now after death there is nothing for us.
5. There is no connection between the living and the dead
Today you will hear of spiritualists who claim to be in contact with the dead and carrying their messages to the living. Dear friend do not be deceived the Bible has taught us that there is a big rift between the dead and the living. Read the following verses
Luke 16:19-31
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'”
Even if for a moment we believed that there is a hell and a heaven to gain when a person dies, still the above parable illustrates that there is not a thing we can benefit from them. They are both out of the way.
6. Those who consulted with the dead were aware it was against God’s command to do so
1 Sam 28:4-12
4 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her. “There is one in Endor,” they said. 8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”
9 But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10 Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.” 11 Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you? “Bring up Samuel,” he said. 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
Both Saul and the woman knew they were in the wrong. So it is today with anyone who practices witchcraft and who consults the dead. They will lie that their visions come from God to gain your trust but deep down they know from hence they come from which is the devil.
2 Chron 33:1-6
33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshipped them. 4 He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” 5 In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars for all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practised sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger.
7. It was the death issue that hastened the crucifixion of Jesus
To some death is more than just an occurrence it is a religion. In Jesus’s time, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. When he had raised Lazarus to life they were bitter than before and summoning a council with the Pharisees they immediately set out a plan for his murder starting with Lazarus.
John 12:10-11
10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
The resurrection of Lazarus proved that there was no foul play about the miracles performed by Jesus as they had suggested to the people. Now seeing that their plotting’s were defeated they resorted to evil surmising and murder.
John 11:39
“Take ye away the stone,” Christ said. Thinking that He only wished to look upon the dead, Martha objected, saying that the body had been buried four days, and corruption had already begun its work. This statement, made before the raising of Lazarus, left no room for Christ’s enemies to say that a deception had been practised. In the past, the Pharisees had circulated false statements regarding the most wonderful manifestations of the power of God. When Christ raised to life the daughter of Jairus, He had said, “The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.” Mark 5:39. As she had been sick only a short time, and was raised immediately after death, the Pharisees declared that the child had not been dead; that Christ Himself had said she was only asleep. They had tried to make it appear that Christ could not cure disease, that there was foul play about His miracles. But in this case, none could deny that Lazarus was dead. {DA 534.3} The command is obeyed. The stone is rolled away. Everything is done openly and deliberately. All are given a chance to see that no deception is practised. There lies the body of Lazarus in its rocky grave, cold and silent in death. The cries of the mourners are hushed. Surprised and expectant, the company stand around the sepulchre, waiting to see what is to follow. {DA 535.4}
John 11:45-53
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did put their faith in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
8. It is the death issue that has separated many from the truth today
As news of Jesus’s resurrection got to the religious leaders they quickly took measures to bury the evidence. So it is with everyone who believes in the life after death. They are not his friends but enemies working against him.
Matt 28:11-15
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Brother and sister, you are erring if you believe in life after death. You are committing a distinguished biblical crime if you are consulting spirits and mediums. You are piercing Christ’s wounds afresh if you believe in life after death because it was his giving life to the dead, his power over the grave and his resurrection that they hastened to bury. I urge you not to partake in the same. God bless you and help you to turn your life over to him. See you in the next lesson.
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