Our first lesson may have raised some questions in your mind about where the dead are, and what state they are in. I've added the lesson below to satisfy, as far as the revealed word of God will allow, some questions concerning the state of the dead. The lesson is not essential to the theme question, “Why Be Religious?” So you may skip this lesson if you like.

Are the Dead Destroyed?

In one sense, the dead are destroyed. In another sense they are not.

Physical body destroyed like a seed

The physical body of man returns to the dust of the ground, because it is made of dust (the elements of the soil) and like the bodies of animals and trees it is destined to return to the earth from which it came (Gen 3:19).

Although a most wonderful creation, the bodies of Adam and Eve were bodies suitable for this natural world, not for a spiritual, immortal, heavenly, eternal world.

The same is true of our bodies, which we have inherited from Adam and Eve by procreation. Earthly bodies are incompatible with heavenly glory. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1Co 15:50).

God promises new and immortal bodies, which are to our earthly bodies as a beautiful plant is to the seed that was buried to produce it. No dead person yet has such a body, but will receive it at the resurrection on the last day (1Co 15:51-54).

The only exception to that rule is the man Jesus. He has already been resurrected and become "the firstfruits of those who sleep". So Jesus has become the second Adam. Just as we have inherited our earthly bodies from the first Adam, so our heavenly bodies will become our inheritance through the second Adam (1Co 15:42-49).

The soul is not destroyed

The spiritual part of man is not destroyed at death. A person's soul or spirit, returns to God. Only God can destroy the soul, and for that reason we rightly fear Him and the everlasting fire he has prepared. However, he has prepared the everlasting fire for devil and his angels. He never intended it for mankind. Yet those who reject the second Adam will enter into that fire (Mtt 25:41).

Jesus knew that death does not destroy the spirit, and so he referred to death as a "sleep" (Jhn 11:11-14)..

Gen 3:19, 1Co 15:20-53, 2Co 4:14,
2Co 5:1-5, Ecc 3:18-21, Mtt 10:28,
Mtt 25:41, Lke 8:52-55, Jhn 11:11-14,
1Co 15:6, 1Th 4:13-18, cf 1Co 7:39

Are the Dead Conscious?

Some people think that because the Bible speaks of death as a "sleep" that the spirit becomes unconscious of its surroundings. They point out that Solomon said, "The dead know nothing" (Ecc 9:5-6).

However in the same verse Solomon said that the dead "have no more reward" and yet we know the dead in Christ have an inheritance reserved in heaven (2Tm 4:8, 1Pe 1:4). This inheritance is the only thing a person can take out of this world. Solomon was speaking of that which is "under the sun" (Ecc 9:3), meaning that which is in this world.

The dead have no more reward in this world, and they know nothing of what is happening in this world "under the sun" because they no longer exist here. But they most certainly exist elsewhere. In fact the very point to be gained from the Bible's reference to dead people as being "asleep" is that they still exist and have not been annihilated. The question is simply whether or not they are conscious of their existence and surroundings in hades. The answer is simple too: We do not really know.

You should be aware that the term “soul sleep” is used by some people as a euphemism for anihilation or non-existence. Some believe that both body and soul are destroyed at death and “a man is like the little dog Rover --when he is dead he is dead all over”. This is quite different to the doctrine that the souls of the dead exist in an unconscious state. That doctrine is also referred to as “soul sleep” and this creates a lot of confusion.

Are the Dead in a Final State?

The “final state” for some people will be eternal life in heaven. For others it will be eternal death in hell. We are asking whether the dead are now in their final state. For all intents and purposes, and for all the difference it makes, the answer could be yes. But in the correct order of “last things”, the answer is no. The following chart is pertinent.

The saved are not yet in heaven

The saved will go to heaven at the second coming of Christ when the resurrection and the rapture take place (Jhn 14:1-3, 1Th 4:13-18).

The unsaved are not yet in hell

The unsaved will go to hell when the saved go to heaven. This becomes clear when we compare the “whens” with the “thens” in the passages about the second coming and the day of judgment (eg 2Th 1:6-10 Mtt 25:31,34,41,46).

Where Are the Dead?

The dead are in an obscure place called Hades or Sheol (cf Acts 2:27,31, Psa 16:10). The Bible pictures this place as the temporary abode of the dead until the resurrection.

The few mentions of this place in scripture are not very enlightening as to the nature of this place. The Greek name hades may come from the prefix a- (meaning not) combined with oida (meaning "see" or "know"). Thus, Hades might mean “unseen” or “unknown” which is not much help!

The story of the rich man and Lazarus takes place in Hades (Lke 16:19-31). But our Lord pictures people there as having bodies, when we have already learned that the dead have lost their natural bodies, and do not yet have their immortal bodies. This raises speculation about how literal a picture Jesus intended to give us in the setting he provided for the story.

The point of telling the story, is not to inform us about what it is like to be dead, or what Hades looks like, but to show us that in Hades there is no opportunity to change one's eternal destiny (Rev 20:11-15). This life is the time to hear, believe, and obey God's word. It is issues like that which ought to be foremost. Questions of mere curiosity have a place. But don't let them distract you from the real life and death issues.

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