Now I have been to numerous funerals through my life. Especially in the recent years and it seems to be a lot of confusion regarding as to what happens to you when you die.
The Bible covers this in very fine detail if only the pastors only teach the bible the people today would not be confused or worry about their deceased love ones.
Now I do understand that some pastors or denominations may simple not know the State of Dead and the stages a person would go through going from being among the living, to dead, then to the kingdom of heaven.
Now today many people believe immediately when you die you go straight to heaven or straight to hell, some believe that you have to go to a place to be purified of their sins before entering to Heaven. And other believe that the dead stays dead for a probationary period of time.
Now if you go to a funeral today many will title the ceremony as “Going Home Service”.
Now is this statement true?
If it is based on what the bible says then nothing is wrong.
However if not then this statement can cause confusion among the people because it may get people to think that the Deceased goes straight to Heaven after death.
Now what does the bible say on topic?
Lets first look at what Peter is saying in Acts 2:29
“Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.”
Next Peter proceed to follow up in Act 2:34
“For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,”
Now the bible says King David is still buried here.
He has not ascended into Heaven as of yet. And, for Peter to state this boldly over 2k years ago he had to have known David was still buried in his grave.
Next What hint does Jesus even us about the type of body we will have when a person is resurrected from the grave?
The answer to this question can be found in Luke 24:34-43
“Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.”
So right there it shows that if a person were to be raised from the dead they will have a physical body.
Now the book of Job give us some additional details on the State of the Dead
Job 14:10-12
“But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”
Job it gives 2 identifying details to us
1st it refers to death as sleeping
Now the bible correlates death to sleep in many case in Psalms 13:3
“Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;”
Even Jesus refer death to sleep before raising Lazarus from the dead John 11:11-14
“These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of
rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”
2nd The book of Job gave a time frame of how long the dead shall sleep for
“til the Heavens be no more”
Now you can read
Luke 21:25-36 | Matthew 24:25-37 | Mark 13:23-34
To get the answer we are seeking and read about the other event that are going to take place during this time.
But the best supporting verse is
Revelation 21:1
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
There are 2 reasons I selected Revelation 21:1 as the best supporting verse
1st this verse covers when the first heaven will be done away with
2nd But also because Revelation itself covers all the events that take place during Christ second coming. Christ even appears in Chapter 1.
With this truth we should understand the dead shall sleep until Christ’s second coming
So now we understand that when you die you are buried or cremated, In death you shall sleep until Christs second coming, and when you are called to wake up again you will have a physical body.
Now after reading this the evidence provide only using the bible to interpret itself. Is using the term “Going Home service” at a funeral correct?
Even when the dead is raise from the grave they wont even know where their destination will be until all the events in Revelations has been fulfilled. But shall cover this in a moment .
Now over the years many religions teach about how its good to praise the dead, even talk to the dead saints. Many of the Catholic Church saint were even canonized to become a saint until after they have died.
And, some people always tell me that after a loved one of theirs passes they all of a sudden see their loved ones spirit walking around the house.
Now are these theories correct? are these people seeing ghost? is the dead able to communicate with the living? can a deceased person feel anything in death?
Now lets look at the bible and see what it says
Psalms 146:4
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Psalm 115:17
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
Isaiah 38:18
For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
Ecclesiastes 9:5,6
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
After listening to these verses
we know the dead cannot praise or celebrated anything
and Ecclesiastes could not be any clearer by saying they do not deal with anything regarding the living, meaning they can’t talk to us,
all of there anger, sadness, loneliness is now gone.
and to know what that no matter what funeral services you attend in the future
you should feel comfortable to know that the person in that casket is just sleeping temporarily.
They are not suffering an eternal nightmares,
their spirit is not floating alone in the vast world of nothingness,
and the spirits are not being tortured by the flames of purgatory.
There just sleep, they don’t even know that their sleep
That is why we should feel at ease knowing this truth
Now here is some responsibility we must bared on our part
Because to see our loved ones again we must get our lives right with God.
Sainthood start before going to the grave not after
Because during the event of Christ’s second coming it will not only dead in Christ
That shall be awaken.
But also those who did not accept Christ and keep the Gods law
John 5:28-29
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
And the Revelations could not follow up any clearer by saying
Revelation 22:11
“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
Meaning during the events of Christs second coming
If you died before as an evil person you will be resurrected as an evil person
And if you died a good person you will be resurrected as a good person
Now remember how earlier I mentioned how the dead don’t even know if they are going to heaven or not until all the events of revelations has fulfilled. Now that is partly truth, but if you know you tried to follow all of Gods law to the best of your ability and Have complete faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour yes you will be in Heaven.
This is why I urge those who read this to start keeping his law now because tomorrow is never promised to us
Even the bible speaks as to why we should have more of an urgency to get our lives right with God now
Ecclesiastes 9:10
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
The bible says in
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death; (this is true because of our sinful nature )but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
So when will this Gift be received?
1 Thessalonians 4 :16 & 17
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
if you are one of the ones who are called up to meet Christ in the air during his second coming
not only will you be able to see you loved ones again
But that’s also you will receive that wonderful gift promised to us that is eternal life
And forever being with the Lord