What happens to us after death is a question that has plagued many people over the centuries. Is it possible that our loved ones who have rejected Jesus and have passed on, are now suffering in the Fires of Hell? Are those who are slated for Heaven now walking the streets of gold?
Both the Catholic and Protestant Church believe that when we die we go to either Heaven or Hell after death.
But is this true or has the church been sold a grievous error that does not line up with what the Bible truly tells us about The State of the Dead?
Some reading this topic may ask, "So why is this such an important topic to understand"? The reason is that in the Last Days, Satan will use this belief to deceive the whole world and I will show you later how Satan plans on using this error in the church to achieve his plan against Mankind, but first let's see what the Bible says about this important topic, The State of the Dead.
In my youth, I was taught that when anyone dies they go directly to Heaven or Hell depending on whether one had excepted Jesus or not while they lived. All my Christian life I believed this and thought my own mother was already in Heaven awaiting my arrival.
Only recently has Christ shown me, through Bible scripture, that this is an error that has been in the church for centuries. Let me show you what scripture says about the State of the Dead.
Most are familiar with the following scripture found in Genesis 2:7.
| (Genesis 2:7) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. |
Here it states that we are made of the dust of the Earth and with the Breath of life from God. With these two elements, we became a Living Being or Soul.. In Ecclesiastes 12:7 it mentions that when we die we return to the dust of the Earth and the spirit, or breath of life, returns to God. Notice that it doesn't say we "Received" but rather we "Became" a Living Being or Soul. We did not receive a Soul like many today in the church believe.
| (Ecclesiastes 12:7) Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. |
So a soul is a living being and consists of Dust from the Ground and the Breath of Life, which comes from God. So when we die, we return to the ground and the Breath of Life, given from God, is returned to God...
So Body With Breath = Life and Body Without Breath = Death.
Here is where the error has crept into the church... Do we go to Heaven or Hell after we die? The Bible says NO and I'll show you proof.
In John 5:28:29 it says:
| (John 5:28) Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice (John 5:29) and come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (Revelation 22:12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. |
So why do ALL, who are in the graves, hear His voice if the dead are either in Heaven or in Hell? Is Jesus going to replace us back into the grave only to resurrect us again for our reward when He returns at the Second Coming?
The Bible is filled with scripture that makes it crystal clear that the return of Jesus is inevitable. So the implication that the dead are already in Heaven or Hell makes the notion that the return of Jesus is a Biblical mistake and will not occur. His return is not needed if the wicked and redeemed are in their respective places.
In Acts 2:29-35 it says that David is dead and is NOT in heaven.. we all feel or assume that King David will be in heaven, so why is he not there yet?
| (Acts 2:29) "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
(Acts 2:32) This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. (Acts 2:33) Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. (speaking of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost) (Acts 2:34) "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, (Acts 2:35) TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL." ' |
... and also in Ecclesiastes 9:10 it says...
| (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. |
The Bible goes on to say that the Dead know nothing.
| (Job 14:12) So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep. (Job 14:21) His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it. (Ecclesiastes 9:5) 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. |
So as you can see, it says that death is Sleep and many references to death have been compared to sleep in scripture. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he called it Sleep.
| (John 11:11) These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." (John 11:12) Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." (John 11:13) However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. (John 11:14) Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead". |
Remember when Stephen was stoned to death at the feet of Paul, then known as Saul? This was when Stephen was preaching to the high priests about the many times the religious of Israel had killed the prophets of God and turned their ears from God's instructions. This enraged them and they took Stephen to the edge of town and stoned him. Notice he fell asleep into death.
| (Acts 7:58) And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. (Acts 7:59) And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. (Acts 7:60) And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. |
The church has it wrong. Bible scripture points to the fact that when we die, we lie in the grave until the Second Coming of Jesus, when All in the grave shall hear his voice and rise... in other words, we are asleep in death until the Second Return of Jesus, we do not go to Heaven or Hell until after the Judgment.
| (John 5:28) Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice (John 5:29) and come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (Revelation 22:12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. |
Also...
| (1 Thessalonians 4:15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. |
Satan's Deception -- Communication From the After-Life
Let me ask you, why does Satan want you to believe that the Dead go to Heaven or Hell after Death? The reason is because Satan will use the LIE that the Dead can communicate from the after-life. Notice I used the term Lie...
There are many stories of those who have been visited by loved ones who have passed on which have given them assurances, that everyone goes to Heaven or that they are fine and waiting for them to come to Heaven as well. But the fact is, the Bible does not teach "Universal Salvation" where everyone will make it to Heaven. The Bible teaches that many will reject God's provision and suffer eternal loss at the end of time. So the belief that we all will enter into Heaven is a Satanic lie which Satan hopes we all believe.
Since ALL who die rest in the grave till the Second Coming of Jesus, who do you think is masquerading as the dead communicating with the living? It can ONLY BE Satan's demonic Angels that have fallen from Heaven. Their only task is to deceive the Human race and, I'm sad to say, will be successful for those who believe the LIE of Satan that I've outlined here.
Now there may be some who say that there are humans in Heaven now and they would be right... Yes, God took both Moses and Elijah to heaven and he also took Enoch. When Jesus died on the cross and resurrected, there were those who resurrected from the grave and it's assumed that these also were taken to Heaven as well. Both Elijah and Enoch went to heaven and did not see death but Moses did die. Moses’ body and grave were hidden because Satan was arguing that he had authority and ownership of the body Moses, so God took Moses to Heaven.
(Matthew 27:50) And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. (Matthew 27:51) Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, (Matthew 27:52) and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; (Matthew 27:53) and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. |
So there is in fact, some Humans in Heaven now, but they would not come back to Earth and express beliefs that are contrary to God's word, the Bible. Many deceiving spirits have been masquerading for centuries on Earth with full intentions of deceiving Mankind into believing non-Biblical errors.
Now, I'm sorry I have to ask the following question. Please understand that I am NOT attacking the people of the Catholic faith, but I have to ask you, who or what is masquerading as Mary when many a faithful see her apparition? I only ask you this, because I want you to deduce what is going on in these Mary sightings. There is no Bible scripture showing that Mary was translated to Heaven... There are those who may want to place her there, but the Bible doesn't... Look what it says in Job...
| (Job 7:9) As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. (Job 7:10) He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.. |
Satan in the Last Days will use this concept that the Dead can communicate with the Living to hoist upon the unsuspecting all types of signs and lying wonders performed under this premise.
| (2 Thessalonians 2:7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:8) And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:9) The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, (2 Thessalonians 2:10) and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:11) And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, (2 Thessalonians 2:12) that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. It should be noted here that "He who now restrains" referenced in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, was the Roman Empire... After the fall of Rome, the Lawless One came onto the scene of Human history. |
Note: The Lawless One has been Revealed... Click Here...
| (2 Corinthians 11:14) And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. |
So in conclusion, Satan does not want you to understand the truths of the Bible concerning the State of the Dead, because Satan can work within the ignorance of God's people.
| (Hosea 4:6) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. |
To Read The **Real** Reason Why Satan Does Not Want You to Accept Jesus
Other Bible Verses That Refer to Death as Sleep
| (Ephesians 5:14) Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." |
| (Job 14:10) But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he? (Job 14:11) As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, (Job 14:12) So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep. |
| (Psalms 13:3) Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; |
| (Psalms 76:6) At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep. |
| (Daniel 12:2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. |
| (1 Corinthians 11:30) For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. |
| (1 Corinthians 15:51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— (1 Corinthians 15:52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. |
| (1 Thessalonians 4:13) But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 4:15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. |
| (1 Thessalonians 5:9) For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Thessalonians 5:10) who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. |
| (Job 7:9) As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. (Job 7:10) He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. |
A Closing Thought and a Challenge
The Challenge: Ask your current pastor if the Dead truly go to Heaven or Hell after death. If they say one goes to either place after death, ask them to show you in the Bible where this is stated...
Compare what your pastor says, with what the Bible truly shows. If your pastor is in error, I strongly suggest you find another church that teaches Biblical truth and not man-made doctrinal errors.
If you do not know or have drifted away from God, please consider what I've written here. Satan mocks those who reject Jesus, knowing they will have to pay for their own sins committed in their life.
Remember, belief has no affect on Reality and the reality is that God exists and wants nothing more than to have a relationship with you through His Son Jesus. Please hearken to His call on your life.
For a Simple Sinners Prayer, Please Click Here.