The State of the Dead
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One of the questions that is uppermost in the minds of many is “What happens when one dies?” This is especially true if we have lost a loved one. Death is the “grim reaper,” and as such everyone of us has to face it.[1]
According to the Bible, all members of humanity are born slaves to the fear of death (see Hebrews 2:15). One main reason for this is that we do not know what our destiny is, or what happens to us when we die.[1]
Heb 2 (v. 14) ....that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (v. 15) and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Image #1
But what does the Bible really teach?
According to the most favorite text of Scripture, (John 3:16) "God....gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish (die) but have everlasting life." This eternal or everlasting life is God's supreme gift to mankind.[1]
Many pagan religions and especially Greek mythology teach that the soul of man is immortal....and this idea of an immortal soul was borrowed from the Greeks by the early Church Fathers and made a part of Christianity.[1]
What then does the Bible teach about the soul and the state of man in death? Further, if man does not have an immortal soul where does one go after death? This lesson will answer these important questions.[1]
When Eve repeated God’s warning to satan, he laughed it off with “You will not surely die!” And ever since, he’s convinced the majority of each generation that death is a lie; that we all have immortal souls that live on after the body gives out....So he trots out his psychics and channelers and astrologers and best-selling authors and even mistaken preachers to echo his first lie: No one ever dies. The truth is far more satisfying. Read on.[2] (see next page)
References:
1. Savior of the world Bible Course, (2000). Lesson 17, “The State of the Dead.”
2. Mark Finley, (1995). Beyond Orion’s Gates, p.168, Hart Research Center.
Image #1: Ynaija, (2013). A burial scene. Retrieved from https://ynaija.com/buried-alive-chilling-stories-of-people-who-were-declared-dead-prematurely-videos/
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