What happens when we die

1. What happens to man at death?

• Verse: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7, KJV)

• Explanation: At death, the physical body decomposes and returns to the earth, while the "spirit" (or breath of life) returns to God. This "spirit" is not a conscious entity but refers to the life force given by God.

  
  

2. Do the dead have knowledge or consciousness?

• Verse: "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten." (Ecclesiastes 9:5, KJV)

• Explanation: The dead are in a state of unconsciousness, with no awareness or activity. They cannot interact with the living or engage in any actions.

  
  

3. Where do the dead go after death?

• Verse: "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." (John 5:28-29, KJV)

• Explanation: The dead remain in their graves until the resurrection. This shows that they are not in heaven or hell immediately after death but are awaiting the final judgment.

  
  

4. Is there consciousness in the grave?

• Verse: "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." (Psalm 146:4, KJV)

• Explanation: Once a person dies, their thoughts and plans cease. This reinforces the idea that death is a state of unconsciousness.

  
  

5. How does the Bible describe death?

• Verse: "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." (John 11:11, KJV)

• Explanation: Jesus describes death as a sleep. This metaphor indicates rest and unconsciousness until the moment of resurrection.

  
  

6. When will the dead receive their reward?

• Verse: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Revelation 22:12, KJV)

• Explanation: The reward for both the righteous and the wicked is given at Christ’s return, not at the moment of death. This further supports the belief in an intermediate state.

  
  

7. What happens to the spirit (breath) at death?

• Verse: "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 soul." (Genesis 2:7, KJV)

• Explanation: The "breath of life" is what animates a person. At death, this breath (or spirit) returns to God, but it does not retain personal identity or consciousness.

  
  

8. Does the soul have immortality?

• Verse: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:20, KJV)

• Explanation: The Bible teaches that the soul is not inherently immortal. Immortality is a gift from God, given to the righteous at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).

  
  

9. How does the resurrection tie into the intermediate state?

• Verse: "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." (1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV)

• Explanation: The resurrection is the moment when the dead in Christ are raised to life. Until this event, they remain in the state of death, asleep in the grave.

  
  

10. What hope do Christians have beyond the grave?

• Verse: "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." (John 11:25, KJV)

• Explanation: Jesus promises eternal life to those who believe in Him. This hope is realized at the resurrection, when the faithful are raised to life everlasting.

Additional Verses:

1. Job 14:12 - "So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep."

   • Explanation: This reiterates that the dead remain in the grave until the resurrection.

2. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 - "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

   • Explanation: The "sleep" of death is temporary and will end with the resurrection at Christ’s return.

3. Daniel 12:2 - "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

   • Explanation: This prophecy highlights the two resurrections—one for the righteous and one for the wicked.