Death Sleep
What does actually happens when death comes a knocking at your door? There are lots of unscriptural “Traditions” circulating about as to where and what is supposed to happen at death, but what does the Bible actually say on this important matter? Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.” The first thing that “Sin” ever does, is to separate, separate us from loved ones and also from God himself, that source of life, now if you separate your desk lamp from the power socket, by pulling the cord out of the wall socket, it immediately ceases to give its light, therefore it ceases to operate as a “Lamp” it is now just an object to gather dust and to rust away. The same is true with us, separate us from God, the only pure and true source of life and light, then our light goes out, and we are no longer a lamp, no longer living, your life in essence stops, you just wind down to non-existence.
Eccl 9:5-6, 10 “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. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.” [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.” 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.” There are some 36 times in scripture where the phrase “slept with his fathers,” is used, and this certainly does not mean that they climbed into a huge bed with mum, dad, granddad, great granddad and all the other “olds”, this term is a used at their “Funeral.” The Old Testament kings, normally have this phrase written about them at their death, along with a summation of their life of either goodness or evil. John 11:39 “Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been [dead] four days.” This verse proves that Lazarus was not physically sleeping, or had just fainted, was dozing, he was very ripe to the nose, but Jesus asked the family to “Have Faith,” trust the Creator who is “The Resurrection and the Life,” yes resurrection day for all the dead is still a long way in the future, but Lazarus was to experience resurrection this very day, to awake from the sleep of death, to awake to living life with his family and friends once more, well that is until he dies once more again in old age.
Revelation 20:4-5 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.” 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.” These verses encourage us that there comes a day very soon, when Jesus returns with much trumpeting and tumultuous noise, Jesus then resurrects his sleeping [dead] saints, and then calls the “alive and remain,” up into the cloud for the trip home to Heaven. It is interesting that the “Alive and remain,” is valid, as the wicked dead sleep right on in their graves totally unaware of what is happening above ground, and sleep on for yet another 1000 years, well until they get to their resurrection, the resurrection of the wicked dead. As the “living Wicked” have just been slain by the brightness of Jesus Coming and join all the other wicked as dead bodies on top of the ground, the only “alive and remain” must therefore be the righteous saints who have lived right on through the “Last Day.” Revelation 19:17-18 “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all [men, both] free and bond, both small and great.”
At the “Resurrection of the Wicked,” 1000 years after the resurrection of the righteous, we arrive here at this verse. Revelation 20:13-15 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [graveyard] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
Now “for sin is the transgression of the law,” and the “the wages of sin [is] death,” and death is thrown into the lake of fire, then after this event there is “No more Death,” and for there to be “No more Death,” there must be “No more Sin,” and if there is “No more sin,” then everybody living in Heaven must be a “Law Keeper,” obedient to God’s Law, the 10 Commandments, both the long version in Exodus, this one in Luke 10:27 “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Or the real short edition, “Love.” Romans 13:10 “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law.” If you are at this point, then you also keep the “Spiritual Law” as well. Matthew 5:28 “But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” 1 John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him,” and all the rest of those advanced ones as well. So standard death is viewed by God as a sleep, but eternal death is a total non-existence, so therefore quickly choose life and Choose Jesus. Job 19:25-27 “For I know [that] my redeemer liveth, and [that] he shall stand at the latter [day] upon the earth: and [though] after my skin [worms] destroy this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; [though] my reins be consumed within me.” Ezekiel 18:31-32 “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye.”
