Present Truth - Death: What Is It? - The Kingdom of Heaven

From: The Christian Shepherd: 1997

• 2 min. read • grade level: 9

Death What Is It?

The simplest scripture defining what death is will be found in James 2:26²⁶For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26), “The body without the spirit is dead.” Death means the separation of life from the body. Death is never the end of existence (Luke 16:19-31¹⁹There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: ²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; ²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. ²⁵But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. ²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. ²⁷Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: ²⁸For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. ²⁹Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. ³⁰And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. ³¹And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:19‑31)).

The answer of the Lord to the Sadducees in Luke 20⁹Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. ¹⁰And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. (Luke 20:9‑10), when speaking of the patriarchs who had died many years before, was, “All live unto Him” (Luke 20:38³⁸For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. (Luke 20:38)). The blessedness of those of faith in the interval between death and resurrection is not revealed in the Old Testament. It has now come to light through Paul’s gospel (2 Tim. 1:9-10⁹Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, ¹⁰But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: (2 Timothy 1:9‑10)).

Ecclesiastes 3:19¹⁹For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 3:19) is simply all that man could know by viewing things “under the sun.” God is showing in that book the utter inability of man to find out the things that belong to revelation.

The second death is the separation of the whole man from God forever. What a solemn voice of warning. The fact of a “second death” proves that the first one was not cessation of being. “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8⁸We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)).

Resurrection The common teaching of a general resurrection is not taught in Scripture. See John 5:29²⁹And 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 5:29), Acts 24:15¹⁵And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. (Acts 24:15) and Luke 14:14¹⁴And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. (Luke 14:14).

Revelation 20:4⁴And 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. (Revelation 20:4) teaches us that these saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, while Revelation 20:5⁵But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:5) teaches that the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished, adding, “This is the first resurrection,” thus clearly teaching the fact of there being two resurrections.