What happens when I die?
For the believer, to die is to be with Christ: Scripture speaks of departing to be with Him as far better, and of being at home with the Lord. Then at His return comes the resurrection of the body. For those who reject Christ, death is separation, and judgment awaits.
This question arose from studying What signs should we look for before Jesus returns?.
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What the Scripture says
To be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord
We are always confident, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and at home with the Lord. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose. But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Christ holds His own through death
I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live even if he dies. Jesus told the dying thief, today you will be with me in paradise, and He told His disciples, I go to prepare a place for you.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Death is not the end of the body; the resurrection is coming
We will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, and the dead will be raised imperishable. God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. The body is not abandoned forever.
Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 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 will be changed. For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
For those apart from Christ, death is a solemn reality
It is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment. Whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. This is why the gospel is urgent.
Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
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Will Jesus return literally?→“who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”What is the resurrection of the body?→“So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”What is the new heaven and new earth?→“I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”What signs should we look for before Jesus returns?→“This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”What will we do in the new creation?→“I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”What does the Bible say about animals and heaven?→“God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”What is the rapture?→“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.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.”What is the great tribulation?→“for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”What is heaven like?→“I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”Will we recognize each other in the resurrection?→“So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”What is the abomination of desolation?→“He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out on the desolate.And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”Is there a second chance after death?→“Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
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