He
will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all
faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth; for
the LORD has spoken (Isaiah 25:8 RSV)
Contents
1.
Understanding Death and the Types
2.
Sources of Death
3.
When is a person supposed to die?
4.
God’s Will concerning Death
5.
The Resurrection and The Next Life
1.1
Understanding Death and the Types
The Encarta
Dictionaries define death as “End of being alive”. Death is the end of the life
of a person. When one dies, all his physical abilities cease. All his body
parts fail to respond to stimuli. His relation with the physical world ends.
Man is Spirit, Soul and
Body (1 Thess 5:23). He is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body. Every
spirit has a soul. The spirit of man is the real man, the soul helps the real man
who is a spirit to reason, imagine, think, feel and relate to the soulish world
or the psychological world. The soul of a man relates to his emotions,
intellectualism, feelings, conscience and the mind.
When one dies
physically, – there is also a spiritual death and a second death – the body dies;
both spirit and soul live on. In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, even
after death, the rich man still felt thirst because he had a soul (Luke
16:19-31).
After the end of life
here on earth, a person shall still have his soul, though the physical body we
live in will perish.
Man’s physical body is
made of dust, when he dies, the dust returns to dust but he (the real man who
is spirit) returns to God his Maker for accountability (Genesis 3:19).
a. Man is not a Physical Body
1
Corinthians
9:27 (NIV)
“No,
I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached
to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize”.
In the quotation above,
Apostle Paul draws a clear distinction between the spirit of man (the real man)
and the body of man (thus the covering of the real man). He clearly states that
“I” that’s the real man “Strike a blow to my body …”
So the “I” is the real
person of Apostle Paul and the “Body” covers the real person. Thanks be to God;
the real man has power over the body and can strike a blow to it or keep it
under subjection. Praise God! We therefore have no case when we allow our
bodies to control us.
1.1.1
Types
of Death
a. Physical Death
This kind of death is
explained above. It is when one’s life on earth comes to an end (John 11:14). The
physical death is the death of the body. Apostle Paul describes the body as an
earthly tent.
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands”- 2
Corinthians 5:1 (NIV).
Every person born of
man is subject to this kind of death because the body we live in is not needful
after life here on earth. IT IS NOT EVIL
TO DIE PHYSICALLY THOUGH IT SADDENS THE LIVING.
In fact it is far
better to leave this body and to be with the Lord (Philippians 1:23). However
we will need to accomplish our purpose for coming to this earth before we
depart.
Physical death has
become necessary because this world is fallen. God doesn’t want us to abide in
this fallen earth forever, hence physical death. We need to leave this fallen
and weak body for that spiritual tent in which we shall abide forever.
Hallelujah!
Physical death is for
both believers and unbelievers. However, when a believer experiences this kind
of death, it is referred to as “SLEEPING” (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 5:10; Acts
13:36; 1 Kings 2:10)
b. Spiritual Death
God is a Spirit (John
4:24), He is the source of our lives. His breath made us (Job 33:4; Gen 2:7).
Spiritual death is when there is disconnection between man and his Maker –God.
To be spiritually dead is to be separated from God.
This separation began
when the first man Adam sinned. It was sin that separated man from God and
brought death unto man (Romans 5:12).
In fact, all mankind
after the fall are born spiritually dead (Psalm 51:5). Spiritually dead people
are enemies of God (Romans 5:10). Any living man separated from God is but a
dead man walking.
Spiritually dead people
are insensible to the things and the voice of God. They treat the things of God
with contempt because they are unable to identify or discern the voice of the
Almighty (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Before Paul got
converted, he heard the voice of God – on his way to Damascus but didn’t know
it was God because he was spiritually dead (Acts 9:5).
Subsequently however
(thus after his conversion), he was able to recognize the voice of God anytime
he heard Him speak (see Acts 13:1-2; Acts 16:9-10; 27:9-10).
Thankfully God has not
left us to be spiritually dead; He gave His One and Only Son Jesus Christ so
that through Him we shall be reconnected back to Him (Ephesians 2:1-7). God has
done this because of His love for the world (John 3:16)
Through the death and
resurrection of the Lord Jesus, anyone who believes in Jesus is brought from that
spiritual death status and made alive with Him (John 11:25).
Anyone who has believed
in the Lord Jesus has passed from death (spiritual death) to life (John 5:24). Praise
God!
c. Second Death
The second death is
also called eternal death. It is an experience of the unregenerate spirit or
soul after a person experience the physical death. When man dies physically,
there is a judgement on him or her (Hebrews 9:27).
Whoever will be found ‘guilty’
of the ‘charges’ will experience the second death
In scripture,
specifically in the book of revelation, the second death is described as “The
lake that burns with fire and sulphur” (Revelation 21:8).
Kindly read more about
Christian eschatology. (We shall find
another opportunity if the Lord gives us grace and look at the Second Death).
In order to escape the
second death, one needs to believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as Lord and
his personal Saviour (see John 5:24; 1 John 5:11-12; Romans 10:9-10).
ANYONE
WHO ESCAPES THE SPIRITUAL DEATH WILL ESCAPE THE SECOND DEATH IF THEY CONTINUE
TO REMAIN IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
2.1
Sources of Death
a.
Satan
The number one source of
death is sin (Romans 5:12). Sin brought death to the world. But the source of
sin is Satan, and therefore he is the source of death. Satan was in the Garden
of Eden until inequity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:13-18).
Also Satan has the
power to kill the human body but cannot destroy his soul (See Matt 10:28; John
10:10). Satan and his allies can kill the body of man. It is only God who can
destroy the soul of man. The devil always has limit in his power.
Kindly read the book of
Job chapters 1 and 2.
b.
Man
On the part of men, sin
came through Adam and death through sin (Roman 5:12). Adam, the first man
disobedience and sin brought death to himself and the whole human race (1 Corinthians
15:21a). This death is firstly the spiritual death –thus separation from God
which is treated above and secondly the physical death.
This is because sin did
not corrupt only the soul of man, but the entirety of him – thus body, soul,
and spirit. Christ has however redeemed the spirit of man by recreating the
spirit of man (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Christ through His Word
saves the soul of man (James 1:21). But the body will be replaced with another after
man dies physically (2 Corinthians 5:1)
Moreover man has the
power to kill his fellow human being. For instance, Cain killed Abel (Genesis
4:1-15). Man like Satan has no power to destroy the human soul. He can only
kill the body.
Most often than not,
men who kill others are influenced by Satan – thus the devil.
Man can also kill
himself or other people by how he treats the body – the food we eat, the work
we do, sickness, old age, accident, and how we relate with this physical world
with our bodies.
c.
God
Isaiah
57:1-2 (RSV)
“The
righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away,
while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity, he enters into peace; they rest in their
beds who walk in their uprightness”.
In the foregoing Scripture
we have seen a God who ‘takes’ or rescues peoples’ lives, yet He is not a
murderer. All that He does is good and He sometimes permits the physical death of
a righteous person so as to save them from eternal death.
Eternal life/death is
of more importance than physical life/death.
3.1
When is a Person Supposed to die?
Hebrews
9:27 (RSV)
And
… it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment
Death is an
appointment! When your time is due, it is inevitable! Before one is formed in
his/her mother’s womb, God prepares them for an assignment here on earth
(Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 49:1,5; Luke 1:15; Galatians 1:15-16). Every created
person has an agenda here on earth.
When a person
accomplishes his work here on earth, he is called back to his Maker. The
physical body is needed only for the physical world. Therefore when a person is
done with his work on earth, he puts away that physical body and return to his
Creator for accountability.
For instance John the
Baptist came to testify about Jesus – that was his God-given assignment and
therefore he couldn’t have died at infancy (John 1:6-7). Simeon would not die
till he had seen the Lord’s Christ (Luke 2:25-32).
Physical death is
regardless of the good deeds of a person. Both good and evil people die.
Physical death is not subject to a person’s value or how good and kind he is to
the people of his days, when his ‘Job’ is complete, he shall return to God.
John
9:4 (NIV)
“As
long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming,
when no one can work”
Everybody born by a
woman has a ‘night’ – thus a time to die. Jesus Christ, our Lord lived for 33
years here on earth (in his physical body) and he went about doing good (Acts
10:38; Mark 7:37). Why He died at age 33 is still a mystery.
Christ Jesus did a lot
of mighty things for the people of His days – and He continues to do great
things for us as believers. But one would have reasoned that He should have
physically lived a bit longer so many would have been liberated from their oppression;
yet he died when it was time.
Someone would say “He
died so that through His death He could liberate the entire human race and not
only those He had physical contact with”. That sounds good to the ear but why
didn’t He die at age 20 or 25 or 31 but rather died at age 33?
In the divine agenda of
the Almighty, the Only Wise God chose that Christ, our Lord would die at the
appointed time. Even His birth was an appointment (Galatians 4:4).
In the gospel, we have
read that time and again, the Jews tried to stone Jesus, but it didn’t work.
Why? Because the time of His death was not due! (John 8:59, 10:31, 39, 11:8).
Stephen, a man full of
the Holy Spirit and faith was stoned to death (Acts 6:5, 7:54-60) but Paul, the
Apostle was raised to life after he was stoned because the Lord’s assignment
for him was not over yet (Acts 14:19-20).
The Lord told him “for as you have testified about me at
Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 23:11). You cannot die if you have an unfinished
business for the Lord.
The Apostle Paul
suffered many death and near-death attacks, yet he survived them all. At a
time, he said “…we gave up hope for life
and we felt we had received the sentence of death…(2 Corinthians 1:8-9).
At another time, he was
torn between dying and living in the flesh (Philippians 1:23).
However
when his time to depart was due, he couldn’t help but to say “I am already on the point of being
sacrificed; the time of my departure has come” (2 Timothy 4:6-7).
Apostle
Paul died not because he was too old (after all the highest possible years he
ever lived on earth was 65 years), or because there was no business left in the
Kingdom for men to do, but because “the
time of my departure has come”. And also because “…I have finished the race”! (vrs 7).
Everybody
has a race set before him/ her (Hebrews 12:1) and when they are finished with
it, they will be called home. No athlete remains in a foreign land after a
competition; they must come home first before the next action takes place.
Why did the young man
Stephen who was full of faith and Holy Ghost die at that ‘Prime’ age? (He
probably died at age 29). Couldn’t he have lived quite longer and what increase
would he have brought to the body of Christ?
Well when the young
Samuel received the prophecy concerning the demise of Eli’s children, Eli said “He is the Lord, let Him do what is good in
His eyes” (I Samuel 3:18).
The Lord is sovereign
and does what pleases Him – and what is also good for His children. But most
often than not, our ways and thoughts are not His ways and thoughts (Isaiah
55:8).
3.1.1
Premature Death
Premature death is death
that occurs before a person reaches an expected age –usually 75 years. So for
the purpose of this presentation, we shall agree to the foregoing definition. Indeed,
some unbelievers die prematurely because they lack the protection of the Holy
Spirit.
Some believers also die
prematurely but the Lord would have to give His consent. Many believers have
testified of how the good God saved them from various death traps. Yet some
other believers fell into similar traps and departed.
I believe any believer
who escapes a near-death accident or a similar event has an unfinished business
for the Lord.
But not everyone who
dies younger dies prematurely (after all, our Lord Jesus died at age 33 when His assignment was accomplished – John
19:30)). In the eyes of men, these may be classified as premature deaths;
the Lord however may see it differently.
Remember this fact “…that with the Lord one day is as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as a day” (2 Peter 3:8)
Pray against premature
death and always strive to dwell in the secret place of the Most High (Psalm
91:1)!
So death is an
appointment; when your time comes, it is not avoidable!
4.1
God’s
Will Concerning Death
4.1.1
The Death of a believer
Genesis
6:3 (RSV)
Then
the LORD said, "My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for he is
flesh, but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.
The body of Adam – the
first man was created provisionally immortal. Thus while he continued to be
obedient, he could not die.
But since he
voluntarily disobeyed, he became a mortal being after which likeness he beget
his children (Genesis 5:3). Thus his children were born after his image of
mortality, corruption, and death.
When man disobeyed and
sinned, he took the covering of mortality. God who is immortal created man in
His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27) i.e. man was created provisionally
immortal, yet we lost the status of immortality because of disobedience and
sin.
And as we have seen,
all the descendants of Adam –thus the whole human race are born after the image
and likeness of mortality (see Genesis 5:3; Romans 3:23).
But thanks be God who
through Jesus Christ and by the workings of the Holy Spirit has made us
immortal beings (Romans 8:11; Ephesians 2:4-6).
The Will of God for man
is to live forever. But since the body is fallen, it must therefore be put
away. The believer is saved and has eternal life. When a believer dies
physically, he continues to live though not in the physical realm (John
11:25-26).
God wants every
believer to remain in the faith so they are not destroyed (Hebrews 10:38-39).
He would therefore Will that the believer departs and be with Him than continue
to live and depart from the faith (Hebrews 10:38-39). He doesn’t want you to
stain your white robe (Revelation 7:9-14).
So when a believer is
called to be with the Lord Christ, it is not too a bad news. Emotional
detachment is painful but the act of the believer’s death is not a bad thing.
It is far better to depart and be with the Lord than to continue to struggle in
this fallen body (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23)
4.1.2 The Death of an Unbeliever
Ezekiel
33:11
Say
unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of
the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye
from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
The Lord does not will
the unbeliever to die because there is no opportunity for repentance after physical
death (Hebrews 9:27).
The Will of the Lord
for the unbeliever is to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:38). God
wants all men saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9), hence His Perfect Will is
that all will repent and possibly die thereafter (I am talking about physical
death).
Every unbeliever is
spiritually dead because they are separated from God. These will experience the
second death if they remain in their unbelief.
But God doesn’t wish
anyone the second death; hence His desire for the repentance of all men before
they physically die after which it will be too late for repentance.
2
Peter 3:9 (RSV)
The
Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing
toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach
repentance.
The Lord wants the
unbeliever to repent of their unbelief and accept Jesus Christ into their
hearts as Lord and Personal Saviour.
5.1
The
Resurrection and The Next Life
1
Thessalonians 4:14 (NLT)
For
since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe
that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have
died
Resurrection is rising
from the dead. Jesus spoke of His own death and resurrection (see Matthew
16:21, 20:17-19; Luke 9:22, 24:6-7) and the general resurrection of the dead
(see Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25; Luke 14:14)
As Jesus Christ was
raised from the dead, even so will all believers rise at the appearing of the
Lord Jesus! All those who have died will rise. Believers – also known as the
righteous shall rise to eternal life and unbelievers shall rise to eternal
damnation (John 5:29).
On this subject, the
Apostle Paul has thought it extensively. Please read more from 1 Corinthians 15.
At the last day, when
the Lord Jesus appears, the dead shall rise. All our loved ones shall rise from
the dead. And as the rich man recognized Lazarus even after death, we shall see
our loved ones again at the resurrection (see Luke 16:19-31).
Therefore let’s not
grieve like people without hope whenever a believer sleeps or goes to be with
the Lord.
Let’s grieve and mourn
in hope as the church mourned Stephen (Acts 8:2). One day when the Lord appears
in His second coming, all believers shall rise unto eternal life, hallelujah! (Read
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
A time is coming when
the perishable will be clothed with imperishable, and the mortal with
immortality.
Revelation
21:3-4 (RSV)
And
I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His peoples, and
God Himself shall be with them, and be their God:
And
He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more;
neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first
things are passed away.
In the next life is no
pain or sorrow or death –for the believer. The experiences in the next life are
far better than those we encounter here on earth. The worries and anxieties of
life will be no more because we shall dwell with God Almighty, our Father
forever and ever.
SUMMARY
1. Man
was created provisionally immortal
2. Sin
brought death
3. Every
person is born spiritually dead
4. Physical
death is an appointment. No one can escape when God has consented to it.
5. When
a believer dies, He sleeps in the Lord
6. Every
believer who continues in the faith and dies in the Lord will escape the second
death
7. Satan,
man, and God can bring about death. Howbeit both Satan and man can kill only
the body.
8. Physical
death of a believer is not a bad thing –it is rather better to die after one
has finished his assignment here on earth.
9. No
believer can physically die if they have unfinished business for the Lord or if
the Lord does not permit it.
10. No
pain or sorrow or worries for the believer in the next life.
MY
PRAYER FOR YOU
I pray for you. I pray
against any premature death orchestrated against you or any of your loved ones.
I pray that the Lord will fulfil the number of your days here on earth! I pray
for the protection and the covering of the Almighty over you!
I ask that a hedge be built
around you! May you not fear any evil though you may walk through the valley of
the shadow of death! May the rod and staff of the Lord comfort you!
May the gracious God
fortify you and make you an iron pillar and a bronze wall against your enemies.
May He make you stronger than your adversaries!
Above all, may He the
good God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – and also our Father – reveal
to you your purpose here on earth and may He mercifully cause you to accomplish
it in Jesus’s Name, Amen!
Pray this prayer:
I
(kindly replace your name) will not die, I will live and tell of the works of
the Lord, Amen!
Richard Adu Poku
Email: richardadupoku2045@gmail.com
Blog: richardadupoku.blogspot.com (JESUS SAVES)
