What is Death

Index:  Part 1: What is Death & Hell?

Part 2: Things that Seem to Conflict with the Truth that the Dead are Asleep

By Mark Farquharson

Version 4

Part 1 What is Death & Hell?

What happens when someone dies? Do believers go to heaven, do unbelievers really go to hell? Do people sleep? These are some of the ideas about what happens when someone dies. Another view is that everyone goes to hell, but believers are in one area and unbelievers are in other area.

What is Death? 

To understand what happens one has to look at the three parts that make up a person and what happens to them when you die. The three parts are the body, the soul and the spirit.

When someone dies their body usually decomposes in the ground or it is burnt. 

Now lets look at what happens to the spirit:

Ecclesiastes 12:7 And the soil returns to the earth just as it was, And the spirit, it returns to the One, Elohim, Who gave it." CLV

This tells us the spirit returns to God, it does not go to heaven. The spirit can do nothing with out the body. You are not conscious with God, you can not do anything for you are dead. God keeps the spirit until the resurrection of the dead. 

A lot of people think incorrectly that soul and spirit are the same thing, they are not. The soul is made of the persons mind, emotions and will. The thoughts of the person including their beliefs, desires, and loyalties. This also includes the person’s beliefs, aspirations, passions and enjoyments. These all disappear when the person dies. 

The soul is said to go to hell?:

Psa 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; {KJV}

Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell {KJV}

Actually the correct translation is unseen

Psalms 16:10 For You shall not forsake my soul in the unseen; CLV

Acts 2:27 For Thou wilt not be forsaking my soul in the unseen, {CLV}

However it is not something that exists in some place called the unseen. We have to understand that no one is actually in the unseen for it is not an actual place. The soul dies when a person dies. Thus the soul is said to go unseen, for it is no more. 

What is the Meaning of Hell?

The words Hades, Sheol, Tartarus and Gehenna have all been translated Hell in the King James version of the bible and other versions. Some bibles do not translated these words. Hades and Sheol have also been translated pit or grave or the unseen. These are the correct translations.

Hell was originally used for ‘the grave’ and ‘death’ in early English translations having come from Saxon origin meaning 'to cover over.’ Over time this change to the current teaching that hell is the place of fire that burns unbelievers forever. 

No one is in hell at the moment, and no one will be in hell. No one is going to hell now or at any time in the future. Not even evil spirits will go to hell. There is no Hell, it does not exist at all and it will never exist. No one will burn in hell forever, this sort of teaching is an abomination to God.

Then if no one is in hell, is everyone in heaven? No one is in heaven, or in the kingdom of the heavens, the only one who is in heaven is Christ, having gone there after he was risen from the dead. 

The mean of Tartarus and Gehenna will be explain later in the article. 

Death is Sleep:  

The dead are often refer to as sleeping.

Job 3:17 There the wicked leave off all disturbance, And there those wearied from vigor are resting. CLV

Both the wicked and the weary are resting, that is they are sleeping. They are not doing anything, they are resting. 

Daniel 12:2 From those sleeping in the soil of the ground many shall awake, these to eonian life and these to reproach for eonian repulsion." CLV

This shows that all are refer to as sleeping, both believers and unbelievers. They will not awaken until the day of Judgement, when Christ returns.

John 11:11-14 He said these things, and after this He is saying to them, "Lazarus, our friend, has found repose, but I am going that I should be awakening him out of sleep." The disciples, then, said to Him, "Lord, if he has repose, he shall be saved." Now Jesus had made a declaration concerning his death, yet they suppose that He is saying it concerning the repose of sleep." Jesus, then, said to them with boldness then, "Lazarus died." {CLV}

Jesus stated he was going to awaken Lazarus out of sleep, and the disciples thought he was going to awaken him from resting, or natural sleep. However He corrected their thinking by informing them that "Lazarus died." They then understood that He was going awaken Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus was not in heaven, Christ was not calling him back from heaven. 

What Happened to Christ When he Died?

Many believe incorrectly that Christ went to heaven when He died. This is incorrect, for Jesus himself tells Miriam after his crucifixion that he had NOT YET ASCENDED!

John 20:17 Jesus is saying to her, "Do not touch Me, for not as yet have I ascended to My Father. Now go to My brethren, and say to them that I said, 'Lo! I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" {CLV}

After Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead, he told Miriam that he had NOT YET ASCENDED!!, that is Jesus told her that He had not gone to heaven. 

What did happen is that Christ’s spirit went to God, however Christ was not in heaven, his spirit was with God. 

Luke 23:46 And shouting with a loud voice, Jesus said, "Father, into Thy hands am I committing My spirit. Now, saying this, He expires." {CLV}

His body was in the tomb, note in this case it did not decay. 

Acts 2:31 perceiving this before, he speaks concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither forsaken in the unseen, nor was His flesh acquainted with decay." {CLV}

Thus when Christ was raised from the dead his spirit returned to his body, and he had sensations again. Christ did not go on any missions while he was dead, he was dead and could not do anything.

Animal Death

Many Christians and those who believer in universe reconciliation believe that animals are dead forever. However this is not true, all animals will be saved.  

Luke 3: 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. {CLV}

For more proof that all animals are saved read the article: All Animals saved

However the focus of this study is death, what does happen when an animal dies. The body decomposes, or is eating by other animals. The animal’s sensations stop, it’s soul is no more, the soul is not seen. However what happens to the spirit of the animal? 

Psalms 104:25, Animals, both small and great; 26 The sea monsters are going there, The dragon that You have formed to gambol in it. 27 All of them look forward to You To supply their food in its season; 28 You supply it to them; they pick it up. You open Your hand; they are well satisfied. 29 You conceal Your face; they are filled with panic . You gather away their spirit; they breathe their last And return to their soil. CLV

This tells us that when an animal dies it’s spirit is gathered by God. This is the same thing that happens when a person dies. Thus the animal is a sleep until it is resurrected. Since God has the spirits of all the dead animals they can all be resurrected and they all will be. 

Ecclesiastes 3:21  Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? KJV

Many people use this verse in Ecclesiastes to prove that animals are dead forever. The spirit going downward to the earth. However this conflicts with Psalms 104 that tells us that God gathers the spirit. If God gathers the spirit then it has not gone downward to the earth. 

Psalm 36:6 Your righteousness is like the mountain ranges of El, Your judgment like the vast abyss: Both human and beast You save, O Yahweh." CLV

This tells us that human and beast will be saved. If the spirit of the beast goes downward and is no more, then how could God save the beast? Clearly the spirit of the beast exist beyond death, and it is with God until it is resurrected. 

Ecclesiastes 3:21 Who is knowing about the spirit of the sons of humanity, Whether it is ascending above, And the spirit of the beast, whether it is descending below to the earth? CLV

The CLV reveals that the verse is not stating a fact it is asking a question. Who knows whether the spirit of a person ascends and who knows if the spirit of the beast descends? This tells us the writer of this verse in Ecclesiastes is asking a question. Does the spirit of a person ascend, or does it descend And Does the spirit of the beast descend or ascend? That is the question, up or down? Clear if the spirit of the beast does not descend then what happens to it? 

Ecclesiastes 3:17-22 I said in my heart: As for the righteous and the wicked, the One, Elohim, shall judge both of them. For He has set a season for every event and for every deed." I said in my heart: It is on account of the sons of humanity That the One, Elohim, seeks to manifest them And to show them that they themselves are beasts." For the destiny of the sons of humanity And the destiny of the beast, It is one destiny for them; As death is for this one, so is death for that one, And one spirit is for all; There is no advantage for the human over the beast, For the whole is vanity." All are going to one place; All have come from the soil, and all return to the soil." Who is knowing about the spirit of the sons of humanity, Whether it is ascending above, And the spirit of the beast, whether it is descending below to the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than that he rejoices in his works Since that is his portion; For who can bring him to see what shall come after him? CLV

Here we can see that the writer is saying that it is the same for man and beast, their body that has come from the soil returns to the soil. That is original back in the start when God create man and beast both came from the soil, that is where they return. What then happens to their spirits, who knows? Psalms 104 has the answer, God gathers the spirit. Thus the same think happens to both, they sleep until they are resurrected. 

The two other words Translated as hell

The two other words translated as hell are Tartarus and Gehenna. Both these words have different meanings and both do not mean the same as Hades, and Sheol. Here is a brief explanation of both words. 

Tartarus: 

2Peter 2:4 For if God spares not sinning messengers, but thrusting them into the gloomy caverns of Tartarus, gives them up to be kept for chastening judging;"

2:5 and spares not the ancient world, but guards Noah, an eighth, a herald of righteousness, bringing a deluge on the world of the irreverent;" {CLV}

This is the only time in the bible that the word Tartarus is used. The sinning messengers here are angels, thus the bible tells us that the sinning angels where thrust into the caverns of Tartarus. No humans are in Tartarus. 

1 Peter 3:18-20 seeing that Christ also, for our sakes, once died concerning sins, the just for the sake of the unjust, that He may be leading us to God; being put to death, indeed, in flesh, yet vivified in spirit, in which, being gone to the spirits in jail also, He heralds to those once stubborn, when the patience of God awaited in the days of Noah while the ark was being constructed, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were brought safely through water, {CLV}

Christ did not go to the spirits of the dead, for the spirits of the dead are not in jail, they are with God. Angels and demons are also called spirits in the scriptures. The spirits in 1 Peter are identified in 2 Peter as sinning messengers {Angels in other translations}. The sinning messengers are the ones in Jail, they are in Tartarus. He can’t herald to the people of that time, they are dead, their spirits have gone back to God. Thus Tartarus is a jail for these sinning messengers. It has nothing to do with the dead.

 Christ did not go on this mission while he was dead, he was dead and could do anything.  We are not told when Christ went on this mission, but it would have been sometime after he had been resurrected from the dead. 

Jude 1:6 Besides, messengers who keep not their own sovereignty, but leave their own habitation, He has kept in imperceptible bonds under gloom for the judging of the great day." {CLV}

Jude here also mentions these same angels who did not keep their positions of sovereignty and left their homes in the heavens. For this reason God confined them in the gloomy caverns of Tartarus. However this is only until the day of Judgement. 

Gehenna:   A lot could be said about Gehenna, but I will try to keep it short for this study. 

Gehenna means the “valley of Hinnom”. This actual valley is located on Jerusalem’s south western side. This place was used in ancient times by people who believe in the idol Moloch, this is were they would sacrifice their children to him in the fire. Later the valley was used as Jerusalem’s incinerator for garbage and the dead bodies of criminals. This incinerator was kept ablaze constantly and maggots consumed the pieces that were not ablaze.  

2Kings 23:10 And he has defiled Topheth, that [is] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, so that no man does cause his son and his daughter to pass over through fire to Molech. CLV

This valley was also known as Topheth, which means contempt, and was defiled  in the time of King Josiah to stop the abominations that where happening there. 

The texts that mention Gehenna in the NT talk about the coming spiritual fire and the literal destruction that happened to Jerusalem. Describing the Invading armies killing the people of Israel and the mass destruction that came. A number of the bodies where thrown into the valley of Hinnom. 

Most of these texts describe the coming spiritual fire, which is the powerful Judgement on the Day of the Judgement. At the Great White Throne the Judgement of rebellious unbelievers begins. This is not a natural fire this is a spiritual fire, that works it way through the unbelievers transforming them, and destroying all sin. 

Mark 9:47-9 It is ideal for you to be entering into the kingdom of God one-eyed, rather than, having two eyes, to be cast into the Gehenna of fire, where their worm is not deceasing and the fire is not going out. For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. " {CLV}

The Judgement continues after the Great White Throne Judgement, and on in to the Lake of Fire. The spiritual fire continues in the lake, purifying the person and salting them with fire. Ultimately these people will get into the Kingdom of the heavens. No one will only have one eye when they enter the kingdom. There is no worm eating your body. The fires in the actual “valley of Hinnom” have long gone out. The spiritual fire will not decease until everyone is salted with fire, then it will decease. 

No one will be in the lake of fire forever. This teaching comes from the incorrect translation of the word aion.

Matthew 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment {aionios}: but the righteous into life eternal {aionios}. KJV

Matthew 25:46 And these shall be coming away into chastening eonian, yet the just into life eonian." CLV

The people in the Lake spend a period of time there, an eon or age, as explain in other articles. The just are immortal, when the eon ends they will continue living, however they get into the kingdom first, thus they get life eonian, or for that eon. 

The Lake of Fire is also know as the second death, however it is unlike the first death. In the second death the people are not asleep, they are spiritually dead. There spirit is not dead, that is impossible, they are spiritually dead. That is they are separated from God, spiritually. A lot more could be said about the Lake of Fire, but that is not the focus of this study, that is for another study.

Talking to the dead, and ghosts:

 There is no way anyone can talk to the dead, for the dead are not conscious. This is a warning against Mediums, or anyone else claiming that they can talk to the dead. No one can talk to the dead, for they are dead. You may wonder about who mediums are talking with if it is not the dead? Some mediums are not talking with anyone they are just taking people’s money. Other mediums genuinely believe that they are talking with the dead when they are not. Actually they are talking with evil spirits {demons}, who can actually know a lot about the person because they have been watching. Demons use mediums to convince people that you can talk to the dead. Evil spirits can also impersonate angels, like Gabriel and appear to individuals. This has been used to start a number of religions and sects. 

Ghosts are not dead people walking around on the earth. No dead person can appear as a ghost. Then you way wonder what ghosts are? Ghosts are the workings of evil spirits who what you to believe that the dead are walking around as ghosts. 

What about the appearing of Samuel's spirit to the medium at Endor (1 Samuel 28:7-19). This was not the spirit of Samuel, it was a vision. King Saul consulted the medium after they had all be banished by him from Israel. The vision produced by God rebuked him for his hypocrisy.

Part 2 Things that Seem to Conflict with the Truth that the Dead are Asleep 

Have old testament saints gone to heaven?

Some people believe that when Christ went to heaven, dead old testament saints also when to heaven, however this is incorrect. 

Acts 2:29-35 Men! Brethren! Allow me to say to you with boldness concerning the patriarch David, that he deceases also and was entombed, and his tomb is among us until this day." Being, then, inherently, a prophet, and having perceived that God swears to him with an oath, out of the fruit of his loin to seat One on his throne, perceiving this before, he speaks concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither forsaken in the unseen, nor was His flesh acquainted with decay." This Jesus God raises, of Whom we all are witnesses." Being, then, to the right hand of God exalted, besides obtaining the promise of the holy spirit from the Father, He pours out this which you are observing and hearing." For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he is saying, 'Said the Lord to my Lord, "Sit at My right" Till I should be placing Thine enemies for a footstool for Thy feet."'" {CLV}

Even back in the days just after Christ had been raised from the dead people believed that old testament saints like David, had gone to heaven. They believed that these people had also been raised from the dead and gone to heaven. However they where told that David had not ascend, he had not gone to heaven, he was still dead.  

The Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16:19-31

When Jesus told the story of the Rich man and Lazarus, he was speaking to the multitudes in parables. 

Mark 4:33-34 And in many such parables He spoke to them the word, according as they were able to be hearing it." Yet apart from a parable He did not speak to them. Yet privately, to His own disciples, He explained all." CLV

He did not speak to them apart from parables. This tells us that the story is a parable, however not all parables have an explanation in the bible. The parables were explained to the disciples but these explanations are not always recorded for us. This is not a literal event, it is a parable. It is wrong to take this as a literal event. You should not build doctrines on parables alone. With a parable you have to understand what the different things mean in the parable to understand the meaning of the parable. To understand this parable we have to understand who the Rich man represents and who Lazarus represents.

This is not representing at any time here what happens when someone dies. This parable is about the judgement of Israel at the end of the age, at the great White Throne Judgement. 

The Rich man represents people who are like the Pharisees, who will go to the Lake of Fire where they will be tormented, because of their actual lack of faith, and their love of money and their love of self righteousness. They lack faith because they believe in their own doctrines and traditions above the truth in the scriptures.  Lazarus is the poor man who has a lot of faith and at the time of Judgement he will enter the Kingdom. 

Does Paul Say He Gains By Dying in Philippians 1:19-26?

Some incorrectly view this passage in the scriptures as proof that when someone dies they go to heaven. They think that Paul gains by dying, and they think that the gain is heaven. This however is not the case, for when he died, like everyone else he was dead. 

Philippians 1:19-26 For I am aware that, for me, this will be eventuating in salvation through your petition and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ, in accord with my premonition and expectation, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death." For to me to be living is Christ, and to be dying, gain." Now if it is to be living in flesh, this to me means fruit from work, and what I shall be preferring I am not making known." (Yet I am being pressed out of the two, having a yearning for the solution and to be together with Christ, for it, rather, is much better.)" Yet to be staying in the flesh is more necessary because of you. And, having this confidence, I am aware that I shall be remaining and shall be abiding with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your glorying may be superabounding in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. {CLV}

You have to understand what Paul is explaining here. Christ will be magnified though Paul whether he lives or dies a martyr. He is not saying that he gains by dying, whether he lives or dies it is a gain to Christ, not to him personal.  This is due to the fact that Paul’s life is a witness whether he lives or dies. 

He wants to be with Christ, which is a much better choice than the two options he has, living or dying. This tells us that he would not be with Christ when he died, because being with Christ is better than dying. 

Did Jesus go to Paradise with the Thief?

As I stated in part one, Christ did not go to heaven when he died, he did not ascend to heaven.

John 20:17 Jesus is saying to her, "Do not touch Me, for not as yet have I ascended to My Father. Now go to My brethren, and say to them that I said, 'Lo! I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" {CLV}

As I said before: After Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead, he told Miriam that he had not yet ascended, that is Jesus told her that He had not gone to heaven.

That is Christ did not go to paradise when he died. How could the criminal be with Jesus that day in paradise if Jesus was not there.

It is Luke’s account only that the one of the criminals converts and became a believer. However in the other two accounts in Matthew and Mark, there was no conversion.

Luke 23:32 Now two others also, malefactors, were led to be despatched together with Him." 33 And when they came away to the place called "Skull, there they crucify Him, and the malefactors, one, indeed, at the right, yet the other at the left."….{CLV}

Luke 23:39 Now one of the hanged malefactors blasphemed Him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40 Yet answering, the other one, rebuking him, averred, "Yet you are not fearing God, seeing that you are in the same judgment!" 41 And we, indeed, justly, for we are getting back the deserts of what we commit, yet this One commits nothing amiss." 42 And he said to Jesus, "Be reminded of me, Lord, whenever Thou mayest be coming in Thy kingdom." 43 And Jesus said to him, "Verily, to you am I saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise." {CLV}

The difference you should note in next two accounts is that there is no conversion, both criminals reproached him.

Matthew 27:38 Then are being crucified together with Him two robbers, one at the right and one at the left." 39 Now those going by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads" 40 and saying, "You who are demolishing the temple and building it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, descend from the cross!" 41 Likewise the chief priests also, with the scribes and elders, scoffing, said, 42 Others he saves! Himself he can not save! If he is king of Israel, let him descend now from the cross, and we will believe on him!" 43 He has confidence in God. Let Him rescue him now, if He is wanting him, for he said that 'God's Son am I!'" 44 Now with the same, the robbers also, who are crucified together with Him, reproached Him." {CLV}

Mark 15:27 And together with Him they are crucifying two robbers, one at the right and one at the left of Him….15:31 Likewise, the chief priests also, with the scribes, scoffing with one another, said, "Others he saves! Himself he can not save!" 15:32 Let the Christ, the king of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may be perceiving and should be believing! And those crucified together with Him reproached Him." {CLV}

What then is the explanation for the discrepancy in the scriptures.

Was there four criminals that were crucified with the Lord as some teach. Two thieves and two malefactors, with three reproaching the Lord and one believing. No where in the Gospels is there support for four criminals being crucified with the Lord. Each account has only two crucified with him.

In the Luke account of the malefactors there is one on the left and one on the right. It is the same with the two robbers in accounts in Matthew and Mark, there is one on the left and one on the right. Surely then these are talking about the same people. 

Is this course by a discrepancy, where Matthew and Mark put the plural for the singular? While it is a possibility, there is nothing to back it up, thus it is mere speculation.

It is it possible that both reproached him first, but then one of the criminals seeing the light repented and believed. While possible, one should not speculate, instead it should be verified by two or three witnesses {Matthew 18:16 & 2 Corinthians 13:1}

What then of the Lord’s statement? The statement was untrue, for Jesus was not going to be in Paradise that day. Jesus knew that he would be in the belly of the earth. The Lord would not have stated something that was not true.

John 19:31-33 The Jews, then, since it was the preparation, lest the bodies should be remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for it was the great day, that sabbath), ask Pilate that they might be fracturing their legs, and they may be taken away." The soldiers, then, came and fractured indeed the legs of the first and of the other who is crucified together with Him." Yet, coming on to Jesus, as they perceived He had already died, they do not fracture His legs." {CLV}

Here it is talking about live bodies, the live bodies should not be remaining on the cross on the sabbath. For when they saw that Jesus was already dead they did not fracture the legs. Thus the thief was still alive and they fractured his legs and took him away. This informs us that the criminal did not die that day, so how could he go to paradise that day if he did not die that day?

Some suggest that he did not mean that day. In the Greek text there is no punctuation, which means it is up to the translator where the comma goes.  In a number of translations the comma has be put before the word ‘Today’. By moving the comma to after the word “today” you take the emphasis off the timing of when the Lord would be in Paradise.

Luke 23:42-43 And he said to Jesus, "Be reminded of me, Lord, whenever Thou mayest be coming in Thy kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Verily, to you am I saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise." {CLV}

Thus the argument is that the Lord promised the man that day that he would have a place in paradise. However in the original with no commas how was one meant to take the statement? Without commas it reads that the lord was promising the criminal that he would be with the Lord in Paradise that day. If you except this view you are placing to much emphasis on a comma. You can not be sure where the comma should be placed. It is your opinion where it should be placed.

Thus the only other conclusion is that this bit about the criminal converting to a believer has been added to the original account of Luke, after it was written. Since both Matthew and Mark contradict Luke’s account, which is not supported elsewhere, then  I must conclude that there was no thief that converted.

Enoch & Elijah

Enoch goes to Heaven

Did Enoch go to Heaven?

Genesis 5:22-24 And walking is Enoch with the Elohim, after his begetting Methuselah, two hundred years. And begetting is he sons and daughters. And coming are all the days of Enoch to be three hundred and sixty-five years. And walking is Enoch with the Elohim. And not found is he, for taken was he by the Elohim. {CLV}

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was transferred, so as not to be acquainted with death, and was not found, because God transfers him. For before his transference he is attested to have pleased God well." {CLV}

Enoch was not acquainted with death, therefore he did not die. However he is an exception to the rule. Thus this does not conflict with what happens to someone when they die, for he did not die.

Elijah Goes to Heaven

2Kings 2:11 And it comes to pass, they are going, going on and speaking, and lo, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and they separate between them both, and Elijah goes up in a whirlwind, to the heavens. {CLV}

When you say the heavens or heaven most people automatically think you are talking about the place where the angels dwell. However there are other places that are called the heavens or heaven in scripture. One of these is outer space, clearly Elijah did not go to outer space. However another place that is called the heavens is the sky. Thus it is tell us that Elijah went up into the sky, however he did not go to heaven where Christ is now. His followers at the time also thought he had been transported to another place on the earth, as they wanted to look for him. John 3:13 tells us that no one has ascended into heaven.

John 3:13 And no one has ascended into heaven except He Who descends out of heaven, the Son of Mankind Who is in heaven." {CLV}

In fact the scriptures tell us that Elijah was still on the earth after this event. 

2Chronicles 21:12-13 And there comes in unto him a writing from Elijah the prophet, saying, `Thus said Yahweh, Elohim of David your father, Because that you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, and in the ways of As a king of Judah, and you do walk in the way of the kings of Israel, and do cause Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit whoredom like the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also your brethren, the house of your father, who are better than yourself, you have slain;" {CLV}

Here in 2Chronicles 21:12-13 Jehoram receives a letter from Elijah, however this is about six years after Elijah was lifted up of the earth. This shows that Elijah was still on the earth after he had been lift up by the whirlwind. 

Moses and Elijah Appearing at the Transfiguring of Jesus. 

This was a vision, nether Moses or Elijah had been raised from the dead. The law being represent by Moses and the Prophets by Elijah. The disciples put Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah, however the voice from heaven told them otherwise. 

1Corinthians 15:12-13 Now if Christ is being heralded that He has been roused from among the dead, how are some among you saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? Now if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been roused." {CLV}

Now if Christ had not been roused from the dead there would be no resurrection of the dead. There was no resurrection of the dead before Christ was roused from the dead. This tells us that no one else had been resurrected before Christ was resurrected, be it Moses, Elijah, David or anyone else. 

The Dead Saints that Roused When Christ Died

Matthew 27:50-53 Now Jesus, again crying with a loud voice, lets out the spirit." And lo! the curtain of the temple is rent in two from above to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks are rent, and the tombs were opened. And many bodies of the reposing saints were roused, and, coming out of the tombs after His rousing, they entered into the holy city and are disclosed to many." {CLV}

When Christ died a number of tombs of the dead saints were opened, and these saints appeared to many. However it does not say they then when to heaven. Note they were raised from the dead when Christ died, which was before Christ was roused from the dead. The word “His” in 27:53 can be translated “their”. They came out of the tombs after “their rousing”. This is more correct, because otherwise they would have been lying in their tombs awake waiting for Christ to be resurrected.  

Before Christ died on the cross he raised many people who had just died from the dead. These people were not immortal and did not go to heaven. The people he raised from the dead were raised from the dead temporarily and did die again. This is also the case with anyone else that was raised from the dead by someone else. This is not the same as the resurrection of the dead at the end of the age.  

This is also the case with the people who were raised when Christ died. These people where raised from the dead temporarily and some years later would have died again. They had not been made immortal, and they did not go to heaven. The resurrection of all the dead saints comes when Christ comes back to the earth {1 Thessalonians 4:13-17}. 

Acts 26:23 {Christ} if He, the first out of a resurrection of the dead, {CLV}

He, Christ is the first out of a resurrection of the dead. Anyone who was raised from the dead before Christ was resurrected is not counted as being resurrected from the dead. This is because they would die again, and therefore had not been resurrected, they had only been raised from the dead. 

However what about people raised from the dead after Christ was resurrected? These people are also not considered to be resurrected. Anyone raised from the dead after Christ’s resurrection has not been resurrected. These special temporary raisings of the dead are not looked at as the resurrections of the dead that are mentioned in other places of scripture. 

He is Not the God of the Dead But of the Living:

Matthew 22:31-32 Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, did you not read that which is declared to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." {CLV}

People think that this passage is saying that these people have already been resurrected or that they are a live in heaven, having gone there when they died. They think Christ was saying that these people had already been resurrected, or that these people have gone to heaven when they died. No that is not what is indicated here, no one has gone to heaven except Christ, there will be a resurrection of the dead, however these people mention are still dead. They will be alive in the future, this is what is indicated here, God sees them alive, sees them as they will be in the future, and calls things as they will be, Romans 4:17. As explain just above, Christ is the first out of the resurrection of the dead, no one had been resurrected before Christ was resurrected, and no one has been resurrected since. 

The Resurrection Had Not Come:

2Timothy 2:18 who swerve as to truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred, and are subverting the faith of some." {CLV}

In the early days after Christ had been resurrected people were saying that the resurrection had already occurred. There had been no resurrection of the dead back then. This was a warning to anyone claiming that the resurrection had come. This teaching subverted the faith.

Conclusion

In case you have now forgotten at death the body decomposes and the soul goes to the unseen. The spirit goes back to God until the person or animal is resurrected. Both animal and human sleep and can not do anything. 

Copyright © Mark J Farquharson 2009 Updated 24 January 2010 & 2 April 2010. Updated 10 July 2010 with additional material. Version 3, update on previous 8 February 2014.  Version 3A August 11 2017. Edited June 19 2018. Version 4, update on previous version, July 6 2023. 

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