THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON DIES
...WHERE DO THEY GO AT DEATH?

The story is told of a little boy who was found trying to dig a hole in the ground one day. His father asked him what he was doing. I am going to heaven to see Momma. His Father had told him when they buried his mother that she went to heaven so in his little 4 year old way of thinking the logical way to get to heaven would be to start digging.

Although this is a sad story there is an important point we should not miss. When it comes to death the human race is in the dark about what really happens. There are as many theories as to where the dead go as there are religions. The most widely taught theory since about the 4th century of the Christian era is the idea that the good people go to heaven and the bad go to the flames of hell. However, this belief has been losing its appeal in the last few years. Even David Wilkerson preached a sermon on how his belief in hell had changed in 1980 at a rally I attended in West Virginia. Billy Graham has been heard to state that hell is "separation from God." I don't know if Wilkerson still believes what I heard him say in 1980 or if Billy Graham ever preaches on the fires of hell or not. The fact remains that most people still believe that good people go up to heaven at death and the bad go down to hell or at least to hades or some kind of waiting place, etc. Actually, if you were to question them you would find out that they believe it is only the "soul" that separates and leaves the body. The body returns to dust.

Now, it is on this very point of the soul that this whole theory hinges. The belief is that there is an immortal soul within each human being. Let me clearly state my position on this issue at the outset of this article. I do not believe that the Bible teaches such a doctrine or belief. In fact, you will find that it teaches the exact opposite.

First of all, there is not one single text or scripture in the entire 66 books of the Bible that ever even so much as hints that a soul is immortal. Furthermore, you do not have a soul inside of you nor do I. Why do I say that? Because of the very fact that YOU ARE A SOUL. You have heard the expression "he's a merry old soul or she's a good ole soul," which means that he and she are good persons. Yes, a soul is a person or a human being. A soul is not a spirit. Beloved, please notice how clear the Bible is on this very point:

"Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezek. 18:4. Did you see that? A soul can die. Matt. 10:28 tells us that God is able to "destroy both soul and body in hell." My main point here again is simply that the "soul" is not immortal. Only God has immortality the Bible tells us in I Tim. 1:17. So, once again we see that there is no such thing as an "Immortal soul." When God made man in the beginning he placed within Adam and Eve the "breath of life" or "Spirit" (Pneuma). He did not place within their bodies a soul because that is what they became after He breathed into them the "Breath of Life." When a man dies, his breath goes out of him and his body or shell or house dies or turns to dust. And God claims to be "killing" both the body and the soul because He always takes the blame for everything that happens.

Let's define the word "soul." The Greek word is psuche, "breath," "life," or "soul." Psuche (plural, psuchai) is translated 40 times in the NT as "life" or "lives," clearly with the meaning commonly attributed to the word "life." It is rendered 58 times as "soul" or "souls." Sometimes it simply means "people." At other times it is equivalent to a personal pronoun or even the emotions and the natural appetites and to the mind or heart. But it is very important to understand that there is nothing whatever in the Greek word "psuche" by itself that ever remotely implies a conscious entity that is able to survive the death of the body and hence be immortal. Psuche is never referred to or defined as a separate entity that is inside of human beings and which lives on after a person dies and floats up to heaven or goes down to hell. In the Old Testament the Hebrew equivalent is the word "Nephesh." See I Kings 17:21 and Psalm 16:10. All that is said of one word applies to the other.

Now, let us see what Jesus Himself said about death and the soul. When His friend Lazarus became ill we find that the disciples thought that Jesus was just going over to pay a friendly visit, comfort him and heal his body. But Lazarus had been very ill and died but the disciples did not know this. "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." Of course the disciples thought Jesus was talking about the physical act of sleeping and told Jesus that Lazarus was probably going to get better. The main point we must not miss in the story is that Jesus is here comparing "sleep" to death. "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." John II:11-14.

But this is not the only place in the Bible that the word "sleep" refers to death. Notice what Paul says: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him....We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep." I Thess. 4:14-17.

Notice also what Daniel says: "And many of them that SLEEP IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH SHALL AWAKE." Dan. 12:2. "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." I Cor. 15:51.

Here is another one from the Word of the Living God. "So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep." Job 14:12.

Now this is just one approach to prove that the people do not have a soul and that they are sleeping until the resurrection. In a previous article I showed how the Bible clearly teaches that the dead do not know anything. Eccles. 9:5, 6, 10 and Psalm 6:5; Psalm 146:4 and Isa. 38 and Job 14 to mention only a few. I had two people write challenging me on this topic so I decided to write more.

But let us go to the very heart of the issue to try and understand why people want to believe they go to heaven or hell at death. One writer has summed it up clearly:

So, we see the importance of guarding against being deceived by evil angels who are imitating and play acting like dead loved ones. Millions are being deceived on this very point as I write and you read. And it is going to get worse as times goes along. So, make sure that you and your loved ones are not deceived my friend. May the Lord bless and keep you is my sincere prayer for you and yours.

Note: Also, go to I Sam. 28 and read that story...it is obvious that Satan was the one who "brought up Samuel" from the dead and Satan is speaking, play acting like he is Samuel, ticked off because he has been disturbed ... "brought up" but brought up from where??? Did Samuel, a good prophet, go to hell? Give me a break. So, this whole story is so clearly an example of all of Satan's lies to us about death.

Then you have the "parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus." Luke 16. I used to have a good sermon on that but lost it in the process of moving around. Will have to try and get another one. Anyway, this should hold you for now. Isa. 38:18, 19 is another good one.

And Acts 2:29-34 is a really good argument showing that David is not in heaven. Also John II shows that Lazarus did not go to heaven at death. Ok. Let me know if these are helpful to you or if you have any other questions. There are problem texts as well but the answers are fairly simple when you check out the original Greek and Hebrew.

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My Dear Friend,

Before I start this letter and try and develop this topic in as simple and down to earth fashion as possible, I want to make this observation.

Most people, that is the majority of human beings, do not have a clear cut idea or concept of what they believe in the spiritual realm. Unless they have been raised to believe in God and/or the Holy Bible, most people just sort of float through life, doing the best they can, dodging the bullets, surviving day by day not having the slightest clue as to why they were born or where they are going when they die. Oh, they may profess to believe in God or some kind of supernatural being or "higher power" that in a crisis they might try and contact through a minister, priest, rabbi, channeler, psychic, ouija board, tarot cards, etc. But for most people they do not have a personal contact with God. And even those who profess to be Christians and claim to pray and read the Bible, although they may not admit it, their relationship with God is not always that strong. So, who does that leave? Very few...a faithful Remnant.

Would you like to be among this Remnant? Who are they? Well, they are a small group of people whom Satan hates with a terrible intensity because he cannot conquer or control them. But he is constantly making war against them as we read in. "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17.

Why is it Satan cannot overcome the Remnant? Because they know the truth. In Matt. 24:1-3 Jesus told His disciples that the leading sign of the end would be "deception." That is why He warned them: "Let no man deceive you." For the first three centuries after Jesus went back to heaven the early church went forth conquering and to conquer the whole world with the simple gospel message of Jesus' wonderful love and power to save. But after the death of that first generation of Christians the church began to lose its power. False brethren with pagan ideas slowly began to creep in and change both the doctrines and the spirit of the church. Many years ago I memorized the first part of a long poem that expressed how this happened.

The poem goes on and on describing the dialogue that ensues between the church and the world. At first the church declines all of the world's offers and adamantly refuses to even consider the slightest insinuation of walking with the world let alone holding hands. But as time goes on the church begins to make compromises and finally gives in little by little and finally the church is completely joined with the world as they stroll down the corridors of time. The church even becomes a persecuting power. So, we are familiar with what the Roman Catholic Church has become but the process by which she was changed is not so well known.

One of the key factors in converting the church to what she has become is her belief in what happens when a person dies. I call this a "Study on the State of the Dead," or "What happens when a man dies?"

This very question is asked by the Bible itself. "If a man die, shall he live again?" Job 14:14. We also read in Job 4:17 that man is mortal which Paul confirms in I Cor. 15 where he teaches that "this mortal must put on immortality." I Cor. 15:53. To be mortal means to be subject to death. And immortal means not subject to death or liable to die.Only God and the angels have immortality. I Tim. 1:17.

In this same chapter we read the answers to this very question. Notice: "So man lies down, and rises not: Til the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep...all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call (voice of Jesus at the resurrection), and I will answer you. You will have a desire to the work of your hands...His sons come to honor, and he knows it not; and they are brought low, but he perceives it not of them." Job 14: 12, 14, 21.

From these Scriptures we can clearly see that the Bible teaches that when a man dies he does not go anywhere nor does he know anything until the Lord calls him on the resurrection morning.

The Psalmist agrees with this: "For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?" Psalm 6:5.

Let us stop right here for a moment of reflection. Just think how many psychics and channelers would go out of business over night if this truth were truly taught to the people. And think of how much deception and lies have been taught because of this very lie that the dead are still alive somewhere after they die. So, who is speaking in the seance chamber or in the mind of the Psychic or Channeler? Of course, it is the voice of the original liar, Satan himself. John 8:44. He is also the one who is running and controlling the ouija board and other methods of communicating with the "other side."

What a wonderful protection God's word is to us when we truly believe it. Let us now read more Scripture which will re-enforce what we have already learned so far. "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 (i.e. their own memory or ability to think and reason) is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun...for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10. Note: When the Bible uses the word "forever" in both the old and new Testament it simply means as long as a thing lasts. We know that death and the grave will be destroyed at the resurrection.

Let us look at another text from Psalm 146:4. "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish."

The Hebrew word for breath is "Ruah" which can also be translated "Spirit." The word for person or soul is a different Hebrew word altogether..."Nephesh." So, a person does not have a soul, but is a soul. That is a big difference...a very big difference. When we say, "He is a good old soul or he/she is a merry old soul," we are using the word soul as a synonym for the word person or human being. Notice another verse which will re-enforce this point. "All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows the spirit of man that goes upward, and the spirit of the beast that goes downward to the earth?" Eccles. 3:20, 21. Notice beloved that it does not say that the "soul" returns to God but that it is the "spirit" which returns to God. Remember that the Hebrew word for spirit is not the same as the Hebrew word for soul, therefore, it is not the soul or person who is returning, but the spark of life which is also called the "breath of life." And this truth is re-inforced by the very fact that it is not until the resurrection that man will "live again" as we already read in Job.

In John II we read about a man named Lazarus who died. Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus was sleeping and the disciples understood this clearly to mean that Lazarus was literally sleeping and told Jesus that it was good he was sleeping because this probably meant that his fever had broken and he was getting well. But then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead." John II:11-14. Now, let's not miss the importance of this clear definition of death. Jesus plainly defines death as a sleep. We all know what sleep is. When we sleep at night or take a nap we do not know anything that is going on in the world..."he was dead to the world," is the expression of a person who has fallen asleep. And this agrees with all that we have read so far in our study today regarding what the Holy Bible says about death. When Lazarus died he did not go anywhere because he was dead. He did not go to heaven, even though he was a good man nor did he go to hell to preach to anyone. No, he was simply asleep, dead to the world. So, when Jesus called him back to life He did not say, "Lazarus, come up or Lazarus come down," for he was neither up or down but simply asleep in the tomb. Instead, Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth." And at that very moment Jesus put the spark of life back into the sleeping body of Lazarus and he came forth from the tomb.

Now, what did the disciples of Jesus believe after Christ's death and resurrection? Let us go to Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost. He compared the life and death of David to Christ and showed that Jesus' was superior by pointing out that the sepulcher of David was still with them, unopened since the day he died. "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day." Acts 2:29. Now, in the verses that follow I want to show you how the KJV with the old English brings out the truth we have been learning so far. In v. 30 Peter tells us that David was a prophet who predicted the coming of Christ (2 Sam. 7) and even His resurrection. Psalm 16:10, 11. "He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul (life or person or body) was not left in hell (hades or the grave or the dark place), neither his flesh did see corruption." Acts 2:31.

So, now we have seen that there are three people in the Bible who did not go to heaven at death. First there was David and secondly we saw in John II that Lazarus did not go to heaven at death. And then last of all Jesus Himself who stayed in the grave until He rose on the first day of the week. In my next study we will examine the passages of Scripture people use to try and prove that Jesus went down into hell to preach to the captives who had been in Hades since the days of Noah to set them free.

May the Lord bless you as you think and pray on this important matter as to what happens when a person dies. Your friend always in the Lord, Pastor Mike Clute.