Everyone will be resurrected
The Concordance definition for resurrection means “Rising to life”. (#386)
“What happens to you when you die? Jesus Christ speaks of the dead as sleeping.
When a person dies, their thoughts perish. They no longer have any memory, thoughts, or feelings, such as love, happiness, sorrow, or anger. Therefore, those who have died do not praise or curse God, because they are asleep until the resurrection. Jesus Christ will begin to resurrect his followers at his second coming. Everyone will be resurrected and everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10).”
There are many different ideas in mainstream religion as to what happens at the time of death, including the rapture, going to “purgatory” or immediately rising up to heaven with no lapse in consciousness. But what do the scriptures teach?
Study 13: Death and Resurrection
Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6 & 10
The dead know nothing: There is no work, knowledge, or any other conscious thought in the grave. Do what you should do now, so you are accounted worthy to have a part in the resurrection. We need to learn what’s required by our Father and His Son to have a place in the resurrection.
Psalm 146:1-4
Scriptures don’t support an “instant” resurrection to heaven: Verse 4 says, “His spirit of life departs and that person returns to the earth. On that day (the day of death) that person’s plans perish including their thoughts. The time we have on earth is short and precious. Live a life that is in praise to our Creator. We don’t know how much time we each have to live.
Psalm 115:17
The dead can’t praise God. For those who think that hell is a place of consciousness, there is no scripture proof that there is an awareness of what is going on when a person is dead.
Ecclesiastes 3:18-21
Both mankind and animals return to the dust on the day of death. But the exception is that the spirit of man goes upward or returns to the Father and the spirit of animals simply perishes. God gives the spirit of life to every living thing, but the spirit of life, given to mankind, is remembered or accounted for at the time of death.
Ezekiel 18:4 & 20
The soul that sins shall die. How does the “soul” die? The soul is “you” as a person. Every person is accountable for themselves and will be judged either to eternal life or eternal death, which is absolute unconsciousness and the absence of being.
John 6:39-40
Those who follow Jesus Christ are “raised up” on the last day, not immediately on the day of their death.
Acts 24:15
The resurrection of both the just and the unjust, however, they end up in two different places. (Sidenote: Acts 23:6-8)
Addition references for further research:
- John 11:11-16
- John 5:26-29
- 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
- 1 Thessalonians 4:12-18
- Daniel 12:1-2, 13
- Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15
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