Gleanings On Death and Dying

Death. It’s a part of life and yet, it always comes as a sobering surprise. Specially if the one who died is young, talented, rich, successful, and popular–like James Dean, River Phoenix, Rico Yan, and most recently, Heath Ledger. However, it’s just something we must all learn to deal with for it comes to everyone and age is never an issue.

In dealing with the reality of death, I’ve come to understand several things:

1. King Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, is right. All is vanity. A chasing after the wind.

In your lifetime you may build up vast amounts of wealth. But death is an equalizer. Your riches and everything else will no longer matter when you die. To those you leave behind perhaps. But to you, no more. 

2.  When you die, that’s it for you. You’re dead. You don’t roam the earth as either a spirit or a ghost.

Movies, popular TV, and books are always misleadingly portraying dead people as conscious souls aware of what’s going on in the world they left behind. Where did they get such ideas from? It’s certainly contrary to what the Bible has to say about death and dying.

Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6:

   ⁵ For the living know that they will die,
       but the dead know nothing;
       they have no further reward,
       and even the memory of them is forgotten.

    ⁶ Their love, their hate
       and their jealousy have long since vanished;
       never again will they have a part
       in anything that happens under the sun.

Job 7:7-10:

    ⁷ Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;
       my eyes will never see happiness again.

    ⁸ The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
       you will look for me, but I will be no more.

    ⁹ As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
       so he who goes down to the grave does not return.

    ¹⁰ He will never come to his house again;
       his place will know him no more.

There is someone in the Bible who proposes the idea of the soul’s immortality and that is the serpent in the book of Genesis (Genesis 3:4). Of course, the serpent is Satan himself and as the great deceiver, should never be trusted.

3. There is a coming judgment. We will all INDIVIDUALLY be judged according to the fruits we bear (in short, our works).

Ecclesiastes 11:9:

⁹ Be happy, young man, while you are young,
       and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
       Follow the ways of your heart
       and whatever your eyes see,
       but know that for all these things
       God will bring you to judgment.

Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14:

  ¹³ Now all has been heard;
       here is the conclusion of the matter:
       Fear God and keep his commandments,
       for this is the whole duty of man.

  ¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment,
       including every hidden thing,
       whether it is good or evil.

Hebrews 4:13:

¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

4. While we live, there is still hope.

Ecclesiastes 9:4:

⁴Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

5. For those who die in their belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, death is temporary. Jesus has already conquered the grave. They will wake up to eternal life at His second coming.

John 5:28:

²⁸Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:

¹³Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage each other with these words. 

1 John 5:12, 13:

¹²He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

¹³I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Revelation 22:12:

¹²Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.