What will happen us when we die? We need to know the answer to his question because we will all die someday.
Statistics says that over 150,000 die every single day. You, I or they, one day, will be included on this list.
Some says you will go to heaven and others say you will go to hell, some say you’ll go to purgatory when your life ends in this temporary world. So what is the truth?
As believer, we don’t need to fear death because we need to look at it as joy. When we die, we know we will be with God in heaven and then there will be no more tears or suffering.
Philippians 1:21 “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
2 Corinthians 5:8 ”Yes, we are of good courage and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
This temporary world is not our home. Our home is with the Lord and we can look forward to it with joy.
What happens the moment we die?
Some believers say that when we die we go to a deep sleep until the second coming of Jesus. This is what they called the Soul Sleep Doctrine. This doctrine teaches that when as a believer die at that moment you go into a state of unconscious existence until the second coming of Jesus. This doctrine is not really widespread and it was mostly taught by the Anabaptist at the reformation.
Some Christians believe in purgatory. The Roman Catholic Church believe in purgatory and it is this place where your soul goes to be purified from your sins before you can go to heaven.
Other believers say that when we die, our soul goes immediately to Christ and our body goes to the ground and it stays there until the second coming of Jesus. When that happens we will receive our body again and be resurrected eternally.
What about unbelievers?
Other says that when unbeliever dies they will either go to hell for eternity or will suffer for a long time because of their sins and then they will just cease to exist. This is what they called the doctrine of annihilationism, which means god will annihilate them.
So is this the truth?
The Purgatory
When look at the Bible in a balanced way, there is nothing said about purgatory.
The Roman Catholic Church created it and they found a little evidence of it in the apocrine book.
2 Maccabees 12:42 – 45 Judas Maccabees the leader of the Jewish forces also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this, he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was holy and pious thought. Therefore, he made atonement for the dead that they might be delivered from their sin.
This is in contrast with the Bible and we should know that the Apocrypha book is not equal in authority with the bible. It is not part of the bible and it should not be taken as authority.
The Doctrine of Soul Sleep
When the bible talks about death as sleep, it does so as a metaphorical expression. It shows us that death is temporary for Christians just as sleep is temporary.
Psalm 115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.
Psalm 115:18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore
It doesn’t say that we will first go and die and be unconscious for a long time and then we will be with the Lord. It is metaphorical because our body will stay on earth while our soul goes to be with Jesus.
The only thing that is written on the Bible is that our physical bodies will return to dust and our souls will go to Jesus Christ.
Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
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