Life After Death

What do you believe about life after death? Before you answer, let’s see what the Bible tells us about life after death for believers in Jesus Christ and for non-believers as well. To figure this out, we have to do some digging and interpreting. In fact, we have to read both the Old Testament and the New Testament to glean what it says about life after death.

In Chapter Three of Genesis, we see the word dust to emphasize the source of our physical bodies:

‘For dust you are’

…By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
    since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
    and to dust you will return.
Genesis 3:19 NIV

Dust. That is earth. We were created by God to inhabit the earth and to have dominion over it. We came out of the earth, and to it, our earthly bodies will return. However, death is not the end of the story:

‘the spirit returns to god’

and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Ecclesiastes 12:7

This then is a clear Biblical message that our physical bodies perish at death, and our earthly existence ends. At the moment of death, our spirit returns to God, who gave us life in the first place.

Here are some thoughts from the late Christian evangelist:

Billy Graham on life after death

The late Billy Graham was the most influential Christian preacher, evangelist, and author of the 20th century. Here is how he answered a question about life after death. The questioner wanted to know what happens to believers immediately after death. Here is what he had to say:

…The Bible doesn’t answer all our questions about heaven and life after death—and the reason is because our minds are limited and heaven is far too glorious for us to understand. Some day, all of our questions will be answered—but not yet. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

However, the Bible certainly does indicate that when we die we enter immediately into God’s presence if we belong to Christ. From our earthly point of view, death looks somewhat like sleep—but not from God’s point of view. Paul declared, “We are confident (of eternal life), I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Elsewhere he wrote, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” (Philippians 1:23).
Billy Graham

But the most complete account of life after death in the Bible came from Jesus Himself. While talking to the Jewish scholars, He told this parable about:

The Rich Man and Lazarus

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.

23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke 16:19-31 NIV

This story, told by our Lord and Savior, illustrates life after death for both believers and non-believers. In this Bible passage, Jesus makes these five points: