WHAT HAPPENS AT DEATH
The human body consists of three parts. They are the physical body, the soul, and the spirit. We must take care of the three parts of our existence.
1Th 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
At our death, the human spirit goes back to God, and the physical body decomposes back into dust.
Ecc 12:7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.
When our human spirit goes to God; we are physically dead. There are times when the spirit returns, and people come back to life.
Luk 8:55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.
The soul can also return.
1Ki 17:21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”
1Ki 17:22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.
At our death we have no consciousness whatsoever. Our spirit has gone to heaven, and God will use this to resurrect us back to physical beings at some time in the future.
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.
The best way to describe the human spirit is to liken it to a tape with all our attributes on it. God will use this to bring us back to life.
The soul is our life. Only God can destroy the soul.
Mat 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Job 12:10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?
The following verses are about Jesus Christ.
Luk 2:35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Joh 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
Isa 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
The soul may be the spiritual part of blood.
Lev 17:13 “Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust;
Lev 17:14 for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’
Deu 12:23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.
Deu 12:24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water.
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
I am not 100% sure, but it seems that the soul consists of a spiritual part of blood and water. A spiritual part of our life. Christ’s spirit went to God at His death, and He poured out His soul [blood and water] unto death.
1Jn 5:8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
Jesus was resurrected to life, and then descended into hell. God the Father raised up Jesus’ soul from hell.
Act 2:27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.
God calls death a sleep.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
1Co 11:30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
At death the spirit and the soul leave the physical body.
Gen 35:18 And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
Humans can kill the physical body, but they cannot kill the soul or spirit. God gives the spirit and the spirit goes to God at death.
There are humans who have the Spirit of life, and persevere to the end: these people are firstfruits to God, and Christ, and will be resurrected to eternal life. Moses and Abraham etc. are some of these people.
Rev 14:4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
There are humans who have had the Spirit of life, and blasphemed it. These people are thrown into the lake of fire; which is the second, and permanent death.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
The vast majority of mankind will be resurrected back to physical life.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Eze 37:1 The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
Eze 37:2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.
These people will be given a hundred years of physical life. This will give them time to obey, or disobey God.
Isa 65:20 “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
God resurrects, and gives His Spirit to all the Israelites who have died. This means they can persevere to the end in obeying God; or they can blaspheme the Spirit and die the second death.
Eze 37:13 Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
Eze 37:14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’ ”
The following verses show that Gentiles are also resurrected back to physical life.
Mat 12:41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
Mat 12:42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
Every human being from creation will be offered eternal life. [because of Christ’s sacrifice] They will be resurrected back as physical humans and given a chance to attain eternal life. Ezekiel 37 v 1 to 14 gives a good account of the physical resurrection.
Eze 37:1 The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
Eze 37:2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.
Eze 37:3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”
Eze 37:4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Eze 37:5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
Eze 37:6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”
Eze 37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.
Eze 37:8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Eze 37:9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ”
Eze 37:10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Eze 37:11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’
Eze 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
Eze 37:13 Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
Eze 37:14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’ ”
A summing up of death.
At death, our spirit and soul leave the physical body.
The body decomposes.
A very few will have had God’s Spirit, and will be firstfruits.
The vast majority of humanity is resurrected back to physical life after a thousand years, and given God’s spirit, and a chance to obey God.
There will be some who do not obey, and will die the second death.
Most people will obey God and live forever in complete happiness.