What Really Happens When You DIE?
In The movie 'Hereafter' Matt Damon plays, George, a psyche who gets depressed when he talks to dead people. He is trying to hide his gift when he is forced to do readings for people who find out his secret. There is one young boy who has a twin brother who has died. This young boy wants George to help him talk to his dead brother. After almost freezing to death the boy convinces George to get in touch with the dead brother. As the conservation is coming to a close with the dead brother George tells the living twin that the brother is leaving. Then comes the question and answer the whole movie revolves around. The living twin wants to know where the dead twin is going. George answers, "I don't know." Two key questions arise from the movie. First, what really happens when you die? The answer is left unanswered in the movie. Everyone who dies in the movie is in a gray haze of weightlessness where they appear to wander around lost. The second question the movie bring up for the believer is, "Should or can you talk to dead people?" In the movie it is the only way to get real answers. The living twin brother searches the internet for information and finds none. He just shakes his head no when he sees a minister sharing about eternal life. Yet these are questions that every believer should be able to answer. Should a believer try to talk to dead people, and what really happens when you die?
Let me lay out this for you. The book of Hebrews (in the Bible) helps us understand the answer to these questions. "...it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment..." Hebrews 9.27 The first thing we need to know is that everyone dies. It is more sure than taxes. (currently about 50% of the US population pays no federal income taxes.) People may get out of taxes but everyone is going to die. There are some who want to cheat death. Two of the children of baseball great Ted Williams had his head removed from his body (after he died) and cryogenically frozen. (Note: freezing the whole body was too expensive.) This is called being in biosstasis. They plan to join him by having their heads chopped off and frozen when they die and are hoping that in the future they can be revived and live again or continue living. But why? Well the children answered that question in a 2002 interview they gave to Reuters. "Our father was not a religious man. The faith that many people place in god, we place in science and other human endeavors." They are much like a character in the movie. When asked if he knew what happened when a person dies the character said, "Lights out, Total darkness, nothing, this is it when you die it is over." If you do not believe in the HEREAFTER you would want to get you head frozen. One problem for Ted Williams, reports of witness present when his head was frozen say it was dropped and damaged. Someday that might hurt. :-)
Now we know that everyone is going to die let's move on to one of the questions we need to answer. Should we try and communicate with those who are dead? A quick look at the Old and New Testament will answer that question. Leviticus 20.27 says "A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death." That is pretty clear. In the Old Testament if someone wanted to talk to the dead they should be prepared to talk to them in person. Now, I am not for putting anyone to death, but it is also clear that the death sentence translates into a sinful act.Then in the New Testament we find that Galatians 5.18-21 has a list of sins that will keep a person out of heaven. It says "that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." The list has ten specific reason a person can be kept out of heaven and then it says just in case your sin is not on the list but should be it is covered with the words, "and the like." Meaning God does not deal with technicalities. Lawyers beware. Right in the middle of this list it says witchcraft (NIV) aka sorcery (NASB) is a sin for the believer. Now the word for witchcraft or sorcery is the same root word we use for a pharmacist. The word means to administer or to make drugs. In Biblical times this was usually done to make potions to contact the dead or to deal with dead spirits and demons. The contacting of the dead is strictly forbidden in scriptures. That answers that question clearly.
The reason we should not talk to the dead will surprise you and will be covered in just a short time, but first you should read Luke 16.19-31. It is the account of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. They both die and the rich man finds himself in very different circumstances from Lazarus. Lazarus passes through judgment just like everyone does when they die and finds that based on his life on earth he is at Abraham's side in heaven. He is living in comfort and very happy. The rich man has also passed through judgment and based on his life finds himself in the torment of hell living in agony. We find that neither of them can leave where they are and that their condition or judgment is permanent. Remember what Hebrews 9.27 says, we die and then face the judgment. That is exactly what happened here. This means that when people die they are not wandering around in some weightless state. They are either in Heaven or in Hell.
Now we know from this that a person dies and passes through Judgment. This is not delayed until the end of time. There is no soul sleep so we can all face judgment at the same time. How do I know this. Look at what Jesus said happened here. Lazarus is in heaven. The rich man is in hell, and his five brothers are still alive on earth. They will not be judged until they die, and the rich man even in torment realizes that his brothers still have time to repent. So what really happens when you die? WHEN YOU DIE, YOU EITHER FLY OR FRY. Now that clearly answers the question.
BUT WHAT ABOUT...
What about people who are talking to the dead, you know psyches. They are said to talk to the supernatural or to the dead. If the dead are judged and cannot communicate with the living and cannot leave where they are who are psyches talking to? More than likely, 99.9% of the time, they are talking to either El Diablo (the devil himself) or they are talking to one of his demonic spirits who like their master are liars and deceivers. The dead are judged and the reason it is a sin to try and contact them is because it is not the dead you will end up in contact with.
BUT WHAT ABOUT...
People who die and come back and tell us stories like:
- I was walking toward the most beautiful light and I was not afraid.
- I saw all my family members there and everyone I love was there and they were all happy.
- I got a special message from God to the people I love.
- It was a place of extreme calm and happiness. Just a fog of serenity.
What will heaven be like? It will be perfect. We only get a few glimpses of it in the Word of God, but every one of them is a glimpse into our eternal home. Where, when we die we will spend eternity?
- Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22.1-5 NIV
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