The State of the Dead

THE STATE OF THE DEAD Death is a state which many of us have a hazy and impaired view of. In most of the cases, we are usually afraid of the dead. A profound writer once said, the most dangerous person is a dead one. On the contrary the other writer also said, a dead person is good. Most of us we usually say, may their soul rest in peace! The statement seems to suggest that the soul may rest in violence or disruption and that it (soul) has some degree of consciousness. This article has been designed to give the true state and position of someone who is dead. We are to do so by constantly asking and referring to the bible. In order for us to better understand the state of the dead we should understand the state of the living. What is a person, what is it that composes him/her. A clear understanding of what composes a person enables us to appreciate his/her state in death. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:26-27. And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return. Genesis 3:19. The above texts are setting before us the real materials that constitutes a men. The first text from Genesis is giving us how men would look like and unto whose form will he be in. So God decided to make man in His own image after His likeness. This pertains to how man would look like and think not what makes him. For instance, a shirt is made in the form of the top part of the man’s body but with a cloth material. A dress is made in the form or image of a woman but the materials are from cotton. There is a vast difference between the image and likeness of a man and what makes (constitutes) him. Man was made with dust but resembling or having the image of God. Genesis 2:7, tells us what God used to make a man. The bible says man was made out of dust of the ground. That which God used to come up with the human’s body is dust. Now when God formed or created the man he breathed into his nostril the breath of life and man became a living soul. This entails that the combination of body and breath of life is the soul. We must not think that a soul is something separate from the body, soul actually includes the body. According to Genesis 2:7, man or a person exist in two states. The first state is when He is inactive and the one in which he is alive and active. So when we remove the breath of life from a person he/she becomes inactive hence dead. The very breath of life which is in a man is the one in animals and all living creatures. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein [is] the breath of life. Genesis 7:15. Notice what Solomon say in connection with this breath of life. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all [is] vanity. Ecclesiastes 3:19. We need to be very awake to the context when we study the bible. Ecclesiastes is talking about breath of life and how the two dies i.e. man and animals not in all aspects of life. It is very clear that Solomon reminds us that when it comes to the breath of life and how we die it’s the same as animals. What distinguishes us is the fact that we as humans were created in the image and likeness of God. So let us not be dismayed thinking we have the same value with animals in the sight of God, it’s not like that. Now there are three terms which are used interchangeably when they are not really the same. The three are Soul, Spirit and Breath of life. Biblically, these three are very separate and distinct. Off-course secularly, these terms are used interchangeably due to lack of understanding of their importation. Soul is the combination of body and breath of life. Spirit refers to the state of the mind or behaviour. In some instances in scripture, spirit is used to mean the breath of life. All the while my breath [is] in me, and the spirit of God [is] in my nostrils, Job 27:3. Breath of life is that power which actuate and activate life, the power of God to quicken life. In other bible versions breath of life is called ghost or just breath. NB. A man did not become a man after the breath of life was given. The bible calls him a man before breath of life came in. This means that God has put all that is necessary for him to be a man in that lifeless body. We need to emphatically reiterate this notion in our minds, that’s where many of us has lost it. Adam did not become a man or a person or human being after the breathing of breath of life into his nostrils rather he became a man before breath of life. And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7. The question which most of us have when we are told that we have the same breath of life with animals is; how and why do we behave differently from animals then? The answer is simple we don’t use breath of life to think, see, taste or speak rather we use the mind. Breath of life must activate and actuate life and the mind is now alive and it starts its operations, known as behaviour or spirit. The following example can help us to understand this better. In the appliance world we have a fridge and a stove. The two appliances operates differently whilst using the same electricity. It’s not in the electricity for a fridge to get cold and colder it’s rather in its (fridge) mechanism. The same with a stove, for it to get hot when turned on is not in electricity but rather that is determined by its engine or brain. The role of electricity in these two is just to ignite life in them. They (fridge and stove) then perform and function according to how they were designed to. This is how the breath of life operates, it gives us life then our engine the brain starts its operations differently from the engines or brains of animals. Death is therefore the reversal of Genesis 2:7. Humanly speaking if we remove breath of life from a person that’s death. Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Psalms 146:3-4. If he set his heart upon man, [if] he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust; Job 34:14-15. But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where [is] he? Job 14:10. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, [being] old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. Genesis 35:29. It is important to know and appreciate that in death there is silence and quietness since the thoughts have perished. Psalms indicated in chapter 146:3-4 that a person’s thoughts perished when he/she dies because the mind would have ceased working. His sons come to honour, and he knoweth [it] not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth [it] not of them. Job 14:21. The bible as the word of God is very clear that when a person dies he/she does not know anything. The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. Psalms 115:17. If it happens that you are put in the same room with a dead person during the night, would you sleep well? If not, why? Do you believe Satan more than God? Consider what the bible has to say in the following texts; But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:17. Now here is what Satan then says; And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: Genesis 3:4. So Satan through the serpent told Eve that they were not going to surely die. I believe whatever God has said that’s the truth. Satan is a liar and the father of it. Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44. Upon death no one goes to heaven. We go into the grave and wait for Jesus to come and awake or resurrect us. Men [and] brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Acts 2:29. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Acts 2:34-35. The bible says the dead know nothing so God cannot live with people who knows nothing, He loves to interact with living people. Even upon His resurrection Jesus told Mary that He had not yet ascended to the Father. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God; John 20:16-17. Jesus ascended to heaven alive, talk of Enoch, Elijah and Moses they went to heaven alive. When a person dies, we still have that person with us but in a dead state. This is one of cardinal thoughts ever. My name is Godwin Chipunza, if I die today, people would say I am no more. That is not biblical, I will be still there but in an inactive state, therefore, I will be useless to the living. Due to the fact that I will be useless to the living I must be buried. Notice the following text; And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. John 11:43. Jesus called Lazarus to come forth, which means its Lazarus who was in the tomb. Let’s answer the following question as we conclude our discussion; what will be happening when we see our loved ones died coming back to us or doing something for us? I am very much aware and cognisant of the fact that to some it’s happening. The secret is not a secret, its Satan and his evil angels that will be doing all those things. Below are verses we can analyse as we ascertain that its indeed Satan doing that. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire; Hebrews 1:7. Angels, both good and evil ones, can be in any form since they are spirits. They can be fire; And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush [was] not consumed. Exodus 3:2. They (angels) can be human beings; And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground. Genesis 18:1-2. Remember among these three men were Jesus and the two angels that went to take Lot out of Sodom. Indeed it’s Satan and his angels that will be behaving as our loved ones who have died. You may have this question to say but how can Satan do good deeds? This is because in most of the cases those mistaken loved ones would give us money or assist in some challenges. We ought to understand that this enemy of us and our God is ready to do anything as long as it leads to us doubting and disobey the word of God. And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Matthew 4:9-10. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death; Revelation 21:7-8. Understanding the state of the dead helps us to prepare while we are still alive. There is nothing a dead person can do or know. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Ecclesiastes 9:5. As such God in judgment will deal with what we have been doing when still alive. Let’s employ our time to good deeds and please the Lord. The next time you will blink your eyes after giving the last breath you will be seeing Jesus, either for eternal life or eternal death. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation; Hebrews 9:27-28. May the good Lord and Master, Jesus, bless and leads you in all things till we meet up-yonder. Written and compiled by Chipunza Godwin~0775390551/0775125751