The following are biblical answers to the most commonly asked questions many people are asking about what happens when you die, reuniting with family and friends after death, going to heaven or hell, fearing death, and much more. See below.
For generations people have a misconception of death and because of this when someone dies that is close to us we become very sad and mourn the loss of our loved ones. Some people become so depressed that they feel they cannot go on. When someone dies they are asleep and will continue to sleep until Christ returns (unless someone wakes them). The Bible tells us that when Christ returns the dead shall rise first (which is probably where the idea for all the zombie movies stemmed from). The reason so many people are deceived is because they do not read their bibles but instead listen to half truths or pick out what they want to hear and leave the rest. The following will reveal the simple truth about death. Question: Will you go to heaven or hell when you die? Answer: No. You will not go to heaven or hell (hell fire) when you die. God clearly told Adam that because he and his wife Eve had eaten from the forbidden tree the ground would be cursed with thorns and thistles and that they would work hard to grow food that had been freely available to them. However, God also told Adam that from dust he was taken and to the dust he would return. This indicates that when we die our bodies are returned to the ground (that God had created Adam from), and will turn to dust after they decompose. It does NOT say when we die we go to heaven or hell. This is a misconception that I myself have heard preachers say. "If you sin you will die and go to hell, if you get saved you will go to heaven". This is true to some extent, it will happen but not right after someone dies. When people die they are buried and their bodies will decompose until they are like dust and their spirit returns to God who gave it.
“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.” Gen. 3:19
Jesus Christ clearly stated that nobody has went to heaven or will except HIM.
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven John 3:13
Nobody goes to heaven or hell until after He returns. At that time, the dead will rise and those who are saved will be gathered up in the clouds with those who are alive and saved to be with God in heaven. (See What Happens When You Die) When Samuel was raised from the dead he asked, "Why did you disquiet (wake) me" Consider this passage which reveals that the prophet Samuel was raised from the dead and gave no indication of being in heaven or hell but in a quiet place. In Samuel Chapter 28, King David was going into battle with a formidable adversary-the Philistine's and he had always consulted Samuel to find out what the Lord wanted him to do and to find out if they should do battle before he would proceed. However, Samuel the prophet was dead and the Lord was angry with David and would not speak to him. As a last resort he considered consulting a psychic. Saul had ordered all of the witches and psychics out of the land but in desperation he disguised himself and under the cloak of darkness he sought out a psychic who raised Samuel the prophet from the dead. The first words Samuel said were not why did you call me back from heaven or hell, no, his first word's were why have you awakened me? disquieted me, bring me up? This verse clearly shows he was neither in heaven or hell but in a quiet place and he was rose up.
And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
Scroll down to see where your spirit goes when you die, when you will see your saved loved ones again, and when you will go to heaven if you are saved and much more. Question: Where will your spirit go when you die? Answer: Your spirit will return to God. Idealistically, it is comforting to think that when someone we love dies that they will go to heaven and at the same time, as believers, we worry about where someone we love who was not saved-if they went to hell. In fact, the bible clearly states that after the body is returned to the earth and returns to dust (as it was before God formed man) the spirit that was in the body will return to God who gave it. Does that mean the spirit went to heaven? No, the spirit was returned to God who gave it, God breathed it into man with his very nostrils.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecc.. 12:7
After the Lord God made man from dust of the ground He breathed the breath of life into him from His nostrils and man became a living soul. Our soul comes from the Lord God. Our soul is pure when we take our first breath inside the womb, we have the breath of life in us. Though we are born into a sinful world and that is how sin enters us. If we were born in a pure world, like in the garden of Eden before the serpent tempted Eve and she ate of the fruit we would be born into a sinless world but that is not the case, wish that it were, but it is not.
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.Gen. 2:7
Quite simply, our spirit returns to the Lord God after we die and we sleep until Christ returns for those of us who are saved and believe that Jesus died and rose again-we sleep and God will bring us with Him (because our spirit returned to HIM).
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. I Thess. 4:14
Will everyone die when the end of the world comes? No, everyone will not die when this world ends, many will still be alive when the Lord returns. When we die we go to sleep until the Lord returns. When He returns the saved will be caught up with our loved ones who were saved and died and we will go with the Lord and we will be changed our physical bodies will be changed just as our spirit changes when we are saved
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. I Cor. 15:51
Will I see my deceased loved one's again? Yes. When the Lord returns He will come down from heaven with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. When this happens those people who were saved and their physical bodies dies will be rose from the dead first.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:” I Thess. 4:16
Those of us who are still alive and remain here on earth will be caught up together with those who died and will be together with each other and the Lord at that time.
Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. I Thess. 4:17
Wherefore comfort one another with these words. I Thess. 4:18
Should I be afraid to die, of death? You do not need to be afraid of dying from physical such as from sickness, illness, disease, accidents, or that someone may kill us, as long as you are saved. It is a physical death not a spiritual death. Your physical body can die but your spirit cannot die. No matter how you die, even if someone was to kill the body, they cannot destroy your soul. Only the Lord can kill both body and soul in hell. The Lord God is the one you should fear if you are not saved and through this fear you know you need to get saved and obey HIM.
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt. 10:28
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Luke 12:4
No matter whether our physical body lives or dies, when we die our spirit returns to the Lord.
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Rom. 14:8
How can I have eternal life? Even though your physical body will die and return to dust, your spirit was returned to God and when the time comes you will be judged and after judgement you will have eternal life if He determines that you are one of His. The only way to get the chance to live forever with the Lord God is to be saved. Whoever believes that Christ is the Lord God's only begotten son will not perish but have everlasting life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
What if my Deceased loved one was not saved?
If your deceased loved one was not saved at the time of their death, it does not mean that they will go to hell. They could have gotten saved with their last thought or breath-there is no way for you to know.
Has any human Besides Jesus went to heaven yet?
No human has been to heaven except Jesus as He said:
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven John 3:13
Will There be pain & Death in Heaven?
No. All former things including sorrow, pain, crying and death will be no more.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev. 21:4
What the bible says about mourning
Those that are mourning will be comforted
Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matt. 5:4
You need not be sorrowful (like those people which have no hope-our hope is in Christ) because when someone dies-they are only asleep.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. I Thessalonians 4:13