The Moment After You Die

What happens after death? Whatever you think you know can be challenged from the one source that gives the real answer.

What happens at the moment of death? Does your soul go immediately to heaven or paradise or maybe even to hell? Do you return as another person or creature? Or do you blend into the universe, forgotten and unknown for the rest of eternity?

There are many ideas and beliefs about the moment of death. Regular Beyond Today presenter, Darris McNeely, is going to challenge everything you may have heard, comparing it with the one source that provides the truth.

Jesus said "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Isn't it time you discovered the truth of what happens immediately after you die?

On Beyond Today, we're going to join Darris McNeely on location at the Greenlawn Cemetery in Milford, Ohio, to face the great unknown and explore what happens The Moment After You Die.

You see here a cemetery--a place of the dead. We go to cemeteries to visit the graves of families and friends. We go to mourn, to grieve and to remember.

We have so many ideas about what happens at death. What I have noticed is no matter what the idea or belief most have, it does not seem to comfort and set us free.

I once knew a lady who was afraid to live and she was afraid to die. But one day her fear of death was less and she decided to attempt suicide. She failed. While she was recovering, she told me with tears in her eyes, what she had in mind when she tried taking her life. She said she wanted to see what was on the other side. She wanted to cross over, as some describe, and finally find out the truth.

She was a Christian. She had heard what Christian churches say about death and the hereafter. She had also dabbled in the ideas of parapsychology and popular thought. She had heard of people who have near death experiences and come back to tell about it. Her overwhelming troubles and curiosity drove her to try and see the truth for herself.

What do you think she experienced? What do you think was on the other side?

Before you answer that, consider what you have always thought about the moment of death. Be willing to suspend your traditional belief for the answer that might lead to truth and freedom.

Many believe that at death there is complete annihilation. One ceases to exist. There is no life beyond in any form. Memory ceases and there is no more existence now or forever.

This is the extension of evolutionary thought, that life is nothing but a physical chemical existence with no spiritual dimension. And so, sincere atheists believe there is nothing at death.

But this not where most people are. Most people believe in something. And increasingly today, we see aspects of New Age, Buddhism and nature religion blend together to create an idea of life extending beyond the grave in some kind of mix with the elements of nature.

Listen to this excerpt of Mary Elizabeth Frye's often quoted poem, "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep," which says the following:

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am in a thousand winds that blow,

I am the softly falling snow.

I am the gentle showers of rain,

I am the fields of ripening grain.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I do not die.

When Princess Diana died in that tragic Paris auto accident, tens of thousands expressed their grief by laying flowers and messages at the gates of London's Buckingham Palace.

One message seemed to speak with the voice of the dead princess: "I did not leave you at all. I am still with you. I am in the sun and in the wind. I am even in the rain. I did not die, I am with you all."

Walk through any cemetery and you will see inscriptions that echo this type of belief. Many Christians and well meaning people of faith have adopted such beliefs to relieve their grief or find comfort in the face of death.

Some adopt these ideas as variations on the mistaken belief that we have an immortal soul that escapes the physical body at death.

Remember the lady I told you about who wanted to see what was beyond this life? She was influenced by this idea of a soul that survives the body and lives beyond the grave.

Something I have noticed at funerals is people will place a letter or a poem or some favorite possession of the deceased into the casket to be buried with them. Some may do this thinking the dead will read or need the item while others just do it only out of sentiment as an aid in grieving.

I admit that when my father died, I thought for a moment to put one of my dad's favorite fishing lures into his casket with the corpse. His one love in life was bass fishing and he left behind dozens of lures used in catching the big ones. I had no illusion that he would need it in the grave. It was just a sentiment that perhaps would have helped our family laugh a bit in the grieving process. So I do understand why you might want to do this.

Now, this could be carried to an extreme. I read of one widow who was having her husband's remains cremated. She put into the coffin two cans of the spray adhesive that the dead man had used to paste on his toupee. The cans exploded in the heated oven and bent the furnace door. Not a good idea!

I'll tell you why these types of ideas find growing acceptance today. It's because there is a rejection of the false teachings of established religion about heaven and hell. Many reject the vague idea of going to heaven because they see no purpose or connection in this present life. Search the Bible for proof that we go to heaven after death and you will not find it. I know, I have studied the teaching and it's not there.

Some of you have loved ones, who have died and you sincerely believe you will see them again in heaven. But ask yourself: What are you going to do with them for all eternity? Sing? Dance? Stare at God?

Search your Bible and you will see God spends more time telling us what we should be doing now, in this life, preparing for something beyond our wildest dreams. But more about that later…

Now what about the idea of people going to hell? Well, a lot of people can't wrap their minds around this belief either. They can't reconcile the idea of a loving God consigning people to eternal torment in a fiery hell. Many have also come to think that this life is enough of a hell and they reject the teaching. Even the Catholic Church has altered its teaching about a literal hell. In 1999 Pope John Paul II stated that hell is symbolic and figurative of "the complete frustration and [the] emptiness of life without God." He added, "Rather than a physical place, hell is the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy." He said hell is "a condition resulting from attitudes and actions which people adopt in this life."

But what does God say?

In the modern day rejection of the traditional heaven and hell doctrines, we see a disbelief in the idea of a final judgment--that God will pass judgment on both righteous and unrighteous lives. The Bible clearly teaches that all humans will be judged and that judgment is final. What many are confused about is when judgment takes place and what it really means. The true God of judgment may be far different than what you have been led to believe. The truth is, God is a merciful and compassionate judge. What He has planned for you is far better than an eternity in heaven or hell.

What does the Bible say about the moment of death and what happens when the body dies? Let's look at Scripture to see.

In Psalm 146, it says "His spirit"--speaking of man--"departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish."

The book of Ecclesiastes chapter 9 says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work [nor] device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."

These scriptures say there is no thought, no consciousness at death. It's pretty plain.

In one of the plainest statements the apostle Paul says of the dead, "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope."

Death is like a sleep. There is no conscious thought. There is no knowledge of the living grieving. The dead are not aware of this world or any other existence for that matter. The moment you die, your thoughts cease.

Now, some of you may be thinking right now about something Jesus said on the subject. He told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in paradise. We'll discuss this in a minute. But first listen to this message about today's free literature offer. Beyond Today co-host, Gary Petty, will tell you more about it.

You know it's a question all of us ask at one time or another: What happens to me when I die? We have a booklet that can help you answer that question: What Happens After Death?

This booklet doesn't begin with death, but with the wonder of life. It tackles questions like: Why are human beings different than animals? And what is the purpose for your life? It is only when you understand God's purpose for creating human beings that you could begin to grasp the reality of life after death.

You can receive a free copy by calling: 1-888-886-8632. That's 1-888-886-8632 or you can read What Happens After Death? online at BeyondToday.tv.

All of our literature is provided free as a public service. Be sure to get your free copy today! And if you have an iPad you can download many of our booklets through the Apple iBook App.

And don't forget to join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Well let's rejoin Darris McNeely at the Greenlawn Cemetery as he explores The Moment After You Die.

Jesus made a statement that is often misused as proof that we go to heaven the moment after we die. Here is what the gospel tells us.

As Jesus Christ hung dying, He told a convicted criminal being crucified with Him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). Now many people think Jesus assured the man he would go to heaven with Him that very day. But is this really what Jesus meant?

A fundamental principle for sound Bible study is to carefully check the context. Notice the specific wording of the man's request: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). Notice that the thief expressed no expectation of immediately going to heaven with Jesus at the moment they died.

He may have already known something about the nature of the Kingdom of God. That it would be a literal kingdom to be established on earth by the Messiah. Jesus Himself had previously given an entire parable.

He said, "…because they thought that the kingdom of God would immediately appear," in Luke 19.

Jesus also taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come" (Luke 11:2). This Kingdom is the Kingdom that Jesus will establish on earth at His return, not a location in heaven to which we go when we die.

Notice also Jesus' response to the man, telling him, "...you will be with Me in Paradise." Understanding the nature of the biblical use of the term paradise is crucial to understanding this passage.

The Greek word here translated paradise, means an enclosed garden or a park. This same word was used in references to the Garden of Eden. Where it is used in the New Testament, it refers to the place of God's presence.

Jesus tells us, the tree of life is located in the midst of the Paradise of God in Revelation. Revelation chapter 22 explains that the tree of life is to be in the New Jerusalem. God will come from heaven with this New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-3) after the resurrections of the dead mentioned in Revelation 20. Only at that time will men dwell with God in this paradise.

We can see that the paradise Christ mentioned, where men will dwell with God in His Kingdom, is to be a future time.

How do we know this was Christ's meaning? Again, as noted above, Jesus plainly said He was going to be dead and buried for the following three days and nights, after which He clearly told Mary, that He had not yet ascended to heaven.

Putting together the relevant scriptures, we can see here the truth of the matter. The robber, facing imminent death while being crucified alongside Jesus (Luke 23:39-41), sought comfort and assurance. Jesus provided it, telling the man, "Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise." The paradise of which Jesus spoke wasn't heaven, but the Eden-like world to which the man would be resurrected according to God's plan.

Jesus never said nor implied that the dying man would be in paradise or heaven on that very day. Christ was encouraging him by solemnly assuring him that a time would come, in God's future Kingdom on earth, when the man would be resurrected and would see Jesus again.

And that friends, is what you will know, the moment after you die. The next conscious moment after death will be in a resurrection. This truth is taught throughout the Bible. It is what Christ taught and it is what the earliest Christians believed. You can know this truth; it will set you free from fear and sorrow.

When Jesus came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, He came among Jews who believed in the Old Testament scriptures. They believed that the dead would be resurrected at a distant time when God would make judgment and remake the world. The dead would be brought back to life in visible bodies.

That is what Martha understood Christ to be saying when they talked at the tomb of her dead brother Lazarus.

She said: "I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." (John 11:24)

Christ taught the resurrection from the dead. The Jews came back to Him with a trick question. In His answer, Jesus affirmed the truth of this fundamental biblical teaching.

In Matthew 22 (verses 22-33), it says, "The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: ‘Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.'

"Jesus answered and said to them, ‘You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like [the] angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?" God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.' And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching."

Here Christ speaks of the resurrection as a future event with a certainty and in some detail.

Christ speaks of a reward for the people of God at the time of the resurrection, speaking of being "repaid at the resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:14).

The teaching of your Bible and the hope of all the dead is the resurrection. A bodily resurrection at a future time when all things would become new and a great restoration of all things would occur.

This belief in the resurrection is what fueled the apostles and the early Church with fire and determination to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. The apostles saw the resurrected Christ and knew the reality that death had been conquered.

They knew no fear.

Christ had told them, be not afraid. They saw His resurrection and knew death, the greatest of enemies, had been defeated. Their lives were transformed. They were changed men and women.

This same change can come to you with this understanding of what happens at death. The truth of the resurrection can change your life.

How?

By understanding that God will resurrect the dead for a far greater purpose than can be imagined by the false teaching of heaven or hell. The truth of the resurrection changes your life! When you get the truth about death right, then the life we have, now becomes all the more important.

Death, both as a fascination and question, is a part of the cultural air we breathe.