“All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

As all scripture is inspired by God, then these sacred pages are where we can safely find the sure foundation for doctrine, and for reproof and correction of our errors, and thus obtain the pure knowledge of righteousness. So what does God declare through His word about death?

First of all, what is death? The Bible refers over and over again that death is likened to sleep. In Old Testament times, when someone died it was declared that he “slept with his fathers” (see 1 Kings 2:10; 11:43; 14:20,31; 15:8,24). In New Testament time, death was also likened to sleep (see 1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:14). Jesus plainly states this same idea when referring to the death of his friend Lazarus.

“Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death; but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” John 11:11-14.

So being dead is like being asleep (see also Matthew 27:52: 1 Corinthians 15:51; Daniel 12:2). But when we die or fall asleep, what happens? “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Psalm 146:4.

God stated that when we die, we no longer have any thoughts or mental processes. Thus there is no consciousness in the grave. So will God show us any of His wonders, whether past, present or future, in the grave? No. “Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise thee? … Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? Psalm 88:10-12.

Will we praise the Lord in the grave? No. “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.” Psalm 115:17.

Will we even remember the Lord in the grave? No. “For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” Psalm 6:5.

Will we see anyone else while we are dead? No. “I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. I said, I shall not see the LORD, [even] the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.” Isaiah 38:10-11.

But don't we see our loved ones and friends coming to our grave to pay us respect? No. “But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? .. His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.” Job 14:10,21.

So those who have died really do not know anything!
“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” Ecclesiastes 9:5.

Truly, being dead is like being asleep—just as Jesus stated. Yet may have been taught that at death some go straight to heaven. But does God teach that we go to heaven and see the Lord when we die? “… I shall go to the gates of the grave… I shall not see the LORD, [even] the LORD, in the land of the living.” Isaiah 38:10-11.

Others have been taught that their dead relatives are in heaven who are watching over them and working for their good through various means. But is this what the Bible teaches? No. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes 9:10.

What about those who believe that they have actually seen or even talked to their dead loved ones apparently raised from the dead? “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.” Job 14:12.

Then what about those who believe in, or who have seen ghosts or the spirits of the dead haunting houses or graveyards or even helping people? “…the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 9:5-6.

Thus the dead have no memory at all of when they were alive. So they can not remember anyone or anything that they either loved or hated, cherished or envied during their lifetime. Hence, even if they could come back as a ghost or a spirit, they could not even remember who they were to haunt or help?

God dearly states that a body, plus the breath of life, equals a living soul (see also Job 33:4; Ezekiel 37:6). Thus a body without breath, cannot equal a living soul—but a dead one! So there is no truth to the doctrine of our soul continuing to go on living after we die. Neither does humanity have a spirit which goes on living after death.
Our breath, which comes from God and allows us to have life, can also be translated in the scriptures as “spirit” (see also Job 27:3). So a body, plus the breath or spirit of life, equals a living soul. But a body without spirit, cannot equal a living soul. So there is no truth to the belief that at death, our spirit continues to go on living. When we die, our breath or spirit of life goes back to God who gave it to us at birth (see Ecclesiastes 12:7; Psalm 31:5), but there is no separate life or consciousness in this breath—no more than there would be when we exhale.

Yet many people have actually seen ghosts or spirits and various apparitions. Others have heard unexplained noises and seen supernatural phenomena. But since the Bible of truth teaches that ghosts cannot be the actual dead person's spirit raised to life, then who are these apparitions?
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him… For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world.” Revelation 12:7-9; 16:14.

So there are indeed ghosts or spirits today, yet not one of these are dead people come back from the grave. They are only the evil angels or spirits of devils whom were cast out of heave. These evil beings are only pretending to be the dead come back to life. And it does not matter whom they impersonate—even the dead Apostle Paul or other followers of Christ. In fact, the more widely known the dead individual, the better to impersonate them.

But why do these evil angels impersonate the dead and sometimes even communicate information to those whom they contact? Their whole purpose for doing so is to deceive people and try to get them to believe that the information given them is really the truth. But does the Devil, along with his evil angels, tell the truth? “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.

So we are not to believe any of the information relayed by these apparitions or so-called spirits of the dead because it is nothing but lies! The biggest lie which the Devil and his evil spirits have tried to pawn off as being true is the belief that when we die our soul continues to live on. This falsehood is also known as the immortality of the soul, and multitudes have been duped into really believing it is true. But is humanity immortal?

The Bible teaches that all human beings are “mortal”, not immortal (see Job 4:17; Romans 6:12). In fact, God alone “only hath immortality” 1 Timothy 6:16.

So the Holy Scriptures declare that at death, we do not go on living for eternity. We do not go to heaven or to hell at death, but rest in the grave. Nor do we reincarnate into some other creature as in the pagan belief of the endless circle of life—a continual rebirth only to die again. For God mercifully states that human beings die once—not many times. “…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27.

But the big question which needs to be asked is: What causes humanity to die in the first place? “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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… And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat… And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him… 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 2:16-17; 3:6,9,19. So death began when God's command or law was disobeyed and broken.

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4.

“For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23.

Is the lot of humanity to face death without any hope of ever escaping from it's eternal grasp? Has anyone delivered us from this hopeless destiny? “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man… Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:9,14-15.

Suffering and humiliation he bore in order to prove obedient to the law of God, to magnify the law and make it honorable; and he lays down the conditions that must be met by those who would inherit eternal life. Victory can come alone through faith and obedience, through following in His footsteps. The work of overcoming is not confined to the martyrs. We, too, are to engage in the conflict in these days of subtle temptation to worldliness, to self-confidence, pride, covetousness, and immorality; and to the overcomers will be given a crown of life and glory.

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 14:22.

A correct understanding of “what saith the Scriptures” in regard to the state of the dead is essential for this time. God's word declares that the dead know not anything, their hatred and love have alike perished. We must come to the sure word of prophecy for our authority.

Unless we are rooted and grounded in the truth, we shall be swept away by Satan's delusive snares. We must cling to our Saviour through reading our Bibles. If Satan can make you believe that there are things in the word of God that are not inspired, he will then be prepared to ensnare your soul. We shall have no assurance, no certainty at the very time we need to know what is truth.

Every species of delusion is now being brought in the plainest truths of God's word are covered with a mass of man-made theories. Deadly errors are presented as the truth, to which all must bow. The simplicity of true godliness is buried beneath tradition.

The doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul is one error with which the enemy is deceiving man. This error is well nigh universal.
This is one of the lies forged in the synagogue of the enemy, one of the poisonous drafts of Babylon. “For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” Revelation 18:3.

“Lord, what must I do to be saved? “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying come out of her (from all corrupt churches) My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4.

“If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15

This life at the longest is represented as a vapor, which soon passes away. Its treasures, its honors, and its joys are transitory and uncertain. If we life for God and the immortal future, we shall secure all that is worth the having.”

“We are admonished to redeem the time. But time squandered can never be recovered. We cannot call back even one moment. The only way in which we can redeem our time is by making the most of that which remains.”

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7.

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