Expert: Brenda Martin - 2/23/2007

Question
Hope you can help. The subject is what's after death? I have always been "taught" that when a person dies, they go to heaven or hell right then. From what I can find out myself, the Bible states that "the dead know nothing". Seems like time just stops till judgement day arrives. Can you offer me more information on this subject?
Thanks

Answer
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN "TAUGHT" THAT WHEN A PERSON DIES, THEY GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL RIGHT THEN

Yes that is the main teaching of the churches, millions are taught this FALSE doctrine, the bible does not teach this however. I attended a Protestant church for years and was taught just that; “if you’re good you go to heaven & if you’re bad you go to hell” when I started studying the bible for myself I did not find this teaching, so I asked the Minister; “why he teaches this & could he show me in the bible where it states this?” He said he teaches it because “it’s a job & its what he’s told to preach” He agreed there is no such teaching in the scriptures.

Also the word hell; is the English word for the Hebrew word SHEOL and the Greek word HADES, both these words mean the GRAVE, nothing more. Hence why the bible says; “Jesus was in Hell for 3 days & nights” he was in the grave. The teaching of the; wicked being punished in a fiery place of torment forever, is a man made doctrine and finds no support in scripture.

THE BIBLE STATES THAT "THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING".

Exactly- -Eccl. 9:5: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.”

Eccl. 3:19-21: “There is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit, so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast, for everything is vanity. All are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust ”

(Because of the inheritance of sin and death from Adam, humans all die and return to the dust, as animals do. But does each human have a spirit that goes on living as an intelligent personality after it ceases to function in the body? No; verse 19 answers that humans and beasts “all have but one spirit.”

SEEMS LIKE TIME JUST STOPS TILL JUDGEMENT DAY ARRIVES

You could say that, when someone dies, whether they are good or bad, they all go to sleep in their graves; Jesus said “all those in the Memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out” so all the dead in God’s memory will be raised to life in the future, and all will be given the opportunity to live forever.

If this has raised further questions I am happy to answer them.

Brenda