Discover Bible Verses About Aging. The Bible teaches us that aging is a normal and natural part of life in this world. Brethren, there is honor involved in the aging process, because growing old is normally accompanied by increased wisdom and experience. “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life” (Proverbs 16:31; Cf. Proverbs 20:29). The Lord God Almighty wants us to remember that life is short (James 4:14) and that the beauty of youth is soon gone (Proverbs 31:30; 1 Peter 1:24). And as such, the question of growing old cannot be separated from the question of the meaning of life and the concept of the legacy we leave. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon provides a Sagacious look at aging as well as the issues related to it.
We are born with a natural tendency to “live for the moment,” but the ultimate futility of that approach is the subject of Ecclesiastes 1:2-3: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” As people grow older and begin to feel the increasing impact of their mortality, they typically try to invest their waning resources in projects that to them seem to hold more promise of lasting meaning in life, especially the hope of perpetuating their “name” in a lasting legacy (Ecclesiastes 2). Unfortunately, no one can predict what projects will have lasting value and significance (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15), and this usually leads to varying levels of disillusionment and even despair over life’s brevity and evident injustice “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 3:16–7:29).
Bible Verses About Aging
Following the growing realization that satisfaction in most of life’s activities is invariably fleeting, Solomon’s hope is that people will grow wiser in the use of their God-given “portion” or allotment before they die (Ecclesiastes 8–12; Cf. Psalm 90:12). This wisdom increases in relation to our awareness of “time and judgment.” As such, we need a divine perspective in the face of life’s brevity and apparent injustice (Ecclesiastes 3:15c–17; 8:5b–8, 12b–15; 9:11–12; 11:9; 12:14). Notice that in these passages, the Hebrew notion of time combines the concepts of opportunity (the right time to act expediently when the occasion arises) and limited lifespan (only so much time before all opportunity is gone).
Furthermore, the Hebrew notion of Judgment in these same texts presupposes complete freedom in the use of our God-given “portion” in life as our desires lead us, yet with concomitant accountability to the One who distributed our allotted “portions.” Notice that the New Testament counterpart to these concepts can be found portrayed vividly by Jesus’ parables of the ten virgins and the talents (Matthew 25), the two sons (Matthew 21:28–32), and the unjust steward (Luke 16:1–13). Among the most disturbing aspects of growing old – especially in cultures that set a high value on rugged individualism – is the increasing frequency of senile dementia as the human lifespan increases. It seems highly unfair that people so afflicted should be robbed of their intellectual, social, and emotional vitality while their physical bodies continue to survive. Sadly, the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown and it doesn’t seem to be related to any particular bad health habits. While its progression can be stalled, in part, by continued active involvement in physical and mind-stimulating activities, the progression of the disease is nevertheless inexorable.
More Scriptural Facts About Aging
The author of Ecclesiastes acknowledges the vexing unfairness of life from a human perspective (Ecclesiastes 7:15-18; 8:14–9:3), yet he offers us wisdom to help us deal with it from God’s perspective, entailing the notions of “time and judgment.” With our inevitable disillusionment over the human condition – our universal depravity, mortality, and uncertainty – it is wise to remember that “for all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:4-6). With the understanding that they are accountable for their God-given “portion,” people should take joyful advantage of all their gifts, wisdom, talents, and opportunities in life sooner rather than later – before all opportunity to do so has ceased, before inevitable debilitation foreclose all opportunity (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10; Ecclesiastes 11:9-10; Ecclesiastes 12:1-7).
This reflection on growing old teaches us that meaning in life is fulfilled in our God-given purpose, and our purpose is only fulfilled when we take advantage of our God-given portion in Christ, God’s beloved Son and Promised Savior of the world (John 3:16). While this portion may seem less fair for some than for others, life’s meaning will be consummated only at the final judgment when we receive our inheritance (Ecclesiastes 7:11) for the way we invest our portion, be it good or bad (Ecclesiastes 12:14; cp. 2 Corinthians 5:10). Brethren, on that day, we will see the Lord God as eminently fair in His rewards, regardless of how unfair or unevenly distributed our portion may seem in this present life.
Bible Verses About Aging
2 Corinthians 4:16 – “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.“
Job 12:12 – “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.“
1 Timothy 4:12 – “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.“
Proverbs 20:29 – “The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.“
Proverbs 16:31 – “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.“
Job 32:7 – “I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’“
Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.“
Proverbs 19:20 – “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.“
James 3:17 – “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”
Psalm 71:18 – “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.“
Psalm 71:9 – “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.”
Group 1 – Bible Verses About Aging
Leviticus 19:32 – “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.”
Isaiah 46:4 – “Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.“
Titus 2:3 – “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,“
Psalm 92:12-15 – “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”
1 Timothy 5:8 – “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Psalm 37:25 – “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.”
Psalm 92:12-14 – “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,“
Group 2 – Bible Verses About Aging
Proverbs 17:6 – “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.”
Psalm 92:14 – “They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,“
Psalm 103:5 – “Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Isaiah 46:3-4 – “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.“
Job 32:7 – “I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’“
Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 – “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, …“
Group 3 – Bible Verses About Aging
Psalm 90:10 – “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.“
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.“
Philippians 1:6 – “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.“
Joel 2:28 – “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.“
Proverbs 23:22 – “Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”
Psalm 73:26 – “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.“
Genesis 6:3 – Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
Deuteronomy 34:7 – “Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.”
Isaiah 40:31 – “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.“
Group 4 – Bible Verses About Aging
Psalm 90:12 – “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 91:16 – “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Ecclesiastes 7:10 – Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
Deuteronomy 32:7 – “Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.“
Job 5:26 – “You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season.“
1 Timothy 5:1-2 – “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.“
Genesis 25:8 – “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.“
Psalm 71:8-9 – “My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.“
Group 5 – Bible Verses About Aging
Philemon 1:9 – “Yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—“
1 Timothy 5:1 – “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,“
1 Chronicles 29:28 – “Then he died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place.“
Psalm 71:18-19 – “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?“
Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
Titus 2:2-3 – “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,“
Isaiah 40:29 – “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
Job 12:20 – “He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders.“
Group 6 – Bible Verses About Aging
Genesis 24:1 – “Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.“
Genesis 15:15 – “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.”
Psalm 143:5 – “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.“
1 Timothy 5:17 – “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.”
1 Kings 3:14 – “And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
Ruth 4:15 – “He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
Ephesians 6:1-3 – Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
1 Kings 12:6 – Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”
Group 7 – Bible Verses About Aging
James 4:14 – “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.“
Psalm 23:1-6 – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …“
Luke 1:36 – “And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.“
Luke 2:36-38 – “And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Group 8 – Bible Verses About Aging
Job 42:17 – “And Job died, an old man, and full of days.”
Joshua 14:10 – “And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.“
Deuteronomy 5:16 – “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
Job 32:4 – “Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he.“
Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 – “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, …“
Group 9 – Bible Verses About Aging
1 Peter 1:24 – For “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,
Revelation 1:1-20 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. …“
Genesis 25:7-8 – “These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.“
Ecclesiastes 12:1-3 – “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed,“
Group 10 – Bible Verses About Aging
Titus 2:2 – “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.“
Proverbs 10:27 – “The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.“
Proverbs 10:27 – “The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.”
Psalm 71:17-18 – “O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.”
Proverbs 3:13 – “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,“
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.“
Luke 2:37 – “And then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.“
Isaiah 38:12 – “My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end;“
Group 11 – Bible Verses About Aging
Job 32:9 – “It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right.”
Ecclesiastes 5:20 – “For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.“
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
Deuteronomy 5:33 – “You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.”
Psalm 71:17 – “O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.”
Psalm 90:5 – “You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:“
Psalm 71:1-24 – “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. …“
Group 12 – Bible Verses About Aging
Deuteronomy 33:25 – “Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be.“
Psalm 103:1-5 – “Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.“
Psalm 139:1-24 – “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. …“
Job 11:17 – “And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.”
Psalm 39:5 – “Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah“
Exodus 7:7 – “Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“
Group 13 – Bible Verses About Aging
Psalm 119:100 – “I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.“
Proverbs 12:28 – “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.“
Leviticus 19:1-37 – “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God. “When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. …“
1 Kings 12:8 – “But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.”
Genesis 47:9 – And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.”
Genesis 37:3 – “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.”
Group 14 – Bible Verses About Aging
Luke 1:37 – “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Isaiah 47:6 – “I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.”
Ecclesiastes 2:24 – “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,”
Leviticus 19:3 – “Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.”
Proverbs 30:17 – “The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.“
Lamentations 5:12 – “Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders.“
James 4:4 – “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.“
Discover Bible Verses About Unconditional Love (Agape). Agape is God’s unconditional love for humanity. We are also expected to apply this kind of love to our neighbors. Unconditional love is when you love someone no matter what they do and have no expectation of payment. In fact, unconditional love is love without expectations. The Greek word agape is often translated as “love” in the New Testament. In the Greek language used when the New Testament was written, there are four different words for love – with each describing a specific attitude and application. Agape love is one of the four. How is “agape love” different from other types of love? It refers to God’s in-depth love for people, and people’s love for both God and others. The essence of agape love is goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love. Unlike our English word love, agape is not employed in the New Testament to refer to romantic or sexual love. Nor does it refer to brotherly or close friendship love, for which the Greek word Philia is used. Agape love involves commitment, faithfulness, and an act of the will.
Although the word agape is used in a variety of contexts outside of the New Testament, in the vast majority of instances in the New Testament it carries a distinct meaning. Agape is almost always used to describe the love of and from God, whose very nature is love itself: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God does not merely love, He is love. Everything the Lord God does flows from His love. Agape is also used to describe our love for the Lord God (Luke 10:27), a servant’s faithful respect to his master (Matthew 6:24), and a man’s attachment to things (John 3:19). It is distinguished from the other types of love by its lofty moral nature. Agape love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13. In the English language, we have only one word for love. It can mean many things – from loving your spouse to loving something.
Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
According to 1 John 4:8, God is love or “agape.” The verse equally says that “he who does not love” – meaning someone who does not respond with that depth of love – does not really “know” the full depth of friendship, family love, or even sexual/romantic love. Agape love is the highest form of love. The love of God for man and of man for God. In its very nature, it embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstances. Only God Himself is 100% Agape love, but He accepts and assists those who wish to learn what it is and helps them put it into practice. Brethren, it is always a good thing to be on the Lord’s side. The opposite side always loses! The type of love that characterizes God is not a sappy, sentimental feeling such as we often hear portrayed.
Behold, God loves because that is His nature and the expression of His being. He loves the unlovable and the unlovely, not because we deserve to be loved or because of any excellence that we possess, but because it is His nature to love and He is true to His nature. Agape love is always shown by what it does. God’s love is displayed most clearly on the cross. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” Brethren, we did not deserve such a great sacrifice, “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Scriptural Facts About Agape Love
God’s Agape love is unmerited, gracious, and constantly seeking the benefits of the one He loves. Scripture says that we are the underserving recipients of God’s lavish agape love (1 John 3:1). God’s demonstration of agape love led to the sacrifice of the Son of God for those He loves. We are to love others with agape love, whether they are fellow believers (John 13:34) or bitter enemies (Matthew 5:44). Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of sacrifice for the sake of others, even for those who may care nothing at all for us. Notice that agape love as modeled by Jesus Christ is not based on a feeling; rather, it is a determined act of the will, a joyful resolve to put the welfare of others above our own.
Agape love does not come naturally to us. Because of our Fallen Nature, we are incapable of producing such love. If we are to love as the Lord God loves, that love – that agape – can only come from its Source. This is the love that “has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” when we became God’s beloved children through Christ (Romans 5:5; cf. Galatians 5:22).1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Because of the Lord God’s love towards us, we are able to love one another. John 13:34 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.“
The 4 Types of Love
1. storgē
storgē (Pronounced as STOR-jay) is the kind of love in the Bible that many people are not familiar with. This Greek word clearly points to what we can refer to as Family Love. It is the affectionate bond that naturally develops between parents and children, brothers and sisters. There are lots of Biblical examples pointing to this kind of love. To list a few, we’ll point to the mutual protection between Noah and his wife, the strong love that Martha and her sister Mary had for their brother Lazarus whom Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead, and the love that Jacob had for his sons. It is in this very light that we are commanded in Romans 12:10 to be devoted to one another with brotherly affection. The word “devoted” is a compound word using storge, “philostorgos,”
2. eros
Eros (Pronounced: AIR-ohs) is a Greek word for romantic or sensual love. It is more of a physical and romantic kind of love. This kind of love is much like what we regularly see at the end of most Hallmark movies. The Biblical book titled “Song of Songs” is filled with this type of love. Let’s get some examples by reading the following scriptures. Song of Songs 1:2 – “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth- for your love is more delightful than wine.” Let’s further read Song of Songs 1:4 – “Take me away with you- let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers.” The term Eros originated from the methodological Greek God of love. Such includes physical attraction and the desires that we know. Promiscuity of all types was rampant in ancient Greek in the name of Erotic Love.
3. Philos
Philos also referred to as Philia (Pronounced: FILL-ee-uh) is the love between friends. It is the type of intimate love in the Bible that Christians practice toward each other. This Greek term directly points to the powerful emotional bond that exists within a true friendship. It is the most general type of love that we regularly encounter when reading the Holy Scriptures. It encompasses love for fellow humans, respect, care, and compassion for those in need.
The religious concept of brotherly love that unites believers is unique to Christianity. Jesus Christ said in his prayers that Philia love will be an identifier of his followers before being crucified. Proverbs – “A friend loves at all times.” The friendship between David and Jonathan testifies to this kind of love. Although Jesus Christ had thousands of disciples, he held twelve closer than the rest. Even within the twelve, three were intensely close to him. Among the three, John was his closest friend.
4. Agape
Agape (Pronounced: Uh-GAH-pay) is the highest and most important kind of love in the Bible. It is a term used to define God’s unconditional, incomparable, and immeasurable love for humankind. Such is the divine love that comes from God, the Father of Creation who rules over Heaven and Earth. Agape love is unconditional, perfect, pure, and sacrificial. The way Jesus Christ lived and died demonstrates this kind of love for his Father. When we love using Agape, we are seeking to give of ourselves.
This is best demonstrated in the willingness of God to give up His only son to be sacrificed for our sake. Jesus Christ in turn accepted his Father’s will and offered himself without reserve for our sake. That’s He endured suffering, persecution, and insults for our sake on the cross at Calvary. There is nothing that we have to provide God that will bring him any gain. He simply loves us without waiting for anything in return. 1 Corinthians 13:12 – “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greater of these is love.”
Agape Love Examples
To the Greeks, proper agape meant a general empathy or lovingkindness for all people. Though in the Bible, Christians are indeed expected to care for all in the name of Christ, Christianity took this a step further. The Lord God is the standard for true agape. The Lord God is agape love, He loves us with agape love, and commands us to love others with agape love. Agape is a choice, a deliberate striving for another’s highest good, and is demonstrated through action. God set the standard for agape love by sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. The New Testament references agape over 200 times. Matthew 22:37-39, also known as “The Greatest Commandments,” instructs us to agapao God and our neighbors, while Matthew 5:43-46 instructs us to even agapao our enemies. However, a person can also experience agape or wholeheartedly love the wrong things. 1 John 2:15 warns believers not to love the things of the world.
1 Corinthians 13 lays out a list of things that define agape. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Furthermore, Matthew 22:36-40 says, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. …”
Love Drives Out Fear
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (this is again the word agape). Behold, the .dismissal of the fear of condemnation is one of the main functions of God’s love. The person without Christ is under judgment and has plenty to fear, but once a person is in Christ, the fear of judgment is gone. John 3:18 says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
As Christians, part of understanding the love of God is knowing that God’s judgment fell on Jesus at the cross so we can be spared. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Jesus Christ is the Savior in whom anyone who believes is saved. We learn from the Scriptures that the only person who must fear judgment is the one who rejects Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that nothing can separate the believer from the love of God in Christ. Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God’s love for sinners is why Christ died on the Cross of Calvary. God’s love for those who trust in Christ is why He holds them in His hand and promises never to let them go (John 10:29).
Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
1 John 4:8 – “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Romans 5:8 – “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“
John 13:34-35 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.“
1 Corinthians 13:7 – “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.“
Luke 10:27 – And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Group 1 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
1 Corinthians 13:4 – “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant“
John 21:15-17 – “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.“
John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.“
1 John 4:7 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
1 John 4:10 – “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.“
John 14:21 – “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Group 2 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
Colossians 3:14 – “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
John 16:27 – “For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”
1 John 4:20-21 – “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
1 John 3:16 – “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; …“
Group 3 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
Romans 12:10 – “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 – “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
John 13:35 – “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Romans 5:5 – “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.“
John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
1 John 4:16 – “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
Group 4 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
Matthew 22:37 – And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Matthew 5:43-44 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,“
Mark 12:30 – “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’“
John 15:12 – “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.“
Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
Mark 12:31 – “The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Romans 13:8-10 – “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Group 5 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
Romans 8:39 – “Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:39 – “Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 21:15 – When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.“
Matthew 5:43-48 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? …“
Group 6 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
1 John 2:15 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.“
Matthew 22:39 – “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Romans 13:10 – “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Psalm 59:10 – “My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.“
John 17:26 – “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 – “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
Group 7 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
2 Timothy 4:10 – “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.”
1 John 4:9-10 – “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.“
1 Corinthians 13:6 – “It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.”
John 15:12-13 – “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.“
1 John 4:9-10 – “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Group 8 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us.“
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.“
John 3:19 – “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.“
1 John 3:1 – “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
Revelation 1:5 – “And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood“
Ephesians 1:1-23 – “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, …“
Group 9 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,“
1 Corinthians 13:8 – “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.“
Romans 5:10 – “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
John 1:1-51 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. …“
Matthew 24:12 – “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.“
Luke 11:42 – “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.“
John 21:17 – He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Group 10 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
Matthew 5:44 – “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”
1 John 3:18 – “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.“
1 Corinthians 13:5 – “Or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;“
John 15:10 – “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.“
John 5:20 – “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.“
Romans 12:9 – “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”
Romans 14:15 – “For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.”
Galatians 5:13 – “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.“
2 John 1:6 – “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.”
Group 11 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
John 21:16 – He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jude 1:12 – “These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted;“
Leviticus 19:18 – “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 16:14 – “Let all that you do be done in love.“
Romans 13:8 – “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”
John 21:1-25 – After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” …
Group 12 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
Luke 11:43 – “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.“
John 15:9-10 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.“
Matthew 9:36 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Matthew 5:45 – “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.“
Galatians 5:14 – For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Ephesians 2:4 – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,“
1 John 4:20 – “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.“
Group 13 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
2 Corinthians 12:15 – “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?“
Ephesians 2:1-22 – “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— …“
1 John 4:21 – “And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.“
1 Corinthians 8:1 – “Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.“
1 Corinthians 13:1 – “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.“
Revelation 2:4 – “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.“
John 15:9 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.“
Colossians 3:19 – “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.”
Group 14 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
John 15:17 – “These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
Revelation 1:1-20 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. …“
Ephesians 5:1-2 – “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.“
Romans 5:1-6:23 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. …“
Group 15 – Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
Matthew 5:43 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’“
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.“
Psalm 85:1-13 – “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? …“
Discover Bible Verses About Agape Love. The Greek word agape is often translated as “love” in the New Testament. In the Greek language used when the New Testament was written, there are four different words for love – with each describing a specific attitude and application. Agape love is one of the four. How is “agape love” different from other types of love? It refers to God’s in-depth love for people, and people’s love for both God and others. The essence of agape love is goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love. Unlike our English word love, agape is not employed in the New Testament to refer to romantic or sexual love. Nor does it refer to brotherly or close friendship love, for which the Greek word Philia is used. Agape love involves commitment, faithfulness, and an act of the will.
Although the word agape is used in a variety of contexts outside of the New Testament, in the vast majority of instances in the New Testament it carries a distinct meaning. Agape is almost always used to describe the love of and from God, whose very nature is love itself: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God does not merely love, He is love. Everything the Lord God does flows from His love. Agape is also used to describe our love for the Lord God (Luke 10:27), a servant’s faithful respect to his master (Matthew 6:24), and a man’s attachment to things (John 3:19). It is distinguished from the other types of love by its lofty moral nature. Agape love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13. In the English language, we have only one word for love. It can mean many things – from loving your spouse to loving something.
Bible Verses About Agape Love
According to 1 John 4:8, God is love or “agape.” The verse equally says that “he who does not love” – meaning someone who does not respond with that depth of love – does not really “know” the full depth of friendship, family love, or even sexual/romantic love. Agape love is the highest form of love. The love of God for man and of man for God. In its very nature, it embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstances. Only God Himself is 100% Agape love, but He accepts and assists those who wish to learn what it is and helps them put it into practice. Brethren, it is always a good thing to be on the Lord’s side. The opposite side always loses! The type of love that characterizes God is not a sappy, sentimental feeling such as we often hear portrayed.
Behold, God loves because that is His nature and the expression of His being. He loves the unlovable and the unlovely, not because we deserve to be loved or because of any excellence that we possess, but because it is His nature to love and He is true to His nature. Agape love is always shown by what it does. God’s love is displayed most clearly on the cross. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” Brethren, we did not deserve such a great sacrifice, “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Scriptural Facts About Agape Love
God’s Agape love is unmerited, gracious, and constantly seeking the benefits of the one He loves. Scripture says that we are the underserving recipients of God’s lavish agape love (1 John 3:1). God’s demonstration of agape love led to the sacrifice of the Son of God for those He loves. We are to love others with agape love, whether they are fellow believers (John 13:34) or bitter enemies (Matthew 5:44). Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of sacrifice for the sake of others, even for those who may care nothing at all for us. Notice that agape love as modeled by Jesus Christ is not based on a feeling; rather, it is a determined act of the will, a joyful resolve to put the welfare of others above our own.
Agape love does not come naturally to us. Because of our Fallen Nature, we are incapable of producing such love. If we are to love as the Lord God loves, that love – that agape – can only come from its Source. This is the love that “has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” when we became God’s beloved children through Christ (Romans 5:5; cf. Galatians 5:22).1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Because of the Lord God’s love towards us, we are able to love one another. John 13:34 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.“
The 4 Types of Love
1. storgē
storgē (Pronounced as STOR-jay) is the kind of love in the Bible that many people are not familiar with. This Greek word clearly points to what we can refer to as Family Love. It is the affectionate bond that naturally develops between parents and children, brothers and sisters. There are lots of Biblical examples pointing to this kind of love. To list a few, we’ll point to the mutual protection between Noah and his wife, the strong love that Martha and her sister Mary had for their brother Lazarus whom Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead, and the love that Jacob had for his sons. It is in this very light that we are commanded in Romans 12:10 to be devoted to one another with brotherly affection. The word “devoted” is a compound word using storge, “philostorgos,”
2. eros
Eros (Pronounced: AIR-ohs) is a Greek word for romantic or sensual love. It is more of a physical and romantic kind of love. This kind of love is much like what we regularly see at the end of most Hallmark movies. The Biblical book titled “Song of Songs” is filled with this type of love. Let’s get some examples by reading the following scriptures. Song of Songs 1:2 – “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth- for your love is more delightful than wine.” Let’s further read Song of Songs 1:4 – “Take me away with you- let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers.” The term Eros originated from the methodological Greek God of love. Such includes physical attraction and the desires that we know. Promiscuity of all types was rampant in ancient Greek in the name of Erotic Love.
3. Philos
Philos also referred to as Philia (Pronounced: FILL-ee-uh) is the love between friends. It is the type of intimate love in the Bible that Christians practice toward each other. This Greek term directly points to the powerful emotional bond that exists within a true friendship. It is the most general type of love that we regularly encounter when reading the Holy Scriptures. It encompasses love for fellow humans, respect, care, and compassion for those in need.
The religious concept of brotherly love that unites believers is unique to Christianity. Jesus Christ said in his prayers that Philia love will be an identifier of his followers before being crucified. Proverbs – “A friend loves at all times.” The friendship between David and Jonathan testifies to this kind of love. Although Jesus Christ had thousands of disciples, he held twelve closer than the rest. Even within the twelve, three were intensely close to him. Among the three, John was his closest friend.
4. Agape
Agape (Pronounced: Uh-GAH-pay) is the highest and most important kind of love in the Bible. It is a term used to define God’s unconditional, incomparable, and immeasurable love for humankind. Such is the divine love that comes from God, the Father of Creation who rules over Heaven and Earth. Agape love is unconditional, perfect, pure, and sacrificial. The way Jesus Christ lived and died demonstrates this kind of love for his Father. When we love using Agape, we are seeking to give of ourselves.
This is best demonstrated in the willingness of God to give up His only son to be sacrificed for our sake. Jesus Christ in turn accepted his Father’s will and offered himself without reserve for our sake. That’s He endured suffering, persecution, and insults for our sake on the cross at Calvary. There is nothing that we have to provide God that will bring him any gain. He simply loves us without waiting for anything in return. 1 Corinthians 13:12 – “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greater of these is love.”
Agape Love Examples
To the Greeks, proper agape meant a general empathy or lovingkindness for all people. Though in the Bible, Christians are indeed expected to care for all in the name of Christ, Christianity took this a step further. The Lord God is the standard for true agape. The Lord God is agape love, He loves us with agape love, and commands us to love others with agape love. Agape is a choice, a deliberate striving for another’s highest good, and is demonstrated through action. God set the standard for agape love by sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. The New Testament references agape over 200 times. Matthew 22:37-39, also known as “The Greatest Commandments,” instructs us to agapao God and our neighbors, while Matthew 5:43-46 instructs us to even agapao our enemies. However, a person can also experience agape or wholeheartedly love the wrong things. 1 John 2:15 warns believers not to love the things of the world.
1 Corinthians 13 lays out a list of things that define agape. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Furthermore, Matthew 22:36-40 says, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. …”
Love Drives Out Fear
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (this is again the word agape). Behold, the .dismissal of the fear of condemnation is one of the main functions of God’s love. The person without Christ is under judgment and has plenty to fear, but once a person is in Christ, the fear of judgment is gone. John 3:18 says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
As Christians, part of understanding the love of God is knowing that God’s judgment fell on Jesus at the cross so we can be spared. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Jesus Christ is the Savior in whom anyone who believes is saved. We learn from the Scriptures that the only person who must fear judgment is the one who rejects Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that nothing can separate the believer from the love of God in Christ. Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God’s love for sinners is why Christ died on the Cross of Calvary. God’s love for those who trust in Christ is why He holds them in His hand and promises never to let them go (John 10:29).
Bible Verses About Agape Love
1 John 4:8 – “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Romans 5:8 – “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“
John 13:34-35 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.“
1 Corinthians 13:7 – “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.“
Luke 10:27 – And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Group 1 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.“
1 John 4:7 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
1 John 4:10 – “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.“
John 14:21 – “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
1 Corinthians 13:4 – “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant“
John 21:15-17 – “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.“
Group 2 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
1 John 3:16 – “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; …“
Colossians 3:14 – “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
John 16:27 – “For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”
1 John 4:20-21 – “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
Group 3 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
Romans 12:10 – “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 – “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
John 13:35 – “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Romans 5:5 – “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.“
John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
1 John 4:16 – “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
Group 4 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
Mark 12:31 – “The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Romans 13:8-10 – “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Matthew 22:37 – And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Matthew 5:43-44 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,“
Mark 12:30 – “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’“
John 15:12 – “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.“
Group 5 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.“
Matthew 5:43-48 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? …“
Romans 8:39 – “Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:39 – “Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 21:15 – When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
Group 6 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 – “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
1 John 2:15 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.“
Matthew 22:39 – “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Romans 13:10 – “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Psalm 59:10 – “My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.“
John 17:26 – “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Group 7 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
2 Timothy 4:10 – “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.”
1 John 4:9-10 – “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.“
1 Corinthians 13:6 – “It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.”
John 15:12-13 – “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.“
1 John 4:9-10 – “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Group 8 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
Revelation 1:5 – “And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood“
Ephesians 1:1-23 – “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, …“
1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us.“
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.“
John 3:19 – “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.“
1 John 3:1 – “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
Group 9 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,“
1 Corinthians 13:8 – “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.“
Romans 5:10 – “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
John 1:1-51 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. …“
Matthew 24:12 – “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.“
Luke 11:42 – “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.“
John 21:17 – He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Group 10 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
Romans 12:9 – “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”
Romans 14:15 – “For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.”
Galatians 5:13 – “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.“
2 John 1:6 – “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.”
Matthew 5:44 – “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”
1 John 3:18 – “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.“
1 Corinthians 13:5 – “Or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;“
John 15:10 – “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.“
John 5:20 – “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.“
Group 11 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
John 21:16 – He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jude 1:12 – “These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted;“
Leviticus 19:18 – “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 16:14 – “Let all that you do be done in love.“
Romans 13:8 – “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”
John 21:1-25 – After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” …
Group 12 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
Galatians 5:14 – For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Ephesians 2:4 – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,“
1 John 4:20 – “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.“
Luke 11:43 – “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.“
John 15:9-10 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.“
Matthew 9:36 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Matthew 5:45 – “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.“
Group 13 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
2 Corinthians 12:15 – “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?“
Ephesians 2:1-22 – “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— …“
1 John 4:21 – “And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.“
1 Corinthians 8:1 – “Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.“
1 Corinthians 13:1 – “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.“
Revelation 2:4 – “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.“
John 15:9 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.“
Colossians 3:19 – “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.”
Group 14 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
Ephesians 5:1-2 – “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.“
Romans 5:1-6:23 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. …“
John 15:17 – “These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
Revelation 1:1-20 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. …“
Group 15 – Bible Verses About Agape Love
Psalm 85:1-13 – “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? …“
Matthew 5:43 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’“
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.“
Discover Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead. The Bible presents death as separation whereby physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, and spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. Death is the result of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The whole world is subject to death because all have sinned. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” In Genesis 2:17, the Lord God Almighty warned Adam that the penalty for disobedience would be death – “you will surely die.” When Adam disobeyed, he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide “from Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Later on, Adam experienced physical death (Genesis 5:5).
On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus also experienced physical death (Matthew 27:50). The difference is that Adam died because he was a sinner, and Jesus, who had never sinned, chose to die as a substitute for sinners (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus then revealed His power over death and sin by rising from the dead on the third day (Matthew 28; Revelation 1:18). Because of Christ, death is a defeated foe (1 Corinthians 15:55; Hosea 13:14). For the unsaved, death brings to an end the chance to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). For the saved, death ushers us into the presence of Christ: “To be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Behold, the promise of the believer’s resurrection is so real that the physical death of a Christian is called “sleep” (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 5:10). As Christians, we look forward to that time when “there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4).
Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Death, as it sounds, is perceived by many as their worst nightmare. The very word can trigger images of fear, of men and women in black, of grief, and of darkness. For some people, it is everything except something good. It is a word that generally generates fears, doubts, worries, stress, and bitterness in many. However, is this how God wants us to handle the very aspect of death? We’ll get divine answers from the best Bible verses on death. As we all know, the Bible is an authoritative guide in knowing and doing what God wants. With a good understanding of this spiritual truth, Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy, telling him that all scriptures were divinely inspired and are good for teaching.
Behold, it is not God’s perfect will for us to live in the fear of death. Brethren, let no one deceive you by saying the contrary. Truth be told, it is God’s will for us to live, and die, with the confidence or certainty that comes from knowing we completely belong to the victorious, risen king, in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross at Calvary for our sake, and rose from the grave together with all who belong to God. As followers of Christ, we ought to perceive the very aspect of death from a different angle and not as the world does. We have been purchased and welcomed by the one who conquered death. He overcame death for himself and all those who belong to his Father’s flock. Instead of worrying about death, you should be concerned about gaining mercy and favor before his throne.
Is There Life After Death?
Job, speaking out of his despair, asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). All of us have been challenged by this question. Is there life after death? What happens to us after we die? Do we simply cease to exist? Is death the end? Is death a revolving door of departing and returning to the earth? Does everyone go to the same place after death or do they go to different places? Is there really a heaven and hell? Behold, the Bible explicitly tells us that, yes, there is life after death. As such, this world is not all there is, and mankind was made for something greater. At death, the body ceases to function and begins the process of returning to the earth, but the spiritual part of man lives on: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; cf. Psalm 146:4). To those who are redeemed and have their sin forgiven, the Lord God gives eternal life, an existence so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This eternal life is inextricably linked to the person of Jesus Christ: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). 1 John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to the earth to pay for our sins and give us the gift of Eternal Life: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave – He is life personified (John 11:25) and the ultimate proof that there is life after death. John 11:25 says, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. The resurrection of Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul invited people to question the over 500 witnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). Note that all of them could bear testimony to the fact that Jesus is alive and that there is indeed life after death. The resurrection of Christ, which gives us the sure hope of life after death, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). Because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, we have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. As Jesus told His disciples, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again (1 Corinthians 15:23). Just as the Lord God raised up Jesus’ body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 6:14).
Each person must make a choice in this life, a choice that will determine his or her eternal destination. It is appointed for us to die once and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who have rejected Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience the never-ending, eternal wrath of God. Hell is described as a lake of fire where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). The Lord God Almighty does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires them to turn from their wicked ways by sincerely repenting and believing in Jesus Christ so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16-18).
Faith in Jesus Christ is the one and only way to receive eternal life and avoid hell. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Brethren, the free gift of eternal life is available to all. John 3:36 says, “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” It’s important to understand that we will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust in the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sins, strongly hold to His message, and believe in His resurrection from the dead, we are guaranteed eternal life after death, in glory (1 Peter 1:3–5).
What Happens After Death?
Within the Christian community, there is a significant amount of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death everyone “sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to hell or heaven. Other Christians believe that at the moment of death, people are instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still, other Christians claim that, when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to “temporary” heaven or hell to await the final resurrection, the final judgment, and the finality of their eternal destination. Nevertheless, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death? First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins were forgiven when they received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36).
Notice that for believers in Jesus Christ, death means being “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection? It seems that while the spirits/souls of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the spirit/soul. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the state of existence for believers for eternity in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22).
Second, for those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, death means everlasting punishment. However, in a similar way to the destiny of believers, it seems that unbelievers also go to a temporary holding place to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. Luke 16:22–23 describes a rich man being tormented immediately after death. Revelation 20:11–15 describes all the unbelieving dead being resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and cast into the lake of fire. Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of fire) immediately after death, but they are rather sent to a temporary realm of judgment and anguish. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire” (Luke 16:24). After death, a person resides either in a place of comfort or in a place of torment. These realms act as a temporary “heaven” and a temporary “hell” until the resurrection. At that point in time, the soul is reunited with the body, but no one’s eternal destiny will change.
The first resurrection is for the “blessed and holy” (Revelation 20:6) – everyone who is in Christ – and those who are part of the first resurrection will enter the millennial kingdom and, ultimately, the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1). The other resurrection happens after Christ’s millennial kingdom, and it involves the wicked and unbelieving being “judged according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:13). These, whose names are not written in the book of life, will be sent to the lake of fire to experience the “second death” (Revelation 20:14–15). The new earth and the lake of fire are final and eternal destinations. People go to one or the other, based entirely on whether they have trusted and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).
How to gain Mercy and Favor before God’s Throne
Just as we previously mentioned, instead of entertaining fear, doubt, and worries in your heart about death, you should focus on gaining mercy and favor before God’s throne. He who has been granted mercy and favor before God’s throne has nothing to fear about death. Such a person was raised from death the very day that Christ conquered death and triumphed over sin. And for sure, those who get life through Christ will dwell in God’s presence for all times in the world to come. The question now is that to know how to find mercy and favor before God. It is worth noting that mercy and favor from God come out of His grace (unmerited favor). To be receptive to this grace, we need to cultivate obedience and faithfulness to God.
Scriptural Facts About Death
1. Death is not the End – Matthew 25:31-46
Many believe that once we die, we cease existing. Contrary to this false belief, we’ll tell you that death is not the end. Concerning what the Bible says about death, on no occasion has any messenger from God pointed to death as the end. We are taught by the Holy Scriptures that although our physical bodies will decompose during death, our souls will live forever. That is, our souls will either live forever in God’s heavenly presence known as paradise or eternally separated from him and thrown into the lake of fire. The choice of whether we are going to paradise or the lake of fire depends on us. God in his goodness and love sent his only son Jesus Christ to be crucified as the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Only those who welcome his sacrifice and obey His teachings will dwell in paradise.
On the other hand, those who would have rejected Him and His Teachings during their lifetimes on earth will be directed to the lake of fire. For such people suffering is their eternal reward. To support our message, we’ll recommend that you read Matthew 25:31-46. It talks about the day of judgment which God has appointed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to execute when the right time comes. Those who will be found worthy through the blood of Christ will dwell in paradise, a place of joy, happiness, good health, and no suffering. For more info, we’ll recommend that you read our article on What Jesus Christ taught about Hell.
2. As Jesus Overcame death, so shall we – Romans 6:5
Perhaps you were not aware but God’s original plan for Creation was free from Sin and death. It was when Mankind Rebelled against Him under the directives of Satan that sin and death found their way into our lives. Despite our sins, God did not stop loving us but sent His only beloved son, Jesus Christ, saying that whoever believes in Him will not die but live. The Death of Christ on the Cross at Calvary and His Resurrection conquered both sin and death. Anyone who Welcomes Him and His Key Teachings is given Everlasting Life in the world to come. In this light, Romans 6:5 says that we will also be raised from death as he was. Almost all Bible verses about death are pointing to this divine truth.
What the Bible Says About Communicating with the Dead
We live in an age where people claim to be more in touch with the spirit world. Today, many people believe we can communicate with the dead and the dead can communicate with us. This belief has resulted in a flood of books, shows, and spiritual advisors who draw people in by claiming they can communicate with their dead loved ones. Although their demonstrations seem impressive, it’s important to know if they are real. To know for sure, we should find out what the Bible says about communicating with the dead. Brethren, Scripture makes it clear that we should not seek the help of necromancers or mediums. Behold, the Bible condemns necromancy which is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events; discovery of hidden knowledge; returning a person to life, or to use the dead as a weapon (Deuteronomy 18:11).
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Scripture warns us against consulting with familiar spirits and necromancers. Familiar spirits are trusted spirits that are thought to be friendly or familiar. However, they are not people, but demons (Leviticus 20:1-6, 27; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3; Isiah 29:4). Likewise, necromancers, often called mediums, are those who try to communicate with the dead. Note that neither are part of God’s family and they are not His children by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26). Instead, they are part of Satan’s family, which include those who deny Christ (John 8:34-44; Acts 3:6-10; 1 John 3:8-10).
A Biblical Example of an Alleged Communication with the Dead
A biblical example of someone who tried to speak to the dead is found in 1 Samuel 28. The prophet Samuel had died and King Saul learned that the Philistines were gathered together to wage war against Israel. Saul feared greatly when he saw their army, so he prayed to the Lord God for advice, but the Lord God did not answer. King Saul became desperate and told his servants to find a woman with a familiar spirit. Once a woman was found, Saul disguised himself and went to her at night. He asked her to call upon the spirit to bring up someone. She refused out of fear of what would happen to her if she did it, but King Saul swore in the Lord’s name that she would not be harmed. The woman asked who he wanted her to call up and Saul told her Samuel. Immediately she had a terrifying vision. Saul asked her what she had seen and she said she had seen “gods coming out of the earth” and an old man covered with a head covering. Saul “perceived” it was Samuel and he bowed down to the ground. Then the old man, whom Saul could not see, chastised him for disturbing him. Despite this, Saul went on to ask him what to do about the Philistines. The old man said that God departed from Saul and was His enemy because he had not obeyed the Lord. He added that Saul and his sons would be captured by the Philistines. When Saul heard this, he was consumed by fear and fainted. Later we learn that Saul was captured and he and his sons were killed.
What are the problems with Saul’s alleged conversation with Samuel? There are many things to consider about this account. First, is that the vision was only visible to a woman with demons (1 Samuel 28:13). The “gods” that she saw were not of God, they were of Satan. We know this because there is only one true God and no others (Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:5-6). Furthermore, worship of any other god is worshiping of devils (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Second, the voice that Saul heard was a delusion. Isaiah 66:4 makes us understand that God can send people a delusion if they disobey and do evil before Him. Likewise, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we learn that the Lord God will send strong delusion to those who reject salvation through Christ so they will believe the Wicked One (anti-Christ) and be damned. In addition, Scripture tells us that Satan has the power to create miracles (2 Corinthians 2:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:11-14). Jesus Christ spoke of this in Matthew 7:23-23 when He said that people will come to Him claiming that they prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works (miracles) in His name, but He would tell them that He never knew them; these people are deluded.
There is no truth in the Devil because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). As such, it is unlikely that the Lord God would use a demon to raise up Samuel to give Godly counsel. Note that demons know Jesus and what their future holds. In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus met two men possessed by devils (demons). The devils called Jesus by name and asked if He was there to torment them before the appointed time. Notice that they were referring to a future event when they would be tossed into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-10). Therefore, it’s not unlikely that a demon knew what Saul had done and that he would die along with his sons. A close example is that of Paul and Silas on their way to the place of prayer. They were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. The spirit clearly recognized Paul and Silas, followed them, and continuously shouted, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment, the spirit left her (Acts 16:16-18).
Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Leviticus 19:31 – “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.“
Leviticus 20:27 – “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14 – “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.“
Luke 23:43 – “And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Romans 14:8 -“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Isaiah 8:19 – And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
Matthew 10:28 – “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
John 11:26 – “And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 – “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
Group 1 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Leviticus 20:6 – “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,“
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Luke 23:43 – And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. …“
Group 2 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.“
Matthew 25:41 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.“
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.“
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” … ”
John 14:1-4 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Psalm 146:4 – “When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”
John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Group 3 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.”
Job 14:14 – “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 – “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”
Revelation 14:13 – And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
1 Corinthians 15:51 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
2 Kings 21:6 – “And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.“
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Ezekiel 18:32 – “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Group 4 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Ecclesiastes 3:2 – “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;”
2 Corinthians 5:8 – “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Luke 2:29 – “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;”
Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Psalm 116:15 – “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
Romans 8:13 – “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Group 5 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Romans 10:9-13 – Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Genesis 3:19 – “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
1 Timothy 6:7 – “For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 39:4 – “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”
Isaiah 25:8 – “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
John 5:24-26 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”
1 Corinthians 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Group 6 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Psalm 23:1-6 – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Hebrews 13:14 – “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Proverbs 14:32 – “The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.“
Group 7 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Matthew 27:52 – “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,“
John 11:11-14 – After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,”
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 – “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”
Romans 1:1-32 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, …“
Group 8 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.“
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””
Hebrews 2:14 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
John 5:28-29 – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Isaiah 57:1-2 – “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”
John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Ezekiel 18:21 – “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Daniel 12:1-13 – “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. …
Group 9 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
1 Thessalonians 4:15 – “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.“
Romans 6:16 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Ephesians 1:19-23 – “And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 –“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:12 – “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Acts 7:60 – “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Luke 20:36 – “For they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
1 Corinthians 15:16-23 – “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. …“
Group 10 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, …”
Daniel 12:2 – “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Ezekiel 33:8 – “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Job 16:22 – “For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.”
Romans 1:1-4 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,“
Group 11 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Ecclesiastes 5:15 – “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”
1 Corinthians 15:21 – “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”
Romans 8:6 – “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.“
Ecclesiastes 8:8 – “No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Proverbs 12:28 – “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.”
Genesis 19:24 – “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
Acts 20:9-11 – “And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.”
Hosea 13:14 – “Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”
Genesis 25:8 – “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Psalm 104:29 – “When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”
Group 12 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.”
Revelation 12:11 – “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Acts 9:40-41 – But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
2 Samuel 12:23 – “But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Genesis 2:7 – “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.“
Psalm 30:5 – “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Revelation 2:11 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”
Acts 7:59 – And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Group 13 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Acts 2:32-36 – This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Hebrews 2:15 – “And deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Psalm 48:14 – “That this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.”
1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.“
Luke 23:39-43 – One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Group 14 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
John 20:26 – Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Luke 24:39-43 – “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.“
Luke 24:1-7 – “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? …“
John 11:1-57 – “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. …“
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
John 11:43-44 – When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Group 15 – Bible Verses About Talking to the Dead
Revelation 4:2 – “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”
Revelation 6:9-11 – “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.“
Matthew 9:23-25 – “And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.“
Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.”
James 2:10 – “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
Bible Verses About After Death. The Bible presents death as separation whereby physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, and spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. Death is the result of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The whole world is subject to death because all have sinned. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” In Genesis 2:17, the Lord God Almighty warned Adam that the penalty for disobedience would be death – “you will surely die.” When Adam disobeyed, he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide “from Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Later on, Adam experienced physical death (Genesis 5:5).
On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus also experienced physical death (Matthew 27:50). The difference is that Adam died because he was a sinner, and Jesus, who had never sinned, chose to die as a substitute for sinners (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus then revealed His power over death and sin by rising from the dead on the third day (Matthew 28; Revelation 1:18). Because of Christ, death is a defeated foe (1 Corinthians 15:55; Hosea 13:14). For the unsaved, death brings to an end the chance to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). For the saved, death ushers us into the presence of Christ: “To be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Behold, the promise of the believer’s resurrection is so real that the physical death of a Christian is called “sleep” (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 5:10). As Christians, we look forward to that time when “there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4).
Bible Verses About After Death
Death, as it sounds, is perceived by many as their worst nightmare. The very word can trigger images of fear, of men and women in black, of grief, and of darkness. For some people, it is everything except something good. It is a word that generally generates fears, doubts, worries, stress, and bitterness in many. However, is this how God wants us to handle the very aspect of death? We’ll get divine answers from the best Bible verses on death. As we all know, the Bible is an authoritative guide in knowing and doing what God wants. With a good understanding of this spiritual truth, Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy, telling him that all scriptures were divinely inspired and are good for teaching.
Behold, it is not God’s perfect will for us to live in the fear of death. Brethren, let no one deceive you by saying the contrary. Truth be told, it is God’s will for us to live, and die, with the confidence or certainty that comes from knowing we completely belong to the victorious, risen king, in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross at Calvary for our sake, and rose from the grave together with all who belong to God. As followers of Christ, we ought to perceive the very aspect of death from a different angle and not as the world does. We have been purchased and welcomed by the one who conquered death. He overcame death for himself and all those who belong to his Father’s flock. Instead of worrying about death, you should be concerned about gaining mercy and favor before his throne.
Is There Life After Death?
Job, speaking out of his despair, asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). All of us have been challenged by this question. Is there life after death? What happens to us after we die? Do we simply cease to exist? Is death the end? Is death a revolving door of departing and returning to the earth? Does everyone go to the same place after death or do they go to different places? Is there really a heaven and hell? Behold, the Bible explicitly tells us that, yes, there is life after death. As such, this world is not all there is, and mankind was made for something greater. At death, the body ceases to function and begins the process of returning to the earth, but the spiritual part of man lives on: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; cf. Psalm 146:4). To those who are redeemed and have their sin forgiven, the Lord God gives eternal life, an existence so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This eternal life is inextricably linked to the person of Jesus Christ: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). 1 John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to the earth to pay for our sins and give us the gift of Eternal Life: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave – He is life personified (John 11:25) and the ultimate proof that there is life after death. John 11:25 says, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. The resurrection of Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul invited people to question the over 500 witnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). Note that all of them could bear testimony to the fact that Jesus is alive and that there is indeed life after death. The resurrection of Christ, which gives us the sure hope of life after death, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). Because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, we have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. As Jesus told His disciples, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again (1 Corinthians 15:23). Just as the Lord God raised up Jesus’ body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 6:14).
Each person must make a choice in this life, a choice that will determine his or her eternal destination. It is appointed for us to die once and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who have rejected Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience the never-ending, eternal wrath of God. Hell is described as a lake of fire where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). The Lord God Almighty does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires them to turn from their wicked ways by sincerely repenting and believing in Jesus Christ so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16-18).
Faith in Jesus Christ is the one and only way to receive eternal life and avoid hell. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Brethren, the free gift of eternal life is available to all. John 3:36 says, “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” It’s important to understand that we will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust in the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sins, strongly hold to His message, and believe in His resurrection from the dead, we are guaranteed eternal life after death, in glory (1 Peter 1:3–5).
What Happens After Death?
Within the Christian community, there is a significant amount of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death everyone “sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to hell or heaven. Other Christians believe that at the moment of death, people are instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still, other Christians claim that, when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to “temporary” heaven or hell to await the final resurrection, the final judgment, and the finality of their eternal destination. Nevertheless, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death? First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins were forgiven when they received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36).
Notice that for believers in Jesus Christ, death means being “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection? It seems that while the spirits/souls of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the spirit/soul. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the state of existence for believers for eternity in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22).
Second, for those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, death means everlasting punishment. However, in a similar way to the destiny of believers, it seems that unbelievers also go to a temporary holding place to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. Luke 16:22–23 describes a rich man being tormented immediately after death. Revelation 20:11–15 describes all the unbelieving dead being resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and cast into the lake of fire. Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of fire) immediately after death, but they are rather sent to a temporary realm of judgment and anguish. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire” (Luke 16:24). After death, a person resides either in a place of comfort or in a place of torment. These realms act as a temporary “heaven” and a temporary “hell” until the resurrection. At that point in time, the soul is reunited with the body, but no one’s eternal destiny will change.
The first resurrection is for the “blessed and holy” (Revelation 20:6) – everyone who is in Christ – and those who are part of the first resurrection will enter the millennial kingdom and, ultimately, the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1). The other resurrection happens after Christ’s millennial kingdom, and it involves the wicked and unbelieving being “judged according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:13). These, whose names are not written in the book of life, will be sent to the lake of fire to experience the “second death” (Revelation 20:14–15). The new earth and the lake of fire are final and eternal destinations. People go to one or the other, based entirely on whether they have trusted and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).
How to gain Mercy and Favor before God’s Throne
Just as we previously mentioned, instead of entertaining fear, doubt, and worries in your heart about death, you should focus on gaining mercy and favor before God’s throne. He who has been granted mercy and favor before God’s throne has nothing to fear about death. Such a person was raised from death the very day that Christ conquered death and triumphed over sin. And for sure, those who get life through Christ will dwell in God’s presence for all times in the world to come. The question now is that to know how to find mercy and favor before God. It is worth noting that mercy and favor from God come out of His grace (unmerited favor). To be receptive to this grace, we need to cultivate obedience and faithfulness to God.
Scriptural Facts About Death
1. Death is not the End – Matthew 25:31-46
Many believe that once we die, we cease existing. Contrary to this false belief, we’ll tell you that death is not the end. Concerning what the Bible says about death, on no occasion has any messenger from God pointed to death as the end. We are taught by the Holy Scriptures that although our physical bodies will decompose during death, our souls will live forever. That is, our souls will either live forever in God’s heavenly presence known as paradise or eternally separated from him and thrown into the lake of fire. The choice of whether we are going to paradise or the lake of fire depends on us. God in his goodness and love sent his only son Jesus Christ to be crucified as the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Only those who welcome his sacrifice and obey His teachings will dwell in paradise.
On the other hand, those who would have rejected Him and His Teachings during their lifetimes on earth will be directed to the lake of fire. For such people suffering is their eternal reward. To support our message, we’ll recommend that you read Matthew 25:31-46. It talks about the day of judgment which God has appointed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to execute when the right time comes. Those who will be found worthy through the blood of Christ will dwell in paradise, a place of joy, happiness, good health, and no suffering. For more info, we’ll recommend that you read our article on What Jesus Christ taught about Hell.
2. As Jesus Overcame death, so shall we – Romans 6:5
Perhaps you were not aware but God’s original plan for Creation was free from Sin and death. It was when Mankind Rebelled against Him under the directives of Satan that sin and death found their way into our lives. Despite our sins, God did not stop loving us but sent His only beloved son, Jesus Christ, saying that whoever believes in Him will not die but live. The Death of Christ on the Cross at Calvary and His Resurrection conquered both sin and death. Anyone who Welcomes Him and His Key Teachings is given Everlasting Life in the world to come. In this light, Romans 6:5 says that we will also be raised from death as he was. Almost all Bible verses about death are pointing to this divine truth.
What Does the Bible Say About Communicating with the Dead?
We live in an age where people claim to be more in touch with the spirit world. Today, many people believe we can communicate with the dead and the dead can communicate with us. This belief has resulted in a flood of books, shows, and spiritual advisors who draw people in by claiming they can communicate with their dead loved ones. Although their demonstrations seem impressive, it’s important to know if they are real. To know for sure, we should find out what the Bible says about communicating with the dead. Brethren, Scripture makes it clear that we should not seek the help of necromancers or mediums. Behold, the Bible condemns necromancy which is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events; discovery of hidden knowledge; returning a person to life, or to use the dead as a weapon (Deuteronomy 18:11).
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Scripture warns us against consulting with familiar spirits and necromancers. Familiar spirits are trusted spirits that are thought to be friendly or familiar. However, they are not people, but demons (Leviticus 20:1-6, 27; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3; Isiah 29:4). Likewise, necromancers, often called mediums, are those who try to communicate with the dead. Note that neither are part of God’s family and they are not His children by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26). Instead, they are part of Satan’s family, which include those who deny Christ (John 8:34-44; Acts 3:6-10; 1 John 3:8-10).
A Biblical Example of an Alleged Communication with the Dead
A biblical example of someone who tried to speak to the dead is found in 1 Samuel 28. The prophet Samuel had died and King Saul learned that the Philistines were gathered together to wage war against Israel. Saul feared greatly when he saw their army, so he prayed to the Lord God for advice, but the Lord God did not answer. King Saul became desperate and told his servants to find a woman with a familiar spirit. Once a woman was found, Saul disguised himself and went to her at night. He asked her to call upon the spirit to bring up someone. She refused out of fear of what would happen to her if she did it, but King Saul swore in the Lord’s name that she would not be harmed. The woman asked who he wanted her to call up and Saul told her Samuel. Immediately she had a terrifying vision. Saul asked her what she had seen and she said she had seen “gods coming out of the earth” and an old man covered with a head covering. Saul “perceived” it was Samuel and he bowed down to the ground. Then the old man, whom Saul could not see, chastised him for disturbing him. Despite this, Saul went on to ask him what to do about the Philistines. The old man said that God departed from Saul and was His enemy because he had not obeyed the Lord. He added that Saul and his sons would be captured by the Philistines. When Saul heard this, he was consumed by fear and fainted. Later we learn that Saul was captured and he and his sons were killed.
What are the problems with Saul’s alleged conversation with Samuel? There are many things to consider about this account. First, is that the vision was only visible to a woman with demons (1 Samuel 28:13). The “gods” that she saw were not of God, they were of Satan. We know this because there is only one true God and no others (Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:5-6). Furthermore, worship of any other god is worshiping of devils (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Second, the voice that Saul heard was a delusion. Isaiah 66:4 makes us understand that God can send people a delusion if they disobey and do evil before Him. Likewise, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we learn that the Lord God will send strong delusion to those who reject salvation through Christ so they will believe the Wicked One (anti-Christ) and be damned. In addition, Scripture tells us that Satan has the power to create miracles (2 Corinthians 2:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:11-14). Jesus Christ spoke of this in Matthew 7:23-23 when He said that people will come to Him claiming that they prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works (miracles) in His name, but He would tell them that He never knew them; these people are deluded.
There is no truth in the Devil because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). As such, it is unlikely that the Lord God would use a demon to raise up Samuel to give Godly counsel. Note that demons know Jesus and what their future holds. In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus met two men possessed by devils (demons). The devils called Jesus by name and asked if He was there to torment them before the appointed time. Notice that they were referring to a future event when they would be tossed into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-10). Therefore, it’s not unlikely that a demon knew what Saul had done and that he would die along with his sons. A close example is that of Paul and Silas on their way to the place of prayer. They were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. The spirit clearly recognized Paul and Silas, followed them, and continuously shouted, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment, the spirit left her (Acts 16:16-18).
Bible Verses About After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:14 – “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.“
Leviticus 19:31 – “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.“
Leviticus 20:27 – “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
Luke 23:43 – “And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Romans 14:8 -“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Isaiah 8:19 – And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
Matthew 10:28 – “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
John 11:26 – “And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 – “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
Group 1 – Bible Verses About After Death
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,“
Leviticus 20:6 – “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Luke 23:43 – And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. …“
Group 2 – Bible Verses About After Death
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.“
Matthew 25:41 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.“
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.“
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” … ”
John 14:1-4 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Psalm 146:4 – “When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”
John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Group 3 – Bible Verses About After Death
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
2 Kings 21:6 – “And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.“
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Ezekiel 18:32 – “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.”
Job 14:14 – “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 – “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”
Revelation 14:13 – And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
1 Corinthians 15:51 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Group 4 – Bible Verses About After Death
Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
Romans 8:13 – “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Ecclesiastes 3:2 – “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;”
2 Corinthians 5:8 – “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Luke 2:29 – “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;”
Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Psalm 116:15 – “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Group 5 – Bible Verses About After Death
Isaiah 25:8 – “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
John 5:24-26 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”
1 Corinthians 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Romans 10:9-13 – Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Genesis 3:19 – “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
1 Timothy 6:7 – “For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 39:4 – “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”
Group 6 – Bible Verses About After Death
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Psalm 23:1-6 – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Hebrews 13:14 – “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Proverbs 14:32 – “The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.“
Group 7 – Bible Verses About After Death
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Matthew 27:52 – “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,“
John 11:11-14 – After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,”
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 – “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”
Romans 1:1-32 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, …“
Group 8 – Bible Verses About After Death
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Isaiah 57:1-2 – “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”
John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Ezekiel 18:21 – “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Daniel 12:1-13 – “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. …
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.“
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””
Hebrews 2:14 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
John 5:28-29 – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Group 9 – Bible Verses About After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:15 – “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.“
Romans 6:16 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Ephesians 1:19-23 – “And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 –“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:12 – “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Acts 7:60 – “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Luke 20:36 – “For they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
1 Corinthians 15:16-23 – “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. …“
Group 10 – Bible Verses About After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, …”
Daniel 12:2 – “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Ezekiel 33:8 – “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Job 16:22 – “For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.”
Romans 1:1-4 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,“
Group 11 – Bible Verses About After Death
Acts 20:9-11 – “And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.”
Hosea 13:14 – “Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”
Genesis 25:8 – “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Psalm 104:29 – “When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”
John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Ecclesiastes 5:15 – “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”
1 Corinthians 15:21 – “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”
Romans 8:6 – “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.“
Ecclesiastes 8:8 – “No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Proverbs 12:28 – “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.”
Genesis 19:24 – “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
Group 12 – Bible Verses About After Death
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.”
Revelation 12:11 – “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Acts 9:40-41 – But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
2 Samuel 12:23 – “But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Genesis 2:7 – “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.“
Psalm 30:5 – “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Revelation 2:11 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”
Acts 7:59 – And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Group 13 – Bible Verses About After Death
Acts 2:32-36 – This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Hebrews 2:15 – “And deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Psalm 48:14 – “That this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.”
1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.“
Luke 23:39-43 – One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Group 14 – Bible Verses About After Death
John 11:1-57 – “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. …“
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
John 11:43-44 – When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
John 20:26 – Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Luke 24:39-43 – “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.“
Luke 24:1-7 – “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? …“
Group 15 – Bible Verses About After Death
Revelation 4:2 – “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”
Revelation 6:9-11 – “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.“
Matthew 9:23-25 – “And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.“
Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.”
James 2:10 – “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
Discover Bible Verses About Dying and Death. The Bible presents death as separation whereby physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, and spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. Death is the result of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The whole world is subject to death because all have sinned. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” In Genesis 2:17, the Lord God Almighty warned Adam that the penalty for disobedience would be death – “you will surely die.” When Adam disobeyed, he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide “from Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Later on, Adam experienced physical death (Genesis 5:5).
On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus also experienced physical death (Matthew 27:50). The difference is that Adam died because he was a sinner, and Jesus, who had never sinned, chose to die as a substitute for sinners (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus then revealed His power over death and sin by rising from the dead on the third day (Matthew 28; Revelation 1:18). Because of Christ, death is a defeated foe (1 Corinthians 15:55; Hosea 13:14). For the unsaved, death brings to an end the chance to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). For the saved, death ushers us into the presence of Christ: “To be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Behold, the promise of the believer’s resurrection is so real that the physical death of a Christian is called “sleep” (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 5:10). As Christians, we look forward to that time when “there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4).
Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Death, as it sounds, is perceived by many as their worst nightmare. The very word can trigger images of fear, of men and women in black, of grief, and of darkness. For some people, it is everything except something good. It is a word that generally generates fears, doubts, worries, stress, and bitterness in many. However, is this how God wants us to handle the very aspect of death? We’ll get divine answers from the best Bible verses on death. As we all know, the Bible is an authoritative guide in knowing and doing what God wants. With a good understanding of this spiritual truth, Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy, telling him that all scriptures were divinely inspired and are good for teaching.
Behold, it is not God’s perfect will for us to live in the fear of death. Brethren, let no one deceive you by saying the contrary. Truth be told, it is God’s will for us to live, and die, with the confidence or certainty that comes from knowing we completely belong to the victorious, risen king, in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross at Calvary for our sake, and rose from the grave together with all who belong to God. As followers of Christ, we ought to perceive the very aspect of death from a different angle and not as the world does. We have been purchased and welcomed by the one who conquered death. He overcame death for himself and all those who belong to his Father’s flock. Instead of worrying about death, you should be concerned about gaining mercy and favor before his throne.
Is There Life After Death?
Job, speaking out of his despair, asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). All of us have been challenged by this question. Is there life after death? What happens to us after we die? Do we simply cease to exist? Is death the end? Is death a revolving door of departing and returning to the earth? Does everyone go to the same place after death or do they go to different places? Is there really a heaven and hell? Behold, the Bible explicitly tells us that, yes, there is life after death. As such, this world is not all there is, and mankind was made for something greater. At death, the body ceases to function and begins the process of returning to the earth, but the spiritual part of man lives on: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; cf. Psalm 146:4). To those who are redeemed and have their sin forgiven, the Lord God gives eternal life, an existence so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This eternal life is inextricably linked to the person of Jesus Christ: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). 1 John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to the earth to pay for our sins and give us the gift of Eternal Life: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave – He is life personified (John 11:25) and the ultimate proof that there is life after death. John 11:25 says, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. The resurrection of Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul invited people to question the over 500 witnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). Note that all of them could bear testimony to the fact that Jesus is alive and that there is indeed life after death. The resurrection of Christ, which gives us the sure hope of life after death, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). Because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, we have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. As Jesus told His disciples, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again (1 Corinthians 15:23). Just as the Lord God raised up Jesus’ body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 6:14).
Each person must make a choice in this life, a choice that will determine his or her eternal destination. It is appointed for us to die once and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who have rejected Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience the never-ending, eternal wrath of God. Hell is described as a lake of fire where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). The Lord God Almighty does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires them to turn from their wicked ways by sincerely repenting and believing in Jesus Christ so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16-18).
Faith in Jesus Christ is the one and only way to receive eternal life and avoid hell. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Brethren, the free gift of eternal life is available to all. John 3:36 says, “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” It’s important to understand that we will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust in the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sins, strongly hold to His message, and believe in His resurrection from the dead, we are guaranteed eternal life after death, in glory (1 Peter 1:3–5).
What Happens After Death?
Within the Christian community, there is a significant amount of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death everyone “sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to hell or heaven. Other Christians believe that at the moment of death, people are instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still, other Christians claim that, when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to “temporary” heaven or hell to await the final resurrection, the final judgment, and the finality of their eternal destination. Nevertheless, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death? First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins were forgiven when they received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36).
Notice that for believers in Jesus Christ, death means being “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection? It seems that while the spirits/souls of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the spirit/soul. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the state of existence for believers for eternity in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22).
Second, for those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, death means everlasting punishment. However, in a similar way to the destiny of believers, it seems that unbelievers also go to a temporary holding place to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. Luke 16:22–23 describes a rich man being tormented immediately after death. Revelation 20:11–15 describes all the unbelieving dead being resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and cast into the lake of fire. Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of fire) immediately after death, but they are rather sent to a temporary realm of judgment and anguish. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire” (Luke 16:24). After death, a person resides either in a place of comfort or in a place of torment. These realms act as a temporary “heaven” and a temporary “hell” until the resurrection. At that point in time, the soul is reunited with the body, but no one’s eternal destiny will change.
The first resurrection is for the “blessed and holy” (Revelation 20:6) – everyone who is in Christ – and those who are part of the first resurrection will enter the millennial kingdom and, ultimately, the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1). The other resurrection happens after Christ’s millennial kingdom, and it involves the wicked and unbelieving being “judged according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:13). These, whose names are not written in the book of life, will be sent to the lake of fire to experience the “second death” (Revelation 20:14–15). The new earth and the lake of fire are final and eternal destinations. People go to one or the other, based entirely on whether they have trusted and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).
How to gain Mercy and Favor before God’s Throne
Just as we previously mentioned, instead of entertaining fear, doubt, and worries in your heart about death, you should focus on gaining mercy and favor before God’s throne. He who has been granted mercy and favor before God’s throne has nothing to fear about death. Such a person was raised from death the very day that Christ conquered death and triumphed over sin. And for sure, those who get life through Christ will dwell in God’s presence for all times in the world to come. The question now is that to know how to find mercy and favor before God. It is worth noting that mercy and favor from God come out of His grace (unmerited favor). To be receptive to this grace, we need to cultivate obedience and faithfulness to God.
Scriptural Facts About Death
1. Death is not the End – Matthew 25:31-46
Many believe that once we die, we cease existing. Contrary to this false belief, we’ll tell you that death is not the end. Concerning what the Bible says about death, on no occasion has any messenger from God pointed to death as the end. We are taught by the Holy Scriptures that although our physical bodies will decompose during death, our souls will live forever. That is, our souls will either live forever in God’s heavenly presence known as paradise or eternally separated from him and thrown into the lake of fire. The choice of whether we are going to paradise or the lake of fire depends on us. God in his goodness and love sent his only son Jesus Christ to be crucified as the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Only those who welcome his sacrifice and obey His teachings will dwell in paradise.
On the other hand, those who would have rejected Him and His Teachings during their lifetimes on earth will be directed to the lake of fire. For such people suffering is their eternal reward. To support our message, we’ll recommend that you read Matthew 25:31-46. It talks about the day of judgment which God has appointed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to execute when the right time comes. Those who will be found worthy through the blood of Christ will dwell in paradise, a place of joy, happiness, good health, and no suffering. For more info, we’ll recommend that you read our article on What Jesus Christ taught about Hell.
2. As Jesus Overcame death, so shall we – Romans 6:5
Perhaps you were not aware but God’s original plan for Creation was free from Sin and death. It was when Mankind Rebelled against Him under the directives of Satan that sin and death found their way into our lives. Despite our sins, God did not stop loving us but sent His only beloved son, Jesus Christ, saying that whoever believes in Him will not die but live. The Death of Christ on the Cross at Calvary and His Resurrection conquered both sin and death. Anyone who Welcomes Him and His Key Teachings is given Everlasting Life in the world to come. In this light, Romans 6:5 says that we will also be raised from death as he was. Almost all Bible verses about death are pointing to this divine truth.
What Does the Bible Say About Communicating with the Dead?
We live in an age where people claim to be more in touch with the spirit world. Today, many people believe we can communicate with the dead and the dead can communicate with us. This belief has resulted in a flood of books, shows, and spiritual advisors who draw people in by claiming they can communicate with their dead loved ones. Although their demonstrations seem impressive, it’s important to know if they are real. To know for sure, we should find out what the Bible says about communicating with the dead. Brethren, Scripture makes it clear that we should not seek the help of necromancers or mediums. Behold, the Bible condemns necromancy which is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events; discovery of hidden knowledge; returning a person to life, or to use the dead as a weapon (Deuteronomy 18:11).
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Scripture warns us against consulting with familiar spirits and necromancers. Familiar spirits are trusted spirits that are thought to be friendly or familiar. However, they are not people, but demons (Leviticus 20:1-6, 27; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3; Isiah 29:4). Likewise, necromancers, often called mediums, are those who try to communicate with the dead. Note that neither are part of God’s family and they are not His children by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26). Instead, they are part of Satan’s family, which include those who deny Christ (John 8:34-44; Acts 3:6-10; 1 John 3:8-10).
A Biblical Example of an Alleged Communication with the Dead
A biblical example of someone who tried to speak to the dead is found in 1 Samuel 28. The prophet Samuel had died and King Saul learned that the Philistines were gathered together to wage war against Israel. Saul feared greatly when he saw their army, so he prayed to the Lord God for advice, but the Lord God did not answer. King Saul became desperate and told his servants to find a woman with a familiar spirit. Once a woman was found, Saul disguised himself and went to her at night. He asked her to call upon the spirit to bring up someone. She refused out of fear of what would happen to her if she did it, but King Saul swore in the Lord’s name that she would not be harmed. The woman asked who he wanted her to call up and Saul told her Samuel. Immediately she had a terrifying vision. Saul asked her what she had seen and she said she had seen “gods coming out of the earth” and an old man covered with a head covering. Saul “perceived” it was Samuel and he bowed down to the ground. Then the old man, whom Saul could not see, chastised him for disturbing him. Despite this, Saul went on to ask him what to do about the Philistines. The old man said that God departed from Saul and was His enemy because he had not obeyed the Lord. He added that Saul and his sons would be captured by the Philistines. When Saul heard this, he was consumed by fear and fainted. Later we learn that Saul was captured and he and his sons were killed.
What are the problems with Saul’s alleged conversation with Samuel? There are many things to consider about this account. First, is that the vision was only visible to a woman with demons (1 Samuel 28:13). The “gods” that she saw were not of God, they were of Satan. We know this because there is only one true God and no others (Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:5-6). Furthermore, worship of any other god is worshiping of devils (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Second, the voice that Saul heard was a delusion. Isaiah 66:4 makes us understand that God can send people a delusion if they disobey and do evil before Him. Likewise, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we learn that the Lord God will send strong delusion to those who reject salvation through Christ so they will believe the Wicked One (anti-Christ) and be damned. In addition, Scripture tells us that Satan has the power to create miracles (2 Corinthians 2:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:11-14). Jesus Christ spoke of this in Matthew 7:23-23 when He said that people will come to Him claiming that they prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works (miracles) in His name, but He would tell them that He never knew them; these people are deluded.
There is no truth in the Devil because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). As such, it is unlikely that the Lord God would use a demon to raise up Samuel to give Godly counsel. Note that demons know Jesus and what their future holds. In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus met two men possessed by devils (demons). The devils called Jesus by name and asked if He was there to torment them before the appointed time. Notice that they were referring to a future event when they would be tossed into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-10). Therefore, it’s not unlikely that a demon knew what Saul had done and that he would die along with his sons. A close example is that of Paul and Silas on their way to the place of prayer. They were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. The spirit clearly recognized Paul and Silas, followed them, and continuously shouted, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment, the spirit left her (Acts 16:16-18).
Bible Verses About Dying and Death
1 Thessalonians 4:14 – “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.“
Leviticus 19:31 – “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.“
Leviticus 20:27 – “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
Luke 23:43 – “And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Romans 14:8 -“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Isaiah 8:19 – And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
Matthew 10:28 – “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
John 11:26 – “And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 – “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
Group 1 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,“
Leviticus 20:6 – “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Luke 23:43 – And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. …“
Group 2 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
John 14:1-4 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Psalm 146:4 – “When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”
John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.“
Matthew 25:41 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.“
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.“
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” … ”
Group 3 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.”
Job 14:14 – “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 – “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”
Revelation 14:13 – And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
1 Corinthians 15:51 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
2 Kings 21:6 – “And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.“
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Ezekiel 18:32 – “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Group 4 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
Romans 8:13 – “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Ecclesiastes 3:2 – “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;”
2 Corinthians 5:8 – “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Luke 2:29 – “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;”
Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Psalm 116:15 – “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Group 5 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Romans 10:9-13 – Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Genesis 3:19 – “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
1 Timothy 6:7 – “For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 39:4 – “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”
Isaiah 25:8 – “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
John 5:24-26 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”
1 Corinthians 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Group 6 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Hebrews 13:14 – “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Proverbs 14:32 – “The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.“
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Psalm 23:1-6 – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
Group 7 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Matthew 27:52 – “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,“
John 11:11-14 – After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,”
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 – “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”
Romans 1:1-32 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, …“
Group 8 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.“
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””
Hebrews 2:14 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
John 5:28-29 – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Isaiah 57:1-2 – “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”
John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Ezekiel 18:21 – “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Daniel 12:1-13 – “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. …
Group 9 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 –“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:12 – “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Acts 7:60 – “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Luke 20:36 – “For they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
1 Corinthians 15:16-23 – “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. …“
1 Thessalonians 4:15 – “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.“
Romans 6:16 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Ephesians 1:19-23 – “And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
Group 10 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, …”
Daniel 12:2 – “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Ezekiel 33:8 – “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Job 16:22 – “For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.”
Romans 1:1-4 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,“
Group 11 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Acts 20:9-11 – “And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.”
Hosea 13:14 – “Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”
Genesis 25:8 – “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Psalm 104:29 – “When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”
John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Ecclesiastes 5:15 – “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”
1 Corinthians 15:21 – “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”
Romans 8:6 – “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.“
Ecclesiastes 8:8 – “No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Proverbs 12:28 – “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.”
Genesis 19:24 – “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
Group 12 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.”
Revelation 12:11 – “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Acts 9:40-41 – But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
2 Samuel 12:23 – “But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Genesis 2:7 – “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.“
Psalm 30:5 – “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Revelation 2:11 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”
Acts 7:59 – And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Group 13 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Acts 2:32-36 – This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Hebrews 2:15 – “And deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Psalm 48:14 – “That this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.”
1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.“
Luke 23:39-43 – One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Group 14 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
John 11:1-57 – “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. …“
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
John 11:43-44 – When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
John 20:26 – Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Luke 24:39-43 – “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.“
Luke 24:1-7 – “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? …“
Group 15 – Bible Verses About Dying and Death
Revelation 4:2 – “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”
Revelation 6:9-11 – “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.“
Matthew 9:23-25 – “And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.“
Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.”
James 2:10 – “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
What Happens After Death? The Bible presents death as separation whereby physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, and spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. Death is the result of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The whole world is subject to death because all have sinned. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” In Genesis 2:17, the Lord God Almighty warned Adam that the penalty for disobedience would be death – “you will surely die.” When Adam disobeyed, he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide “from Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Later on, Adam experienced physical death (Genesis 5:5).
On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus also experienced physical death (Matthew 27:50). The difference is that Adam died because he was a sinner, and Jesus, who had never sinned, chose to die as a substitute for sinners (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus then revealed His power over death and sin by rising from the dead on the third day (Matthew 28; Revelation 1:18). Because of Christ, death is a defeated foe (1 Corinthians 15:55; Hosea 13:14). For the unsaved, death brings to an end the chance to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). For the saved, death ushers us into the presence of Christ: “To be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Behold, the promise of the believer’s resurrection is so real that the physical death of a Christian is called “sleep” (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 5:10). As Christians, we look forward to that time when “there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4).
What Happens After Death?
Death, as it sounds, is perceived by many as their worst nightmare. The very word can trigger images of fear, of men and women in black, of grief, and of darkness. For some people, it is everything except something good. It is a word that generally generates fears, doubts, worries, stress, and bitterness in many. However, is this how God wants us to handle the very aspect of death? We’ll get divine answers from the best Bible verses on death. As we all know, the Bible is an authoritative guide in knowing and doing what God wants. With a good understanding of this spiritual truth, Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy, telling him that all scriptures were divinely inspired and are good for teaching.
Behold, it is not God’s perfect will for us to live in the fear of death. Brethren, let no one deceive you by saying the contrary. Truth be told, it is God’s will for us to live, and die, with the confidence or certainty that comes from knowing we completely belong to the victorious, risen king, in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross at Calvary for our sake, and rose from the grave together with all who belong to God. As followers of Christ, we ought to perceive the very aspect of death from a different angle and not as the world does. We have been purchased and welcomed by the one who conquered death. He overcame death for himself and all those who belong to his Father’s flock. Instead of worrying about death, you should be concerned about gaining mercy and favor before his throne.
Is There Life After Death?
Job, speaking out of his despair, asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). All of us have been challenged by this question. Is there life after death? What happens to us after we die? Do we simply cease to exist? Is death the end? Is death a revolving door of departing and returning to the earth? Does everyone go to the same place after death or do they go to different places? Is there really a heaven and hell? Behold, the Bible explicitly tells us that, yes, there is life after death. As such, this world is not all there is, and mankind was made for something greater. At death, the body ceases to function and begins the process of returning to the earth, but the spiritual part of man lives on: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; cf. Psalm 146:4). To those who are redeemed and have their sin forgiven, the Lord God gives eternal life, an existence so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This eternal life is inextricably linked to the person of Jesus Christ: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). 1 John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to the earth to pay for our sins and give us the gift of Eternal Life: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave – He is life personified (John 11:25) and the ultimate proof that there is life after death. John 11:25 says, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. The resurrection of Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul invited people to question the over 500 witnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). Note that all of them could bear testimony to the fact that Jesus is alive and that there is indeed life after death. The resurrection of Christ, which gives us the sure hope of life after death, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). Because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, we have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. As Jesus told His disciples, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again (1 Corinthians 15:23). Just as the Lord God raised up Jesus’ body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 6:14).
Each person must make a choice in this life, a choice that will determine his or her eternal destination. It is appointed for us to die once and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who have rejected Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience the never-ending, eternal wrath of God. Hell is described as a lake of fire where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). The Lord God Almighty does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires them to turn from their wicked ways by sincerely repenting and believing in Jesus Christ so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16-18).
Faith in Jesus Christ is the one and only way to receive eternal life and avoid hell. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Brethren, the free gift of eternal life is available to all. John 3:36 says, “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” It’s important to understand that we will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust in the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sins, strongly hold to His message, and believe in His resurrection from the dead, we are guaranteed eternal life after death, in glory (1 Peter 1:3–5).
Understanding What Happens After Death?
Within the Christian community, there is a significant amount of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death everyone “sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to hell or heaven. Other Christians believe that at the moment of death, people are instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still, other Christians claim that, when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to “temporary” heaven or hell to await the final resurrection, the final judgment, and the finality of their eternal destination. Nevertheless, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death? First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins were forgiven when they received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36).
Notice that for believers in Jesus Christ, death means being “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection? It seems that while the spirits/souls of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the spirit/soul. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the state of existence for believers for eternity in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22).
Second, for those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, death means everlasting punishment. However, in a similar way to the destiny of believers, it seems that unbelievers also go to a temporary holding place to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. Luke 16:22–23 describes a rich man being tormented immediately after death. Revelation 20:11–15 describes all the unbelieving dead being resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and cast into the lake of fire. Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of fire) immediately after death, but they are rather sent to a temporary realm of judgment and anguish. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire” (Luke 16:24). After death, a person resides either in a place of comfort or in a place of torment. These realms act as a temporary “heaven” and a temporary “hell” until the resurrection. At that point in time, the soul is reunited with the body, but no one’s eternal destiny will change.
The first resurrection is for the “blessed and holy” (Revelation 20:6) – everyone who is in Christ – and those who are part of the first resurrection will enter the millennial kingdom and, ultimately, the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1). The other resurrection happens after Christ’s millennial kingdom, and it involves the wicked and unbelieving being “judged according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:13). These, whose names are not written in the book of life, will be sent to the lake of fire to experience the “second death” (Revelation 20:14–15). The new earth and the lake of fire are final and eternal destinations. People go to one or the other, based entirely on whether they have trusted and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).
How to gain Mercy and Favor before God’s Throne
Just as we previously mentioned, instead of entertaining fear, doubt, and worries in your heart about death, you should focus on gaining mercy and favor before God’s throne. He who has been granted mercy and favor before God’s throne has nothing to fear about death. Such a person was raised from death the very day that Christ conquered death and triumphed over sin. And for sure, those who get life through Christ will dwell in God’s presence for all times in the world to come. The question now is that to know how to find mercy and favor before God. It is worth noting that mercy and favor from God come out of His grace (unmerited favor). To be receptive to this grace, we need to cultivate obedience and faithfulness to God.
Scriptural Facts About Death
1. Death is not the End – Matthew 25:31-46
Many believe that once we die, we cease existing. Contrary to this false belief, we’ll tell you that death is not the end. Concerning what the Bible says about death, on no occasion has any messenger from God pointed to death as the end. We are taught by the Holy Scriptures that although our physical bodies will decompose during death, our souls will live forever. That is, our souls will either live forever in God’s heavenly presence known as paradise or eternally separated from him and thrown into the lake of fire. The choice of whether we are going to paradise or the lake of fire depends on us. God in his goodness and love sent his only son Jesus Christ to be crucified as the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Only those who welcome his sacrifice and obey His teachings will dwell in paradise.
On the other hand, those who would have rejected Him and His Teachings during their lifetimes on earth will be directed to the lake of fire. For such people suffering is their eternal reward. To support our message, we’ll recommend that you read Matthew 25:31-46. It talks about the day of judgment which God has appointed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to execute when the right time comes. Those who will be found worthy through the blood of Christ will dwell in paradise, a place of joy, happiness, good health, and no suffering. For more info, we’ll recommend that you read our article on What Jesus Christ taught about Hell.
2. As Jesus Overcame death, so shall we – Romans 6:5
Perhaps you were not aware but God’s original plan for Creation was free from Sin and death. It was when Mankind Rebelled against Him under the directives of Satan that sin and death found their way into our lives. Despite our sins, God did not stop loving us but sent His only beloved son, Jesus Christ, saying that whoever believes in Him will not die but live. The Death of Christ on the Cross at Calvary and His Resurrection conquered both sin and death. Anyone who Welcomes Him and His Key Teachings is given Everlasting Life in the world to come. In this light, Romans 6:5 says that we will also be raised from death as he was. Almost all Bible verses about death are pointing to this divine truth.
What Does the Bible Say About Communicating with the Dead?
We live in an age where people claim to be more in touch with the spirit world. Today, many people believe we can communicate with the dead and the dead can communicate with us. This belief has resulted in a flood of books, shows, and spiritual advisors who draw people in by claiming they can communicate with their dead loved ones. Although their demonstrations seem impressive, it’s important to know if they are real. To know for sure, we should find out what the Bible says about communicating with the dead. Brethren, Scripture makes it clear that we should not seek the help of necromancers or mediums. Behold, the Bible condemns necromancy which is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events; discovery of hidden knowledge; returning a person to life, or to use the dead as a weapon (Deuteronomy 18:11).
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Scripture warns us against consulting with familiar spirits and necromancers. Familiar spirits are trusted spirits that are thought to be friendly or familiar. However, they are not people, but demons (Leviticus 20:1-6, 27; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3; Isiah 29:4). Likewise, necromancers, often called mediums, are those who try to communicate with the dead. Note that neither are part of God’s family and they are not His children by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26). Instead, they are part of Satan’s family, which include those who deny Christ (John 8:34-44; Acts 3:6-10; 1 John 3:8-10).
A Biblical Example of an Alleged Communication with the Dead
A biblical example of someone who tried to speak to the dead is found in 1 Samuel 28. The prophet Samuel had died and King Saul learned that the Philistines were gathered together to wage war against Israel. Saul feared greatly when he saw their army, so he prayed to the Lord God for advice, but the Lord God did not answer. King Saul became desperate and told his servants to find a woman with a familiar spirit. Once a woman was found, Saul disguised himself and went to her at night. He asked her to call upon the spirit to bring up someone. She refused out of fear of what would happen to her if she did it, but King Saul swore in the Lord’s name that she would not be harmed. The woman asked who he wanted her to call up and Saul told her Samuel. Immediately she had a terrifying vision. Saul asked her what she had seen and she said she had seen “gods coming out of the earth” and an old man covered with a head covering. Saul “perceived” it was Samuel and he bowed down to the ground. Then the old man, whom Saul could not see, chastised him for disturbing him. Despite this, Saul went on to ask him what to do about the Philistines. The old man said that God departed from Saul and was His enemy because he had not obeyed the Lord. He added that Saul and his sons would be captured by the Philistines. When Saul heard this, he was consumed by fear and fainted. Later we learn that Saul was captured and he and his sons were killed.
What are the problems with Saul’s alleged conversation with Samuel? There are many things to consider about this account. First, is that the vision was only visible to a woman with demons (1 Samuel 28:13). The “gods” that she saw were not of God, they were of Satan. We know this because there is only one true God and no others (Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:5-6). Furthermore, worship of any other god is worshiping of devils (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Second, the voice that Saul heard was a delusion. Isaiah 66:4 makes us understand that God can send people a delusion if they disobey and do evil before Him. Likewise, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we learn that the Lord God will send strong delusion to those who reject salvation through Christ so they will believe the Wicked One (anti-Christ) and be damned. In addition, Scripture tells us that Satan has the power to create miracles (2 Corinthians 2:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:11-14). Jesus Christ spoke of this in Matthew 7:23-23 when He said that people will come to Him claiming that they prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works (miracles) in His name, but He would tell them that He never knew them; these people are deluded.
There is no truth in the Devil because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). As such, it is unlikely that the Lord God would use a demon to raise up Samuel to give Godly counsel. Note that demons know Jesus and what their future holds. In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus met two men possessed by devils (demons). The devils called Jesus by name and asked if He was there to torment them before the appointed time. Notice that they were referring to a future event when they would be tossed into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-10). Therefore, it’s not unlikely that a demon knew what Saul had done and that he would die along with his sons. A close example is that of Paul and Silas on their way to the place of prayer. They were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. The spirit clearly recognized Paul and Silas, followed them, and continuously shouted, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment, the spirit left her (Acts 16:16-18).
What Happens After Death?
1 Thessalonians 4:14 – “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.“
Leviticus 19:31 – “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.“
Leviticus 20:27 – “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
Luke 23:43 – “And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Romans 14:8 -“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Isaiah 8:19 – And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
Matthew 10:28 – “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
John 11:26 – “And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 – “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
Group 1 – What Happens After Death
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,“
Leviticus 20:6 – “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Luke 23:43 – And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. …“
Group 2 – What Happens After Death
John 14:1-4 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Psalm 146:4 – “When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”
John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.“
Matthew 25:41 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.“
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.“
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” … ”
Group 3 – What Happens After Death
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
2 Kings 21:6 – “And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.“
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Ezekiel 18:32 – “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.”
Job 14:14 – “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 – “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”
Revelation 14:13 – And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
1 Corinthians 15:51 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Group 4 – What Happens After Death
Ecclesiastes 3:2 – “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;”
2 Corinthians 5:8 – “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Luke 2:29 – “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;”
Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Psalm 116:15 – “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
Romans 8:13 – “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Group 5 – What Happens After Death
Romans 10:9-13 – Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Genesis 3:19 – “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
1 Timothy 6:7 – “For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 39:4 – “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”
Isaiah 25:8 – “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
John 5:24-26 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”
1 Corinthians 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Group 6 – What Happens After Death
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Psalm 23:1-6 – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Hebrews 13:14 – “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Proverbs 14:32 – “The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.“
Group 7 – What Happens After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 – “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”
Romans 1:1-32 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, …“
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Matthew 27:52 – “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,“
John 11:11-14 – After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,”
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
Group 8 – What Happens After Death
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.“
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””
Hebrews 2:14 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
John 5:28-29 – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Isaiah 57:1-2 – “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”
John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Ezekiel 18:21 – “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Daniel 12:1-13 – “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. …
Group 9 – What Happens After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:15 – “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.“
Romans 6:16 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Ephesians 1:19-23 – “And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 –“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:12 – “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Acts 7:60 – “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Luke 20:36 – “For they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
1 Corinthians 15:16-23 – “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. …“
Group 10 – What Happens After Death
Daniel 12:2 – “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Ezekiel 33:8 – “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Job 16:22 – “For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.”
Romans 1:1-4 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,“
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, …”
Group 11 – What Happens After Death
Acts 20:9-11 – “And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.”
Hosea 13:14 – “Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”
Genesis 25:8 – “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Psalm 104:29 – “When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”
John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Ecclesiastes 5:15 – “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”
1 Corinthians 15:21 – “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”
Romans 8:6 – “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.“
Ecclesiastes 8:8 – “No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Proverbs 12:28 – “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.”
Genesis 19:24 – “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
Group 12 – What Happens After Death
Acts 9:40-41 – But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
2 Samuel 12:23 – “But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Genesis 2:7 – “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.“
Psalm 30:5 – “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Revelation 2:11 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”
Acts 7:59 – And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.”
Revelation 12:11 – “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Group 13 – What Happens After Death
Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.“
Luke 23:39-43 – One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Acts 2:32-36 – This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Hebrews 2:15 – “And deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Psalm 48:14 – “That this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.”
1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Group 14 – What Happens After Death
John 11:1-57 – “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. …“
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
John 11:43-44 – When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
John 20:26 – Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Luke 24:39-43 – “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.“
Luke 24:1-7 – “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? …“
Group 15 – What Happens After Death
Matthew 9:23-25 – “And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.“
Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.”
James 2:10 – “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
Revelation 4:2 – “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”
Revelation 6:9-11 – “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.“
Discover our Sermon on Life After Death. The Bible presents death as separation whereby physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, and spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. Death is the result of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The whole world is subject to death because all have sinned. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” In Genesis 2:17, the Lord God Almighty warned Adam that the penalty for disobedience would be death – “you will surely die.” When Adam disobeyed, he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide “from Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Later on, Adam experienced physical death (Genesis 5:5).
On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus also experienced physical death (Matthew 27:50). The difference is that Adam died because he was a sinner, and Jesus, who had never sinned, chose to die as a substitute for sinners (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus then revealed His power over death and sin by rising from the dead on the third day (Matthew 28; Revelation 1:18). Because of Christ, death is a defeated foe (1 Corinthians 15:55; Hosea 13:14). For the unsaved, death brings to an end the chance to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). For the saved, death ushers us into the presence of Christ: “To be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Behold, the promise of the believer’s resurrection is so real that the physical death of a Christian is called “sleep” (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 5:10). As Christians, we look forward to that time when “there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4).
Sermon on Life After Death
Death, as it sounds, is perceived by many as their worst nightmare. The very word can trigger images of fear, of men and women in black, of grief, and of darkness. For some people, it is everything except something good. It is a word that generally generates fears, doubts, worries, stress, and bitterness in many. However, is this how God wants us to handle the very aspect of death? We’ll get divine answers from the best Bible verses on death. As we all know, the Bible is an authoritative guide in knowing and doing what God wants. With a good understanding of this spiritual truth, Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy, telling him that all scriptures were divinely inspired and are good for teaching.
Behold, it is not God’s perfect will for us to live in the fear of death. Brethren, let no one deceive you by saying the contrary. Truth be told, it is God’s will for us to live, and die, with the confidence or certainty that comes from knowing we completely belong to the victorious, risen king, in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross at Calvary for our sake, and rose from the grave together with all who belong to God. As followers of Christ, we ought to perceive the very aspect of death from a different angle and not as the world does. We have been purchased and welcomed by the one who conquered death. He overcame death for himself and all those who belong to his Father’s flock. Instead of worrying about death, you should be concerned about gaining mercy and favor before his throne.
Is There Life After Death?
Job, speaking out of his despair, asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). All of us have been challenged by this question. Is there life after death? What happens to us after we die? Do we simply cease to exist? Is death the end? Is death a revolving door of departing and returning to the earth? Does everyone go to the same place after death or do they go to different places? Is there really a heaven and hell? Behold, the Bible explicitly tells us that, yes, there is life after death. As such, this world is not all there is, and mankind was made for something greater. At death, the body ceases to function and begins the process of returning to the earth, but the spiritual part of man lives on: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; cf. Psalm 146:4). To those who are redeemed and have their sin forgiven, the Lord God gives eternal life, an existence so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This eternal life is inextricably linked to the person of Jesus Christ: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). 1 John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to the earth to pay for our sins and give us the gift of Eternal Life: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave – He is life personified (John 11:25) and the ultimate proof that there is life after death. John 11:25 says, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. The resurrection of Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul invited people to question the over 500 witnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). Note that all of them could bear testimony to the fact that Jesus is alive and that there is indeed life after death. The resurrection of Christ, which gives us the sure hope of life after death, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). Because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, we have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. As Jesus told His disciples, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again (1 Corinthians 15:23). Just as the Lord God raised up Jesus’ body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 6:14).
Each person must make a choice in this life, a choice that will determine his or her eternal destination. It is appointed for us to die once and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who have rejected Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience the never-ending, eternal wrath of God. Hell is described as a lake of fire where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). The Lord God Almighty does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires them to turn from their wicked ways by sincerely repenting and believing in Jesus Christ so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16-18).
Faith in Jesus Christ is the one and only way to receive eternal life and avoid hell. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Brethren, the free gift of eternal life is available to all. John 3:36 says, “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” It’s important to understand that we will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust in the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sins, strongly hold to His message, and believe in His resurrection from the dead, we are guaranteed eternal life after death, in glory (1 Peter 1:3–5).
What Happens After Death?
Within the Christian community, there is a significant amount of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death everyone “sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to hell or heaven. Other Christians believe that at the moment of death, people are instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still, other Christians claim that, when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to “temporary” heaven or hell to await the final resurrection, the final judgment, and the finality of their eternal destination. Nevertheless, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death? First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins were forgiven when they received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36).
Notice that for believers in Jesus Christ, death means being “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection? It seems that while the spirits/souls of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the spirit/soul. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the state of existence for believers for eternity in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22).
Second, for those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, death means everlasting punishment. However, in a similar way to the destiny of believers, it seems that unbelievers also go to a temporary holding place to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. Luke 16:22–23 describes a rich man being tormented immediately after death. Revelation 20:11–15 describes all the unbelieving dead being resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and cast into the lake of fire. Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of fire) immediately after death, but they are rather sent to a temporary realm of judgment and anguish. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire” (Luke 16:24). After death, a person resides either in a place of comfort or in a place of torment. These realms act as a temporary “heaven” and a temporary “hell” until the resurrection. At that point in time, the soul is reunited with the body, but no one’s eternal destiny will change.
The first resurrection is for the “blessed and holy” (Revelation 20:6) – everyone who is in Christ – and those who are part of the first resurrection will enter the millennial kingdom and, ultimately, the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1). The other resurrection happens after Christ’s millennial kingdom, and it involves the wicked and unbelieving being “judged according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:13). These, whose names are not written in the book of life, will be sent to the lake of fire to experience the “second death” (Revelation 20:14–15). The new earth and the lake of fire are final and eternal destinations. People go to one or the other, based entirely on whether they have trusted and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).
How to gain Mercy and Favor before God’s Throne
Just as we previously mentioned, instead of entertaining fear, doubt, and worries in your heart about death, you should focus on gaining mercy and favor before God’s throne. He who has been granted mercy and favor before God’s throne has nothing to fear about death. Such a person was raised from death the very day that Christ conquered death and triumphed over sin. And for sure, those who get life through Christ will dwell in God’s presence for all times in the world to come. The question now is that to know how to find mercy and favor before God. It is worth noting that mercy and favor from God come out of His grace (unmerited favor). To be receptive to this grace, we need to cultivate obedience and faithfulness to God.
Scriptural Facts About Death
1. Death is not the End – Matthew 25:31-46
Many believe that once we die, we cease existing. Contrary to this false belief, we’ll tell you that death is not the end. Concerning what the Bible says about death, on no occasion has any messenger from God pointed to death as the end. We are taught by the Holy Scriptures that although our physical bodies will decompose during death, our souls will live forever. That is, our souls will either live forever in God’s heavenly presence known as paradise or eternally separated from him and thrown into the lake of fire. The choice of whether we are going to paradise or the lake of fire depends on us. God in his goodness and love sent his only son Jesus Christ to be crucified as the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Only those who welcome his sacrifice and obey His teachings will dwell in paradise.
On the other hand, those who would have rejected Him and His Teachings during their lifetimes on earth will be directed to the lake of fire. For such people suffering is their eternal reward. To support our message, we’ll recommend that you read Matthew 25:31-46. It talks about the day of judgment which God has appointed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to execute when the right time comes. Those who will be found worthy through the blood of Christ will dwell in paradise, a place of joy, happiness, good health, and no suffering. For more info, we’ll recommend that you read our article on What Jesus Christ taught about Hell.
2. As Jesus Overcame death, so shall we – Romans 6:5
Perhaps you were not aware but God’s original plan for Creation was free from Sin and death. It was when Mankind Rebelled against Him under the directives of Satan that sin and death found their way into our lives. Despite our sins, God did not stop loving us but sent His only beloved son, Jesus Christ, saying that whoever believes in Him will not die but live. The Death of Christ on the Cross at Calvary and His Resurrection conquered both sin and death. Anyone who Welcomes Him and His Key Teachings is given Everlasting Life in the world to come. In this light, Romans 6:5 says that we will also be raised from death as he was. Almost all Bible verses about death are pointing to this divine truth.
What Does the Bible Say About Communicating with the Dead?
We live in an age where people claim to be more in touch with the spirit world. Today, many people believe we can communicate with the dead and the dead can communicate with us. This belief has resulted in a flood of books, shows, and spiritual advisors who draw people in by claiming they can communicate with their dead loved ones. Although their demonstrations seem impressive, it’s important to know if they are real. To know for sure, we should find out what the Bible says about communicating with the dead. Brethren, Scripture makes it clear that we should not seek the help of necromancers or mediums. Behold, the Bible condemns necromancy which is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events; discovery of hidden knowledge; returning a person to life, or to use the dead as a weapon (Deuteronomy 18:11).
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Scripture warns us against consulting with familiar spirits and necromancers. Familiar spirits are trusted spirits that are thought to be friendly or familiar. However, they are not people, but demons (Leviticus 20:1-6, 27; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3; Isiah 29:4). Likewise, necromancers, often called mediums, are those who try to communicate with the dead. Note that neither are part of God’s family and they are not His children by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26). Instead, they are part of Satan’s family, which include those who deny Christ (John 8:34-44; Acts 3:6-10; 1 John 3:8-10).
A Biblical Example of an Alleged Communication with the Dead
A biblical example of someone who tried to speak to the dead is found in 1 Samuel 28. The prophet Samuel had died and King Saul learned that the Philistines were gathered together to wage war against Israel. Saul feared greatly when he saw their army, so he prayed to the Lord God for advice, but the Lord God did not answer. King Saul became desperate and told his servants to find a woman with a familiar spirit. Once a woman was found, Saul disguised himself and went to her at night. He asked her to call upon the spirit to bring up someone. She refused out of fear of what would happen to her if she did it, but King Saul swore in the Lord’s name that she would not be harmed. The woman asked who he wanted her to call up and Saul told her Samuel. Immediately she had a terrifying vision. Saul asked her what she had seen and she said she had seen “gods coming out of the earth” and an old man covered with a head covering. Saul “perceived” it was Samuel and he bowed down to the ground. Then the old man, whom Saul could not see, chastised him for disturbing him. Despite this, Saul went on to ask him what to do about the Philistines. The old man said that God departed from Saul and was His enemy because he had not obeyed the Lord. He added that Saul and his sons would be captured by the Philistines. When Saul heard this, he was consumed by fear and fainted. Later we learn that Saul was captured and he and his sons were killed.
What are the problems with Saul’s alleged conversation with Samuel? There are many things to consider about this account. First, is that the vision was only visible to a woman with demons (1 Samuel 28:13). The “gods” that she saw were not of God, they were of Satan. We know this because there is only one true God and no others (Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:5-6). Furthermore, worship of any other god is worshiping of devils (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Second, the voice that Saul heard was a delusion. Isaiah 66:4 makes us understand that God can send people a delusion if they disobey and do evil before Him. Likewise, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we learn that the Lord God will send strong delusion to those who reject salvation through Christ so they will believe the Wicked One (anti-Christ) and be damned. In addition, Scripture tells us that Satan has the power to create miracles (2 Corinthians 2:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:11-14). Jesus Christ spoke of this in Matthew 7:23-23 when He said that people will come to Him claiming that they prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works (miracles) in His name, but He would tell them that He never knew them; these people are deluded.
There is no truth in the Devil because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). As such, it is unlikely that the Lord God would use a demon to raise up Samuel to give Godly counsel. Note that demons know Jesus and what their future holds. In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus met two men possessed by devils (demons). The devils called Jesus by name and asked if He was there to torment them before the appointed time. Notice that they were referring to a future event when they would be tossed into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-10). Therefore, it’s not unlikely that a demon knew what Saul had done and that he would die along with his sons. A close example is that of Paul and Silas on their way to the place of prayer. They were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. The spirit clearly recognized Paul and Silas, followed them, and continuously shouted, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment, the spirit left her (Acts 16:16-18).
Sermon on Life After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:14 – “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.“
Leviticus 19:31 – “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.“
Leviticus 20:27 – “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
Luke 23:43 – “And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Romans 14:8 -“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Isaiah 8:19 – And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
Matthew 10:28 – “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
John 11:26 – “And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 – “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
Group 1 – Sermon on Life After Death
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,“
Leviticus 20:6 – “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Luke 23:43 – And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. …“
Group 2 – Sermon on Life After Death
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.“
Matthew 25:41 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.“
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.“
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” … ”
John 14:1-4 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Psalm 146:4 – “When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”
John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Group 3 – Sermon on Life After Death
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
2 Kings 21:6 – “And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.“
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Ezekiel 18:32 – “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.”
Job 14:14 – “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 – “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”
Revelation 14:13 – And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
1 Corinthians 15:51 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Group 4 – Sermon on Life After Death
Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
Romans 8:13 – “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Ecclesiastes 3:2 – “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;”
2 Corinthians 5:8 – “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Luke 2:29 – “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;”
Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Psalm 116:15 – “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Group 5 – Sermon on Life After Death
Isaiah 25:8 – “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
John 5:24-26 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”
1 Corinthians 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Romans 10:9-13 – Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Genesis 3:19 – “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
1 Timothy 6:7 – “For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 39:4 – “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”
Group 6 – Sermon on Life After Death
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Psalm 23:1-6 – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Hebrews 13:14 – “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Proverbs 14:32 – “The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.“
Group 7 – Sermon on Life After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 – “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”
Romans 1:1-32 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, …“
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Matthew 27:52 – “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,“
John 11:11-14 – After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,”
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
Group 8 – Sermon on Life After Death
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.“
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””
Hebrews 2:14 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
John 5:28-29 – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Isaiah 57:1-2 – “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”
John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Ezekiel 18:21 – “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Daniel 12:1-13 – “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. …
Group 9 – Sermon on Life After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:15 – “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.“
Romans 6:16 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Ephesians 1:19-23 – “And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 –“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:12 – “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Acts 7:60 – “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Luke 20:36 – “For they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
1 Corinthians 15:16-23 – “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. …“
Group 10 – Sermon on Life After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, …”
Daniel 12:2 – “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Ezekiel 33:8 – “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Job 16:22 – “For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.”
Romans 1:1-4 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,“
Group 11 – Sermon on Life After Death
Acts 20:9-11 – “And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.”
Hosea 13:14 – “Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”
Genesis 25:8 – “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Psalm 104:29 – “When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”
John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Ecclesiastes 5:15 – “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”
1 Corinthians 15:21 – “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”
Romans 8:6 – “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.“
Ecclesiastes 8:8 – “No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Proverbs 12:28 – “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.”
Genesis 19:24 – “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
Group 12 – Sermon on Life After Death
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.”
Revelation 12:11 – “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Acts 9:40-41 – But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
2 Samuel 12:23 – “But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Genesis 2:7 – “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.“
Psalm 30:5 – “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Revelation 2:11 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”
Acts 7:59 – And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Group 13 – Sermon on Life After Death
Acts 2:32-36 – This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Hebrews 2:15 – “And deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Psalm 48:14 – “That this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.”
1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.“
Luke 23:39-43 – One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Group 14 – Sermon on Life After Death
John 11:1-57 – “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. …“
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
John 11:43-44 – When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
John 20:26 – Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Luke 24:39-43 – “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.“
Luke 24:1-7 – “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? …“
Group 15 – Sermon on Life After Death
Revelation 4:2 – “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”
Revelation 6:9-11 – “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.“
Matthew 9:23-25 – “And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.“
Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.”
James 2:10 – “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
Discover The Promise of Life After Death. The Bible presents death as separation whereby physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, and spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. Death is the result of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The whole world is subject to death because all have sinned. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” In Genesis 2:17, the Lord God Almighty warned Adam that the penalty for disobedience would be death – “you will surely die.” When Adam disobeyed, he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide “from Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Later on, Adam experienced physical death (Genesis 5:5).
On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus also experienced physical death (Matthew 27:50). The difference is that Adam died because he was a sinner, and Jesus, who had never sinned, chose to die as a substitute for sinners (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus then revealed His power over death and sin by rising from the dead on the third day (Matthew 28; Revelation 1:18). Because of Christ, death is a defeated foe (1 Corinthians 15:55; Hosea 13:14). For the unsaved, death brings to an end the chance to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). For the saved, death ushers us into the presence of Christ: “To be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Behold, the promise of the believer’s resurrection is so real that the physical death of a Christian is called “sleep” (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 5:10). As Christians, we look forward to that time when “there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4).
The Promise of Life After Death
Death, as it sounds, is perceived by many as their worst nightmare. The very word can trigger images of fear, of men and women in black, of grief, and of darkness. For some people, it is everything except something good. It is a word that generally generates fears, doubts, worries, stress, and bitterness in many. However, is this how God wants us to handle the very aspect of death? We’ll get divine answers from the best Bible verses on death. As we all know, the Bible is an authoritative guide in knowing and doing what God wants. With a good understanding of this spiritual truth, Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy, telling him that all scriptures were divinely inspired and are good for teaching.
Behold, it is not God’s perfect will for us to live in the fear of death. Brethren, let no one deceive you by saying the contrary. Truth be told, it is God’s will for us to live, and die, with the confidence or certainty that comes from knowing we completely belong to the victorious, risen king, in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross at Calvary for our sake, and rose from the grave together with all who belong to God. As followers of Christ, we ought to perceive the very aspect of death from a different angle and not as the world does. We have been purchased and welcomed by the one who conquered death. He overcame death for himself and all those who belong to his Father’s flock. Instead of worrying about death, you should be concerned about gaining mercy and favor before his throne.
Is There Life After Death?
Job, speaking out of his despair, asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). All of us have been challenged by this question. Is there life after death? What happens to us after we die? Do we simply cease to exist? Is death the end? Is death a revolving door of departing and returning to the earth? Does everyone go to the same place after death or do they go to different places? Is there really a heaven and hell? Behold, the Bible explicitly tells us that, yes, there is life after death. As such, this world is not all there is, and mankind was made for something greater. At death, the body ceases to function and begins the process of returning to the earth, but the spiritual part of man lives on: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; cf. Psalm 146:4). To those who are redeemed and have their sin forgiven, the Lord God gives eternal life, an existence so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This eternal life is inextricably linked to the person of Jesus Christ: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). 1 John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to the earth to pay for our sins and give us the gift of Eternal Life: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave – He is life personified (John 11:25) and the ultimate proof that there is life after death. John 11:25 says, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. The resurrection of Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul invited people to question the over 500 witnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). Note that all of them could bear testimony to the fact that Jesus is alive and that there is indeed life after death. The resurrection of Christ, which gives us the sure hope of life after death, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). Because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, we have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. As Jesus told His disciples, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again (1 Corinthians 15:23). Just as the Lord God raised up Jesus’ body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 6:14).
Each person must make a choice in this life, a choice that will determine his or her eternal destination. It is appointed for us to die once and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who have rejected Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience the never-ending, eternal wrath of God. Hell is described as a lake of fire where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). The Lord God Almighty does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires them to turn from their wicked ways by sincerely repenting and believing in Jesus Christ so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16-18).
Faith in Jesus Christ is the one and only way to receive eternal life and avoid hell. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Brethren, the free gift of eternal life is available to all. John 3:36 says, “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” It’s important to understand that we will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust in the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sins, strongly hold to His message, and believe in His resurrection from the dead, we are guaranteed eternal life after death, in glory (1 Peter 1:3–5).
What Happens After Death?
Within the Christian community, there is a significant amount of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death everyone “sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to hell or heaven. Other Christians believe that at the moment of death, people are instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still, other Christians claim that, when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to “temporary” heaven or hell to await the final resurrection, the final judgment, and the finality of their eternal destination. Nevertheless, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death? First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins were forgiven when they received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36).
Notice that for believers in Jesus Christ, death means being “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection? It seems that while the spirits/souls of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the spirit/soul. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the state of existence for believers for eternity in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22).
Second, for those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, death means everlasting punishment. However, in a similar way to the destiny of believers, it seems that unbelievers also go to a temporary holding place to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. Luke 16:22–23 describes a rich man being tormented immediately after death. Revelation 20:11–15 describes all the unbelieving dead being resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and cast into the lake of fire. Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of fire) immediately after death, but they are rather sent to a temporary realm of judgment and anguish. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire” (Luke 16:24). After death, a person resides either in a place of comfort or in a place of torment. These realms act as a temporary “heaven” and a temporary “hell” until the resurrection. At that point in time, the soul is reunited with the body, but no one’s eternal destiny will change.
The first resurrection is for the “blessed and holy” (Revelation 20:6) – everyone who is in Christ – and those who are part of the first resurrection will enter the millennial kingdom and, ultimately, the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1). The other resurrection happens after Christ’s millennial kingdom, and it involves the wicked and unbelieving being “judged according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:13). These, whose names are not written in the book of life, will be sent to the lake of fire to experience the “second death” (Revelation 20:14–15). The new earth and the lake of fire are final and eternal destinations. People go to one or the other, based entirely on whether they have trusted and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).
How to gain Mercy and Favor before God’s Throne
Just as we previously mentioned, instead of entertaining fear, doubt, and worries in your heart about death, you should focus on gaining mercy and favor before God’s throne. He who has been granted mercy and favor before God’s throne has nothing to fear about death. Such a person was raised from death the very day that Christ conquered death and triumphed over sin. And for sure, those who get life through Christ will dwell in God’s presence for all times in the world to come. The question now is that to know how to find mercy and favor before God. It is worth noting that mercy and favor from God come out of His grace (unmerited favor). To be receptive to this grace, we need to cultivate obedience and faithfulness to God.
Scriptural Facts About Death
1. Death is not the End – Matthew 25:31-46
Many believe that once we die, we cease existing. Contrary to this false belief, we’ll tell you that death is not the end. Concerning what the Bible says about death, on no occasion has any messenger from God pointed to death as the end. We are taught by the Holy Scriptures that although our physical bodies will decompose during death, our souls will live forever. That is, our souls will either live forever in God’s heavenly presence known as paradise or eternally separated from him and thrown into the lake of fire. The choice of whether we are going to paradise or the lake of fire depends on us. God in his goodness and love sent his only son Jesus Christ to be crucified as the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Only those who welcome his sacrifice and obey His teachings will dwell in paradise.
On the other hand, those who would have rejected Him and His Teachings during their lifetimes on earth will be directed to the lake of fire. For such people suffering is their eternal reward. To support our message, we’ll recommend that you read Matthew 25:31-46. It talks about the day of judgment which God has appointed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to execute when the right time comes. Those who will be found worthy through the blood of Christ will dwell in paradise, a place of joy, happiness, good health, and no suffering. For more info, we’ll recommend that you read our article on What Jesus Christ taught about Hell.
2. As Jesus Overcame death, so shall we – Romans 6:5
Perhaps you were not aware but God’s original plan for Creation was free from Sin and death. It was when Mankind Rebelled against Him under the directives of Satan that sin and death found their way into our lives. Despite our sins, God did not stop loving us but sent His only beloved son, Jesus Christ, saying that whoever believes in Him will not die but live. The Death of Christ on the Cross at Calvary and His Resurrection conquered both sin and death. Anyone who Welcomes Him and His Key Teachings is given Everlasting Life in the world to come. In this light, Romans 6:5 says that we will also be raised from death as he was. Almost all Bible verses about death are pointing to this divine truth.
What Does the Bible Say About Communicating with the Dead?
We live in an age where people claim to be more in touch with the spirit world. Today, many people believe we can communicate with the dead and the dead can communicate with us. This belief has resulted in a flood of books, shows, and spiritual advisors who draw people in by claiming they can communicate with their dead loved ones. Although their demonstrations seem impressive, it’s important to know if they are real. To know for sure, we should find out what the Bible says about communicating with the dead. Brethren, Scripture makes it clear that we should not seek the help of necromancers or mediums. Behold, the Bible condemns necromancy which is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events; discovery of hidden knowledge; returning a person to life, or to use the dead as a weapon (Deuteronomy 18:11).
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Scripture warns us against consulting with familiar spirits and necromancers. Familiar spirits are trusted spirits that are thought to be friendly or familiar. However, they are not people, but demons (Leviticus 20:1-6, 27; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3; Isiah 29:4). Likewise, necromancers, often called mediums, are those who try to communicate with the dead. Note that neither are part of God’s family and they are not His children by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26). Instead, they are part of Satan’s family, which include those who deny Christ (John 8:34-44; Acts 3:6-10; 1 John 3:8-10).
A Biblical Example of an Alleged Communication with the Dead
A biblical example of someone who tried to speak to the dead is found in 1 Samuel 28. The prophet Samuel had died and King Saul learned that the Philistines were gathered together to wage war against Israel. Saul feared greatly when he saw their army, so he prayed to the Lord God for advice, but the Lord God did not answer. King Saul became desperate and told his servants to find a woman with a familiar spirit. Once a woman was found, Saul disguised himself and went to her at night. He asked her to call upon the spirit to bring up someone. She refused out of fear of what would happen to her if she did it, but King Saul swore in the Lord’s name that she would not be harmed. The woman asked who he wanted her to call up and Saul told her Samuel. Immediately she had a terrifying vision. Saul asked her what she had seen and she said she had seen “gods coming out of the earth” and an old man covered with a head covering. Saul “perceived” it was Samuel and he bowed down to the ground. Then the old man, whom Saul could not see, chastised him for disturbing him. Despite this, Saul went on to ask him what to do about the Philistines. The old man said that God departed from Saul and was His enemy because he had not obeyed the Lord. He added that Saul and his sons would be captured by the Philistines. When Saul heard this, he was consumed by fear and fainted. Later we learn that Saul was captured and he and his sons were killed.
What are the problems with Saul’s alleged conversation with Samuel? There are many things to consider about this account. First, is that the vision was only visible to a woman with demons (1 Samuel 28:13). The “gods” that she saw were not of God, they were of Satan. We know this because there is only one true God and no others (Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:5-6). Furthermore, worship of any other god is worshiping of devils (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Second, the voice that Saul heard was a delusion. Isaiah 66:4 makes us understand that God can send people a delusion if they disobey and do evil before Him. Likewise, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we learn that the Lord God will send strong delusion to those who reject salvation through Christ so they will believe the Wicked One (anti-Christ) and be damned. In addition, Scripture tells us that Satan has the power to create miracles (2 Corinthians 2:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:11-14). Jesus Christ spoke of this in Matthew 7:23-23 when He said that people will come to Him claiming that they prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works (miracles) in His name, but He would tell them that He never knew them; these people are deluded.
There is no truth in the Devil because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). As such, it is unlikely that the Lord God would use a demon to raise up Samuel to give Godly counsel. Note that demons know Jesus and what their future holds. In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus met two men possessed by devils (demons). The devils called Jesus by name and asked if He was there to torment them before the appointed time. Notice that they were referring to a future event when they would be tossed into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-10). Therefore, it’s not unlikely that a demon knew what Saul had done and that he would die along with his sons. A close example is that of Paul and Silas on their way to the place of prayer. They were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. The spirit clearly recognized Paul and Silas, followed them, and continuously shouted, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment, the spirit left her (Acts 16:16-18).
The Promise of Life After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:14 – “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.“
Leviticus 19:31 – “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.“
Leviticus 20:27 – “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
Luke 23:43 – “And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Romans 14:8 -“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Isaiah 8:19 – And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
Matthew 10:28 – “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
John 11:26 – “And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 – “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
Group 1 – The Promise of Life After Death
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,“
Leviticus 20:6 – “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Luke 23:43 – And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. …“
Group 2 – The Promise of Life After Death
John 14:1-4 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Psalm 146:4 – “When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”
John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.“
Matthew 25:41 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.“
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.“
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” … ”
Group 3 – The Promise of Life After Death
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.”
Job 14:14 – “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 – “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”
Revelation 14:13 – And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
1 Corinthians 15:51 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
2 Kings 21:6 – “And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.“
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Ezekiel 18:32 – “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Group 4 – The Promise of Life After Death
Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
Romans 8:13 – “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Ecclesiastes 3:2 – “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;”
2 Corinthians 5:8 – “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Luke 2:29 – “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;”
Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Psalm 116:15 – “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Group 5 – The Promise of Life After Death
Romans 10:9-13 – Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Genesis 3:19 – “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
1 Timothy 6:7 – “For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 39:4 – “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”
Isaiah 25:8 – “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
John 5:24-26 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”
1 Corinthians 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Group 6 – The Promise of Life After Death
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Hebrews 13:14 – “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Proverbs 14:32 – “The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.“
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Psalm 23:1-6 – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
Group 7 – The Promise of Life After Death
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Matthew 27:52 – “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,“
John 11:11-14 – After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,”
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 – “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”
Romans 1:1-32 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, …“
Group 8 – The Promise of Life After Death
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.“
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””
Hebrews 2:14 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
John 5:28-29 – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Isaiah 57:1-2 – “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”
John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Ezekiel 18:21 – “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Daniel 12:1-13 – “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. …
Group 9 – The Promise of Life After Death
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 –“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:12 – “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Acts 7:60 – “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Luke 20:36 – “For they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
1 Corinthians 15:16-23 – “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. …“
1 Thessalonians 4:15 – “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.“
Romans 6:16 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Ephesians 1:19-23 – “And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
Group 10 – The Promise of Life After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, …”
Daniel 12:2 – “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Ezekiel 33:8 – “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Job 16:22 – “For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.”
Romans 1:1-4 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,“
Group 11 – The Promise of Life After Death
Acts 20:9-11 – “And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.”
Hosea 13:14 – “Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”
Genesis 25:8 – “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Psalm 104:29 – “When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”
John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Ecclesiastes 5:15 – “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”
1 Corinthians 15:21 – “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”
Romans 8:6 – “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.“
Ecclesiastes 8:8 – “No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Proverbs 12:28 – “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.”
Genesis 19:24 – “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
Group 12 – The Promise of Life After Death
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.”
Revelation 12:11 – “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Acts 9:40-41 – But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
2 Samuel 12:23 – “But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Genesis 2:7 – “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.“
Psalm 30:5 – “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Revelation 2:11 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”
Acts 7:59 – And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Group 13 – The Promise of Life After Death
Acts 2:32-36 – This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Hebrews 2:15 – “And deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Psalm 48:14 – “That this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.”
1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.“
Luke 23:39-43 – One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Group 14 – The Promise of Life After Death
John 11:1-57 – “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. …“
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
John 11:43-44 – When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
John 20:26 – Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Luke 24:39-43 – “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.“
Luke 24:1-7 – “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? …“
Group 15 – The Promise of Life After Death
Revelation 4:2 – “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”
Revelation 6:9-11 – “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.“
Matthew 9:23-25 – “And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.“
Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.”
James 2:10 – “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
Discover Bible Verses About Life After Death. The Bible presents death as separation whereby physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, and spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. Death is the result of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The whole world is subject to death because all have sinned. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” In Genesis 2:17, the Lord God Almighty warned Adam that the penalty for disobedience would be death – “you will surely die.” When Adam disobeyed, he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide “from Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Later on, Adam experienced physical death (Genesis 5:5).
On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus also experienced physical death (Matthew 27:50). The difference is that Adam died because he was a sinner, and Jesus, who had never sinned, chose to die as a substitute for sinners (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus then revealed His power over death and sin by rising from the dead on the third day (Matthew 28; Revelation 1:18). Because of Christ, death is a defeated foe (1 Corinthians 15:55; Hosea 13:14). For the unsaved, death brings to an end the chance to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). For the saved, death ushers us into the presence of Christ: “To be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Behold, the promise of the believer’s resurrection is so real that the physical death of a Christian is called “sleep” (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 5:10). As Christians, we look forward to that time when “there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4).
Bible Verses About Life After Death
Death, as it sounds, is perceived by many as their worst nightmare. The very word can trigger images of fear, of men and women in black, of grief, and of darkness. For some people, it is everything except something good. It is a word that generally generates fears, doubts, worries, stress, and bitterness in many. However, is this how God wants us to handle the very aspect of death? We’ll get divine answers from the best Bible verses on death. As we all know, the Bible is an authoritative guide in knowing and doing what God wants. With a good understanding of this spiritual truth, Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy, telling him that all scriptures were divinely inspired and are good for teaching.
Behold, it is not God’s perfect will for us to live in the fear of death. Brethren, let no one deceive you by saying the contrary. Truth be told, it is God’s will for us to live, and die, with the confidence or certainty that comes from knowing we completely belong to the victorious, risen king, in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross at Calvary for our sake, and rose from the grave together with all who belong to God. As followers of Christ, we ought to perceive the very aspect of death from a different angle and not as the world does. We have been purchased and welcomed by the one who conquered death. He overcame death for himself and all those who belong to his Father’s flock. Instead of worrying about death, you should be concerned about gaining mercy and favor before his throne.
Is There Life After Death?
Job, speaking out of his despair, asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). All of us have been challenged by this question. Is there life after death? What happens to us after we die? Do we simply cease to exist? Is death the end? Is death a revolving door of departing and returning to the earth? Does everyone go to the same place after death or do they go to different places? Is there really a heaven and hell? Behold, the Bible explicitly tells us that, yes, there is life after death. As such, this world is not all there is, and mankind was made for something greater. At death, the body ceases to function and begins the process of returning to the earth, but the spiritual part of man lives on: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; cf. Psalm 146:4). To those who are redeemed and have their sin forgiven, the Lord God gives eternal life, an existence so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This eternal life is inextricably linked to the person of Jesus Christ: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). 1 John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to the earth to pay for our sins and give us the gift of Eternal Life: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave – He is life personified (John 11:25) and the ultimate proof that there is life after death. John 11:25 says, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. The resurrection of Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul invited people to question the over 500 witnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). Note that all of them could bear testimony to the fact that Jesus is alive and that there is indeed life after death. The resurrection of Christ, which gives us the sure hope of life after death, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). Because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, we have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. As Jesus told His disciples, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again (1 Corinthians 15:23). Just as the Lord God raised up Jesus’ body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 6:14).
Each person must make a choice in this life, a choice that will determine his or her eternal destination. It is appointed for us to die once and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who have rejected Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience the never-ending, eternal wrath of God. Hell is described as a lake of fire where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). The Lord God Almighty does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires them to turn from their wicked ways by sincerely repenting and believing in Jesus Christ so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16-18).
Faith in Jesus Christ is the one and only way to receive eternal life and avoid hell. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Brethren, the free gift of eternal life is available to all. John 3:36 says, “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” It’s important to understand that we will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust in the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sins, strongly hold to His message, and believe in His resurrection from the dead, we are guaranteed eternal life after death, in glory (1 Peter 1:3–5).
What Happens After Death?
Within the Christian community, there is a significant amount of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death everyone “sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to hell or heaven. Other Christians believe that at the moment of death, people are instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still, other Christians claim that, when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to “temporary” heaven or hell to await the final resurrection, the final judgment, and the finality of their eternal destination. Nevertheless, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death? First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death believers’ souls/spirits are taken to heaven, because their sins were forgiven when they received Christ as Savior (John 3:16, 18, 36).
Notice that for believers in Jesus Christ, death means being “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). However, biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describe believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies. If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection? It seems that while the spirits/souls of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the spirit/soul. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the state of existence for believers for eternity in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22).
Second, for those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, death means everlasting punishment. However, in a similar way to the destiny of believers, it seems that unbelievers also go to a temporary holding place to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. Luke 16:22–23 describes a rich man being tormented immediately after death. Revelation 20:11–15 describes all the unbelieving dead being resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and cast into the lake of fire. Unbelievers, then, are not sent to hell (the lake of fire) immediately after death, but they are rather sent to a temporary realm of judgment and anguish. The rich man cried out, “I am in agony in this fire” (Luke 16:24). After death, a person resides either in a place of comfort or in a place of torment. These realms act as a temporary “heaven” and a temporary “hell” until the resurrection. At that point in time, the soul is reunited with the body, but no one’s eternal destiny will change.
The first resurrection is for the “blessed and holy” (Revelation 20:6) – everyone who is in Christ – and those who are part of the first resurrection will enter the millennial kingdom and, ultimately, the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1). The other resurrection happens after Christ’s millennial kingdom, and it involves the wicked and unbelieving being “judged according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:13). These, whose names are not written in the book of life, will be sent to the lake of fire to experience the “second death” (Revelation 20:14–15). The new earth and the lake of fire are final and eternal destinations. People go to one or the other, based entirely on whether they have trusted and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36).
How to gain Mercy and Favor before God’s Throne
Just as we previously mentioned, instead of entertaining fear, doubt, and worries in your heart about death, you should focus on gaining mercy and favor before God’s throne. He who has been granted mercy and favor before God’s throne has nothing to fear about death. Such a person was raised from death the very day that Christ conquered death and triumphed over sin. And for sure, those who get life through Christ will dwell in God’s presence for all times in the world to come. The question now is that to know how to find mercy and favor before God. It is worth noting that mercy and favor from God come out of His grace (unmerited favor). To be receptive to this grace, we need to cultivate obedience and faithfulness to God.
Scriptural Facts About Death
1. Death is not the End – Matthew 25:31-46
Many believe that once we die, we cease existing. Contrary to this false belief, we’ll tell you that death is not the end. Concerning what the Bible says about death, on no occasion has any messenger from God pointed to death as the end. We are taught by the Holy Scriptures that although our physical bodies will decompose during death, our souls will live forever. That is, our souls will either live forever in God’s heavenly presence known as paradise or eternally separated from him and thrown into the lake of fire. The choice of whether we are going to paradise or the lake of fire depends on us. God in his goodness and love sent his only son Jesus Christ to be crucified as the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Only those who welcome his sacrifice and obey His teachings will dwell in paradise.
On the other hand, those who would have rejected Him and His Teachings during their lifetimes on earth will be directed to the lake of fire. For such people suffering is their eternal reward. To support our message, we’ll recommend that you read Matthew 25:31-46. It talks about the day of judgment which God has appointed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to execute when the right time comes. Those who will be found worthy through the blood of Christ will dwell in paradise, a place of joy, happiness, good health, and no suffering. For more info, we’ll recommend that you read our article on What Jesus Christ taught about Hell.
2. As Jesus Overcame death, so shall we – Romans 6:5
Perhaps you were not aware but God’s original plan for Creation was free from Sin and death. It was when Mankind Rebelled against Him under the directives of Satan that sin and death found their way into our lives. Despite our sins, God did not stop loving us but sent His only beloved son, Jesus Christ, saying that whoever believes in Him will not die but live. The Death of Christ on the Cross at Calvary and His Resurrection conquered both sin and death. Anyone who Welcomes Him and His Key Teachings is given Everlasting Life in the world to come. In this light, Romans 6:5 says that we will also be raised from death as he was. Almost all Bible verses about death are pointing to this divine truth.
What Does the Bible Say About Communicating with the Dead?
We live in an age where people claim to be more in touch with the spirit world. Today, many people believe we can communicate with the dead and the dead can communicate with us. This belief has resulted in a flood of books, shows, and spiritual advisors who draw people in by claiming they can communicate with their dead loved ones. Although their demonstrations seem impressive, it’s important to know if they are real. To know for sure, we should find out what the Bible says about communicating with the dead. Brethren, Scripture makes it clear that we should not seek the help of necromancers or mediums. Behold, the Bible condemns necromancy which is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events; discovery of hidden knowledge; returning a person to life, or to use the dead as a weapon (Deuteronomy 18:11).
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Scripture warns us against consulting with familiar spirits and necromancers. Familiar spirits are trusted spirits that are thought to be friendly or familiar. However, they are not people, but demons (Leviticus 20:1-6, 27; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3; Isiah 29:4). Likewise, necromancers, often called mediums, are those who try to communicate with the dead. Note that neither are part of God’s family and they are not His children by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26). Instead, they are part of Satan’s family, which include those who deny Christ (John 8:34-44; Acts 3:6-10; 1 John 3:8-10).
A Biblical Example of an Alleged Communication with the Dead
A biblical example of someone who tried to speak to the dead is found in 1 Samuel 28. The prophet Samuel had died and King Saul learned that the Philistines were gathered together to wage war against Israel. Saul feared greatly when he saw their army, so he prayed to the Lord God for advice, but the Lord God did not answer. King Saul became desperate and told his servants to find a woman with a familiar spirit. Once a woman was found, Saul disguised himself and went to her at night. He asked her to call upon the spirit to bring up someone. She refused out of fear of what would happen to her if she did it, but King Saul swore in the Lord’s name that she would not be harmed. The woman asked who he wanted her to call up and Saul told her Samuel. Immediately she had a terrifying vision. Saul asked her what she had seen and she said she had seen “gods coming out of the earth” and an old man covered with a head covering. Saul “perceived” it was Samuel and he bowed down to the ground. Then the old man, whom Saul could not see, chastised him for disturbing him. Despite this, Saul went on to ask him what to do about the Philistines. The old man said that God departed from Saul and was His enemy because he had not obeyed the Lord. He added that Saul and his sons would be captured by the Philistines. When Saul heard this, he was consumed by fear and fainted. Later we learn that Saul was captured and he and his sons were killed.
What are the problems with Saul’s alleged conversation with Samuel? There are many things to consider about this account. First, is that the vision was only visible to a woman with demons (1 Samuel 28:13). The “gods” that she saw were not of God, they were of Satan. We know this because there is only one true God and no others (Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:5-6). Furthermore, worship of any other god is worshiping of devils (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Second, the voice that Saul heard was a delusion. Isaiah 66:4 makes us understand that God can send people a delusion if they disobey and do evil before Him. Likewise, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we learn that the Lord God will send strong delusion to those who reject salvation through Christ so they will believe the Wicked One (anti-Christ) and be damned. In addition, Scripture tells us that Satan has the power to create miracles (2 Corinthians 2:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:11-14). Jesus Christ spoke of this in Matthew 7:23-23 when He said that people will come to Him claiming that they prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works (miracles) in His name, but He would tell them that He never knew them; these people are deluded.
There is no truth in the Devil because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). As such, it is unlikely that the Lord God would use a demon to raise up Samuel to give Godly counsel. Note that demons know Jesus and what their future holds. In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus met two men possessed by devils (demons). The devils called Jesus by name and asked if He was there to torment them before the appointed time. Notice that they were referring to a future event when they would be tossed into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-10). Therefore, it’s not unlikely that a demon knew what Saul had done and that he would die along with his sons. A close example is that of Paul and Silas on their way to the place of prayer. They were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. The spirit clearly recognized Paul and Silas, followed them, and continuously shouted, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment, the spirit left her (Acts 16:16-18).
Bible Verses About Life After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:14 – “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.“
Leviticus 19:31 – “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.“
Leviticus 20:27 – “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
Luke 23:43 – “And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Romans 14:8 -“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Isaiah 8:19 – And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
Matthew 10:28 – “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
John 11:26 – “And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 – “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
Group 1 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,“
Leviticus 20:6 – “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Luke 23:43 – And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. …“
Group 2 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
John 14:1-4 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Psalm 146:4 – “When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”
John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.“
Matthew 25:41 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.“
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.“
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” … ”
Group 3 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.”
Job 14:14 – “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 – “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”
Revelation 14:13 – And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
1 Corinthians 15:51 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
2 Kings 21:6 – “And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.“
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Ezekiel 18:32 – “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Group 4 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
Romans 8:13 – “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Ecclesiastes 3:2 – “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;”
2 Corinthians 5:8 – “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Luke 2:29 – “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;”
Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Psalm 116:15 – “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Group 5 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
Isaiah 25:8 – “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
John 5:24-26 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”
1 Corinthians 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Romans 10:9-13 – Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Genesis 3:19 – “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
1 Timothy 6:7 – “For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”
Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 39:4 – “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”
Group 6 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Psalm 23:1-6 – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Hebrews 13:14 – “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Proverbs 14:32 – “The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.“
Group 7 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
1 Corinthians 15:26 – “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Matthew 27:52 – “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,“
John 11:11-14 – After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,”
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 – “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”
Romans 1:1-32 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, …“
Group 8 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
Revelation 1:18 – “And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Isaiah 57:1-2 – “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”
John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Ezekiel 18:21 – “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Daniel 12:1-13 – “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. …
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.“
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””
Hebrews 2:14 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
John 5:28-29 – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Group 9 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:15 – “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”
Psalm 115:17 – “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.“
Romans 6:16 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Ephesians 1:19-23 – “And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 –“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:12 – “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Acts 7:60 – “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Luke 20:36 – “For they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
1 Corinthians 15:16-23 – “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. …“
Group 10 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, …”
Daniel 12:2 – “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Ezekiel 33:8 – “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Job 16:22 – “For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.”
Romans 1:1-4 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,“
Group 11 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Ecclesiastes 5:15 – “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”
1 Corinthians 15:21 – “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”
Romans 8:6 – “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.“
Ecclesiastes 8:8 – “No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Proverbs 12:28 – “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.”
Genesis 19:24 – “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
Acts 20:9-11 – “And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.”
Hosea 13:14 – “Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”
Genesis 25:8 – “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Psalm 104:29 – “When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”
Group 12 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
Acts 9:40-41 – But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
2 Samuel 12:23 – “But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Genesis 2:7 – “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.“
Psalm 30:5 – “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Revelation 2:11 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”
Acts 7:59 – And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.”
Revelation 12:11 – “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Group 13 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
Acts 2:32-36 – This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Hebrews 2:15 – “And deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Psalm 48:14 – “That this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.”
1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.“
Luke 23:39-43 – One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Group 14 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
John 20:26 – Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Luke 24:39-43 – “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.“
Luke 24:1-7 – “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? …“
John 11:1-57 – “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. …“
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
John 11:43-44 – When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Group 15 – Bible Verses About Life After Death
Matthew 9:23-25 – “And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.“
Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.”
James 2:10 – “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
Revelation 4:2 – “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”
Revelation 6:9-11 – “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.“
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