What does the bible say happens when you die

[Angee Licaa]

The question of what happens after death can be confusing. The Bible does not explicitly state a person's fate as they approach their eternal end. The Bible tells us about the moment after death people are taken to heaven or to hell on the basis of their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. As for the children of God, after death they are no longer present in the body but are with the Lord: “Therefore we are always full of confidence, and know that while we are in this body we are far from God because We walk by faith, not by sight. Therefore, I say, we, full of confidence, would rather leave this body and be with the Lord" - 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

For unbelievers after death means eternal punishment in hell – Luke 16:22-23.

This is a place where it can be confusing to know what will happen after death. Revelation 20:11-15 describes all those in hell being thrown into the lake of fire: “Then I saw a great white throne with Him sitting on it. Heaven and earth have all fled before Him, and there is no place for them to be found. I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book, the book of life, was also opened. The dead are judged according to their works, according to what is written in those books. The sea handed over the dead it contained; Death and Hades also hand over the dead they keep. Each person will be judged according to the work he has done. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name is not written in the book of life is thrown into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 21-22 describes a new heaven and a new earth. That place seems to be the place of the last resurrection so that after death people are given temporary shelter in heaven or hell. Man's eternal destiny will not change but the exact place of man's eternal destiny will change. At a special time after death, God's children will be taken to a new heaven and a new earth. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more” – Revelation 21:1. At a particular time after death, the unbeliever will be cast into the lake of fire – Revelation 20:11-15. This is the final, eternal destiny of all people based on the totality of what people believe in Jesus Christ's only salvation for their sins.

If you want to believe in Jesus as your Savior, and receive salvation from God, this is a prayer you can say to God things like these: “Lord, I know that I have the sin of rebellion. It would help if you had been punished, but Jesus took the punishment for me so that in faith in Jesus I am forgiven. I renounce my sins and put my trust in Your salvation. Thank God for His extraordinary grace and forgiveness. Amen! (Saying these or other prayers will not save you. Only by believing in Jesus will you be forgiven. This prayer is a simple way to express your faith to others.) God and thank Him for the forgiveness of sins.)

If you sincerely say the above prayer to Jesus. Then you are called by God Himself as His child “But whoever received Him, even believing in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – John 1:12. God will also do many amazing things in your life since you invited Him to be the Master of your life.

[TreeFivew]

Upon death, there’s a realm referred to as Sheol.  It is divided into two sections.  One section consists of the people who were wicked, and the people who weren’t.  It is a spiritual holding place until judgement day takes place.  Only a few are in heaven.  No person is in hell yet, which of course no one would be, since judgement day has yet to come.  Wikipedia/Sheol explains it.

 

[Dan Knight]

There are 2 deaths. One is appointed,  the other is after being judged guilty of sin, and not accepting the sacrifice of the Fathers only begotten Son. The first death is described in the bible as sleep. Awaiting the resurrection. 

[TreeFivew]

The sleep is actually Sheol.  The spirit never sleeps.  We never cease to exist in some form.

[Dan Knight]

Interesting. 

[Linkin]

No where in the bible does it say you go to heaven or hell. Hell is of Greek Mythology, not Christian or Jewish Teaching.

First of all hell is a bad translation of the word Gehenna. Gehenna is an actual physical location near Jerusalem. It is also called Tophet,Valley of Hinnom etc... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_Hinnom_(Gehenna)

Isaiah 30:33 Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.

Jeremiah 7:31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart

 

Whenever the bible has hell, it always is a poor transliteration of Gehenna. 

 

Rev. 20:9 And fire from God *1 fell from the sky and consumed them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur,

the place where the Beast and the False Prophet also [were thrown], (and they shall be tortured day and night unto the ages of the ages).

*1 ‘They’ refers to the Beast and False prophet who are tortured in Gehenna during the Kingdom. That Satan is destroyed (not tortured forever) at the end of the Millennium is evident from Paul’s statement that “the last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:26) when Jesus returns the sovereignty of the whole creation back to the Father after He has put down all rebellion. Revelation acknowledges the destruction of the ‘last enemy’ in verse 14. Gehenna (Tophet – Jer. 7:31-33) was originally prepared for “the devil and his messengers” (Isaiah 30:33; Matt. 25:41), but it will eventually be cleansed and become “holy to the LORD” (Jer. 31:40) after the Millennium.

 

*2 Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascends unto ages of ages, *320 and they have no relief day or night – those who are worshipping *321 the beast and its image – and if anyone receives the mark of its name.”

 

*320 Smoke ascending “unto the ages of ages” is meant to point back to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. “Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace” (Gen 19:28). The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was “an example of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7). Yet Sodom did not burn perpetually, but rather permanently. Exactly the same expression is used of the destruction of Mystery Babylon (Rev. 19:3), “Her smoke goes up unto the ages of the ages!” Yet her total destruction is also said to be “in one hour” (Rev. 18:10,17,19), with nothing being left at all. “With this kind of violence Babylon the great city shall be thrown down and shall not be found, not anymore” (Rev. 18:21). There is no reason to suppose that this passage teaches eternal torment based on this expression alone. That question must be decided on other grounds.
*321 The use of the present participle here (those who are worshipping) in conjunction with the present indicative verb “have” shows that the torment coincides in time with their worshipping the beast. In other words, the “torment” is while they are alive and worshipping the beast.

[Linkin]

The hope [of Christians and Jews] is to inherit the ''land'' not ascend to heaven.

John 3:13 And no one has ascended into the Heaven except the one who descended from heaven.........[ie Jesus] 
The perfect tense of the verb requires that after ascending, the Son remained in heaven at the time these words were stated. This is proof that verse 13 was John’s commentary after the ascension, rather than being part of Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus.
This was written decades after Jesus ascended to heaven and after all the apostles except John who wrote it had died.

Acts 2:29-34 David died and was buried.....and he did not ascend to heaven.
 

[Linkin]

From the beginning God told man what would happen if he sinned.

Gen. 3:19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Psalm 90:3 You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”

The dead are silenced

1 samuel 2:9 [NKJ] He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. “For by strength no man shall prevail.

See also Psalm 6:5, Ecc. 9:3-6, Ecc. 9:10, Psalm 115:17, Job 7:21, Job 34:14, Psalm 104:29, Isaiah 38:18 etc.

 

The dead are [Metaphorically Sleeping] 

Job 3:11-13

11“Why did I not perish at birth,

and die as I came from the womb?

12Why were there knees to receive me

and breasts that I might be nursed?

13For now I would be lying down in peace;

I would be asleep and at rest

 

Matthew 9:24  he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.”

John 11:11-15, ....Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep.......Jesus then clarifies and tells them Lazarus is dead.

Acts 7:60, Acts 13:36 David fell asleep Acts 2:29 David died and was buried, Acts 2:34 David did not ascend to heaven

1 Kings 2:10 David rested with his ancestors....

1 Cor. 15:6 Etc

The dead rise at the resurrection:

Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2, Daniel 12:13, Job 19:25-26. Job 14:10-14, Psalm 17:14-15 Etc...

Sheol in Hebrew text=Grave

Hades in Greek text=Grave

As in the the collective grave of all mankind.

 

 

[Dan Knight]

The question is " what happens to you " when you die.  Not what happens to your body.  To you. 

[Linkin]

The Apostle Paul commented on the resurrection.

Without the Resurrection of the Body, there is no Hope for Life after Death

1 Cor 15:12-19

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.