To N: There is hope!

Losing a loved one is painful

This  blog is written for a young woman who is grieving the loss of her brother. I am responding to her in a blog so others who may be in the same dilemma may find answers and peace.  The young lady, who I will refer to as N, shared with me  her concern with respect to where her brother was.  "I just want to know where he is and if he is ok.  Is he up in heaven?  If so how is it the Bible says when God comes he would resurrect him?"  

The concern of the young lady is echoed by so many who have lost loved ones.  It is so comforting to think that they are up in heaven.  But if they are in heaven how can 1 Thessalonians 4: 16 - 18 be explained? For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.   Verse 16 is clear that at the second coming the dead in Christ shall rise first.  It means that, as comforting as it is to think that they are,  the dead are not in heaven.  

"So where are they?"

"Sleeping."

She listened intently.  "Death is like a sleep. When you go to bed at night, if you don't wake up, will you know?"   

Sleeping?

I recounted the experience when, in my teen years, my tonsils were removed. When the Anesthesiologist took my hand in his to apply the general anesthesia to put me to sleep, I thought to myself, "Ha, I will pretend I fall asleep and I will observe the entire operation.  I will fight that medication."  I looked into his green eyes as he chatted with me to put me at ease.  Next thing I know I was up and rubbing my throat which was aching. "What time is it?"  I asked my mom who was standing over me.  I expected her to say it was a little after 7am.  Instead she told me it was 3pm. I stared at her in shock, What had happened between 7am and 3pm?  What if I had not awakened from the anesthesia?  Would I have known I had not awakened?  What happens when we fall asleep at night?  What if we do not wake the following morning?  Would we know we did not wake?  Hebrews 9:27 took on new meaning that day  "...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"  Had I not awakened from the anesthesia, (or if you do not awake from sleep), when I eventually awoke it would have been the judgement, and I would have had no clue as to what took place between my death and the judgement, just as you would have no clue if you do not awake from sleep.

There is no awareness in death.  "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." (Psalms 146:4) This means that at death the following happens:

a. Breath is gone

b. Body/shell/corpse returns to the earth through the process of putrefaction and decomposition. Ecclesiastes 3 says "all are of dust and all turn to dust again"

c. Thoughts perish - the dead is not aware of anything.  Ecclesiastes 9:5 says  "...the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing."

I am not a mathematician by any stretch of the imagination, but this simple equation certainly sums up death as defined in Psalms 146:4 and Ecclesiastes 12:7  "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." 

BODY (returns to the earth) -  BREATH (returns to God) = DEATH (lack of existence or awareness)

The equation for life should look something like this:  

BODY (man formed out of the dust of the ground)  + BREATH (God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life) = LIFE (man becomes a living soul).  

Support for this equation can be found in  Genesis 2:7 "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

Psalms 104:30 sums up death and life:  "...thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust (DEATH). Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created...(LIFE)"  

Be comforted

So N, and those who are grieving,  our relatives are sleeping.  They will awake one day. Death is not the end. Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God. He is preparing a place for all of us and he will come again (John 14:1-3).  Don't place your hope only in this life, it will make you miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19).  Live in anticipation of the fulfillment of the hope of the joyful reunion with our loved ones.  God is Faithful!  He has promised. (Hebrews 10:23)  

Be comforted!