DEATH

IN DEATH WE SLEEP

If you have ever had a loved one die, then perhaps this is for you. Although this is not the popular comfort given to so many grieving Christians, I believe it is the truth and I have found that the truth often has a strange comfort of it's own.

There seems to be an increase in curiousity concerning death and the after-life as we head into these end-times and I am disturbed by the increase that I see among Christians toward death awareness. There is a common theme running through Christianity concerning departed loved ones, a belief that the dead are even now with Jesus, are self-aware, and aware of those left behind.

Although there may be little harm in this kind of comfort, I believe there is a danger in that it opens the door to other beliefs. I speak of the people who talk to, or worse, see departed loved ones. I also think it opens the door to people who prey on the grieving like John Edward and Sylvia Brown. I'm not sure if they themselves are deceived or just have no qualms about deceiving others, but either way, the beings they claim to contact are nothing more than demons masquerading as departed loved ones. It is simply amazing to me that no one ever questions their great deceptive message, which is all the dead are fine and well. I'm okay, you're okay. Don't worry. Live a good life, Be a good person, and we'll all end up together in the end. Does no one ever go to hell? Think about it. What else would the devil have you believe? The last thing he wants is people thinking about heaven and hell, much less worrying over the fact they just might go there. Remember, Stan's greatest trick is convincing people he doesn't exist.

I have spent a lot of time researching death in Christ because I have lost both a Mother and Son, and if anyone needed a word of knowledge, it was I. What I learned was this: until Jesus comes back, the dead are unaware. I base this on the simple fact that from Deuteronomy all the way to Revelation, death is referred to as sleep.

Deuteronomy 31:16 And the Lord said unto Moses, behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers.

Psalms 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.

Psalms 49:14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

Isaiah 38:18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit (grave) cannot hope for thy truth.

John 11:13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death; but they thought he had spoken of taking rest in sleep.

The following scriptures refer to death and sleep in the end times.

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not; til the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Daniel 12:12 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

1Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

1Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall be all changed, in a moment, in the twinkiling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Reve3lation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

The only scriptures that do not support this and almost appear to contradict it--and is the basis of which Christians believe in immediate resurrection--is Luke 23:43 when Jesus says to the thief on the cross, "Verily I say unto thee. Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

It was this scripture that caused me no great amount of concern. But then I believe the Holy Spirit gave me insight into it. When someone sleeps, as in the case of coma, the person is completely unaware of times passage. When they wake, for them, it is the same day. There is also the theory put forth by Matthew Henry that Jesus made this statement while still under disgrace with God as a sinner for us, that he had not yet been delivered. There is also the thousand years is like a day theory and there is also the theory that Jesus simply meant that because the thief believed that day, meaning today, he would be with him in paradise at the resurrection.

The only other scripture that appears to back death awareness is also found in Luke. Luke 16:19 The story of Lazurus and the rich man. However, given the context in which Jesus relays the story, I believe it to be just that, a story, a metaphor, a parable. I don't think he was describing an actual event.

If we need to find comfort in death, and those of us who grieve surely do, then our hope lies not in death, but in the resurrection of the dead. When Jesus returns and the dead are raised, then we will have our comfort, our rewards, and our reunions. Just think, what a wonderful way to wake up!

Until then, those we love sleep. And peaceful sleep is not a bad thing. How awful it would be to think of a Mother, brother,father, sister, wife, husband, aunt, uncle, neice, nephew, and friend watching us hurt, in danger, or perhaps even destroying our chance for salvation and not be able to do anything to help us. Much better to think that they sleep blissfully unware until we can be together again. Sometimes, the truth does have its own strange comfort.

by Je' Leites