Death is rattling around in my brain and it has been for the last 26 days. I have a feeling that death is on a prospective buying tour of my headspace. It's already found among the gray matter- neighbors -where I've buried all those deaths that have affected me profoundly. I say buried but it's more like they've been entombed in fancy vaults above ground. The largest vault is one of the oldest- but not the oldest. Etched across my mind-granite is the single word. DAD. Near 'dad', but in a space further back are the older and less impressive vaults. Grandpa Pope, Grandma Mack, Grandpa Mack, Grandma Pope-- as well as all the aunts and uncles I knew and loved - they inhabit that particular neighborhood. Those deaths impacted my life but not in the same way my dad's death which tilted my world right off its axis. The architects of my Dad's vault have worked long and hard, covering the surface of that cerebral edifice with many decorative memories. Maybe, just maybe the more memories we hold dear for the departed determines the size of their headspace- it makes sense to me. My MOM has a vault right next to my dad's, and the workers on that vault are still making slow work of her final resting place in my brain. It hurts too much to think about her being dead so I've half-blinded those workers, still, they keep on building.
Yes, death has been touring the ol' mind cemetery and is eyeing up a gray matter plot that is large enough for a mansion of magnificent proportions. Castle Jerry.
That seems appropriate, he loved Germany's castles. Castle Jerry will be built there and unlike all the other vaults in my head (the exception Mom) where the work has mostly ceased except for the occasional repair of a crack in the wall, or leaky roof- I have a feeling this castle vault will be worked on for the rest of my life. Death's rattle is shaking away noisily as construction is set to commence- just as soon as my brain decides once and for all the reality of your having drifted off to the sleep temporary to eternity. My mind is still grappling with your need for the best parcel of land in my head because my heart is crying out- come live down here! The thing is, my heart space holds my God and it's through Him I am able to have any dearly departed vaults in my head at all. You will be allotted that million acre brain space and the love given to me by God will flow into that castle. We've begun a new normal where you have become a collection of memories and emotions that may even outgrow that castle, but for now I know construction has begun, I've just not wanted to watch the walls going up.
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BIBLE STUDY
Jesus’s humanity delivers us from the bondage of death-
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
And yet, there is a mystery here that needs to be touched upon. Why do we need a deliverer? Why, if upon death people go straight to heaven when they die and it's been this way since the beginning of time - do we need a deliverer? Think about it for a few moments. If you're among the millions who believe you are instantly in heaven upon death, please, take time to read this study, what's a few minutes when eternity is your hope?
Death-- that great mystery. People everywhere have various views on what happens when you die. Some believe in reincarnation, others in the instantaneous transport to your just reward, and still others believe there are stages to go through upon death- purgatory for example. What does the Bible say? The Bible clearly calls death a sleep. Letting the Bible speak for itself this is what it says--
Jesus speaks to us in John 11 — (And please read this in its entirety, this is a Bible study and we're really studying, not just taking on a bit of light reading.)
1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. 7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. 8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? 9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. 11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. 16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. 17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. 45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. 46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. 47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. 48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. 49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death .
So much is revealed here in John 11. Jesus knew his beloved Lazarus was sick and yet for two days he didn’t even suggest going to him. When Jesus does suggest going to Lazarus he talks of him sleeping. The disciples think it is good that the sick man is asleep and it is not necessary to go wake him, sleep is good for the sick, right? Jesus then has to plainly state that Lazarus is dead. The sleep Lazarus was in wasn’t a healing sleep, it wasn’t a sleep he would wake from on his own. The sleep of death.
Lazarus was sleeping the sleep of death- for four days buried in a tomb, wrapped up in his burial bindings. Martha even commented that he would be stinking by now from decomposition. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Lazarus was dead, that he was sleeping the final sleep. Martha even had this to say—‘ Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day’ Did Jesus rebuke her in shock and tell her that there would be no resurrection at the last day, rather people would immediately rise when they died? No. He did say this— ‘Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.’
He told her He was the resurrection and the life. He was this resurrection. He had the power over life and death. Those that believe would never die and yet—people still die all the time don't they? So what could he have meant? Think about it. If Lazarus upon death (Jesus said he was dead and others confirmed this) had gone to heaven in Spirit, if that's what happens to all who die in Christ there was no point at all for what Jesus was doing, none. Is this thought about people never dying a new one? No. In the garden Satan told Eve she would not surely die. Genesis 3:4 Look it up, he said it. Did she die when she ate the fruit? Did Eve fall down in death? Did she burn up in some fantastic special effect that verified God's words-- 'But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.' Genesis 2:17
No, there was no sudden throat clutching, poisoning death. No death, right? At least not immediately, but eventually she did die. God told the truth. Satan lied. Eve brought death into existence because mankind could not sin against God and be allowed to live forever. So while she didn't die instantaneously, she did eventually. Here in John 11 Jesus is plainly saying that He is going to do away with that ultimate of deaths. He never claim he was going to stop death right then and there so that no one else would ever die temporarily. Jesus is saying with authority that the ultimate end where death takes those who are not in Christ will not be the end of those that believe. He is going to prove that he has this ultimate power over death itself. The death that Eve, with Satan's temptation, ushered into the world stealing eternal life from mankind- keeping them from the tree of life, that death would be no more. Read Genesis 3:22-24 Up until that moment mankind had access to the tree of life. Jesus wanted to prove that He had the power over temporary death, for if He had power over this death then surely His claims of having the power over the ultimate defeat of death once and for all had to be true.
Jesus went to the grave site and said this—‘Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.’
Let’s think for a moment. Jesus called death a sleep. Martha says Lazarus will be raised in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus, the only one who has power over death tells his disciples he is going to wake Lazarus from his sleep, his death. The reality of the day — NO one has the power to raise the dead from their sleep, no one. Who, but the Son of God could do such a thing? Now why did he do it? Surely Jesus loved many who died over the course of his life and yet he picked one person to raise from their death sleep, why? He tells us… ‘Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou has sent me.’ He tells us so plainly why. He wanted all those there to witness, all those that had come in great numbers to mourn with Mary and Martha to see His power given to Him through God. Jesus had a great love for Lazarus, for Mary and Martha, his sisters. Jesus wept in His grief over Lazarus’s death.
Please help me understand this… If upon death a person goes directly to heaven, why would Jesus bring Lazarus back from death? Why did Jesus weep? Why didn’t he just tell Martha and Mary that Lazarus was happy in heaven? Seriously? Why didn’t he? He had the perfect opportunity to go into the mysteries of life after death, and in a huge way he did dispel some of the mysteries by his great act. What mysteries did he dispel? What is death? A sleep. There you have it in a little nutshell.
Death is a sleep. There is no immediate life after death, if there were, bringing Lazarus back from heaven would have been very, very cruel, not the wonderful act it really was. Waking someone from a death sleep, a sleep he would have continued on in until the last day, wasn’t cruel. This act, this miracle, revealed that yes, Jesus has power over even death. It was the reason for His taking on humanity as we read about already (see Deliver Us From the Bondage of Death).
To defeat death, to make death’s sleep something that would no longer be permanent if a person believes upon Him, this is why He raised Lazarus from the dead, from his sleep. Because He has this power and reveals it, does it mean that no one would sleep the death sleep any longer? Far from it, what it means is in the last day of the resurrection those who believe in Christ, and that He died for their sins, those who love Him will be raised up from the death sleep, only not raised up as Lazarus to live and die again. In the resurrection of the last day those who love Him will be raised up to life eternal.
Look at this—
1 Thess. 4:16 — For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first
The dead in Christ shall rise first. This means that those dead in Christ are NOT with him already in heaven. The disciples never taught immediately resurrection to be with Christ upon death. Never. Jesus woke Lazarus from a death sleep, he didn’t pull him from heaven. Jesus was showing that yes, if people believe on Him, they will be resurrected. What need is there for a resurrection in the last day if people go straight to heaven upon death? Lazarus was brought back to life, to continue living a life here on earth with all its heartaches and pains, he would have to taste death again because he wasn’t resurrected in the last day, as Martha spoke plainly-‘ Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day’ .
She believed in the last day resurrection. Jesus to show his power, to show himself as the true Son of God to all around resurrected Lazarus to live again right then and there. That act revealed his power to the important Jews of the day that knew right then and there they had to get rid of someone so powerful.
The thought of loved ones in heaven right now bring comfort to many, it eases their hearts by thinking they’re no longer suffering. The truth of the matter is they ARE no longer suffering. In the sleep of death they feel NO pain, they are not conscious of anything, they sleep. When you go to sleep at night the next thing you know is waking up. You aren’t conscious of sleeping because you are sleeping. Sleeping gives us energy, it renews our tired bodies, sleep is necessary to life. We all love the feeling of having a good sleep when we wake feeling refreshed. Think on it…
You die and are sleeping death’s sleep and the next thing you know is your being woken from your sleep and taken up to be with Jesus. How wonderful! How marvelous! What a wonderful rest it was, such a wonderful sleep. How comforting it is to know the reality of death. Your loved ones are sleeping the deepest and most wonderful of sleeps and they will wake from that sleep and meet Christ in the air. They’re not in heaven right now without those they love around them. They’re not in heaven right now being able to witness all the heartache and pain going on with their loved ones below. They’re not up there mourning our troubles- there are no tears in heaven, no more crying, so how can they be with us even in ghostly spirit form? What comfort is there for them to witness our heartaches and the pains? There couldn’t be any happiness for them having to witness all that. So while it’s common for people to think their loved ones are in heaven right now, that they can hear them, see them, that they know what we think and feel, it’s not true. There is more comfort in knowing they sleep and are no longer going to suffer in any way at all. There are a lot of passages to prove this… I’m going to add some of them here—
Dan.12:13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. (Not stand in heaven upon death- but Daniel would rest till the end of days)
Dan. 12:2 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. (Sleep in the dust of the earth. We have to have faith our loved ones will wake to everlasting life from their death sleep.)
1 Cor. 15:18-28 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (How marvelous! We are told right there that people fall asleep in Christ and afterwards they that are Christ’s at his coming will be raised up!)
John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (He’s gone to prepare a place! Prepare! Christ Himself is preparing a place for us in heaven and tells us plainly that He will come again and receive us to him. If we were already with him, would he need to prepare a place? Would he need to come again? No.)
Acts 7: 59,60 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Stephen, beloved Stephen, one of God’s own stoned to death and what does it say- ‘he fell asleep.’ There is a special comfort in that sleep, in knowing death is a sleep. That spirit he asked Jesus to receive was his breath of life. He wanted Jesus to receive his life, to accept his love for him, his life wrought in him so in that last day when he wakes he is taken with Jesus to live forever. We even say today that this person or that person has such spirit. What are we talking about? We're talking about what makes that person who they are. So when Stephen's breath of life, his spirit is sent back to God it's for safe keeping unto the final resurrection while he sleeps. It is not Stephen wandering about in ghostly form conscious of everything going on in the world, it can't be, why? Because 'he fell asleep.')
Job 14:12-14 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. (Again we read, ‘nor be raised out of their sleep.’ ‘hide me in the grave,’ ‘till my change come.’ Think on it, Biblically there can be no mistake—death is a sleep.)
John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice (If dead people are in heaven or wherever people think they are then what value does this scripture have? No one would be in their graves to hear would they? No where does the Bible say that ghostly spirit forms are going to go grab up their bodies when Jesus comes, no where at all. Death is a sleep and when Jesus returns and raises His people to everlasting life he will change them. Those in the grave will hear his voice.)
Acts 2: 29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Acts 2:34-36 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ (David, God’s beloved David, he is not in heaven. Not yet.)
Rev. 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (The resurrection of the dead doesn’t take place upon death. But at Christ’s second coming. 1 Thess 4:16 ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first’)
Death is a sleep. A wonderful, wonderful sleep for those who die secure in Christ’s love for they’ll wake to His wondrous face, to His pure Love, to a world in Him that will have no more pain, no more tears, no more death. There is no mystery about death, none, not if you believe your Bible and Christ's teachings within. What a blessing it is to know that our loved ones are sleeping. Who wouldn't want to know that their loved ones are sleeping where nothing at all can trouble them?
We have memories of our loved ones to hold on to. Memories of them alive. Those memories are special. Those memories grasped and cherished keep our loved ones alive in our hearts forever, and some day soon when Christ returns our loved ones will wake from their sleep and we will be with them again.
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Sleep, Precious One, Sleep.
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Taken from me,
I grasp for understanding,
I want you with me still,
And yet,
You sleep.
Sleep precious one,
A rest well deserved,
You will toil no more,
No pain will you feel,
No sorrows will ache - yours - the sweetest of hearts.
Sleep precious one,
Until Christ returns and calls you to Him,
Sleep now, rest now, your work is done.
Never will you be forgotten,
Not by me,
Not by Jesus,
Your memory lives on and on.
I will see you again in Christ,
That’s His Promise,
He died and was resurrected,
So we too die.
And He will raise us up.
You sleep now precious one,
Precious love,
When you wake I’ll be there to take your hand,
And we will meet our God in the air and live,
Live where death is no more.
Sleep now precious one, sleep.
The most restful of all sleep.
