• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
©1997,1999,2001,2003,2004 United Church of God,
an International Association
All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Scriptures in this booklet are quoted from theNew King James Version (©1988 Thomas Nelson,Inc.,publishers) unless otherwise noted.
 What Happens After Death?
 
 Introduction
dead will never live again,that this life is all there is.What
really
happens at death? Why do we even have to die? Canwe know if there is life beyond the grave? Where can we go formeaningful,believable answers?Only the Creator of life can reveal its purpose and the state of thedead. By looking into the Word of God for answers to our questionsabout death,we can learn a great deal about both life and death.Join us now for a look at what God,our Creator,says about lifeand death in His inspired Word,the Bible. You may be both surprisedand challenged by what you learn.
3
What Happens After Death?
I
ntroduction
A
drunken driver loses control of his car and careens headfirst intoa van,killing a family. A mother dies of breast cancer,leaving confusedchildren and a grieving husband. An infant boy succumbs to a birthdefect. A gentle,elderly lady dies quietly in her sleep. A desperate,depressed teenager commits suicide.Maybe death would be different if it were predictable or consistent.But death can be so capricious. It hardly seems fair.To us life is precious. But death is everywhere! We don’t want todie. We don’t want to see our loved ones die.Self-preservation is a powerful instinct. We design special dietsand exercise programs to keep us young and fit. Through medical sci-ence we seek to isolate the gene that makes us age,hoping somehowto eliminate death. A few have even arranged for their bodies to bepreserved cryogenically in the hope that they can be brought back to life when the cure for what killed them is finally discovered.Yet,for all our efforts,hopes and wishes,
death
is the one thingin life that remains certain. Whether through old age,illness,accidentor violence,whether we are rich,poor,male or female,no matterif we’re good or bad,all of us—regardless of race or creed—die.Scientists cannot tell us what happens after death. Too manyaspects of life itself are intangible—too elusive to measure andrecord. Philosophers disagree on death and the afterlife.Religions also disagree. Traditional Christian denominationsgenerally teach that the souls of the dead live on in a place or con-dition of heaven or hell. Many non-Christians believe in the trans-migration or reincarnation of souls at death. Still others believe the
2
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...