## Beyond Death's Door

## Hebrews 9:27

(Heb 9:27) "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

Over the next few weeks we will be looking at the subject of 'Life after Death'. It is a subject of interest to all of us, because (should the Lord tarry in His coming) every one of us will face death. This subject is of interest to all people, not just the believers. Solomon speaks of how that God has placed 'eternity' in the heart of man. We are created with a realization that we are eternal beings. So regardless of our spiritual condition, we are interested in what happens beyond death's door.

What lies beyond? People have been searching for answers for hundreds of years. Obviously, we believe there is only one place that we can find the truth…that is in God's Word. But we want to consider a number of other 'popular' ideas and methods for discovering what lies beyond death's door. Consider several with me this morning.

I. Looking for Answers.

A. Channeling or Psychics

1. Some people claim to be able to speak with the dead.

2. They may have genuine experiences, but experience should never be the standard for truth.

3. Only the Word of God is the standard for what is true or not true.

4. How do we explain their experiences?

a. Certainly many people are duped by con men that are simply out to take an unsuspecting person's money.

b. But that doesn't explain every experience.

c. Satan is a counterfeiter, and so are his demons.

d. Through the power of deception, they could mimic a deceased person's voice, personality, and even appearance.

e. The Word of God warns against seeking a spiritual medium or psychic for the purpose of speaking with the dead.

(Lev 19:31) "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God."

f. What about Saul and the witch of Endor?

1) Here it is clear that God did a miracle.

2) The witch was as surprised as any that Samuel appeared.

3) Note also that Samuel spoke directly to Saul, not through the witch!

5. God makes it clear that such behavior is unacceptable for His people.

6. We should look to God for answers about what lies beyond death's door, not those who would deceive and mislead us.

(Isa 8:19-20) "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? {20} To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

B. Reincarnation.

1. This false doctrine teaches that we just keep being recycled.

2. That death is nothing more than a transition from one body to another body.

3. Those who embrace this tell us that there is no fear in death…and that the Word of God is not true!

4. People who claim such experiences do not prove reincarnation…they simply prove that people of all ages and backgrounds are victims of demonic deception.

5. Our text this morning clearly states, "It is appointed unto man ONCE to die…" not over and over.

6. And "…after this, the judgment."

C. Near Death Experiences.

1. Some people claim to have died and returned to their bodies.

2. They give all sorts of information on what it is like on the 'other side'.

3. Now we do have some biblical examples of such experiences.

(Acts 7:56) "And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."

(2 Cor 12:4) "How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

4. My own brother claims such an experience.

5. These experiences may or may not reflect the true conditions of life beyond death.

6. Every such experience should be evaluated with the standard of Truth…the Bible.

7. If experience conflicts with the revealed truth of God's Word…the experience must be discounted.

8. What do the overwhelming majority of these experiences relate?

a. Light…warmth…peace…

b. Many have little to say about judgment of sin, they speak only of the wonderful light and the good feelings.

(2 Cor 11:14) "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."

c. Some actually contradict biblical teaching.

d. One lady said that she saw Jesus, and that He told her that all the religions of the world were simply different paths to the same destinations; and that is a lie!

9. Whether channeling, reincarnation, or near death experiences…they all bypass the truth of Heb. 9:27b "…after this the judgment"

II. What about Purgatory?

A. Definition.

1. From the Latin "purgare" which means to make clean or to purify.

2. In accordance with Catholic doctrine it is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.

B. Origination.

1. It is not found in the Bible at all.

2. It stems from the accepted tradition that nobody (or almost nobody) is right-eous enough to enter into heaven at death.

3. This belief comes from a misunder-standing of the doctrine of salvation.

4. If we would take the position that salvation is based upon our works in this life…then we would agree.

(Rom 3:10) "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"

5. Bible salvation is clearly the work of Christ on our behalf.

6. It isn't about what we do, it is about what He did on Calvary.

7. It is simply up to us to either believe or reject His gracious offer of salvation.

(Eph 2:8-9) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast."

C. Scriptural refutation.

1. Paul made it abundantly clear that there was no stopping off point between death and eternity.

2. Note the statement of 2 Co. 5:8

(2 Cor 5:8) "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

3. So there is no biblical basis for such a doctrine.

III. Only Two Eternal Places

A. Biblical terms for existence beyond death's door:

B. Grave - Hell - Heaven -Lake of Fire

1. Old Testament Terms

a. Qeburah = 14 times [sepulchre 5, grave 4, burial 4, burying place 1]

b. Sheol = 65 times [grave 31, hell 31, pit 3]

(Deu 32:22) "For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains."

1) Sheol of the O.T. was the way the Hebrews referred to the place of the dead.

2) It is for both righteous and wicked.

(Psa 9:17) "The wicked shall be turned into hell [sheol], and all the nations that forget God."

(Psa 49:15) "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave [sheol]: for he shall receive me."

c. O.T. word for 'heaven' simply means lofty or above.

d. The term 'Everlasting life' is only found once in the O.T. and that is in Dan. 12:2

(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."

2. New Testament Terms are similar

a. Mnemeion = 42 times [sepulchre 29, grave 8, tomb 5]

b. Hades = 11 times [hell 10, grave 1] the place of departed souls

1) Hades is the N.T. equivalent of Sheol.

2) It is a temporary place for the dead.

3) Remember the passage where Lazarus and the Rich man are described.

4) They are in the same general area, but because of their lives, they are in separate compartments.

(Luke 16:23) "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."

c. Gehenna = 12 times [hell 9, hell fire 3] the place of everlasting punishment

(Luke 12:5) "But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

d. Tartaros = 1 time [hell] refers to the lowest part of hades (where the angels are confined) cf. 2 Pe. 2:4

3. The Lake of Fire: Eternal Death

a. The eternal abode of the beast and the false prophet. (Re. 19:20)

b. The eternal abode of the devil himself. (Re. 20:10)

c. The second death (Re. 20:14)

d. The eternal abode of all who were not found in the book of life. (Re. 20:15)

C. Eternal Life: Heaven (more on this later)

1. The word in the N.T. means the sky or heavenly.

2. As used in a physical sense, heaven is the expanse over the earth

a. The tower of Babel reached upward to heaven.

b. The first heaven is the sky and clouds where the birds fly.

c. The second heaven is the location of the stars.

3. Heaven is also the dwelling place of God and the angels.

IV. Death is the Final Enemy

(1 Cor 15:26) "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

A. Biblical Terminology.

1. Deceased

(Luke 9:31) "Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem."

a. decease = 'exodos' or an exit

b. it speaks of a departure

c. leaving one existence on our way to another

(John 13:36) "Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards."

2. Sleep

a. Sounds so peaceful doesn't it?

b. Many hate to travel overnight.

c. Most say, they want to sleep in their own beds…

d. But part of that restful sleep is in waking up in a place that we know.

e. For the believer, death is like a restful sleep where we will wake up in glory.

(John 11:11) "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."

(1 Cor 15:51) "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,"

f. This is not 'Soul Sleep'

1) 'Soul Sleep' is a false doctrine that teaches that we will be unaware of what is going on around us when we die.

2) That certainly isn't supported by the Scriptures.

3) Our bodies will 'sleep' until the resurrection, but we will be with the Lord.

(2 Cor 5:8) "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

3. 'This Old House'

(2 Cor 5:1) "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

a. The tabernacle was a temporary structure for the people to worship God.

b. Once the temple was built the temporary was done away with.

c. In a sense, our bodies are like the tabernacle.

d. They house us now, but they are not fit for eternity.

e. We will one day move out of this body and into our permanent place of dwelling.

f. Jesus said that there were many rooms in His Father's house, but we aren't there yet.

g. Death is our transition from the temporary to the permanent.

h. Remember, there is no purgatory, only two eternal places.

i. After an extended camping trip, there is no place like home…so we need to remember not to drive down our tent stakes too deeply…this world is not our home.

B. Home Sweet Home

1. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

2. But Jesus hasn't been working on it for 2000 years!

3. Remember, He spoke this world into existence…although He may have worn a carpenter's apron on earth; He isn't wearing one now!

4. Some folks perceive death as taking them away from home.

5. But in reality, for the believer death is taking us to our home.

6. For us to live is to dwell in a foreign land, but we go home when we die.

7. And there is "No Place Like Home".

V. Our Eternal Existence

A. The Body of the Soul

1. When we die, we do not cease to exist.

2. Our earthly bodies will cease to function, but not us.

3. We know that when Jesus returns, our bodies will be resurrected. (1 Th. 4:16)

4. They will be changed from their earthly form to a heavenly form.

(1 John 3:2) "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

a. We shall be like Him.

b. That means our resurrected bodies will be like His resurrected body.

c. Note that His body maintained a form and function, but it was not restricted like our earthly bodies.

d. He was able to appear and disappear.

e. Time, physically barriers, and distance were no longer factors to be considered.

5. But what about the time between our death and the resurrection?

a. Our souls will have some type of 'bodies'.

b. Exactly what they will be like is uncertain, but we will exist between our death and the resurrection of our bodies.

c. Examples from Scripture.

1) Moses and Elijah on the mountain spoke with Jesus, and were recognizable to Peter, James, and John. (Mt. 17:3)

2) The rich man was able to see Lazarus, and to desire to have his tongue cooled. (Lk. 16:24)

3) The martyred souls in heaven were crying out for vengeance. (Re. 6:10)

B. Our existence is uninterrupted.

1. Personal knowledge continues.

a. Remember the rich man of Luke 16?

b. He "…died and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…"

c. As we read that passage we find him fully aware of his surroundings.

d. Also he remembered his family.

e. Death will not change what we know, or who we know.

(1 Cor 13:12) "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

2. Personal love continues.

a. Christ made it clear that we would not marry or give in marriage in heaven…

(Luke 20:35) "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:"

b. Just because we do not marry, that doesn't mean we will not love one another.

c. We will retain our gender, my mother will still be my mother…my father will be my father.

d. What about someone whose mate has died and then they remarry?

e. No problem…our love in heaven will be a perfect love…no jealousy there.

3. Personal activities continue.

a. We will rest in heaven, but it will not be inactivity.

b. We will be busy fulfilling the will of God.

c. It is beyond our understanding now, but we know that there is a wonderful existence awaiting the child of God.

d. We will worship God…we will sing and praise His name for all eternity.

(Rev 22:3) "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:" [

C. The New Jerusalem. (Re. 21)

1. The Awesome Size of the City.

a. The dimensions are given as a cube.

b. Often referred to as 'four-square'.

c. The size is given as 'twelve thousand furlongs'

d. Approximately 1500 miles.

e. If we would visualize this city as a huge building, and given that one story of a building is 20 feet, then this city is 396,00 stories high.

f. Each floor of this building has an area that is roughly ½ of the area of the United States!

g. This gives me a new appreciation for the verse where Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions."

h. There will be plenty of room for the family of God.

2. The Materials of the City.

a. There is a wall around the city with twelve foundation stones. v14

b. On each of these stones were the names of the twelve apostles.

c. There were twelve gates of pearl. v21

d. The walls are like jasper, the city is pure gold, clear as crystal.

e. The streets are pure gold as pure as clear glass.

3. The description of this beautiful heavenly city is beyond our limited comprehension.

(1 Cor 2:9) "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

D. The 'No Mores' of Heaven. (Re. 21)

1. No more sea. v1

a. Throughout the Bible the word 'sea' stands for the nations of the world.

b. Usually this is a reference to the Gentiles or rebellious nations.

c. Heaven will put an end to all the strife and wars between the countries.

d. There will be no more borders and boundaries that separate the people of the world.

e. We will all be of one nation…the nation of God's redeemed.

2. No more death. v4

a. There will be no funeral parlors in heaven!

b. No tombstones or cemeteries.

c. Death will be a defeated enemy.

d. No more tearful good-byes to our loved ones…we will all live together for eternity.

3. No more sorrow or crying v4

(Rev 7:17) "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

a. Pick up the newspaper or turn on the TV or radio and we hear of sorrow and heartache.

b. Imagine all of the sorrow and the tears that are shed because of the things that happen in this world.

c. But God will wipe away all tears.

d. This is a beautiful picture of the comforting care of a loving Father.

e. We will understand and see things from God's viewpoint…and we will be comforted in that knowledge.

4. No more pain. v4

a. This goes along with the previous thought.

b. The first mention of pain and sorrow in the Bible came as result of man's disobedience to God. (Ge. 3:16)

(Rev 21:27) "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

c. Since pain is a result of sin…and sin will not be allowed in heaven…then there will be no pain in heaven.

d. No physical pain…no aches…no diseases…no ailments!

e. Also no emotional pain or hurts.

5. No more temple. v22

a. This is not really a contradiction.

b. Note: 11:19 speaks of the time during the tribulation here on earth.

c. But remember God will create a new heaven and new earth. v1

d. In the new heaven there will be no temple…our worship to God will be direct…there will be no more need for types and shadows.

6. No more sun and moon. v23

(Rev 22:5) "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."

a. The heavenly bodies that God created to give light to the earth will have outlived their purpose; now the light will come from the Lord Himself.

b. We will need no more artificial lights, the One True Light will be all we will need!

7. No more hunger or thirst.

(Rev 7:16) "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat."

a. This speaks of individual needs.

(Phil 4:19) "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

b. That is the promise for today, and that will be the reality for all eternity.

c. In heaven, God will supply all our needs.

VI. How To Die Right (Jesus is our Example)

A. Die with a right attitude.

1. There was a mixture of grief and joy.

2. Note: Mt. 26:38, 42

3. He kept a proper perspective on death.

(Heb 12:2) "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

4. We shouldn't feel guilty for facing death with apprehension, but we need to be confident in His promises and not fear death.

B. Die at the right time.

1. When is the right time to die?

2. Jesus was only 33yrs old when He died.

3. Sometimes we know that others younger than that go out into eternity.

4. What made it the right time for Jesus?

(John 13:1) "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."

5. His work was finished!

6. We don't have to live a long life to finish the work that God has called us to do.

7. But if we are to die at the 'right time' we must be aware of the work that God has given to us…and we must be about His business until He calls us home.

C. Die for the right purpose.

1. Jesus' death was not just the tragic end of a beautiful life…

2. His death accomplished redemption for mankind.

3. Now, our death will not accomplish redemption, but it will be the means for us to experience total redemption.

4. The day of our death is a day of glorification.

5. It is the fulfillment of God's ultimate purpose and plan for us.

6. It is never God's will for one to die without salvation.

(2 Pet 3:9b) "The Lord is … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

7. To die without redemption is to die for the wrong purpose.

Final Thoughts:

- Suicide is never what God has planned for His child…if we take our own life, we are choosing the time and not submitting to God's will for us.
- Accidents and disease are often in the plan of God for us. These are out of our area of control.
- Refusing treatment or surgery is not the same as suicide:
- Any additional thoughts or questions?