Will Death Ever Die?
The reason I ask the
question is because I want to answer it from a Biblical perspective. Although
it may sound like double talk to some, it is not. I will try my best to explain
why. Death for most of the world is a horrifying reality. But not discussing it
or trying to dismiss it out of one’s mind will not delay its wrath. Death for
most is a journey into the unknown, a great void, an abyss, a black hole of
sorts. In death we are dealing with the afterlife. Will things be better in
this afterlife? Will you see your loved ones in heaven? Where or who does death
take us to – God and Jesus or the devil and demons? Who determines where one
goes when they die? Is it the Lord or man? Does it matter? Have we been lied to?
We all know what death is; it’s
simply the termination of life. At the time I am writing this, life and death
are concurrent. This is what is happening on 6/30/2024 at 1:16 pm PST:
Go to https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ to get real time statistics.
For most, the Bible presents
painful inconvenient truths to our hearts and minds. The natural reaction is
for us to recoil from God’s word. Why? Because it tells us what we need to hear
verses what we want to hear.
In
Isaiah 30:10 we read these words, who say to the seers, see not, and to the
prophets, prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things,
prophesy deceits (or lies). These people are like those in Romans 1 who
suppress the truth in unrighteousness (vs 18).
No
one should be content with a comfortable lie to make them feel better. That is
a trick of the enemy of our souls – Satan. An inconvenient truth is better. Why? Because
it sets off alarm bells to move us to action. It is knowing any truth that we
can be made free. That doesn’t mean the truth is going to be pleasant, but it
can point us in the right direction to a solution. With impending death, the
only way we can triumph over it is to go to the one who has conquered it – our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How did He do it? Let’s look at several verses of
scripture.
John
10: 17-18 – Therefore my Father loves Me, because I lay
down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes My from Me, but I lay it
down of Myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take
it up again. This command I have received from My Father.
·
Because Jesus has the power over life and
death, trusting in Him is the ONLY way one can obtain life everlasting.
John
11:25 – I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in
Me, though he may die, he shall live whoever believes in Me shall never die. Do
you believe this?
·
Jesus asked Martha this question after her brother
Lazarus died
Acts
2:27 – For you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will allow
your Holy One to see corruption.
·
Peter borrowed this language from Psalm 16:10,
making reference to Jesus Christ rising from the dead
Romans
4:24b-25 – In Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the
dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised up for our
justification.
Matthew
16:21 - From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He
must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests
and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
Matthew 17:22-23a
- As they were gathering in Galilee Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is
about to be delivered in the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and He will
be raised on the third day.
Luke
18:31-33 - And taking the twelve, He said to them, see we are going to
Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets
will be accomplished. For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be
mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will
kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.
1 Peter 1:3 -5
- Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who according to His abundant mercy has begotten
us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead (italics mine for emphasis) to an inheritance incorruptible and
undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept
by the power of God through for salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time.
Revelation
1:17b-18 – Do not be afraid; I am the First and the
Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. And I have the keys of Hell of death.
Moses
declared to the children of Israel that the Lord has set before them life and
death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants
may live (Deuteronomy 30:19).
The
more one internalizes these truths, the more confidence one will gain in God
and His word. We must meditate, feed on the scriptures so that it’s not just
data in our minds, but realities we happily confess and share with all. The scriptures HAVE to become part of our
spiritual DNA.
So,
to answer the title question, yes death has been conquered for the child of
through Christ. The Devil has no more dominion over us. Hebrews 2:14-15 says,
“Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so
that by his death He might break the power of him who holds the power of
death – that is the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in
slavery by their fear of death.”
When
the rapture[1]
takes place the Bible tells us those of who are alive will be changed – meaning
that our bodies will be translated from mortal to immortality. We will no
longer be subject to death anymore. We have reached eternity. Death is
literally defeated. 1 Corinthians 15:55 says, “Oh death where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting. Its as if the apostle Paul is personifying death
and mockingly asking the question of death’s inept power.
Finally in Revelation 20:14 we read, “Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” So, yes. There is a time in history when death will die. But only those who are in Christ Jesus will have victory over it.
[1] The
rapture is the catching away of the Church into heaven before the seven-year tribulation
Not all Christians are pre-tribulationists, but this writer
is
Comments