Death and the Afterlife
This series explores a biblical and theological perspective of death and the afterlife. This first part will look at two aspects: (1) the main themes of death and the afterlife, and (2) why death is necessary.
Fear often stems from the unknown. Depending on the poll, you’ll usually find that our greatest fears range from fear of heights, spiders, public speaking, and death or dying. What’s common about these fears is the uncertainty of the unknown. We really dislike being surprised or having to wait for an outcome that we can’t control.
Typically, what happens in, or leading up to, those moments of fear is that a sense of anxiety or dread creeps in, causing all kinds of stress emotionally, physically, intellectually, spiritually, and more. We’ve all experienced some form of a fight-or-flight response when faced with something that catches us off guard.
What’s the best way to respond to fear? While some suggest facing your fears head-on, this series takes that approach but from a biblical-theological perspective, aiming to replace uncertainty with clarity.
1. What are the main themes of death and the afterlife*?
Death: An unnatural consequence.
- Death is an experience when our physical body ceases to function. Biblically, death is unnatural and is the penalty (Rom. 6:23) of Adam and Eve’s sinful disobedience (Gen. 3) to God’s command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17). This sinful defiance spread to all of humanity (Rom. 5:12) with the consequence that all humans must die and face judgment (Heb. 9:27). Thus, death is the penalty for sin and is an abnormal experience for mankind.
The Afterlife: Two distinct phases.
- The afterlife is comprised of two phases: the first phase is the intermediate state, where our physical body is separated from our spirit/soul. The second phase is the eternal state, where our physical bodies are reunited with our spirit/soul.
- In this intermediate state, Christians are in the Lord’s presence (2 Cor. 5:8), and unbelievers are in the miseries of Hades (Luke 16:19-31).
- In the eternal state, Christians will be with God eternally in the New Heavens and Earth (Rev. 21:1-7), while unbelievers will exist apart from God in the torments of the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:12-15, 21:8).
2. Why is Death necessary?
- To understand death, we have to examine, so far as we are able, certain aspects of God and His creation:
- God is…
- Triune & Simple: God exists as three persons–Father, Son, & Holy Spirit–in one indivisible substance. God’s substance is simple, meaning that He is Spirit (John 4:24), not a combination of body and soul/spirit, as in His human creation.
- Eternal & Infinite: God has always existed and is not bound by time or space. Therefore, both time and space are part of God’s creation and do not limit or constrain God’s existence.
- Good & Benevolent: God is good and extends His goodness to His creation, anticipating that His goodness will be extended through His creation. Therefore, scarcity and fear do not exist within the Godhead.
- Holy & Just: God’s holiness requires God to require holiness to be in fellowship with Him. Therefore, His justice is an extension of His nature–He will only be just.
- God’s creation is…
- Dependent: This means that because God spoke creation into existence (Gen. 1), all of creation relies on God for their existence. Therefore, there is never a scenario where something comes from nothing.
- Limited: Creation is bound by time, space, and matter. Therefore, an acorn will always produce an oak, and a Koala bear will always give birth to a Koala joey.
- Volitional: Humanity is endowed with the capacity to make decisions. Therefore, mankind is culpable for its choices.
- Complex: Every human is born with a body and a spirit/soul unity. Therefore, only humanity has the promise of existing eternally as a unified body and soul/spirit.
- God is…
The Necessity of Death
Death is necessary because God’s holy and just nature demands accountability for sin, beginning with Adam and Eve’s disobedience. Their defiance introduced sin and death into God’s good world, disrupting God’s perfect order. Yet, death does not have the final word. Indeed, there is a better word in the very same chapter (Gen. 3:15) that sin and death entered. God promises to redeem man from their sinful actions, pointing to Christ’s ultimate victory over sin and death. Through Christ, God will be both the just and the justifier of mankind’s sin (Rom. 3:26).
Conclusion
There is hope in despair and certainty in confusion because God’s love pierces through our fear of death and the afterlife, offering us a better way through Jesus Christ, who triumphs over death by becoming sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21). In the next installment, we will deepen our understanding of death and the afterlife by examining it in the Old and New Testaments. We will explore how God’s plan for death and the afterlife unfolds across Scripture, offering us hope today. Amen.