Podcast: What Happens When We Die?

(Photo: Unsplash)

Check out the So We Speak podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

All of humanity is forced to grapple with the question, “What happens when we die?” There is not a single person excluded from this topic, as all will come face-to-face with death. Thankfully for Christians, the Bible informs us on this topic, on last days – all of which influences how we live in the present.

The clearest passage on this is found in 1 Thessalonians 4.

What makes this passage difficult?

This passage proposes many questions, which include questions about the rapture, Paul’s view of when Christ would return, the topic of cremation, and what happens to someone between when they die and when their bodies are resurrected.

On the question of what happens between death and the Second Coming of Christ, there are two main viewpoints:

  1. Soul sleep: when you die, your soul goes to sleep.
  2. In real time, you die and immediately appear before Jesus.

What Happens When We Die?

The most comforting thought is that our loved ones who have passed are currently face-to-face with Christ. However, the most most biblical understanding seems to be that the dead are raised at the return of Christ – the idea of soul sleep.

Nowhere else in Scripture are there disembodied spirits dwelling with God. Hebrews 11 references a “cloud of witnesses,” which is not what this passage means. There are no disembodied spirits watching events on earth.

One issue for the “soul sleep” point is when Moses,Elijah, and Jesus are at the Great Transfiguration.

However, a passage in favor of the soul sleep position is when the witch (seer) brings Samuel back, and Samuel responds, “Why did you awaken me?”

From the soul sleep perspective, time is not a factor. Therefore, the comfort remains the same: “This person that passed away is in Christ.”

The Rapture?

This passage is key for developing a theology of the rapture. The Latin word for “rapture” means to be “snatched up.”

The question is not whether one believes in a rapture. The question is whether or not the rapture and the Second Coming of Christ are one-and-the-same event. According to this passage, the resurrection of the dead and the living happen at the same time. There is not a second rapture of people leaving earth and going to heaven. The end of Revelation is about heaven coming down to earth.

Conclusion

When discussing and thinking about these topics, it is important to remember that this is not a salvation issue. Your salvation is not dependent on where you land. What matters is where your faith lies – in Christ and his power to raise your body as he was raised. The end goal of God dwelling with his people remains the same.

Brittany Proffitt lives in Dallas and is a writer and content manager for So We Speak.

Give

Subscribe to the Daybreak Devotions for Women

Be inspired by God's Word every day! Delivered to your inbox.


More from Cole Feix

  • featureImage

    Good, Evil, and Grace

    If you’ve been to the movie theatre recently, you’ve probably seen a lot of promotion for the new Lilo & Stitch movie. Despite how you feel about what the internet has dubbed a controversial ending, I want to take a moment to analyze one of the themes in the film. Throughout the movie, Nani, Lilo’s older sister, is trying to make Lilo and Stitch behave so she can maintain a job and keep legal guardianship of her little sister. However, Stitch seems to mess up Nani’s chances of either of these th

    3 min read
  • featureImage

    Podcast Recap: Why Religion Went Obsolete

    Check out the So We Speak podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Christian Smith’s book, Why Religion Went Obsolete, explores why religion, especially in modern Western societies, is seen as less necessary or even irrelevant. The argument is that with the rise of science, secularism, and modern culture, many people have moved away from traditional religious beliefs. Religion is often viewed as outdated or unable to answer today’s questions about life and meaning. This has led to fewer people pr

    1 min read
  • featureImage

    The Hesed of God, Part 2: The Grace of Forgiveness

    In the first article in this series, we explored God’s hesed toward us in the context of grief and despair. Though life is hard and marked by suffering, believers can rejoice because of God's hesed—His loyal, covenant-keeping love. He not only sees our pain but has entered our trials and suffering through Christ. Through Jesus’ suffering and death, we are brought into God’s faithful love and are never alone in our trials.This flows beautifully into exploring the grace of forgiveness we have rece

    3 min read
  • featureImage

    Podcast -  Villains of the Bible: Nebuchadnezzar

    Check out the So We Speak podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.The worst event in Israel’s history was the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The general in charge of that destruction was Nebuchadnezzar, a king who became an emblem of all those who would elevate themselves against God. Unlike other rulers, we get an up-close look at Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel. There, we see God humbling and chastening him for his pride and brutality.The Babylonian Empire was short-

    2 min read
  • featureImage

    What does it mean to have childlike faith?

    What do you think of when you hear the word “childlike?”For many of us, “childlike” might bring to mind something immature, foolish, or naive. Yet when Jesus talked about childlike faith, he wasn’t asking us to be any of these things. He was inviting us into something pure, trusting, and real. This week, I got to help lead worship at a kids' camp. Watching the kids worship was such a beautiful reminder of what childlike faith truly looks like. These kids worshiped, prayed, and talked about God.

    4 min read

Editor's Picks

More from Cole Feix

  • featureImage

    Good, Evil, and Grace

    If you’ve been to the movie theatre recently, you’ve probably seen a lot of promotion for the new Lilo & Stitch movie. Despite how you feel about what the internet has dubbed a controversial ending, I want to take a moment to analyze one of the themes in the film. Throughout the movie, Nani, Lilo’s older sister, is trying to make Lilo and Stitch behave so she can maintain a job and keep legal guardianship of her little sister. However, Stitch seems to mess up Nani’s chances of either of these th

    3 min read
  • featureImage

    Podcast Recap: Why Religion Went Obsolete

    Check out the So We Speak podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Christian Smith’s book, Why Religion Went Obsolete, explores why religion, especially in modern Western societies, is seen as less necessary or even irrelevant. The argument is that with the rise of science, secularism, and modern culture, many people have moved away from traditional religious beliefs. Religion is often viewed as outdated or unable to answer today’s questions about life and meaning. This has led to fewer people pr

    1 min read
  • featureImage

    The Hesed of God, Part 2: The Grace of Forgiveness

    In the first article in this series, we explored God’s hesed toward us in the context of grief and despair. Though life is hard and marked by suffering, believers can rejoice because of God's hesed—His loyal, covenant-keeping love. He not only sees our pain but has entered our trials and suffering through Christ. Through Jesus’ suffering and death, we are brought into God’s faithful love and are never alone in our trials.This flows beautifully into exploring the grace of forgiveness we have rece

    3 min read
  • featureImage

    Podcast -  Villains of the Bible: Nebuchadnezzar

    Check out the So We Speak podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.The worst event in Israel’s history was the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The general in charge of that destruction was Nebuchadnezzar, a king who became an emblem of all those who would elevate themselves against God. Unlike other rulers, we get an up-close look at Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel. There, we see God humbling and chastening him for his pride and brutality.The Babylonian Empire was short-

    2 min read
  • featureImage

    What does it mean to have childlike faith?

    What do you think of when you hear the word “childlike?”For many of us, “childlike” might bring to mind something immature, foolish, or naive. Yet when Jesus talked about childlike faith, he wasn’t asking us to be any of these things. He was inviting us into something pure, trusting, and real. This week, I got to help lead worship at a kids' camp. Watching the kids worship was such a beautiful reminder of what childlike faith truly looks like. These kids worshiped, prayed, and talked about God.

    4 min read