7. How much does one know or comprehend after death? What does die mean? It means to cessation of communication with that around you, much as we say a phone line has gone ‘dead.’ The Bible says;

“The living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun. (Rev. 21:23) … There is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10). “The dead do not praise the Lord” (Psa. 115:17).

The dead know absolutely nothing! Though millions think it is possible, the dead cannot communicate with the living, but demons sometimes imitate dead of loved ones. Some claim such an experience but these are what the Bible calls the “familiar spirit” (demons) that imitate our loved ones, to deceive us, and fortune tellers and mediums in order to win our allegiance away from God.

The fact of Scripture is that All the dead are in “the grave” until their respective resurrections.

8. But can’t the dead communicate with the living, aren’t they aware of what the living are doing?

Again, we have more Scripture to answer these questions.

“Man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They Will Not Awake Nor Be Roused From Their Sleep. … His sons come to honor, and He Does Not Know It; they are brought low, and he does not perceive it” (Job 14:12, 21).

“Nevermore Will They Have A Share In Anything Done Under The Sun [On Earth]” (Ecclesiastes 9:6).

The dead cannot contact the living, nor do they know what the living are doing. They are dead.

“[concerning the dead] His ‘breath’ goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Psalm 146:4)

9. Jesus called the unconscious state of the dead “sleep.”

“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. (John 11:11) “Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is DEAD. (John 11:14 (KJV)

How long will the dead sleep? “Man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more” (Job 14:12).

The dead will “sleep” in their “grave” until the great “day of the Lord” at the end of the age. In death humans are totally unconscious with no activity or knowledge of any kind.

10. What happens to the righteous dead at the Second coming of Christ?

A) Concerning Israel: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12). The 12 Apostles to Israel and others of the faithful of Israel will reign over “cities” on the new earth (Luke 19:16-18)

B) Concerning the UNBELIEVERS at His 2^nd Coming: The “tares” will be gathered as ‘chaff’ to ultimately be “burned” (not tormented in ‘the lake of fire’), while the “wheat” believers are gathered into His barn (Matt. 13:40).

C) Concerning the members of “the body of Christ”: We will be Raptured to heaven ~7 yrs. before His 2^nd coming to earth “in vengeance” to save Israel and set up His Millennial Kingdom in earth.

“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. … And the dead in Christ will rise. … And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
“We shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye … and the dead will be raised incorruptible. … For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:51–53).

We will be raised at the Rapture, given glorified ‘immortal’ bodies? Grace believers will be “caught up [raptured] to meet the Lord in the air.” We will be judged to receive our ‘reward.’ Some will co-reign with Christ “eternal in the heavens,” (2Tim. 2:12, 2Cor 5:1b)

There would be no purpose in a resurrection if people were already taken to heaven immediately at death.

11. What was the devil’s first lie on Earth? He lied saying to Eve; “The serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die’ (Gen. 3:4). Satan’s lie is the basis of ‘the false religious idea that man has an immortal soul.’

12. Why did the devil lie to Eve about death? Could this subject be more important than we first think? The devil’s lie that we will not die is one of the deceptive pillars of his teachings that many of religion hold to.

For thousands of years Satan has worked powerfully deceptive miracles to trick people into thinking they are receiving messages from the spirits of the dead. (Examples: Magicians of Egypt in Exodus 7:11; Woman of Endor in1 Samuel 28:3–25; Sorcerers of Daniel 2:2; A slave girl in Acts 16:16–18.)

A Solemn Warning: In the near future, Satan will again use sorcery as he did in the prophet Daniel’s day—to deceive the world (Rev. 18:23). Sorcery is a supernatural agency that claims to receive its power and wisdom from the spirits of the dead… but this is of the Devil, demons, and his fallen angelic cohorts.

In Revelation we see the account of a world religious leader on the scene referred to as “the False Prophet” who will be who will witness to “the Beast” – the Anti-Christ, “LEADING MANY ASTRAY TO TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST” (Rev 19:20). God’s people are told to avoid giving place to the Devil, to flee from all forms of witchcraft and the occult (Lev. 19:31). This involves all the forms of witchcraft, such as fortune telling that involves necromancy (the supposed communing with the dead), sorcery, trances, hypnosis, horoscopes, séances, astrology, casting spells, etc. These practices open a door to give the Devil a foothold in one’s life. Just because something miraculously came true in accord with the words of a “fortune teller,” this does not mean it is of God – it is of the power of lying spirits, Devils, imitating the dead to deceive the ‘fortune teller’... and you if you believe it.

Posing as Jesus' Disciples:
They can pose as godly loved ones who have died, or saintly clergymen who are now dead, Bible prophets, or even work through the apostles of Christ (2 Cor. 11:13), Satan and his angels will deceive billions. Those who believe the dead are alive, in any form are deceived. Not All miracles are from God, because devils also work miracles.

13. Do devils really work miracles?

“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles” (Rev. 16:14).
“False Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (of Israel) (Matthew 24:24).

So yes indeed! Devils work incredibly convincing miracles (Rev. 13:13-14). Satan will appear as an “angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and, even more shocking, as Christ Himself (Matt. 24:23-24). The universal feeling in the Tribulation among the deceived will be that Christ and His angels are leading a worldwide revival.

The entire emphasis will seem so spiritual and be so supernatural that only God’s elect will not be deceived.

14. Why will God's Bible Believing people not be deceived? “They received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).  “If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is No Light In Them” (Isa. 8:20). God’s people will know from their Bible study that the dead are not alive. They will know that a “spirit” claiming to be a deceased loved one is really of the devil!

God’s people will reject all false teachers and miracle workers who claim to receive special “light” or work miracles by contacting the spirits of the dead. God’s people astute in the Scripture will reject as dangerous and all false teachings that claim the dead are alive in any form, anywhere.

15. In Moses’ day, what God commanded should be done to people who taught that the dead were still alive?

“A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be Put To Death; they shall Stone Them With Stones” (Leviticus 20:27).

God insisted that mediums and others with “familiar spirits” (who claimed to be able to contact the dead) should be stoned to death. This shows how God regards the false teaching that the dead are alive.

16. Will the righteous people who are raised in the resurrection ever die again?

a. Concerning Israel and the believers who will be raised in 1st resurrection (implied to in Rev 20:6).

“Those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead … Nor Can They Die Anymore” (Luke 20:35, 36).

“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

b. Concerning the Church, the members of “the body of Christ”:

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Cor. 15:51-55 (KJV)

“For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his [Jesus’] glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21 (KJV)

So, the Answer is, No! Death, sorrow, crying, and tragedy will never enter into God’s new kingdom.

17. Belief in reincarnation is expanding rapidly today. Is this teaching biblical?

“The living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing. … Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).

Answer: Almost half the people on earth believe in reincarnation in some way, a teaching that the soul never dies but is instead continually reborn in a different kind of body with each succeeding generation. This teaching, however, is contrary to Scripture.

The Bible Says: After death a person: returns to dust (Psalms 104:29), knows nothing (Eccl. 9:5), possesses no mental powers (Psalms 146:4), has nothing to do with anything on earth (Eccl. 9:6), does not live (2 Kings 20:1), waits in the grave (Job 17:13), and continues not (Job 14:1-2).

SATAN'S INVENTION: We learned in questions 11 and 12 that Satan invented the teaching that the dead are still alive.

Reincarnation, channeling, mediums, fortune tellers, communication with spirits, spirit worship, and the “undying soul” are all inventions of Satan, with one aim to convince people that when you die you are not really dead. When people believe that the dead are alive, these are “spirits of devils, working miracles” (Rev. 16:14) and posing as spirits of the dead, are be able to deceive and lead them all astray virtually 100 percent of the time (Matt. 24:24).