'Afterlife Of The Bible' (Summary)

As we pour into our minds the true words of the Bible, we find that all things point to the 'afterlife', which is more commonly known as 'life after death'. This occurs in 'eternity', or, 'Infinity'.

John 5:39-40: Jesus speaks to the Jews concerning what they know of the 'afterlife':
39) "Search the scriptures (the Old Testament: the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, which is the only Bible available at that time, because Jesus had not yet commanded the apostles to 'teach all nations': Matthew 28:18-20; See Luke 24:44); for in them ye think ye have eternal life (after this life): and they are they which testify of Me."
40) "And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life."

I was delivering the eulogy at a friend's burial service several years ago, and when it came time for me to refer to 'the departed loved one', I hesitated for a brief second or so. Then I continued forthwith, not with the traditional reference to her 'demise', or her 'passing': instead, I began to speak these words, convinvingly:

'She is not dead. Her body has passed on, having lived to its full extent in this life: and now, she has passed into the next phase of her brand new life, eternal life. And should we bid her to please return, I'm sure that she would flatly refuse to honor our most sincere request, being in that lovely and unimaginably peaceful setting to which she has now gone. She is with her Lord and her Savior, Jesus Christ, and her loving heavenly Father, Jehovah God, her Maker. But we shall see her again some time in the future, either when Jesus comes for the rest of us who have believed in Him as our personal Savior, or when we also shall reach that point of our own demise.'

Jesus, speaking to unbelieving Jews (to whom He was sent by the Father: Deuteronomy 18:18-19):

John 5:39-40:
39) “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.
40) "And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.”

Obviously, in that scripture alone, Jesus spoke only to the Jews themselves, who alone had the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the Psalms, which was the Old Testament, as described specifically by Jesus Himself (Luke 24:44), before the New Testament was written by the apostles, as Jesus had commanded them to 'teach all nations' (Jews and Gentiles: Matthew 28:18-20), the Jews were totally, and in great detail, informed of the afterlife, based upon what Jesus had spoken to them.

What is 'eternal life', and 'everlasting life' (John 3:16)? It equates to 'never dying, but living on, and without interruption. And the life to which Jesus referred is that which we understand to be the life of those who are saved by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ:

John 11:23-27: Jesus, speaking to Martha, sister of Lazarus:

23) "Jesus said unto her, 'Thy brother shall rise again.'
24) “Martha saith unto Him, 'I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.'
25) “Jesus said unto her, 'I am the reurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26) “ 'And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?'.
27) ”She saith unto Him, 'Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.'."

And that is everlasting life, for the soul of man is eternal, for it is the spirit of a man. The soul cannot sleep, neither can it be unconscious, but is constantly aware at all times.

And, being 'spirit', the soul will leave the body at the instant of our death, and go where it is assigned to be, depending upon whether it was still in innocence, or had believed in the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, or whether it did not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now how hard is that for us to determine for ourselves, knowing the gospel? We each shall then either be saved, or we won't.

Believing in Jesus is not natural, but spiritual. It is of the soul of man, and not the flesh that believes.

The flesh is not inclined toward God, but rather rejects God, and is only inclined toward the worldly and the sinful things that are in the world; the lust of the eyes, and the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life', 'with its affections and lusts'. And because of that sinful nature of our flesh, which we inherited from Adam who sinned, all of Adam's generations are condemned to physically die.

(Romans 5:12; Romans 3:23; Hebrews 9:27)

Ezekiel 28:20: The principle of sinning:

20) “The soul that sinneth, it shall die (experience for ever the second 'death', which is separation from God for ever, in hell, and later, in the lake of fire, immediately after the judgment seat of God, the first death being that of the body of flesh of a man).”
(See Revelation 20:10-15)

Deuteronomy 18:18-19: God speaks to Moses of Christ to be sent to Israel under the law of Moses:

18) “I will raise them (Israel) up a Prophet from among (not 'of') their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them (the Jews of Israel) all that I shall command Him.
19) “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him (that doth not hearken).”

Luke 24:44: Jesus declares the content of the 'Old Testament' of the Christian Bible to the apostles:

44) “And He (Jesus) said unto them (the apostles), 'These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you (before Jesus' death, burial and resurrection), that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.”

Matthew 28:18-20: Jesus commands the apostles, thereby commanding all believers:

18) “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.
19) “ 'Go ye therefore, and teach all nations (the gospel), baptizing them (that believe the gospel) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20) " 'Teaching them (all believers of all nations, both Jews and Gentiles) to observe (do, and teach) all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.' Amen.”

However, by their 'keeping the law', they attained nothing on the order of 'eternal life', as Jesus therefore referred, though they were apprised of the afterlife, or, eternal life.

Daniel 12:2: Daniel speaks of the resurrection of two separate groups of the dead (bodies) of man:

2) “And many (all) of them that sleep (the dead bodies of those who have passed into death, and their eternal souls have passed into either heaven for the righteous, and hell for the wicked, which are those who did not believe in Jesus Christ while the opportunity was available) in the dust of the earth shall awake (their eternal soulls will come back to again come into their dead bodies, and they will be resurrected), some to everlasting life (the righteous, for their souls cannot be destroyed, for the soul is the eternal spirit of man, whom God created: Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7; for they had either believed in Jesus Christ, or died in the innocence of their youth), and some to shame (disgrace, condemnation) and everlasting contempt (which are those who never believed in Christ, and died in their unforgiven sins, without righteousness, therefore, classified with the 'wicked').

Where will you be in eternity? Will you forever be in the lake of fire with the devil and his wicked angels, where you will have nothing but eternal torment, and relive your life of regret over and over again? Or will you believe in Jesus now, and live in that eternal heaven and earth which God shall build for His family of sons, who believed in Jesus Christ, or did not come to the end of their years of innocence, where there is a hundred percent of joy, peace, love, and all the attributes of God for ever?

Revelation 20:10-15, or Revelation 21:1-5. You now have your choice, as God calls for your decision.

James 4:14:
14) "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even (just, but) a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

God loves you: love Him back!