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"I'm torn between two desires: sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ." The Bible, Philippians chapter 1 verse 23 |
The subjects considered here are of vital concern to all of us. We are all "mortals," a word which my dictionary defines as "liable to death, certain to die at some future time...." Are you a mortal? Then you will surely die and your body will decay. There is no escape from this primary fact of life.
| Even the clever and famous must die. This is the grave of Charles Darwin's daughter at Great Malvern Priory Church in Worcestershire. The inscription reads, "Anne Elizabeth Darwin Born March 2 1841 Died April 23 1851 A dear and good child." The ailing Elizabeth was taken to Malvern by her famous father for the renowned Malvern water cure but to no avail. Someone still puts flowers on her grave to this day. | |
| Even the powerful and wealthy must die. This man, though very rich and powerful, was aware of the horrors of death to such an extent that he wanted his tomb to reflect this fact without any pretence. The tomb, heavily vandalised over the years, is located in Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire. | |
| A detail of the Tewkesbury Abbey tomb. Although vandalized, gruesome details still remain, such as the decaying boil seen here on the arm. Other details show worms eating the flesh and the whole attitude of the figure depicts the inescapable agonies of death. | |
| Another tomb, this time from St Mary's Church, Elmley Castle in Worcestershire. An attempt is made here to depict the entire family as either alive or just sleeping. Even in death, the fact of death is ignored. They are Sir William Savage (died 1616), his son Sir Giles (died 1631), Sir Giles' wife Lady Catherine (died 1674) and her daughter born after Sir Giles death. Their four sons, Thomas, William, Giles and John kneel at their feet. | |
| A detail of the Elmley Castle tomb. Lady Catherine with her infant daughter, Sir Giles Savage and his father Sir William Savage. | |
| Another detail of the Elmley Castle tomb. The four children kneel at the feet of their parents. All of them are long since dead and practically forgotten. | |
We use the word "casket" instead of "coffin." We refer to "passed over" instead of "dead" in an attempt to deny a reality which we know in our hearts cannot be denied. If we speak about death at all, it is usually in hushed and restrained tones. When someone we know dies, that person's death always seems to come as a great surprise to us, and as an unexpected shock. None of us really believes that death is waiting for us just around the corner. Death always happens to other people, not to us. Nevertheless, our time will surely come.
In the meantime, we turn on the television, or go out and have fun, or find some other distraction. We try hard to get over the loss of our loved ones and we attempt to "get on with life" without considering too much that swiftly coming day when other people will be mourning us.
But we MUST all take that lone journey one day. It is a lone journey because we must leave everything, no matter how privileged or pampered we may have been in life. No more possessions to comfort and shelter us; no more friends to help us; no servants to do our bidding; no more influencing events however powerful we might have been; no more power to do anything at all. I wonder if our politicians, or if tyrants (national or individual!), ever consider this very real and obvious fact?
So we must all die - but what happens when we die, and what happens to us afterwards? The afterlife is a subject about which we can know nothing unless it is revealed to us in some way that is beyond the reach of Science (there are still many such areas!).
Although the Bible gives us authoritative information on these subjects, we are usually at a loss to grasp what that information means in terms of our real experience. We are at a severe disadvantage in understanding what the exact meaning is because we are finite beings trying to understand infinite things.
As outsiders we can observe people dying and then we think that we have some idea of what is happening when we die. For example, death can be observed as being painful or painless, traumatic or peaceful, slow or very quick. But is what we observe really so? Can our passage from the finite to the infinite be subjected to the information coming to us through our ordinary senses?
The famous missionary David Livingstone was once attacked by a lion and was close to death. Livingstone's full account can be accessed by clicking HERE. An extract from this account follows:
"I saw the lion just in the act of springing upon me. I was upon a little height; he caught my shoulder as he sprang, and we both came to the ground below together. Growling horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. The shock produced a stupor similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first shake of the cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror, though quite conscious of all that was happening. It was like what patients partially under the influence of chloroform describe, who see all the operation, but feel not the knife. This singular condition was not the result of any mental process. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar state is probably produced in all animals killed by the carnivora; and if so, is a merciful provision by our benevolent Creator for lessening the pain of death."
How then can we be sure of the accuracy of what we observe of a dying person's feelings? This is not to say that people do not die in pain. My point is that the experience of death may not be what it seems to the outside observer.
Near-death experiences provide further strong indications that the process of death is at least a very interesting one! Some people report going to a beautiful place (heaven?) while others report going to somewhere quite different (hell?). Many report that they meet a wonderful person whom they often refer to as "Jesus," even though they may have been atheists during their "lifetime."
Many others report a strange state of being detached from their bodies while still accurately aware of all that is going on around their bodies, to which they soon return. It seems that these people do not get far enough into the death process to experience the more dramatic "spiritual" phenomena.
Do such places as Heaven and Hell really exist? They certainly do, according to the Bible. For example, Jesus told the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke chapter 16 verses 19 to 31). In this story there are clearly two places which conform to the popular ideas of Heaven and Hell.
The poor man, Lazarus, died and was carried "to be with Abraham" where he was comforted. This is obviously what we would accept as "heaven," or at least, somewhere very, very desirable.
The Rich Man also died, but "his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham." This is obviously what we would accept as "hell," somewhere very nasty.
Surprisingly, the rich man is able to shout to Abraham across a great chasm, so he asks Abraham to send Lazarus on various errands for him. Obviously, the rich man's idea of Lazarus existing solely to serve him as his master has survived death. The rich man is still the same selfish person that he was before his "death."
Heaven and hell are mentioned under various names throughout the Bible. Two undeniable facts emerge: heaven is a very desirable place whereas hell is a place to be avoided at all costs. Heaven, we are told, is a place which is so wonderful that it is beyond our understanding: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 9).
Many books have been written on this subject. Suffice it to say that Heaven and Hell really do exist and that every human being will end up in one or the other in due course.
For "believers," those who accept that Jesus is the only way for man to have a real relationship with God, there is no problem and there is no reason to fear death or the afterlife: "Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be better for me, but it is better for you that I live" (Philippians chapter 1 verse 23 and 24).
To avoid going to Hell we must be absolutely 100% perfect. Deciding not to sin anymore, and deciding to live a "good" life from now on, is not enough. We must also have been sinless all our lives and we must remain sinless until we die. No mistakes. No errors. Perfection.
Impossible? Afraid so. The only human being ever to comply with these stringent requirements was Jesus of Nazareth. He came to this earth for this purpose; he was born for us, lived for us, died for us, and rose again from the dead for us. He took the punishment and the separation from God that was rightfully ours, and he suffered the penalty on our behalf!
"Because God's children are human beings - made of flesh and blood - Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death" (Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14).
That is why the Bible says, "There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them" (Acts chapter 4 verse 12).
So, to avoid going to Hell and to be sure of going to Heaven, the only way that exists, according to the Bible, is by means of Jesus. But how can we be sure? Click HERE to go to the Jesus page.
God's viewpoint on death and the afterlife is that we all MUST die and then we find ourselves in the afterlife. This will probably happen sooner than we think but, sooner or later, it will surely happen! God wants us to be prepared for this certainty.
Real preparation for death can only be made through what Jesus did for us on the cross at Calvary. This is God's requirement for us. There is no other way, in spite of what anyone else may think, say or do. God is God, and this is his arrangement, not ours.
"Only in this way could he deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying" (Hebrews chapter 2 verse 15). Click HERE to find out more about God's provision through Jesus.
Home address of this page: http://www.johnw55.freeuk.com/
Page updated 12 May 2004