Is There A Conscious Existence After Death?

Welcome to "Bible Talk."  This week we are answering the
question:  Is there a conscious existence after death?

We are addressing this question this week because there are men
today who reject the Biblical doctrine of hell.  It is
unreasonable to them that God should cast a sinner in hell and
allow him to be tormented day and night forever and ever.

To avoid the truth of the Scriptures, they have theorized that
the souls of men simply sleep in a state of unconsciousness when
they die.  Obviously, then, if you are unconscious, you cannot
suffer punishment in hell.

Does the Bible actually teach this, or does it teach that a man
retains his awareness even after he dies?


DEATH IS "SEPARATION"

To answer the question, we must first ask, "What is death?"
Death, according to the Bible, means "separation."

James 2:26
    26  . . . the body without the spirit is dead . . .

Notice carefully that when the body and spirit are "separated,"
death has occurred.  Biblically speaking, then, when a man dies,
his body and spirit are "separated."

Ecclesiastes 12:7
     7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the
        spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

This spirit of man that returns to God is fully cognizant of its
surroundings.  This is what makes man different from a beast:

Ecclesiastes 3:21
    21  Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the
        spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

Obviously man is different from a beast.  A beast does indeed
become unconscious at death, but not man.


A DIFFICULT PASSAGE

In Ecclesiastes there is a passage which seems to suggest that a
man does lose consciousness when he dies:

Ecclesiastes 9:5

     5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know
        not any thing . . .

Is this verse teaching that a man's soul loses consciousness at
the point of death?  If we read the very next verse, we
understand what Solomon meant when he said the dead "know not
anything":

Ecclesiastes 9:6
     6  . . . neither have they any more a portion for ever in
        any thing that is done under the sun.

Solomon is simply saying that the dead "know not anything under
the sun."  That is, they know nothing about what is taking place
on this earth which is "under the sun."  They are unaware of
events which take place on earth, but that is a far cry from
saying the dead are unconscious!


NEW TESTAMENT PASSAGES

The New Testament is even more decisive and plain on this subject
than the Old Testament.

Matthew 22:31-32
    31  But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not
        read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
    32  I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the
        God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the
        living.

Jesus declared that, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the
living."  Had Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ceased to exist when they
died, God would have had to say, "I was the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob."  But by saying, "I am (present tense) the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," He illustrated the fact that these
saints still had a conscious existence.

Matthew 10:28
    28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able
        to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to
        destroy both soul and body in hell.

When men kill the body, there is a soul which they cannot kill
that returns to God and He will either reward or punish that
soul.

Luke 23:43
    43  And Jesus said unto [the thief on the cross], Verily I
        say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

That very day the thief on the cross was going to be with Jesus
in paradise, but this would have been impossible if men lost
consciousness at the point of death.

Once Jesus told a story about a rich man who refused to help a
poor beggar named Lazarus:


Luke 16:22-26
    22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was
        carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man
        also died, and was buried;
    23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and
        seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
    24  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
        and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger
        in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this
        flame.
    25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime
        receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil
        things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
    26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great
        gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to
        you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come
        from thence.

This story illustrates in unmistakable language that there is a
conscious existence for both saints and sinners after death!

Furthermore, this passage declares plainly that a "great gulf" is
"fixed" between paradise and torments and no one can cross over
to the other side.  Once a man dies, his destiny is sealed!
There is no second chance.  There is no purgatory, nor second
chance of any kind to alter one's destiny!


CONCLUSION

Since we have only one chance to prepare for eternity, we had
better take advantage of the present time!  We know not when we
shall die, nor do we know the day that the Lord will come again.
It behoves all of us to prepare for the Judgment Day of God!

My friend, the Bible teaches ever so clearly that there is indeed
a conscious existence after death for both saints and sinners.

If it seems difficult to imagine how a loving God could punish
men forever and ever in hell, just think about this:  God sent
His own Son to die on a cross so we could be saved.  God's own
Son suffered, bled and died so we could be saved.  Surely if hell
were not real Jesus wouldn't have done this!  If we reject the
great and loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ, then we certainly
deserve a conscious, everlasting punishment in a lake of fire!


Mark Trayler
517 Riverpark Road
McGregor, Texas 76657