Hard Questions
Honest Answers
DYING, DEATH & THE AFTERLIFE
QUESTION
1:
What happens when a human being dies?
When we die, we stop breathing… our hearts stop
beating… we do not have any more vital signs… and people who loved us will
become very sad… and some may even cry… Hahaha!
All these answers are not wrong, but I am quite sure we are not thinking
about these aspects of the human death.
Seriously, the first thing to take note is that the
death of a human being is not the same as the death of any other living
creatures that God has created. The
theological basis for this comment here is that human beings were created in
the image of the Almighty God (Gen 1:26), and all the other living creatures were
not.
In the context above, before we even discuss about human
death, I think it is needful to explore the meaning of being created in God’s
image. This is actually a huge
topic… Being created in God’s image means
several things… We will only briefly look
at one key point that relates directly to the question here…
When we say that we human beings are created in the
image of God, one of the key points here is that we are essentially a spiritual
being, just like God Himself is a spirit (John 4:24). This means that even though we have a
physical external form (which is our body), this body is not all that we are…
The real Jason Fong is not just the physical
external body that everyone can see. In
fact, (being mindful not to dichotomize too much) this body is like a shell
that the real Jason Fong lives in. This
shell was about 7 pounds in weight and about 16 inches in length some 53 years
ago… This shell weighed about 35 pounds
and was about 3 feet tall some 43 years ago…
And in another 33 years or more into the future, what’s left of this shell
could probably be just a heap of dry bones in a box…
As such, while there are physical aspects of death (para
1) which we are all so familiar with; I think that deep inside, all of us know
that death is not that simple. There are
deeper meanings to death…
Note: I have
intentionally avoided discussing about the tripartite or bipartite components
of the Spirit, Soul and Body (1 Thess 5:23) here in this article.
QUESTION
2:
Ok, so what does it really mean for a human being to die?
It is so easy for us to see death as a
termination. Heart stop beating… we stop
breathing… the end of life, full stop!
From a physical perspective, this is so apparent. But when I reflect on the Scriptures, death
is more a separation than a termination.
Let me explain…
In the physical perspective, death is the separation of the real me
(which is my spirit) from my physical external form (which is my body). Hence, bodily death or physical death is the
separation of the human spirit from the human body.
It is good to note that this understanding of
separation applies to Spiritual Death as well.
In the Garden of Eden, God warned Adam that he would die if he eat of
the forbidden fruit (Gen 2:16-17). In
fact, the KJV emphasized it in this way: “…for in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die…”
But, did Adam and Eve actually die immediately (in
the day) when they disobeyed God and ate the fruit? Did they die soon after sinning against
God? No!!! On the contrary, they lived to the end of
Genesis chapter 4, or at least till Adam was some 930 years old (Gen 5:5).
But, we note that God did chased Adam and Eve out
of Eden soon after they sinned (Gen3:23-24).
With this context, the death that God said Adam and Eve would suffer
when they sin was actually more a spiritual death, than a physical death. Hence, we see that spiritual death is actually
the separation of fellowship or relationship with God; consistent to what I
proposed earlier above.
I must continue with Eternal Death. With the same line of thinking, Eternal Death
is not a final termination, but rather an eternal separation where the human
spirit is forever banished from the presence of God to a place of permanent suffering
and eternal punishment (Matt 25:31-46).
This place is called Hell.
QUESTION
3:
Since Hell was mentioned in the your answer above, what have you to say
about this “sensitive” topic?
Yes, Hell is not only a sensitive topic, it is also
quite controversial. In fact, we have
very little understanding and lots of misunderstanding!
One common misunderstanding about Hell is the
misconception that the devil is the boss there.
Some of us think (whether consciously or unconsciously) that the devil
is in charge of Hell… Some of us think
that he is having a jolly good time tormenting people down there… (Maybe this wrong understanding has its roots
in some Chinese folk beliefs that there is this king of Hell or閻羅王.) The
Scriptures (Jude 6) clearly teach that the devil together with all the rest of
the evil spirits will one day be subjected to suffering and punishment in Hell.
What is Hell like?
The Bible does not say a lot about this place. The Old Testament uses a generic Hebrew word Sheol, which can be translated into Hell,
and also grave. The New Testament tells
us more. Hell is a place of fire (Matt
25:41 and Mark 9:43) and smoke (Rev 9:2).
It is often described as a fiery furnace. Scriptures also referred to worms (Mark 9:48)
and very likely these will be a source of torment (in additional to the fire) which
will result in weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:42).
Furthermore, the New Testament has at least four
different Greek words for this terrible place, namely Gehena (Matt 5:22, NAB), Hades
(Luke 16:23, NKJV), Abusso (Luke 8:31,
NIV), and Tartaroo (2 Peter 2:4, NAB).
As a simple summary, I believe Hell is a physical
place (with no second chances) somewhere in the lower parts of the earth where
there are conscious and eternal sufferings.
QUESTION
4:
What do you think about “testimonies” regarding people who had gone to Hell
and came back?
Yes every now and then, we may come across stories,
articles or books about people who have visited Hell or who have had visions of
Hell. Some of these may even be
Christians who claimed that it was actually God or Jesus who gave them these
special experiences or revelations so that they can warn others.
Let us start with looking into the Scriptures to
see if there are any records (or similar accounts) of people with such
experiences…
The account of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:20-31)
who died would be a useful reference. The
Scriptures say that Lazarus went to Abraham’s bosom while the rich man went to Hell. The rich man then begged that Lazarus be sent
to warn his brothers of the terror of Hell.
It is good to note this reply: “If they won’t pay attention to Moses and
the prophets (meaning, the Scriptures), they won’t listen even to someone who
comes back from the dead…”
Hence pesonally, I do not think testimonies from Hell
or about Hell would contribute meaningfully towards turning people to God.
QUESTION
5:
Where does the human spirit or human soul go to when a person dies?
The Old Testament gives the simple teaching that
all the dead will go to a place call Sheol
(1 Sam 2:6). In many sense, Sheol may then be the unseen world of
the dead. Also, Sheol may simply just be the grave (Psa 16:10, NIV).
The New Testament (such as the account in Luke
16:20-31) gives a more elaborate teaching, and marks a distinct separation
where the righteous dead and the wicked dead would go respectively.
The term Abraham’s Bosom is only found once in the
Bible. This term is also translated as
“Abraham’s side” (NIV), “with Abraham” (NLT), and “next to Abraham” (CEV).
Most theologians would agree that “Abraham’s Bosom”
is very likely an “intermediary place” where the righteous would go upon
physical death. Paul shared with us (2
Cor 5:6-8) that when we leave our physical bodies at death, we would be at home
with the Lord. It is also good to note
what Jesus said to the repentant dying thief: “Today you shall be with Me in
Paradise…”.
The Luke 16:20-31 account at the same time also indicates
that the wicked will be sent to Hell and suffering immediately upon death. We also need to note that the Scriptures (Rev
210:11-15) tell of a future judgment (Great White Throne) where all the dead
will be judged. It appears that with
this judgment, the final rewards or punishments will be confirmed.
QUESTION
6:
What about Heaven?! Abraham’s
Bosom is not the same as Heaven?
No, Abraham’s Bosom is not the same as Heaven. As explained earlier, most theologians
believe that this is like a place the righteous would go “on transit” to Heaven.
Ah… Heaven. I
think Heaven is probably as misunderstood and as controversial as Hell. For a start, we should avoid merely thinking
about Heaven as a place. Perhaps it is
better to consider Heaven in the context of the afterlife; as in how would
eternal life be, as we live with God and with fellow believers…
If we think that Heaven will be a 24/7 worship
service, and/or we will be spending most of our time floating around with a
harp; I am quite sure we would be pleasantly surprised that Heaven will be much
much more than this. Hahaha!
My “pictorial blog” on the topic of Heaven & Eternity
(sometime in October 2012) would be a good starting point for further
reflections on Heaven. I must say it
appears that many Christians today are not that excited and enthusiastic about
Heaven. I do hope that my pictorial blog would stimulate some interest and excitement...
QUESTION
7:
Can you give us
a “flow chart” from life to death to eternity?
Actually, much of what we have been discussing thus
far relate to the subject matter of Personal Eschatology within systematic
theology. Eschatology simply refers to
teachings related to End Times. Personal
Eschatology refers to teachings regarding death and the hereafter.
I am not sure if I can give a “flow chart” from
life to death to life hereafter. Really,
the Bible is silent on certain details.
Hence, there are quite a few schools of thoughts on this matter. We have to accept that this subject will
remain a mystery to us.
Nonetheless, I will try…
First of all, I think the Bible is quite clear that
when a believer dies, he or she goes immediately into the presence of God (2
Cor 5:8). What and where is this “Presence
of God” are not so clear. Luke 23:43 (paradise)
and Luke 16:22 (Abraham’s bosom) do give us glimpses of this “place”.
On the other hand, there are other Scriptures that
refer to death as being “asleep” (such as 1 Cor 15:51). Hence, some scholars used such texts to teach
about “Soul Sleep”. Personally, I think taking
the literal meaning of “asleep” may not be proper here. I think the meaning of “rest” would be more
appropriate here.
Summarizing the above, I would conclude that upon
physical death, the spirit and soul of believers (are separated from their
physical bodies and) will go to be with the Lord. We will be in a wonderful and restful state
and place, in the presence of the Lord, enjoying His bountiful love.
In due course, at an appointed time (the Rapture),
our spirits and souls will be united with our resurrected bodies (1 Cor 15:35ff). From here, the Scriptures suggest that believers
will go through the Bema Judgement Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), where we will receive
rewards for our deeds; and the Great White Throne Judgement (Rev 20:11ff),
where our names would be found in the Book of Life and we will inherit eternal
life with God.
You would note that I have intentionally avoided the
complications of putting the Tribulation, the Millennium and the New Heaven and
Earth into the sequences above.
QUESTION
8:
Many people want to die a peaceful death. What do you think about dying a “good death”?
Indeed many people would like to die a “good
death”, as in dying peacefully and with minimum suffering. I remember that my mother (who was suffering
from cancer) asked me several months before she passed away, “Why can’t I die
peacefully? Why must I suffer from
cancer now, and eventually die a painful death?
Jesus should give good deaths to those who believe in Him… It would be a good testimony… It would cause many people to believe in
Him…”
I reckon that in my mother’s simple mind, good
people should have good death (好死). And, the bad people would die a terrible
death (不得好死). Perhaps
many people, including Christians think like this as well.
When my mother asked those questions, I had no
answers for her at that time. Sad… Nonetheless, somehow I continued to ponder on
those questions even after she has gone back to the Lord. Eventually it daunted on me that Jesus
Himself never died a good death. Nor did
Peter, and John, and Paul… And, many
others in the Hall of Faith (Heb 11) as well.
And, throughout history there were many a good man and woman who died
anything but a good death; whether by persecutions, accidents, sicknesses
and/or natural calamities.
What is my point?
What am I trying to say here? The
point here is that good people need not necessarily die good death. And, dying a “bad death” need not necessarily
mean that the person was bad, or did not enjoy God’s favour or blessing.
QUESTION
9:
Hmmm… what conclusion would you give to this matter?
I think as Christians, death (any death) should be
viewed as a good conclusion to our life.
The people of this world fear death.
But on the other hand, Christians should look forward to death and even
celebrate it!
Paul had a very radical view of death. For him, to die is gain (Phil 1:21). I am quite sure that most of us know these
Scriptures but we have not really reflected properly on them. Death is a gain, not a loss… Death is a plus, not a minus… Death is positive, not negative… Death, for the Christian is profitable, is
good, is a reward… Christians should
look forward positively to death.
Now, I need to emphasize I am not saying that we
should kill ourselves and/or hasten our death.
No! We need to note that Paul; in
the same breath of saying to die is gain, also said that to live is for Christ.
This means that I will maximize my life,
by living it for the Lord! And, I will rejoice
and celebrate my death when it is near and/or when it finally comes…
Many Christians do not like to think about death
and dying… which I believe is due to the fact that we have not fully appreciate
and embrace “to die is gain”. Hence this
subject matter remains a taboo for Christians, even though it should not.
Personally, I have often talked about how I would
like to die, whenever appropriate in my preaching and teaching. I think I would not want to die peacefully in
my sleep. If the Lord wills, I would
like to die preaching… meaning in the midst of preaching. I thought dying like this would be most wonderful
and impactful! (Just imagine the shock
and reactions of the pastor and congregation when I suddenly collapse… hahaha!)
In regards to age, I have no special preference;
meaning it does not really matter if I die at 55 (which will be in 2016) or
when I am 85. But should I in due course
discover that I am dying slowly, for example from cancer… I think I will not
want to resist death. I will not want to
fight to stay alive. I will not want to
spend a fortune to “cling on to dear life”, like most people would.
QUESTION
10:
Whoa… hold on… What do you mean
“not fighting to live on”?
Ha! I am
quite sure that to some people, what I have proposed above is very radical and
perhaps even controversial. Yes, my
proposals are counter culture… counter norm… but I think my thoughts are very
much in-line with the Word of God.
Indeed it is “natural” to want to stay alive. Indeed it is “normal” to do whatever we can,
and with whatever resources we have to remain alive. But if we are brutally honest, I think must
admit that somehow such “natural and normal responses” to death are reflections
of our fear of death, our lack of trust about God’s care over our loved ones,
our reluctance to let go of our earthly possessions, and our hesitations about
an eternity with the Lover of our soul. And
in my personal opinion, a “desperate fight” to stay alive at all cost will be
incoherent with what the Scriptures say about death and our eternal hope in
God. Interestingly, someone said that
death may be considered the final healing to illness, pain, and suffering.
In conclusion, when Christians gracefully embrace
and celebrate death, I think it will be a powerful testimony to our faith and
to God’s glory…
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Jason
Fong started writing this particular series of HARD QUESTIONS HONEST ANSWERS a few months before Andy (his
brother) passed away in June 2013. Jason
had originally hoped that this blog here (as a follow-up to his first article on
Sickness & Divine Healing), would be helpful to his brother as his sickness
deteriorate. Unfortunately, Andy passed
away before Jason could complete the writing.
The publishing of this blog is late by a whole year. Nonetheless, Jason is dedicating this blog to
Andy (and his surviving family) on the first anniversary of his passing away…
The
questions here were formulated with careful thought to cover the subject matter
as properly as possible. Therefore, the
questions should not be examined in isolation, but as a whole in the context of
this complete article. Jason Fong is
aware that this article is not an exhaustive study on the subject matter. He welcomes your thoughts and comments for
mutually edifying interactions.
Additional questions could be forwarded to Jason Fong accordingly.
Please
note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily
reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or
denomination he belongs to. In addition,
theological understandings may often “evolve” in the course of one’s journey
with God. As such, please note that
Jason’s convictions here are not cast in stone.
If this
article has blessed you, or if you think this article would help someone;
please feel free to forward it or used it in any way that would bring glory to
God. If appropriate, please acknowledge
the source when quoting this material.
