- Life after death is only through future resurrection

Few things in life are certain, but as things stand, we can be sure we will all die. But is there life after death, and if so, how?

God promised to give the whole land of Canaan to a faithful man, Abraham, as an everlasting possession. Abraham died thousands of years ago without being given any of the land, so how can this promise be kept?

Another faithful man, Job, helps to answer this for us:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” (Job 19 v 25-27)

Job explains that although his body will decay in the ground, there will come a time in the future when he will be raised back to life bodily (‘in my flesh’) and will see his redeemer. King David also believed this:

“As for me, I will see your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness.”
(Psalm 17 v 15)

The Bible teaches us that whilst for most people death brings a complete end to their life, those who have had a relationship with God in their lifetime will not die forever but will be raised again. This time in the grave is called a ‘sleep’ and being raised to life again as ‘waking up’ as David describes it above.

Daniel 12 v 2 confirms this when it describes the future time when Jesus will return to set up God’s kingdom on earth and judge…

“…those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
(Daniel 12 v 2)

So, death can be a temporary process, just like sleeping, and involves bodily resurrection.

Our final example is Jesus himself, who was resurrected after his crucifixion. Before he ascended to heaven, he showed he could eat, drink, walk and talk, but was also immortal. We are promised the same thing by the apostle John: 

"when [Jesus] is revealed, we shall be like him’
(1 John 3 v 2)

The Bible is clear. When we die, if we have come to know God and to follow him faithfully in this life like Abraham, David & Job, then death is just a ‘sleep’ to be awakened from. When Jesus returns, we can be raised bodily to everlasting life with him. 

[All Bible references are from the New King James Version unless stated otherwise (NLT = New Living Translation)]

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