English series: what is death?

In this series of blogs we have seen what the Bible says about death. Scripture is very clear in describing what death is and also what it is not. Death is the absence of life. It’s that easy and a… Lees verder →

We have seen that death is the absence of life (Rev.20:5) and that in death there is no consciousness. But what happens to death? Some teach that death never ends. People then talk about eternal death. That is incorrect, because… Lees verder →

Answering the question of what the second death is could be done briefly and concisely, because the Bible itself gives a clear description of what the second death is. We find this in the book of Revelation, which is also… Lees verder →

Revelation 6 speaks of souls who have been killed for the word of God and who cry out to God from under the altar and ask for justice. But how is that possible, if the dead are not alive and… Lees verder →

In the story we call the transfiguration on the mountain, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain. The Lord is transfigured before their eyes (Greek: metamorphoo), His face shines like the sun and His outer garment becomes white… Lees verder →

In the previous blog we saw why Paul considered his death to be gain. That was not because he would immediately ‘go to heaven’ when he died. His death would mean gain for his mission: the cause of Christ. 21… Lees verder →

Paul makes this statement in Philippians 1:21. What is Paul referring to here? Is he saying that dying is gain for himself, because he would then go straight to heaven, or is he speaking of something else? Paul’s missionPaul writes… Lees verder →

We have seen that in this parable the rich man is a representation of the nation of Israel, who are in the grave among the nations and are suffering a great deal there. But Lazarus, who represents “a foolish and… Lees verder →

In the previous blog we saw why the parable of the rich man and Lazarus cannot be a representation of the state of the dead. To be complete, we also want to discuss the entire parable verse by verse. That… Lees verder →

So far we have seen what Scripture, and especially the Old Testament, says about the state of the dead. Now that we have this basis, it is good to discuss a passage from the New Testament, where Jesus tells a… Lees verder →

In the previous blog we saw how the Bible warns against what we now call ‘spiritism’. Seeking contact with the dead. We also know an example of this in Scripture. SaulIn 1 Samuel 28, King Saul is besieged by the… Lees verder →

In spiritism, it is believed that there can be contact with the deceased. People strive to get in touch with the dead, using various methods to ‘summon’ the dead. We have seen in the previous blogs that the dead are… Lees verder →

In the previous blog we saw that Peter says about Christ that He proclaimed His victory to the spirits in prison. One often reads here that He has announced His triumph to the dead who are now in the hereafter,… Lees verder →

In the 1st letter of Peter we find a section in which it is stated that Christ preached to spirits who are in prison. Is this about people? Did Christ preach the gospel to the dead in the realm of… Lees verder →

When Jesus is on his way to Lazarus to raise him from the dead, Martha first meets Him and later Mary. The Lord has a conversation with Martha and in it He says the words that are among His most… Lees verder →

Anyone who believes that death is really death and not a transition to another place where one lifts one’s eyes, will invariably be objected to by the fact that the Lord told the murderer on the cross that he would… Lees verder →

In the previous blog we saw what happened to Enoch. He also died, just like every human being. God transferred him to another place, where he was safe from his contemporaries. But we know another figure in the Bible, who… Lees verder →

Now that we have seen what death is, we will discuss some issues that are much misunderstood. For example, Enoch, because it is taught that he never died. Genesis 5 speaks of him. In this chapter we find a succession… Lees verder →

Almost every religion denies death, by teaching that death is a continuation of life. Sometimes a higher form of life, sometimes a lower form. Think of the doctrine of the immortal soul, but also that of reincarnation. Both are a… Lees verder →

In death there is no communication, but only silence (Ps.31:17; 115:17). The dead that we read in the Bible are resurrected, such as Lazarus, the young man of Nain and the daughter of Jairus, are also silent about experiences they… Lees verder →