Lesson 29 What Happens When We Die?
[Image:] A couple praying in front of a headstone in a cemetery.
[Press play to hear the MP3 of the Lesson]
Have you ever lost a loved one in death? At such a painful time, you may wonder: ‘What happens when we die? Is there any hope that we will see our loved ones again?’ In this lesson and the next, consider the Bible’s comforting answers.
1. What happens when we die?
Jesus compared death to a deep sleep. A person in a deep sleep is not aware of what is happening around him. How is death similar to sleep? After someone dies, he does not feel pain. He does not feel lonely, no matter how much he loved his friends and family. “The dead know nothing at all,” says the Bible. Read Ecclesiastes 9:5.
[Read scripture] Ecclesiastes 9:5: For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. [End of Read scripture]
2. How do we benefit from knowing the truth about death?
Many people are afraid of death and even of the dead! But you can be comforted by what the Bible says about death. Jesus said: “The truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
[Quotation] John 8:32: and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [End Quotation]
Contrary to what some religions claim, the Bible does not teach that a person has an immortal soul that lives on after death. Thus, no one suffers after death. Also, since the dead are not aware of anything, they cannot harm us. So there is no need to appease or worship the dead, and there is no need to say prayers for them.
Some people say that they can communicate with the dead. But this is impossible. As we just learned, the dead “know nothing at all.” Those who think that they are communicating with dead loved ones may actually be communicating with demons who pretend to be people who have died. So knowing the truth about death protects us from the demons. Jehovah warns us about trying to communicate with the dead because he knows that contact with the demons will harm us. Read Deuteronomy 18:10 through 12.
[Read scripture] Deuteronomy 18:10 through 12: There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, anyone practicing magic, anyone who looks for omens, a sorcerer, anyone binding others with a spell, anyone who consults a spirit medium or a fortune-teller, or anyone who inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable practices Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you. [End of Read scripture]
Dig Deeper
Learn more about what the Bible teaches regarding death, and strengthen your faith in a loving God who does not torment those who have died.
[Image:] A man and his two young children sitting on a bench at the funeral of his wife and the children’s mother. Friends and family gather around to comfort and support them.
3. Learn the true condition of the dead
Around the world, people have different beliefs about what happens when we die. Of course, not all of those beliefs can be true.
What beliefs about the condition of the dead are common in your area?
To see what the Bible teaches, play the video What Is the Condition of the Dead? Excerpt (1:19).
[Disclaimer: The following video is created by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society; however, the audio description has been added by independent blind and sighted volunteers to assist those who are blind or have low vision]
[Click for Transcript]|[What is the Condition of Dead?
[Text: What is the Condition of Dead?] [In a hospital room a man and woman stand by a young lady’s bed. The woman clutches her hand as she lies motionless. They weep as the heart monitor flatlines]
Presenter: Nearly all religions teach that part of a person survives death.
[A beam of light exits a body]
But what does the Bible teach?
[In the garden of Eden]
God created the first man, Adam, from the dust.
[A young vibrant Adam stands]
He had the opportunity to live forever.
[He walks through the garden]
But when he deliberately disobeyed God, he was told that he would return to the dust
[Text: Genesis 3:19]
ceasing to exist.
[Now an old man, he falls to the dust]
What about others who died after Adam?
[Scanning over countless people]
When Jesus was told that his friend Lazarus died, Jesus did not say that Lazarus had gone to heaven. Rather, he said: “Our friend has fallen asleep.”
[Text: John 11:11]
What did he mean?
[On a city train a man heavily sleeps as various passengers come and go]
Just as someone in a deep sleep is inactive and unaware of his surroundings, the dead are not conscious of anything at all.
[With all the passengers gone the train slows to a halt, the man continues to sleep unknowingly]
(Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2017 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania) [Click to close]
Read Ecclesiastes 3:20, and then discuss the questions that follow:
[Read scripture] Ecclesiastes 3:20: All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust. [End of Read scripture]
According to this verse, what happens when a person dies?
Does any part of a person survive death?
The Bible tells us about the death of Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus. As you read John 11:11 through 14, notice how Jesus referred to the condition of Lazarus. Then discuss the questions that follow:
[Read scripture] John 11:11 through 14: After he said these things, he added: “Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am traveling there to awaken him.” The disciples then said to him: “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.” Jesus, however, had spoken about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly: “Lazarus has died, [End of Read scripture]
To what did Jesus compare death?
What does this comparison tell us about the condition of the dead?
Do you find the Bible’s description of death to be reasonable?
4. The truth about death benefits us
Knowing the truth about death frees us from fear of the dead. Read Ecclesiastes 9:10, and then discuss the question that follows:
[Read scripture] Ecclesiastes 9:10: Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going. [End of Read scripture]
Can the dead harm us?
Bible truth also protects us from the belief that the dead must be appeased or even worshipped. Read Isaiah 8:19 and Revelation 4:11, and then discuss the question that follows:
[Read scripture] Isaiah 8:19: And if they say to you: “Inquire of the spirit mediums or of the fortune-tellers who chirp and mutter,” is it not of their God that a people should inquire? Should they inquire of the dead in behalf of the living? [End of Read scripture]
[Read scripture] Revelation 4:11: “You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they came into existence and were created.” [End of Read scripture]
How do you think Jehovah feels about a person who worships or seeks the help of someone who has died?
[Image:] Collage: Customs related to honoring the dead. 1. A man kneels and prays in front of a gravestone with food offerings. 2. Three tribal men dance in costume. 3. A parade of people wear skull masks and carry large skeleton figures on the Day of the Dead. Caption: The truth about death sets us free from customs that displease Jehovah
5. The truth about death comforts us
Many people have been taught that when they die, they will suffer as a result of their past actions. But it comforts us to know that no one suffers after death, not even someone who has done very bad things. Read Romans 6:7, and then discuss the question that follows:
[Read scripture] Romans 6:7: For the one who has died has been acquitted from his sin. [End of Read scripture]
If, as we read in the Bible, death acquits, or releases, a person from sin, do you think anyone who has died is suffering because of past mistakes?
The more we get to know Jehovah, the more we realize that he would never allow the dead to suffer. Read Deuteronomy 32:4 and 1 John 4:8, and then discuss the questions that follow:
[Read scripture] Deuteronomy 32:4: The Rock, perfect is his activity, For all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness who is never unjust; Righteous and upright is he. [End of Read scripture]
[Read scripture] 1 John 4:8: Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love. [End of Read scripture]
Would a God with the qualities mentioned in these verses ever approve of tormenting those who have died?
Do you find the truth about death to be comforting? Why?
[Box]
Some People Say: “I’m afraid of what will happen to me when I die.”What comforting Bible verses could you share? [End of box]
Summary
When a person dies, his life ends. The dead do not suffer, nor can they harm the living.
Review
What happens when we die?
How does the truth about death benefit us?
How does the truth about death comfort us?
Goal
Try to memorize one scripture from this lesson so that you can explain the condition of the dead. Set Other Goals
Explore
See what the word “soul” really means in the Bible. “What Is the Soul?” (Web article)
[Click for article]|[Coming soon] [Click to close]
Find out if God uses hell to punish the wicked. Is Hell a Real Place of Torment? (3:07)
[Click for Transcript]|[Coming soon] [Click to close]
Do we ever need to be afraid of the dead? Spirits of the Dead. Can They Help You or Harm You? Do They Really Exist? (brochure)
[Click for article]|[Coming soon] [Click to close]
Find out how a man was comforted when he learned the truth about what happens when we die. “I Was Impressed by the Bible’s Clear, Logical Answers” (The Watchtower, February 1, 2015)
[Click for article]|[Coming soon] [Click to close]