TWO DIFFERENT DEATHS

 Death by J.

At a recent meeting of the brethren, I was reminded of the two deaths that are described in the Bible. As a child, I assumed good people went to heaven, bad people went to hell. When a loved one died such as a grandparent, it was confusing. Papa was a decent person but was he good enough to go straight to heaven? And if he was up there floating in heaven, could he see me down on earth? Creepy. Thankfully I understand now that everyone who has ever lived and died, except for Christ, has no conscious and awaiting a resurrection. So many people believe passed loved ones are angels above watching down on them. Sorry to put a damper on that sentiment but human beings don't sprout halos or grow wings after death. Two entirely different beings by our Creator. But back to my original thought - the two deaths described in scripture. 

In the garden of Eden, the serpent deceived Eve into eating the fruit from the tree of good and evil. "You will not surely die", the serpent said to Eve. We all know the story how she took the fruit, ate, and gave it to Adam who also ate the forbidden fruit. Their eyes were opened but did they keel over dead? No. So did that make God a liar and the serpent the hero? Far from it. The serpent, being a crafty and cunning being, knew the death mankind would face from disobeying God is an everlasting death. A permanent, no chance for salvation, and the ultimate consequence for sinning. One would cease to exist forever. 

A different death is physical death. Physical death is the separation of our spirit from our fleshly body. The body is of the earth. It returns to dust. Our human spirit is of the breathe of life from God. It returns to our Creator. Plainly stated in Ecclesiasticus 12:7  Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, it is appointed unto all men once to die, but after this the judgement. Can't be a permanent death if judgement is to follow. 

In the garden, Adam and Eve did not experience a physical death, but because of disobedience, they and everyone since faces an everlasting death because of sin. BUT, God in his mercy sent his son as the sacrificial lamb slain from the foundation of the world so that with repentance, we can escape the 2nd or everlasting death. Noah, Moses, Abraham and all the other saints of old are not floating around in heaven. They experienced the 1st death and are asleep awaiting the first resurrection. Their bodies returned to dust and their spirit is safe and secure with God. They have no conscious - Psalms 6:5 for in death there is no remembrance. Those saints who are alive at the time of Christ's return will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, 1 Corinthians 15:52. This will be their physical death as the fleshly body will no longer be. They will have a spirit body as flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Corinthians 15:50.

Two very different types of death. One being temporary (even if in the grave for hundreds of years) that all humans must encounter because of our flesh and blood nature, and the other, everlasting for those names not written in the Book of Life.