Death, Heaven and Hell - Part 2

Pretend for a moment that you genuinely have no idea what happens when you die. That you have never heard about it or read about it. You've never read the news stories that talk about seeing a "bright light", or even the ones that say it was "just black". That you are earnestly curious and seeking to find this information out - the easy way. You decide to start your investigation with the Bible. You come across all of the following verses and instances in which death is spoken of:

"All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust." - Ecclesiastes 3:20

 "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 [Sheol], where you are going." - Ecclesiastes 9:10


(In places where the word "hell" appears, we must understand the true meaning of it's original Hebrew and Greek word.
“First it [hell] stands for the Hebrew Sheol of the Old Testament and the Greek Hades of the Septuagint and New Testament. Since Sheol in Old Testament times referred simply to abode of the dead and suggested no moral distinctions, the word ‘hell,’ as understood today, is not a happy translation.” - Collier’s Encyclopedia
Hell is more accurately rendered as "the grave" and simply means the common grave of mankind.)

"His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." - Psalm 146:4 (KJV)

"5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun." - Ecclesiastes 9:5 + 6

"The dead do not praise Jah; Nor do any who go down into the silence of death." - Psalm 115:17

"11 After he said these things, he added: “Lazʹarus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am traveling there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples then said to him: “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.” 13 Jesus, however, had spoken about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly: “Lazʹarus has died" - John 11:11-14

"Consider and answer me, O Jehovah my God: Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death" - Psalm 13:3

After reading those verses, what would you believe happened when you die?

Let's review what we know:
Everyone goes to the same place and returns to dust.
When we return to the earth, our thoughts perish.
The dead do not praise Jah (Jehovah).
There is silence in death.
The dead know nothing.
The dead have "no reward" (Wouldn't going to heaven be considered a reward?)
There is no work, planning, knowledge or wisdom in the grave.
Jesus compared sleeping to "death". Lazarus "fell asleep in death".
The Psalm writer also did this by saying he will "sleep the sleep of death".
The Bible likens death to the state of being asleep.

What is it exactly about all those verses, all that information taken directly from God's Word does it give the slightest hint that people go to heaven or "hell" when they die? One thing seems pretty clear if we reason on these scriptures using eisegesis; when we die we go into the grave, we become dust and are conscious of absolutely nothing. There is no thinking, no knowledge, no wisdom, no praising - nothing. In that way, death is like sleep because we are conscious of nothing. Does it make sense now why we as humans fear death? Not because the "good people" go to heaven and live in eternal happiness and peace, there's no reason to fear that! But because we are cut off from everything and everyone we love. That most definitely is something worth fearing is it not? That is why when we are driving and almost get into a car accident it is human nature that we swerve to avoid it. It is in our nature, nature given to us by God, to avoid and fear death! If we would be "going home to be with the Lord" then why would it be in our nature to avoid "going home"? Death would just not be worth fearing.

Let's apply these verses to the idea that we go to heaven. One says there is "no reward" in death. Would going to heaven not be a reward? Another says there is no praising Jah in death. If we were in heaven would we not praise the Almighty God that put us there? There is no knowledge. Would we not have the knowledge that we were in heaven? The dead are conscious of nothing. What is the point of being in heaven if we are not aware we are there? These Biblical excerpts are not just made about our physical body. They are made more so about our consciousness. If we are asleep we are not conscious. If death is like sleep then we are not conscious when we die. If when we die we go to heaven what is the point of being in heaven if we are not conscious when we are there?

What about the little girl Jesus resurrected? And the little boy Paul resurrected? How disappointing it must have been for them to temporarily be in heaven only to be brought back to life on earth! Going from the ultimate Utopian destination then right back to life on earth. Once you see heaven and experience it, how deflating not it must be to be brought back to life on earth right? Again, thinking as God would want you to, HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? Additionally, why do none of these people who were dead and resurrected have any recorded statements about their experiences? It would have undoubtedly been faith strengthening if they came back from the heaven/hell and told us about what they saw or felt or witnessed. Instead? Nothing. Why?

I really don't know how it could be made any more clear about what death is. This line of reasoning, our ability to think - these are God-given tools! He expects us to think practically on these using the scriptures. We are all victims of sin. And because of this we must experience death. If the result of death is going to heaven, then what is the consequence of sin? Really think about that. Meditate on it. The Bible is clear about the consequence of sin:

"For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23

Death is a consequence for all of us. Not a reward. As mentioned earlier from Ecclesiastes, there is "no reward" in death. And because of sin we die, as Jesus said we "fall asleep" in death. Yet, there is hope! People who know the truth have a peace about dying that those who think they are going to heaven do not! The gift God gives is everlasting life, but when do we receive this gift?

Part 1
Part 3