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09. Life after death
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09. Life after death
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09. Life after death531. Is there a life after death?
Yes. Man is both a physical being and a spiritual being. He is an entity consisting of body, soul, and
spirit.
The human body is mortal and is thus transitory. It is taken from the earth and will return to the earth
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(cf. Genesis 3: 19). Soul and spirit, by contrast, live on after physical death, and are thus immortal.
The personhood of a human being—that is, his essence, that which comprises him, and that which he
has experienced, felt, believed, and thought—thus continues to exist after physical death.
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“For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.”
Wisdom of Solomon 2: 23
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532. What is death?
There is a distinction between the physical death and the spiritual death of a human being. Physical
death signifies the end of life on earth. When it occurs, soul and spirit leave the body. Spiritual death
is the separation of a human being from God. It is the consequence of sin.
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When the Bible speaks of the “second death” (cf. Revelation 20: 6; 21: 8), this refers to the separation
from God that takes effect after the Last Judgement.
Last Judgement: see Questions 579. et seq.
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“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6: 23
533. How else does the Bible understand “death”?
The Bible also uses the term “death” to describe a power opposed to God, which threatens and seeks
to destroy both physical and spiritual life. Thus the Revelation of Jesus Christ figuratively describes
, death as a person: “So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was
Death, and Hades followed with him” (Revelation 6: 8).
534. Who has power over death?
The triune God is Lord over life and death. Through His resurrection, Jesus Christ has conquered
death. Thereby He has given mankind access to eternal life: “[...] our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has
abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1: 10).
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535. What is the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
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The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation for the resurrection of the dead. Since He has
resurrected, the dead will also resurrect, “some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting
contempt” (Daniel 12: 2).
“Behold, I tell you a mystery:We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the
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twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
1 Corinthians 15: 51-52
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536. Are there any references to life after death in Holy Scripture?
A life after physical death is already suggested in the Old Testament. In the New Testament it is
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attested on several occasions. For example, we read as follows in 1 Peter 3: 19-20: “By whom [the
Holy Spirit] also He [Jesus Christ] went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were
disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being
prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.”
537. Where do human beings find themselves after physical death?
The souls and spirits of human beings who have died enter the realm of the dead. We also describe
this as “the beyond”.
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