Copyright 2009 Life Assurance Ministries, Inc., Glendale, Arizona, USA. All rights reserved. Revised January 22, 2009. Contact email: proclamation@gmail.com

HOME / STUDIES / WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT SPIRITS, DEATH, AND HELL

3. The Bible does teach that the spirits/souls of saved people continue in conscious existence after physical death.

 

Genesis 25:8-10: "Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife." (NASB.)

Genesis 25:17: "These are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people." (NASB.)

Genesis 35:18: "It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin." (NASB.)

Genesis 35:29: "Isaac breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." (NASB.)

Genesis 37:35: "All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, 'No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.' Thus his father wept for him." (ESV.)

Gensis 49:29-50:6: "Then he charged them and said to them, 'I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site. 'There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah--the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.' When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. Then Joseph fell on his father's face, and wept over him and kissed him. Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. When the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, 'If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying, My father made me swear, saying, 'Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.' Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.'' Pharaoh said, 'Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.'" (NASB.)

 

Numbers 20:23-26: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying, 'Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. 'Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up to Mount Hor; and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gathered to his people, and will die there.'" (NASB.)

Numbers 27:12-14: "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. 'When you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was; for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water.' (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, 'May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd.'" (NASB.)

Numbers 31:1-2: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.'" (NASB.)

 

Deuteronomy 32:48-52: "The LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, 'Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. 'Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. 'For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.'" (NASB.)

 

Ruth 2:20: "Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, 'May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.' Again Naomi said to her, 'The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives.'" (NASB.)

 

1 Samuel 2:6: "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up." (NASB.)

1 Samuel 28:3, 7-20: "Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. [...] Saul then said to his attendants, 'Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.' 'There is one in Endor,' they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. 'Consult a spirit for me,' he said, 'and bring up for me the one I name.' But the woman said to him, 'Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?' Saul swore to her by the LORD, 'As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this.' Then the woman asked, 'Whom shall I bring up for you?' 'Bring up Samuel,' he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, 'Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!' The king said to her, 'Don't be afraid. What do you see?' The woman said, 'I see a spirit coming up out of the ground.''What does he look like?' he asked. 'An old man wearing a robe is coming up,' she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. Samuel said to Saul, 'Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?' 'I am in great distress,' Saul said. 'The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.' Samuel said, 'Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines.' Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel's words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night." (NIV.)

 

2 Samuel 12:22-23: "He said, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' 'But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.'" (NASB.)

 

1 Kings 17:21-22: "And he stretcheth himself out on the lad three times, and calleth unto Jehovah, and saith, 'O Jehovah my God, let turn back, I pray Thee, the soul of this lad into his midst;' and Jehovah hearkeneth to the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the lad turneth back into his midst, and he liveth." (YLT.)

 

Job 3:9-23: "Let the stars of its dawn be dark; let it hope for light, but have none, nor see the eyelids of the morning, because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes. 'Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire? Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? For then I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then I would have been at rest, with kings and counselors of the earth who rebuilt ruins for themselves, or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light? There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest. There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster. The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master. 'Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, who long for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures, who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave? Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?" (ESV.)

Job 14:10-15, 20-22: "'But man dies and lies prostrate Man expires, and where is he? 'As water evaporates from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dried up, So man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no longer, He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep. 'Oh that You would hide me in Sheol, That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You, That You would set a limit for me and remember me! 'If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait Until my change comes. 'You will call, and I will answer You; You will long for the work of Your hands. [...] 'You forever overpower him and he departs; You change his appearance and send him away. 'His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it; Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it. 'But his body pains him, And he mourns only for himself.'" (NASB.)

Job 30:23: "For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living." (ESV.)

 

Psalm 30:3, 9: "O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. [...] 'What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?" (NASB.)

Psalm 48:14: "That this God [is] our God -- To the age and for ever, He -- he doth lead us over death!" (YLT.)

Psalm 49:7-19: "No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him--For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever--That he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay. For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish. This is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. Selah. As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for Sheol to consume So that they have no habitation. But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah. Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. Though while he lives he congratulates himself--And though men praise you when you do well for yourself--He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light." (NASB.)

Psalm 71:20: "You who have shown me many troubles and distresses, Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth." (NASB.)

Psalm 73:3-4, 16-28:"For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat. [...] When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form. When my heart was embittered And I was pierced within, Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works." (NASB.)

Psalm 86:13: "For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol." (NASB.)

Psalm 88:3-7, 10: "For my soul has had enough troubles, And my life has drawn near to Sheol. I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength, Forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And they are cut off from Your hand. You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths. Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah. [...] Will You perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah." (NASB.)

Psalm 89:48: "What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah." (NASB.)

Psalm 90:10: "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away." (NASB.)

Psalm 116:3: "The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow." (NASB.)

Psalm 139:7-8: "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there." (NASB.)

 

Proverbs 1:11-12: "If they say, 'Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;" (NASB.)

 

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3: "So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun." (KJV.)

Ecclesiastes 12:5-7: "Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street. Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." (NASB.)

 

Isaiah 26:4, 14, 19: "'Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock. [...] The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And You have wiped out all remembrance of them. [...] Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits." (NASB.)

Isaiah 38:10-11: "I said, In the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years. I said, I shall not see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living; I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world." (ESV.)

 

Lamentations 3:52-58: "My enemies without cause Hunted me down like a bird; They have silenced me in the pit And have placed a stone on me. Waters flowed over my head; I said, 'I am cut off!' I called on Your name, O LORD, Out of the lowest pit. You have heard my voice, 'Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, From my cry for help.' You drew near when I called on You; You said, 'Do not fear!' O Lord, You have pleaded my soul's cause; You have redeemed my life." (NASB.)

 

Ezekiel 31:1-3, 14-18: "In the eleventh year, in the third [month], on the first [day] of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 'Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: Who are you like in your greatness? Think of Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and shady foliage, and of lofty height. Its top was among the clouds. [...] [This happened] so that no trees [planted] beside water would become great in height and set their tops among the clouds, and so that no [other] well-watered trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned to death, to the underworld, among the people who descend to the Pit.'This is what the Lord GOD says: I caused grieving on the day the cedar went down to Sheol. I closed off the underground deep because of it: I held back the rivers of the deep, and [its] abundant waters were restrained. I made Lebanon mourn on account of it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it. I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I threw it down to Sheol [to be] with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, all the well-watered trees, the choice and best of Lebanon, were comforted in the underworld. They too descended with it to Sheol, to those slain by the sword. As its allies they had lived in its shade among the nations. 'Who then are you like in glory and greatness among Eden's trees? You also will be brought down to the underworld [to be] with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his hordes'—the declaration of the Lord GOD ." (HCSB.)

 

Hosea 13:14: "I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. Death, where are your barbs? Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes." (HCSB.)

 

Jonah 2:1-10: "Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, 'I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. 'For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me All Your breakers and billows passed over me. 'So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.' 'Water encompassed me to the point of death The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head. 'I descended to the roots of the mountains The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. 'While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. 'Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving That which I have vowed I will pay Salvation is from the LORD.' Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land." (NASB.)

Jonah 4:8: "When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, 'Death is better to me than life.'" (NASB.)

 

Matthew 4:12-16: "Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 'THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES--'THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.'" (NASB.) cf. Luke 1:78-79: "Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.'" (NASB.) cf. Isaiah 9:1-2: "But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them." (NASB.)

Matthew 10:28: "'Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (NASB.)

Matthew 12:39-40: "But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (NASB.)

Matthew 17:2-4: "And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'" (NASB.)

Matthew 22:31-32: "'But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.'" (NASB.) cf. Romans 14:9: "For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living." (NASB.)

Matthew 27:50: "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit." (NASB.)

 

Mark 9:2-5: "Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'" (NASB.)

Mark 12:25-27: "'For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 'But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God of Jacob'? 'He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.'" (NASB.)

 

Luke 8:54-55: "He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, 'Child, arise!' And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat." (NASB.)

Luke 9:29-33: "And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, 'Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah'--not realizing what he was saying." (NASB.)

Luke 9:31: "who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure [Gr. exodus--used of the Israelites' Exodus in Hebrews 11:22] which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem." (NASB.)

Luke 12:4-5: "I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 'But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!" (NASB.)

Luke 16:9, 19-31: "'And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. [...] 'Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 'And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 'Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 'In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 'And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' 'But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' 'And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 'But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 'But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' 'But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.''" (NASB.)

Luke 20:37-38: "'But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. 'Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.'" (NASB.)

Luke 23:43: "And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.'" (NASB.)

Luke 23:46: "And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' Having said this, He breathed His last." (NASB.)

Luke 24:36-39: "While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, 'Peace be to you.' But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, 'Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 'See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.'" (NASB.)

 

John 2:19-22: "Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews then said, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken." (NASB.)

John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (NASB.)

John 3:36: "'He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.'" (NASB.)

John 4:13-14: "Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.'" (NASB.)

John 5:24-25, 28-29: "'Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 'Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. [...] 'Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." (NASB.)

John 6:27-29, 40, 47-51, 54, 57-58, 63, 68: "'Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.' Therefore they said to Him, 'What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.' [...] 'For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.' [...] 'Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 'I am the bread of life. 'Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 'This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 'I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.' [...] 'He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. [...] 'As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 'This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever. [...] 'It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. [...] Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." (NASB.)

John 7:32-34: "The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him. Therefore Jesus said, 'For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. 'You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.'" (NASB.)

John 8:21-23: "Then He said again to them, 'I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.' So the Jews were saying, 'Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?' And He was saying to them, 'You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world." (NASB.)

John 8:51-55: "verily, verily, I say to you, If any one may keep my word, death he may not see -- to the age.' The Jews, therefore, said to him, 'Now we have known that thou hast a demon; Abraham did die, and the prophets, and thou dost say, If any one may keep my word, he shall not taste of death -- to the age! Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died; whom dost thou make thyself?' Jesus answered, 'If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who is glorifying me, of whom ye say that He is your God; and ye have not known Him, and I have known Him, and if I say that I have not known Him, I shall be like you -- speaking falsely; but I have known Him, and His word I keep;" (YLT.)

John 9:4-5: "'We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 'While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.'" (NASB.)

John 10:17-18: "'For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 'No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.'" (NASB.)

John 10:27-28: "according as I said to you: My sheep my voice do hear, and I know them, and they follow me, and life age-during I give to them, and they shall not perish -- to the age, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand;" (YLT.)

John 11:23-27, 43-44: "Jesus saith to her, 'Thy brother shall rise again.' Martha saith to him, 'I have known that he will rise again, in the rising again in the last day;' Jesus said to her, 'I am the rising again, and the life; he who is believing in me, even if he may die, shall live; and every one who is living and believing in me shall not die -- to the age; believest thou this?' she saith to him, 'Yes, sir, I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming to the world.' [...] And these things saying, with a loud voice he cried out, 'Lazarus, come forth;' and he who died came forth, being bound feet and hands with grave-clothes, and his visage with a napkin was bound about; Jesus saith to them, 'Loose him, and suffer to go.'" (YLT.)

John 12:23-25: "And Jesus answered them, saying, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 'He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal." (NASB.)

John 13:1-4, 33, 36-38: "Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. [...] 'Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' [...] Simon Peter said to Him, 'Lord, where are You going?' Jesus answered, 'Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.' Peter said to Him, 'Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.' Jesus answered, 'Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times." (NASB.)

John 14:12, 19, 28-29: "'Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. [...] 'After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. [...] 'You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 'Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe." (NASB.)

John 14:16: "and I will ask the Father, and another Comforter He will give to you, that he may remain with you -- to the age;" (YLT.)

John 16:4-5, 16-22, 28: "'But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. "But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' [...] 'A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.'Some of His disciples then said to one another, 'What is this thing He is telling us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?'So they were saying, 'What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about.' Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, 'Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'? 'Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. 'Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 'Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. [...] 'I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.'" (NASB.)

John 17:11-15: "'I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 'While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. 'But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 'I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 'I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one." (NASB.)

John 19:30: "Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (NASB.)

 

Acts 2:27, 30-32: "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. [...] Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses." (NKJV.)

Acts 7:55-59: "But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, 'Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.' But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!'" (NASB.)

Acts 10:40-42: "God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 'And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead." (NASB.)

Acts 13:34: "'And that He did raise him up out of the dead, no more to return to corruption, he hath said thus -- I will give to you the faithful kindnesses of David;" (YLT.)

 

Romans 8:10-11, 35-39: "If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. [...] Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NASB.)

Romans 10:6-9: "But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: 'DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).' But what does it say? 'THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART'--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" (NASB.)

Romans 14:7-9: "For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living." (NASB.)

 

2 Corinthians 4:6-7, 16-5:10: "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; [...] Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (NASB.)

2 Corinthians 12:2-4: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows--was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak." (NASB.)

 

Ephesians 4:8-10: "Therefore it says, 'WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.' (Now this expression, 'He ascended,' what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)" (NASB.)

 

Philippians 1:21-24: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake." (NASB.)

 

1 Thessalonians 4:14: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring [lit. "lead"] with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus." (NASB.)

1 Thessalonians 5:10: "who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him." (ESV.)

1 Thessalonians 5:23: "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NASB.)

 

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17: "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word." (NASB.)

 

2 Timothy 4:1: "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:" (NASB.)

2 Timothy 4:6-7: "for I am already being poured out, and the time of my release hath arrived; the good strife I have striven, the course I have finished, the faith I have kept," (YLT.)

 

Hebrews 2:14-15: "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (NASB.)

Hebrews 11:39-12:1, 12:22-24: "And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [...] But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel." (NASB.)

Hebrews 13:20: "And the God of the peace, who did bring up out of the dead the great shepherd of the sheep -- in the blood of an age-during covenant -- our Lord Jesus," (YLT.)

 

1 Peter 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (NASB.)

1 Peter 3:18-20: "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water." (NASB.)

1 Peter 4:5-6: "They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (NKJV.)

1 Peter 5:9-10: "But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." (NASB.)

 

2 Peter 1:13-15: "I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure (Gr. exodus) you will be able to call these things to mind." (NASB.)

 

1 John 2:17: "and the world doth pass away, and the desire of it, and he who is doing the will of God, he doth remain -- to the age." (YLT.)

1 John 2:24-25: "What you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life." (HCSB.)

1 John 3:15: "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (NASB.)

1 John 5:11-13: "And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (NASB.)

 

2 John 1:1-3: "The Elder to the choice Kyria, and to her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those having known the truth, because of the truth that is remaining in us, and with us shall be to the age, there shall be with you grace, kindness, peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." (YLT.)

 

Revelation 1:17-18: "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." (NASB.)

Revelation 6:9-11: "When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also." (NASB.)

Revelation 14:13: "And I heard a voice out of the heaven saying to me, 'Write: Happy are the dead who in the Lord are dying from this time!' 'Yes, (saith the Spirit,) That they may rest from their labours -- and their works do follow them!'" (YLT.)

Revelation 20:4: "Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." (NASB.)

By Jeremy Graham